Book 8: Chapter 12: Everything You Wanted

Path of Dragons

Nico Song ran his fingers beneath the water of the fountain, lost in the raging thoughts hammering their way through his mind. Nothing he’d experienced since the world’s transformation had been fair, but that was nothing new. Even before anyone had ever heard of the system or the World Tree – such a stupid name for what was likely a natural spread of ethera through the universe – he’d spent his life being underestimated and undercut by those who thought him weak. Or incompetent. Or useless.

He'd tried to show them. He wanted to be the perfect child, like Sadie. Or the likeable one, like Lisa. But instead, he was stuck somewhere in between. He was talented, but overshadowed by his eldest sister. In any other situation, he could have pointed to her obvious disdain for social settings as his forte, but Lisa took that role.

That left Nico as the odd one out. Not quite as smart as Sadie, and certainly not as universally adored as Lisa. Even when he’d chosen his class, Stillwater Sage, he’d done so with little regard for what it actually meant. But it had been right there in the overly descriptive class name.

Stillwater. He’d picked it because it sounded impressive – especially when measured against Sadie’s mundane Crusader class – but as it turned out, it only highlighted the limitations he would come to loathe so fully. Stillwater, in the context of his class, was meant to imply that he would have a vast reservoir of ethera at his beck and call, but refilling that pool would be incredibly time-consuming.

High Ethera. Low Regeneration.

Most of his spells followed that same pattern of strengths and weaknesses. If the spell was bursty, it was long-casting. Or if it was quick-casting, then it was incredibly expensive in terms of ethera.

Later, after spending far more time searching the Branch’s Knowledge Base, he’d discovered that the Stillwater Sage was meant as an incredible starting point for eventually powerful Healers. However, much of its power wouldn’t be seen until after the first evolution – and even then, it was limited. Typically, no one but those attached to established factions would ever consider it a viable option. And they would only do so because they had the luxury to invest time and effort into a class that would not show real benefits for decades – or even centuries – to come.

And Nico had chosen it because it sounded impressive.

It was just one of many mistakes he’d made along the way. He was aware of them all, too. Even if he put up a confident front, he constantly thought about all the things he’d done wrong. Without his siblings, he would have died alongside so many others.

He’d tried. He wanted to use his new powers as a Healer to mend their wounds. But when the zombies attacked just after the world went mad, Nico had been overwhelmed by fear. They’d been depending on him, and he’d abandoned them.

He never saw them again.

Likely, they joined the hordes of zombies that plagued the city. Since then, he’d been forced to fight more times than he could count, and every single time, he’d considered running. Before the world had changed, he had never thought of himself a coward. Like most young men, he’d imagined that in a time of crisis, he would step up and defend those people he cared about.

Like Sadie or Lisa.

Or even Gideon, who’d taken up sword and shield so he could fight the tide of undead.

Song Tianwei had reportedly grabbed a decorative sword from his wall and joined the other men in defending his old office. Even Dat – that useless layabout – had escorted dozens of people to safety.

And Nico had run away.

Things had not gotten much better since then, either. Sure, he’d learned to stand his ground, but his decision-making in battle left a lot to be desired. He knew that, and yet, he could not admit his own weaknesses. Instead, he habitually blamed others, even if in his heart, he knew he was at fault.

That was what had happened with Lisa. He’d made the wrong call, and she had died. He didn’t admit as much, though. Instead, he’d blamed Dat – internally and externally. And there was some truth to that as well. His sister had put her trust in Dat as her protector, and he’d failed. Did it matter that he was elsewhere when it had happened? Well, he’d chosen that route. He’d decided his priorities, and they’d all paid the consequences.

But if he’d had it to do all over again, Nico would have chosen to heal her a thousand times before wasting his ethera on a bunch of people whose names he didn’t even know.

And then there was Elijah.

The man infuriated Nico on so many levels that he had trouble differentiating between the reasons for his hatred. His flippant attitude toward authority was part of it, of course. The Druid respected no one. Not even Tianwei, and certainly not Nico.

Jealousy was part of it, too. Everyone watched Elijah’s every move and hung on his every word. They respected him, even when he so clearly couldn’t have cared less about them. That his sister had latched onto Elijah – even deferring to him, at times – was both disappointing and rage-inducing.

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Especially when she’d never cared one bit about Nico’s opinions. Often, he wondered if she wished he’d died instead of Lisa.

Dat made no secret that that was what he wanted.

Nico didn’t regret the Witch Hunter’s death. Not inasmuch as Dat was gone, at least. He hated that his sister had invested so much into their relationship, but he definitely wouldn’t be shedding any tears over the loss. Still, if he’d had it to do over again, he would have used his Miracle to heal the man.

But as had happened too many times to count, Nico had panicked. He’d seen his sister’s grievous wound, and he’d used his most powerful and quick-casting healing spell to mend the damage. That had drained him.

And pointedly, he’d never even considered using his miracle. Not in the moment, at least. In his panicked state, he’d forgotten it even existed, cementing the fact that he simply wasn’t cut out for battle.

But bravery wasn’t limited to the battlefield, was it? He could be courageous in other ways. He could give of himself so that Heaven’s Bastion could rise above all others. The Warriors and other combatants could fight for him while he directed them from above.

That was the proper order of things, anyway. A man didn’t need to stand in the trenches in order to be a hero. Leaders had ever been more valuable than run-of-the-mill soldiers, and the addition of ethera to the world hadn’t changed that stark reality.

The only problem was his grandfather.

That the man was still alive at his age was a minor miracle on its own, but he looked healthier now than he’d ever looked during Nico’s life. If nothing changed, then he would live for decades more – which fouled Nico’s plans. Before Gideon had been murdered – nothing could ever convince him that Elijah wasn’t responsible for that – they’d discussed the possibility of forced abdication.

But now that Gideon was gone, Nico was adrift. He didn’t know what to do. He had no idea how to proceed. So, he’d done what he’d always done – ingratiate himself to his grandfather, staying close just in case the situation called for him to step up.

Even if Tianwei survived for another couple of decades, what did that matter? With Nico’s level, he stood to live for centuries. He could wait a few years for the old man to kick the bucket.

In the meantime, he simply needed to do his best to keep Heaven’s Bastion on the right track. Thankfully, his nature as a Healer meant that his help was the very visible sort. The peasantry couldn’t ignore when he mended their wounds, and they were incredibly grateful for his efforts.

Not that their gratitude counted for much, but it did help keep him from slipping down the steep slope of a guilty conscience. It also positioned him as a man of the people – a silly notion in and of itself, but it gave him influence above most others. In short, they loved him because his help was visible and obvious. With others – like Sadie – they never saw her put her life on the line for their protection. Indeed, all the knew was that she was gone for a long, long time – a fact which Gideon had used to his advantage by spreading rumors of her cowardice.

Anyone who knew Sadie even a little would have laughed at the notion, but her nature was not a social one, and the people of Heaven’s Bastion simply didn’t know her well enough to refute the claims. So, they just assumed the worst by believing the rumors Gideon had spread throughout the settlement.

When Nico had found out, he’d objected, but in the back of his mind, he’d always felt a little vindicated by the sway in public opinion. She’d neglected them, and once she was gone, she’d begun to pay the consequences.

It wasn’t as if she cared overly much, though. She obviously didn’t, especially with how enamored she was with that damned Druid. Neither of them thought Nico knew about their little relationship drama, but he was well aware of what was going on. He wasn’t nearly as blind as they thought he was.

But that was just like Sadie. She never thought about how her decisions and relationships reflected on the family. First, she’d befriended that oaf, Dat. Sure, he’d proven himself moderately useful over the years, but true to his class – the one concerning social standing, not his abilities – he’d eventually lost sight of where his loyalties should have lain.

Nico would never forget when he’d discovered that Nico made a habit of visiting necromancer enclaves. He’d gone to his grandfather, accusations in hand. But to his immense surprise, Tianwei had ruled in favor of the idiot. Probably because he knew how important Sadie was to their continued survival.

So, Nico refused to feel bad about Dat’s death. He’d made a mistake, certainly. If he’d been thinking clearly, he might have used his miracle to save the man. That wasn’t what had happened, though, and he believed that was probably a good thing.

It was only a matter of time before Dat betrayed them. It was in his nature. Why else would he have visited those enclaves so often? Those people were sub-human. They had betrayed their very species, and if Nico had his way, they would have already been destroyed. That they hadn’t been was a testament to how thinly the resources of Heaven’s Bastion had been stretched.

But that wouldn’t always be the case.

“Young master,” came a quiet voice. Nico looked up from where he’d been sitting on the ledge of the public fountain. The young man who’d spoken couldn’t have been more than fourteen. Nico himself hadn’t been that much older when the world had changed. Eighteen years old, and the weight of the world had been placed onto his shoulders.

That felt like a lifetime ago. It was no wonder that, in the years since, he’d made mistakes. That was part of the transition from adolescence into adulthood.

“What can I do for you, child?” he asked, conveying benevolence with his tone. He always spoke kindly to the people of Heaven’s Bastion. He had a reputation to uphold, after all.

“My mother is very sick,” the young man said. “I know you are a busy man, but I have no choice but to ask for your aid. Will you heal her? The Healers at the clinic say she’s too far gone.”

Nico nodded along at the young man’s story. It wasn’t so uncommon. There were plenty of Healers in Heaven’s Bastion, but none that were very powerful. As such, their ethera was limited, and they could only affect so much change. Many times, people who were deemed to be lost causes – or more appropriately, that healing them would require too many resources – were turned away.

It was a harsh reality, but it made sense.

But Nico wasn’t part of their hierarchy. He could do things they could not. So, he nodded and said, “Of course, child. Show me to your mother.”

For some Healers, the act itself was recompense enough, but to Nico, the hope that bloomed on the young man’s face was the real reward. Or maybe it was the adoration and appreciation that followed. Perhaps they were one and the same.

Whatever the case, Nico followed the young man, ready to do his duty and save a life.