David watched as they celebrated their newly acquired powers. Unlike with them, the transformation had happened almost immediately. The cargo camo vanished to be replaced by gears fitting their new classes. Gis’ was easy to guess. Her hair was longer with silver strands highlighted within the mass of black. Her leather armor had the symbol of a large bird etched into it. Its bright red eyes sparkled as it stared ahead. She leaned on her large bow, its whole carved into the shape of a bird mid-flight. She was beautiful before and now she looked divine.

  “Archer?” David asked. She shook her head. David saw the plain hilted dagger strapped to the hilt. The rest of her armor was basic, but she carried it well. She pulled one of the arrows in her quiver and nocked it.

  “A Ranger,” Gis supplied. She pulled the string back and David noticed the faint thrum of essence in the arrow. It was nothing like Zoey’s, but it could grow to become something powerful.

  “You can do close-range battles too,” David said, then gestured at her quiver. “Your arrows are finite, so that is a good thing. How do you feel?”

  “Different, but the same,” Gis said, a small smile playing on her face. David looked past her to the others. The silent giant heaved a hammer. He wore a simple leather vest, his chest bared and marked with something David couldn’t see. But that one was another thing he could guess. Gis followed his line of sight to find who he was staring at. Beside her, Carlos appeared suddenly. He was dressed in a loose plain shirt and leather pants, His changes were subtle, except his eyes which shone a sharp green, like gems in a dark room. His lip peeled apart in a smile and when he lifted his hand, David noted the runes on his skin.

  “Rune maker?” David guessed and Carlos chuckled. “That should be very good. I don’t think I have seen one.”

  “A rune carver,” Carlos corrected. “From what I saw, it should be useful. I can attack directly or support others and stay away from the real dangers.” He shook his head. “Not that I would want to do that.”

  David nodded. He’d met the man for only a few hours and he could tell he liked to be in the thick of the battle. He caught Zoey talking to another woman in the crowd. Elisha seemed to have disappeared until David found him next to the gatekeeper. Somehow he could feel all the auras, like pregnant charges pushing against his senses.

  The others were soft thrums in his mind. While he could block his siblings, he couldn’t block the others. They were connected to him in a way his siblings were not and that felt wrong. Balek had plans for him and David had a feeling he wouldn’t like it.

  “What is this thing?” Gis asked, stretching her arm to David. It was an hourglass, empty except for a small shade of black at the bottom. He wasn’t sure what he was looking at, but soon he felt the looming presence of the gatekeeper. David turned to look up at the clinking apparition. It hovered above them, looking down at them.

  You have been blessed by my master!

  Your gifts will help you survive the haunting of the tower! On these gifts, you will build the foundation of strength. The hourglass reflects your control of essence. The better you become, the closer you are to your real potential. Unlock your potential and you will be able to direct the flow of your fate!

  “So, it is like Amareth’s tower ring?” Zoey asked. She stood next to Gis, her hands on Chloe’s shoulder. The gatekeeper was silent. It hovered quietly for a moment until the question was forgotten.

  Now, the Lord Ruler will bestow gifts on his people!

  David moved to center himself before them. He was not sure what effect this would have on them, or how it’d affect him. But there was a lot of essence in the area, which meant he wouldn’t be drained out.

  “You don’t have to be dramatic about it,” Vith said. David bit down his response. He missed the old Vith before he knew her name. “You just have to reach out to them and bestow the gifts. Again, it will not work on all of them. Most of these morons don’t believe you are what you said you are.”

  David nodded, pushing through the contempt in her voice. He reached out like he’d done when he summoned the gatekeeper. It was almost too easy to feel the connections. It was almost blissful. He pushed essence into it, strengthening it, making it tangible.

  I wonder what you will bestow on them, Ignis said with a mocking chuckle. A god can only gift basic gifts, what can a king do?

  David pushed his voice away, muting the distraction. He sank further into the connection, letting himself reach out to the others until he was linked to them individually. With that, he could feel different emotions like tiny assaults in his mind—fear, awe, hate, dread, faith, happiness, and confusion. Some were a mix of many emotions, pushing down on him. He buffed himself with essence, invigorating himself to withstand the brunt of the force.

  “I think you are ready. Just in case you haven’t noticed,” Vith said. David ignored her. The farther he let himself sink, the clearer he could see the others. It was intense. The feeling was like nothing else.

  Ruler Skill: Faith Bestowal

  David trembled, his legs shaking. He almost fell to his knees, a white pain lancing him as something flowed out of him into the connection. Before he could stop it, it was gone. A hollow formed within him, a cavern of emptiness. It was a brief sensation, but in the moment it lasted, it was a harrowing chasm.

  He gasped, tears warming his cheeks. Yet, in the moment of chaos, he held on to the connection.

  You have one faithful!

  You have one faithful!

  You have one faithful!

  You have one faithful!

  That is more than I expected, Ignis shared. Will there be more?

  David watched for another message, but none came. The connections were severed one after the other. And they were cut off, David felt strength return to him. At one point he’d gotten used to the weight, but he sighed with relief at release. He stood up, stretched, and severed the last of the connections.

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  He searched their faces, looking for those who had received the blessings.

  Gis fell to one knee, her head bowed. When she looked up at him there was a single mark on her forehead—an empty dark crown of black. She grinned at him, her eyes filled with something David thought was reverence. He nodded and she stood up.

  Carlos fell to his knee next to her. His eyes twinkled when he looked up at him, the mark on his head dull like the other runes on his body. David chuckled and waved for him to stand up.

  The giant pushed through the group, his eyes locked on David. There was no subtlety about his movement. The crowd parted for him as he reached the end. Behind him, another woman followed. She was smaller than Gis, but almost as thick as David too.

  The giant was the first to kneel. His stoic face showed neither fear nor awe, his eyes held something intense that David couldn’t interpret. Still, he nodded.

  “What is your name?” David asked. The man held for a moment and turned to Gis. She gave a slow nod, confirming something David had been wondering since he got the notifications. These people believed in him, but they were not under his control.

  “Ben, sir,” The giant barked. The mark on his forehead was dull like Carlos’s. His skin had become paler but defined. David saw the flow of essence within him. His body had been reformed somehow.

  “Welcome, Ben,” David said before turning to the other woman. She smiled and bowed deeply, but didn’t kneel. She looked older than the other three. Perhaps in her forties. David nodded. “What are you?”

  “My name is Alice, sir. A Guide,” She said with a small grin. She was outfitted in plain leather armor, but nothing else. David tried to hide his frown. “I am not made to fight and battle like the others. I can trace paths, find treasures, and things like that. I might actually be the only support soldier here.”

  David nodded, forcing a smile. “You will be extremely important for this journey. This has a lot to do more than battles and defeating monsters and demons. We have to navigate the worlds and mazes prepared for us.”

  Alice nodded with a smile David thought hid other things. She took a step back into the crowd and David turned to look at the gatekeeper. He had hoped to figure out what gifts he’d bestowed on them, but he couldn’t tell. He would have to ask them about that later.

  “We are ready, Gatekeeper,” David said.

  Yes, Lord Ruler. With gifts bestowed, you must march into a world of chaos. I pray for your fortune. Blessings of our Lord will carry you through the trial of the worlds beyond. The heavens pave your paths and if you find the end, may it be with ease and courage.

  Welcome to Lord Balek’s Tower!

  It turned away and a crackle in the darkness lit up the voice. It flashed like black lightning once, again, and then the void cracked like glass. The veins stretched and deepened. A warm breeze pushed against the fracture in the void and shattered it. The void opened up, spilling into another world. One of harsh, howling wind.

  The gatekeeper has opened the gate!

  David took a step toward the portal. He felt the wind, but it wasn’t as harsh as what he saw. The gatekeeper floated beside him, its robe fluttering to the wind. David noticed it had no feet, no limbs at all.

  Trial Location: The Sea of Gold and Blood

  Trial Reward: Balek’s Insight

  The reward didn’t make sense, but David was sure that was Balek’s plan too. Not for the first time, he realized how caged he was. If Balek wanted to kill him, the god could. Although there were laws in place holding Balek back, restricting him. He was sure Balek was trying to skirt that. He turned to face his army. His siblings stood beside him. Zoey’s bow was in her hand, her face was fixed in a frown.

  “Are you ready?” David asked. “We are about to face our first challenge. There will be many more. If you overcome this, you will begin your journey in earnest. It will be difficult…” he took a breath, wondering if it was smart to add the truth. He made the decision immediately.

  “Some of us might die out there,” David continued. “But there is no way out of this for us. We can only move forward. I need you all to stay focused and stay poised on the objective. And that is to stay alive.”

  There were no cheers, no hail of agreement. Those who had been blessed with fighting abilities prepared themselves. The gatekeeper watched with muted indifference.

  David marched to the edge of the gateway. His sword appeared in his hand. The wind on the other side kicked up so much dust and sand. He suddenly understood why it was a sea of gold. The wheat-colored sand shone in the noon sun. The light stopped at the edge of the portal, not venturing further.

  “Thank you,” David said to the Gatekeeper and stepped through the portal.

  His boot sank into the sand and the wind slapped against him. He could summon his armor, but he didn’t see the need to. The wind had seemed strong, but it wasn’t. The view in front was clouded though, covered in dust. He pushed forward, hearing the others cross the portal behind him.

  The farther he moved, the more he realized he was climbing up a hill of sand. He used his hand to shield his eyes as he moved forward slowly. He almost fell off the edge but someone pulled him back. He whipped back around to find Alice, her face veiled in dust.

  “Look,” She said, pointing down. David couldn’t see anything at first. It took a moment to see the army down there. The sand there was not as heavy as where they stood. “They are hidden.”

  “You can see them?” David asked. “I can see the essence clinging to them.”

  “Yes,” Alice yelled back at him. “I don’t know how many are down there but there are a lot of them. Most of them are hiding in the sand. They are covered or shielded. I don’t know what it is. Shouldn’t we send people down there to check?”

  David shook his head. “Too late,” he muttered, turning around. He’d wondered what the wind was about, but now he could see it, see through it. “They are here.”

  He pushed his will, grabbing frantically at the essence around. The weight crushed into him, flowing back to him as if he’d pulled on it. Someone was pushing it all towards him, overwhelming him with the sheer weight of the essence in this realm. Heat spread like a thick blanket, suffocating him. David pushed, shoving the force off him while spreading a thin layer of pure essence over the others, to protect them from the effects of the battle.

  “Get ready!” He yelled. “Zoey, up! You will see them clearly from above. Elisha…” he gritted, cursing. Vith was too silent. This was her favorite part of every battle and somehow she was letting him suffer.

  She is punishing you, Ignis said. You are supposed to be completing the merge with her but you have not. She is not suppo…

  David cut off the dragon’s voice. He didn’t have the time to be scolded. He knew what he had to do but there was no time. He had to think of how to defend himself against this assault. The wind had settled into a mild whip, but the force was still there. He couldn’t believe one person had this kind of control. Which meant there was more.

  Trial: Defeat the Army of Carnites!

  An army? That would be difficult, but if he could break through this spell, then there might be a chance. Breaking the spell might be difficult, but there was something else he could do.

  Spell: Arcane Whisper

  The weight eased as the spell shattered. He reached into the spread of essence, held onto it, and broke it almost too easily. The wind stopped immediately and so did the heat. The dust fog was slow to disperse, but he could see them coming through.

  The first gasp was followed by a scream of pain and David fell to his knees as one of his people died. He felt all of it—the pain, fear, and the dreadful fingers of death just before the end.