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Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 55 - Physical

“So, you’re telling me that neither of you have theme music?” Elijah asked incredulously.

“I really have no idea what you’re talking about,” Hu Shui stated.  Characteristically, Benedict remained quiet.  In the wake of the time loop, he’d become even more introverted than usual. 

“You know how in movies and TV shows, when a character shows up, they have a corresponding piece of music that accompanies the scene?  Like Darth Vader and the Imperial...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 54 - Protecting the Reef

“Charge!” shouted Rosabella, holding her lance aloft.  Like all of the Hartwood Sentries, she had been trained to use a variety of weapons, but when she was atop her mount, the long weapon was the obvious choice. 

Her crab – named Clackle – skittered sideways into the surf.  In moments, it – along with the gnomish girl on its back – disappeared beneath the waves.  Three others – a sea elf boy, a dwarven girl, and a young human boy – followed.  Th...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 53 - An Unnatural State

“I’ll go first.  Follow after thirty seconds,” Elijah ordered, glancing back at the others.  They were both obviously exhausted, with glazed eyes and slack expressions.  Their shoulders slumped, and their clothes bore the evidence of their many battles.  Even Hu Shui’s normally pristine outfit had been stained with blue, red, and black. 

Elijah was very aware that, outwardly, he wasn’t any better off.  The only difference was that he also knew tha...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 52 - The End of the Loop

A scream pierced the air, sending a chill up Elijah’s spine.  He whipped around to see a blue-skinned djinn looking around in confusion.  A second later, they disappeared, only to be replaced by a group of three that followed the same fate after only a few moments. 

It fit the theme.

All around, the city was in chaos.  Buildings disappeared and reappeared at a moment’s notice, and in various states.  Some stood tall and proud, while others had clearly ...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 51 - Toppling a Giant

The world trembled as two titans – one in the form of an emerald scaled dragon, the other a much larger, three-legged automaton – clashed.  At first, nothing seemed to happen, but that only lasted for a brief moment.  Then, the sound of claws against metal stretched across the city, followed by a shockwave that kicked up dust and shook trees for hundreds of yards in every direction.

Elijah caromed off of his foe’s chest, momentarily stunned.  That faded quickly, and...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 50 - Adjustments

“You can’t do this alone,” said Benedict.

“I’m not trying to,” Elijah growled, a massive swarm of locusts manifesting with every passing second.  It had been five more loops since the first attempt at taking down the giant automaton, and each one had ended the same way – with Elijah’s premature death. 

Fortunately, the other two were able to keep going for a while longer than him, though without the distraction Elijah provided, the automaton quickly homed...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 49 - The Next Obstacle

For the first time in dozens of loops, Elijah found himself unable to take the next step.  Behind him, the familiarity of the maze loomed, while in front of him was something he’d never expected to see.  After all, the Primal Realm was called Labyrinth of Dead Gods, not paradise. 

But that was what he saw stretching before him.

The terrain had a garden-like feel to it, with blooming flowers and ancient-looking trees.  Even the buildings, stretching further th...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 48 - Repetition

Elijah kicked off the ceiling, propelling himself forward with blistering speed.  He hit the automaton less than a second later, and hard enough to send it sprawling backwards.  It smashed into the wall, sending dust and a few shards of stone into the air, but Elijah ignored it.  Instead, he wrapped his arms around the creature and rammed it with his horned head.  Each blow dented the thing’s chest plate until, after the fifth attack, it split. 

A geyser of sc...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 47 - Loops

The world came back in a rush of air and ethera as Elijah stumbled to his knees. Above – where his head had once been – a massive axe cut through the air, the speed of it enough to create a gust of wind that sent him tumbling to the side. He crashed into a stone wall, still confused about what was going on.

And then, the axe descended again, hitting him at the crown of his skull and splitting him in two. He died instantly, only to be remade a second later. This time, he didn�...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 46 - Nothing Sweet About It

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” said Hu Shui, his voice wistful. 

“There’s nothing sweet about it,” Elijah stated, not bothering to hide his disdain for the comment.  It had taken nearly a day to fly Sadie back to the Kalki, then return to the forest.  And in that time, he’d settled into a horrible mood. 

Part of it came from Sadie’s absence.  As much as he’d expected her accompaniment to cause problems, there was a piece of him who’d loo...

Cover Art for Shadow of the Hunter (PoD 3)

For those who don't hang out in the Discord, here's the cover art for Shadow of the Hunter (Book Three of Path of Dragons, coming January 6, 2026):

No typography or anything. Just raw art! I particularly like the background and sky, but I think the artist's interpretation of the Shape of the Guardian turned out well. Hope you all dig it, too!

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 45 - Illusions

“None of it’s real, you know.”

Elijah, who’d been gazing out across the heavily curated fields surrounding Benediction, glanced at the speaker.  Despite the generally warm atmosphere, Benedict had donned a long, black coat that brushed his ankles.  In addition, he wore black slacks, a white, button-down shirt, and a blood red tie.  Completing the outfit were a pair of shiny black boots that came up to mid-calf. 

In short, with his pale skin, refined fea...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 44 - Work Trip

Kurik sat on the stool as Carissa’s fingers wove through his beard.  Soap and water dripped down his chest, disappearing into the drain in the floor.  Once his facial hair was clean, she set about trimming the long, unruly hairs.  Through it all, she hummed a tune from her childhood – a slight variation of the one his mother had sung to him on those rare nights when they’d enjoyed peace. 

“Stop twitchin’,” she ordered.

“I ain’t twitchin’,” h...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 43 - At Odds

Entering the city of Benediction came with a heavy dose of surreality.  It was an undeniably beautiful place, with its tiered water gardens and the colorful flags stretched between buildings.  Compared to places like Seattle, it was also practically utopian in regards to equality.  The residents were healthy as well, and many of them looked like the absolute best versions of themselves – which they displayed with reckless abandon by walking around half naked. 

But ...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 42 - Demons

Elijah dove in front of Sadie’s descending sword, raising his scythe to block.  He had no idea which weapon would win, but if he’d had time to think about it, he probably would have chosen a different tactic.  Meanwhile, Hui Shui flashed forward, grabbing Sadie’s intended target, then darted away – moving far too quickly for even Elijah to get more than a glimpse. 

Then, the sword fell, and Elijah’s scythe, which had been with him for so long, split in two. ...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 41 - The Cost of Miracles

“What did you do?” Elijah asked.

“You know as much as I know,” Sadie answered distractedly as she sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard.  It had been hours since she’d performed her miracle, and Elijah still hadn’t gotten a straight answer out of her. 

All he knew was that, somehow, she’d managed to heal Anupriya Pandey’s sister.  Not physically, either.  That would not have alarmed Elijah.  But to see the non-verbal girl suddenly s...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 40 - A Miracle

Anupriya Pandey had spent most of her life since the world’s transformation in an endeavor to shield herself and her people from harm.  That goal had pushed her to become the Citadel Sage, founding Earth’s most defensible city.  It had held against all threats, even keeping an alien army of hostile elves at bay.  Since then, she’d made hundreds of improvements – small and large – to enhance those already-stout defenses. 

And here she was, inviting a weapon ...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 39 - A State Welcome

“That’s disgusting.”

“What?” asked Elijah, his knife slicing through the fish’s belly.  He’d only just caught three decent-size trout – which was just enough for his supper.  Assuming Sadie didn’t want any. And given the look on her face, that was probably a valid assumption. 

“You know what.”

Elijah shrugged as he removed the fish’s guts, tossing them into the stream.  “Can’t eat those parts,” he said.

“I’m well aw...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 38 - Iko La

“Um…Elijah?”

“What?”

“I think we left the road behind.”

“Oh. Yeah.  I know,” he said, glancing back at Sadie as she climbed over a boulder.  He extended a hand, which she grasped, and helped her up.  “It’s intentional.”

She pushed herself to her feet and looked around.  As she took in the mountainous landscape covered in loose scree, boulders, and treacherous cliffs, Elijah knew precisely what she was thinking.  There wa...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 37 - Coping

“Ruined,” Miguel muttered as he tossed the sword to the ground in disgust. 

“Pick it up, kid.”

Miguel looked up to see Colt standing over him.  The old Samurai looked just as grizzled as ever, though he emitted a degree of power that felt distinctly overbearing.  The man was no longer Miguel’s superior – at least in terms of power.  But what he had, he could wield with deft proficiency, and to the point where he’d been one of the most effective fi...

Chapter 771 - The Only Choice

“What do you do best?” asked the voice in Zeke’s head.

He knew it came from the Abyss, the being that constituted all reality outside of the cage of the Framework.  However, it was oddly disconnected, resonating through his mind like an echo in a cave. 

“I don’t know,” he answered aloud.

“You do.”

Zeke breathed deep, and the Framework shuddered with his breath.  Somehow, destroying the being that referred to itself as the Creator had forc...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 36 - Sacrilege

“That…certainly is a puffy coat,” Elijah remarked when Sadie joined him in the hotel lobby.  They’d been in New York for two days, during which they’d seen all the sights.  It wasn’t all fun, though.  Elijah had also introduced her to the guild leaders, all of whom received her with the respect she was due.    

She had also gone shopping, and one of the results of that expedition was the subject of Elijah’s remark.  In his defense, the co...

Chapter 770 - Both Ways

“You have no concept of what you’ve done!” shouted the Creator, and reality shook at his voice.  For his part, Zeke held himself together, though it was more difficult than anything he had ever experienced. 

But only a second later, he knew he’d chosen the correct course of action.

The Creator shifted, power boiling beneath the surface of his skin before it erupted from every pore.  Zeke’s entire body – every last thread – was obliterated by the massiv...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 35 - The Long Way Around

For nearly twelve hours, Elijah stood before the transformed ancestral tree, his hand resting on its golden trunk as he attempted to understand what was going on.  Using Nature’s Design, he could feel so much more than he could via his locus, though it still took quite some time to interpret what he sensed within the tree.

On its most basic level, the ancestral tree was still just a tree.  A natural treasure, like all of its siblings, but a tree nonetheless.  As such, i...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 34 - An Odd Pairing

Elijah was uncomfortable.

It suffused his entire body, infecting his mind and threatening to overwhelm his good sense.  He tried to quarantine it, but the feeling persisted, like a sharp rock in his shoe.  Not enough to cause pain – not immediately, at least – but more than enough to force his frustration to build upon itself until it outgrew the root cause. 

So, by the time his meeting with Colonel Jessup came to an end, a subtle snarl had twisted his resting e...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 33 - Final Preparations

Elijah floated in the center of the oasis, keenly aware of the eyes following his every move.  The mo’o remained in place, clinging to the trunk of a tree near the guelta’s bank.  The pool of water was still, though beneath the surface was an entire ecosystem of fish and other aquatic animals.  He hadn’t bothered to inspect the bottom, mostly because doing so would intrude upon the mo’o’s territory.  There was a natural treasure down there, and one the guardian w...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 32 - The Choir

Sadie glanced away, unsure what to say after having given Elijah the gift of the Herbalist’s Satchel.  After a few moments of silence, she asked, “What do you think?”

Finally, a grin spread across his face, and he moved on her.  Before she could react, he had his arms wrapped around her as he thanked her for the gift.  That he’d moved so quickly was a testament to how much above her he now stood, though Sadie endeavored to ignore the power disparity. 

N...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 31 - A Gift

Of late, the Hartwood Grove had become a hive of activity.  The population living on the island wasn’t that high, but to Sadie, it felt crowded.  At times, she loved teaching the children what she knew about combat, but she could admit to herself that she lacked the maternal instinct that came so naturally to so many other women.  At most, she envisioned herself as a cool aunt who came and went as she pleased, imparting wisdom and gifts upon the kids who looked up to her.

Chapter 769 - Sacrifice

The drive to survive is a fundamental part of any sapient creature’s existence.  Some people might attribute it to the natural response to the unknowable reality of nonexistence by any rational being.  Others may see it as a remnant of the evolutionary need to protect and propagate one’s species.  But in the end, reasons don’t really matter.  The fact is that no one wants to die, even when it’s a final resort when faced with an untenable situation. 

So i...

Path of Dragons 12 - Chapter 30 - Before the Storm

“I really don’t want to do that again.”

As Elijah shrank back to his normal size and resumed his humanoid shape, he gave her a crestfallen expression.  “What? Why?” he demanded.

“I just don’t like it.”

“But why?” he persisted.

“I felt like I was going to tumble off your back the whole time!” she half-shouted, obviously exasperated.  “I’m just not cut out to be a dragon rider.”

“That’s not what you said last –”