The geode’s elemental power was overbearing. Even secluded in the cave on the south end of the island, it was enough to skew the balance in a way that even Elijah could feel. So, he glanced at Nerthus and asked, “Are we sure this is okay? It’s not going to throw everything off, is it?”

Nerthus answered, “There is a reason I suggested it be placed here. It will improve the balance.”

Elijah understood the explanation well enough, but it didn’t really make a lot of sense to him. The idea was simple – the geode was earth-attuned while the ash lotus and the frozen oak were dedicated to their respective elements. And apparently, the leviathan’s bones were water-attuned. So, with all of them working with and against one another, they created a tentative balance between elements.

On top of that, they had nature acting as a buffer, cushioning their effects as they clashed against one another. It also bound them together in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if the area wasn’t so strongly connected to vitality. In short, everything worked perfectly together, containing what needed to be contained while letting those energies mingle enough to strengthen the grove.

That part made sense to Elijah.

What did not fit together was how everything worked. For instance, the cave was only a few hundred feet from the underwater cave. Sure, it was a few hundred feet through solid rock, but overall, the distance between them was short enough that Elijah thought they would interfere with one another.

Apparently, he was wrong, though – at least according to Nerthus. And given that he completely trusted the spryggent’s instincts concerning the balance of the grove’s energy, he was prepared to accept whatever Nerthus claimed.

Still, it felt weird.

“And this will help the grove overall, right?” he asked.

“I assure you that it will,” Nerthus stated evenly. “Now that we have all four elements, we should see a nearly four percent increase in the island’s ethereal density.”

“Is that a lot?”

“In comparison to what?”

“Um…let’s say the Shard of the World Tree.”

“Not comparable. The Shard of the World Tree changed the ancestral tree on such a fundamental level that it is an entirely different sort of alteration. However, if you wish to compare it, the Primordial Loam represents a seven percent increase in ethereal density over the past six months. It is ongoing, just as the elemental influx will be. However, that should give you a rough estimate for the effects.”

Elijah frowned, initially disappointed. One item had caused nearly twice the effect. Though upon further reflection, he accepted that it made sense. The Primordial Loam had been a top-tier reward from a solo-run of a Primal Realm. Of course it would be stronger.

“Every little bit helps, I suppose,” he acknowledged. “Oh, are you going to plant some of those seeds around here?”

That’s when Nerthus launched into an explanation of his plan for the seeds Elijah had gotten for him. Most of them had come from the Elemental Maelstrom, but he’d also picked up a good selection when he’d visited Atticus. And it seemed that Nerthus had all sorts of ideas how to get the most out of them.

“It’ll be interesting to grow a wider variety of food. I love the grove fruits, but an apple or an orange would be nice,” Elijah admitted. He’d gotten seeds for both, and he hoped their trees would grow quickly.

After that, Elijah left Nerthus to the business of surrounding the geode with appropriate plant life.

Along the way back to the grove, he found the children scattered throughout the forest. Thankfully, most of the wildlife left them alone, and it took Elijah a few moments to realize that they were submersing themselves in nature in an attempt to grow closer to it. Idly, he wondered if that would work.

Perhaps.

Kurik had claimed that his nature attunement was static, though it did become more prominent with his exposure to the grove. However, Elijah couldn’t help but ask himself if that was still true for children who’d yet to awake their archetypes. As far as the system was concerned, they weren’t fully formed as people, so it stood to reason that their attunements would be at least partially malleable.

Maybe everyone was born with a range of possible attunements, and those were then affected by the person’s experiences. And it made sense that those experiences counted for a little more before the system really got ahold of someone with their archetype.

“Whatcha thinking?” asked Hope, leaning against a tree as she watched the other children playing. Elijah glanced at her, noting that she’d grown a little since the last time he’d seen her, though that wasn’t surprising. She was only seventeen or so. Still a child, but growing up fast.

Just like Miguel, who was a year or so younger but already fighting monsters.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

That was the state of the world, though. Children were forced to take up arms and adapt to the new normal.

“Just wondering what you all would be doing if the World Tree had never touched Earth,” Elijah admitted. “You’d be close to graduating high school, right?”

“I guess. It’s sort of weird to think about it. School, I mean. We learned basic stuff in Forest Hills, but nothing like if I was still in normal school. I would probably be thinking about colleges right now instead of watching a bunch of little ones commune with nature,” she admitted. “I think I like this way better. Plus, I would have never met Miguel if the world hadn’t changed.” She looked away for a moment, then asked, “Is he okay? Nerthus says he is, but…”

“He’s alive. That’s all I can say for sure. I’m going down there soon to go find him, though.”

“Really? You just got back.”

“No rest for the wicked,” Elijah said with a cheeky grin. “What about them?” he asked, nodding at the kids. “Any standouts?”

“They’re all special in their own way. Rosabella’s different, though. Driven.”

“That’s what I’ve been told,” Elijah responded.

“Whatever they’ve said isn’t enough. She can be scary committed. In a good way, though.”

“Hopefully it’ll work out,” Elijah said.

“Miss Sadie said she’d teach some of them a few lessons.”

“She did?”

Hope nodded. “She’s so cool,” she breathed, her eyes twinkling with awe.

“Agreed. She is pretty cool,” Elijah stated. “What about you?”

“I’m not a fighter.”

“Not what I was asking, and I think you know that. How’s your cultivation doing?” he asked.

She shrugged. “It’s frustrating. I think I’m close, but I can’t push myself over the edge.”

“Show me.”

“Here?”

Elijah shrugged. “It’s as good a place as any. The ethera is much denser here than when I attained a body of wood. It’s plenty for the first stage.”

Hope nodded, though Elijah could tell that she was a little trepidatious. He understood it; after all, they’d only shared a few conversations. And given the stories floating around about him – many of which were true – he could understand that some people would be nervous in his presence.

Still, she marshaled her courage and sank to her knees. Fortunately, the forest floor was mossy and soft, and as her skirt flowed around her, she let her eyes droop. Immediately, the local ethera stirred, though the current was glacial compared to what Elijah could manage.

He watched as the speed of the flow increased, but it didn’t take much before he recognized that it wouldn’t be enough. So, in a moment of inspiration, he summoned Blessing of the Grove. Great, fat drops of rain began to fall as a beautiful sunflower bloomed in their midst. The vitality in the air skyrocketed, and Hope let out a little gasp, almost letting loose her control on the local ethera.

“Concentrate,” he admonished. “Use the life all around you. Embrace it. Let it flow into you. Then force it to coalesce.”

Of course, she obviously knew the method already, but he suspected that a reassuring voice would make all the difference. Ten minutes later, she was still struggling with it, and what’s more, they’d drawn a crowd. Most of the new audience was comprised of the local wildlife, with giant squirrels and bunnies intently watching, but many of the other children had gathered around as well.

And they were all meditating, just like Hope.

Their methods were rudimentary, and they were a long way from making any real headway. But it was impressive nonetheless, and it gave him some insight into the process itself.

That’s when Elijah decided to try something new he’d been considering since he’d attained his Mantle of Authority. To date, he’d used it exclusively to impose his will upon hostile forces. However, who was to say that was where the limits lay? He believed he could use it to augment his allies as well.

In fact, he’d even tried it a few times already, though only when he was alone. Now seemed like a grand time to put his plans into motion.

So, he embraced the Mantle of Authority, though with an entirely different intent than had been present in the Primal Realm. Instead of trying to suppress, he attempted to enhance. And given that everyone around him had some level nature attunement, he expected it to be beneficial.

The second the branches of his soul touched the children, they passed out, one by one. If Elijah hadn’t been certain that they were perfectly fine – just overwhelmed by the depth of his ethera – he would have been alarmed. And certainly, he would have stopped. But he reasoned that it was good for them.

Probably.

In any case, Hope maintained her concentration – and consciousness – wrapping her will around the influx of ethera and incorporating it into the swirling maelstrom of vitality all around her. Beads of sweat bloomed on her forehead, and her blonde hair slicked down against her scalp, but she pushed on, obviously determined.

Vaguely, Elijah was aware of Nerthus’ arrival. The spryggent surreptitiously dragged the children out of range, and they awoke after only a few more minutes. They didn’t leave, though. Instead, they watched, enraptured by the scene before them.

Elijah opened his eyes to see that Hope was glowing. An aura of green light surrounded her entire body, casting her white skirts in a verdant hue.

But that wasn’t the beautiful part, though. The children couldn’t see it, but Elijah definitely could. And what he saw was glorious. She was on the verge of pushing it over the edge. Only a few more seconds…

And then, it happened.

The ethera rushed out of her, solidifying into a green crystal.

Elijah let his Mantle of Authority lapse and breathed a sigh of relief.

“That was reckless,” Nerthus said.

“It worked.”

“A Mantle of Authority is not a toy,” the spryggent stated. “You could have irreparably harmed these children.”

“But I didn’t.”

“Only because you display a striking level of control for someone so new to the mantle,” Nerthus explained. “How did you know to do that?”

Elijah shrugged. “Same way I know how to do most things. Instinct. It just made sense.”

Indeed, Elijah couldn’t even explain how he’d reversed the polarity of the Mantle of Authority, rendering it beneficial instead of harmful. “The best way I can put it is that the Mantle of Authority is like a domain,” he reasoned. “And that means I’m in control. It does my bidding, not the other way around.”

“It was dangerous.”

“Everything’s dangerous, Nerthus,” Elijah argued. “That’s the kind of world we live in. There’s no use taking it slow. We have to take chances, or this world’s going to be excised. We can’t afford to be careful.”

“Within reason.”

“Like I said, it worked. And that’s what matters.”

“Until it does not.”

“When that happens, I’ll just have to deal with the consequences,” Elijah said. But in the meantime, he couldn’t let up. And he certainly couldn’t ignore his instincts. They were the only reason he was still alive. “But I’ll do my best to measure the chances I take.”

“Very well.”

Elijah glanced at the cocoon-like crystal. “How long will she be in there?”

“A week or two.”

He nodded. “Will you watch her?” he asked. “I have an appointment to keep in New York.”