A Place in the World [Open]

Sara Bellora Frostborn squinted as she stared up into the blazing Adaria sun, pulling her hood over her head in an attempt to reflect the obnoxious light overhead. According to the map that she had...acquired, she was still very close to Aureos. It was incredible how much the scenery changed overseas; Aureos was very nearly completely coated in ice and snow, but here in Adaria there was nothing like it. For somebody who had never left the continent before, it was a wondrous change. The heat, as well, was something the girl was completely unused to. Aureos was always freezing, especially in the Lich's lair, but here the sun beat down in waves of unpleasant heat. She was grateful to the Lich, once again; his advice of thin clothing and his gift of a white cloak were certainly saving her life at the moment.

Her mind quickly flitted back to the last time she had seen her mentor and father figure. "You have done well to pass your trial, my apprentice," he had boomed, with the skeletal, sepulchral tones that he always donned. "Now, you must find your own place in the world. Go out, take more than you need, and submit others to your will. By following the path of greed and desire, your ultimate desire can be achieved." Wise words from the being that had taught her everything about how the world truly worked. She would do him proud, and serve their shared God Elkomere with aplomb. He would grant her the strength to grab her desires with both hands and clutch them tight, of that she was sure.

First, though, she had to figure out where she was going. Her first priority had been to get the hell away from Aureos, a decision she didn't regret, but she wasn't sure where her travels were going to take her. According to the pilfered map, there was a town to the south, but in this unfamiliar terrain, she had no idea which direction south was. Hopefully, she'd run into somebody who could help her, but if not, she was stuck wandering in the desert, with the wretched sun beating down on her, with only her bag of stuff to keep her company. Not the greatest situation.

"It was Destiny that she walked across the Desert as I did.. It was Fate that we would meet; And as if the webs of connection dangled us together, we would become friends.."

The slight breeze blew Destiny's purple hair to the side like a beautiful amethyst river. She walked closer and closer to the white cloaked figure with her golden staff in hand and a phrase she had said for thousands of years. "It will be Destiny that we meet this day.." She spoke to herself, drawing even closer at a steady pace. It was not everyday that Fayte L.Destiny herself appeared in the world like this. It was nearly three thousand years ago that her fame reached all corners as well as the Beyond because of her unique, supernatural abilities and the fact that she was a Demi God.

This fame was not as great as it appeared, however, Many of the world nobles wanted her dead which often happens when you win the Tournament of champions; Because you were then a threat to the ones in charge as well as the gods themselves.. Destiny was different though, Although her history was lost in time and not recorded anywhere known. Alas, she was hunted by the quickest and best of the bounty hunters, mercenaries, and Pirates from all over the world since the dawn of her Demi God ship. Destiny's white robes blew calmly in the wind, walking nearly 5 meters away from the white cloaked figure. "It is Destiny we meet in this place.. What are you called?" Destiny spoke to the figure, Her emerald eyes blinking.

As Sara wandered the open desert of Adaria, she caught a glimpse of another figure in the distance, holding something that glinted in the sun. Despite her exhaustion for walking so long in a strange land, the corner of Sara's mouth turned upwards in a smile. Jackpot. Not only had she found somebody else who could probably give her directions, but they seemed to be holding something valuable as well. She could cozy up to them, get the directions to the nearest village out of them, and then-

Just then, the winds shifted, putting Sara downwind of the stranger, and she almost immediately made a choking noise. There was a smell of opulence radiating from the item the other traveler was holding, a scent stronger than anything Sara had ever smelled. It was enough to overpower most of her other senses as well; she staggered a bit as her vision swam, her entire body reacting to the extreme sense radiating from this person and their staff. It was strong beyond the realm of absurdity. Whoever this was, it was somebody strong.

By the time Sara had managed to adjust to the sensory overload, the traveler was almost upon her. At this distance, the Snowborn could make out much more about the being approaching her. The item that had almost made her pass out was a radiant, golden staff. Even now, it took a conscious and consistent effort on Sara's part to keep herself from being overwhelmed. The person holding the staff was a rather attractive woman with long, flowing purple hair; Sara admired her as she approached, trying to figure out how best to deal with this woman. Before she could come to a conclusion, however, the purple-haired woman was in front of her. "It is Destiny we meet in this place.. What are you called?" The woman spoke.
Sara tried several times to speak, only to be thwarted by the overpowering feeling she got just by being around that staff. Or maybe it was the woman? She seemed powerful enough to be able to defend herself even without the priceless-seeming artifact in her hand. After another try, Sara finally managed to get some words out. "My name is Sara Frostborn," the Snowborn muttered, "And I'm lost. Completely lost. I'm not sure where to go from here."

"My name is Sara Frostborn," Sara muttered, "And I'm lost. Completely lost. I'm not sure where to go from here." Destiny looked into the young ones eyes and with a smile she spoke once more. "You will be even more lost soon.. But when your lost, you find yourself.. I am Fayte L. Destiny.. I am Known as The Weaver. Fear not, Young one- I have seen your Destiny and you do not Die here." Destiny pulled out a jug of water from a medium sized purple bag that was obviously made of powerful magic and amazing craftsmanship. "Drink, For you will need your strength for the Journey ahead." She handed the Jug over to Sara while turning her head to the side and blinking a few times.

She then motioned for Sara to follow her and as they walked the surrounding area got brighter and brighter until It was not desert anymore. It was pure light and In the distance a brilliant door full of gold and blue was the only thing to focus on other than the brilliant white surroundings. "This is the realm between the worlds, Only True Weavers may cross this path.. And those who accompany Weavers, Such as yourself." Destiny put her hand out towards Sara and smirked. "Take my hand.." Destiny would wait until her hand was taken and then enter through the Majestic doorway.

The door led to a magnificent Temple that was obviously hidden from anyone who was not a Weaver or God. The gardens, The massive pillars, and the Creatures around them all hummed with harmony and the feeling of true peace over took them. "I want to gift you with two things that will help you on your journey.." Destiny held Sara's hand still and traveled up the radiant path towards the open Temple. Monks wearing gold and warriors wearing white meditated in the surrounding gardens along the well known path.

"It is Destiny that you came to this place with me.. It takes a special someone to be able to even travel with a Weaver to this place.. You were chosen by Elkomere, The God of Greed in order to win the Tournament of Champions one day. You possess Great Magic that only a rare few may handle. This is a sacred place to us, The Weavers; and its an important place to help maintain the balance of the worlds." Destiny explained that this Temple was one of a few that was rarely seen by anyone else.

Sara looked unimpressed as Destiny began spouting philosophy, but her eyes went wide when she introduced herself as The Weaver. The Weaver...A figure strong enough to rival most Gods. The Lich had mentioned her once, saying that she only appeared to those with a great destiny. He had neglected to say how beautiful she was in person, though. Sara had assumed she'd be a crotchety old woman. This meeting could only bode well for the small girl with dreams of grandeur, particularly when she had been lost in the desert like this. As the woman took out the jug of water, Sara noticed for the first time that the staff wasn't the only valuable object she had on her; the purple bag on her shoulder was also rather fantastical. For an insanely powerful being like her, this was probably just par for the course. Would Sara be like that one day? Elkomere willing, she certainly hoped so. She drank from the jug hungrily as she and Destiny wandered through the desert.

Sara swiftly finished the jug of water and crammed the empty container into her bag; you never know when spare containers might be handy. It was fairly obvious that they weren't in the desert anymore. The surroundings were pure white, a glorious blue and gold doorway the only thing that hadn't fallen to the light. According to Destiny, it was the world between worlds, and it was only available to Weavers. Sara made a mental note to try and prove that wrong once she had more power, but for now she took it at face value. She gingerly took the hand of the Demi-goddess and allowed her to guide the Snowborn into this other world.

Sara looked around, amazed at what she saw. The temple was closer to a castle than any temple Sara had ever seen. Unlike the castles in Aureos that were dark and foreboding, however, the temple had an aura of complete calm and peacefulness to it. It was much better than anywhere else Sara had ever been. For her part, she listened to Destiny explain the situation, showing no reactions other than her eyes glimmering when Destiny mentioned she had items to give to the girl. No devotee of Elkomere would ever turn down something free. For the most part, however, she kept quiet and held her questions until end. Once Destiny was done talking, it was Sara's turn. "So, I was chosen by Elkomere to participate in this tournament? You probably get this question all the time, but why me? Surely there's somebody out there much more suited for the job. All I can do is take things, and not even a lot of things at that."

Destiny smiled at the young girl's question. "Yes. All Sixteen Divines choose Champions every year to participate in the Tournament. The fact that he has chosen you means he wishes you to become a Demi God one day. But.. Take it from me- Its no easy task! Other Champions participate in the Tournament as well.." Destiny paused for a few moments, Looking at the Alter to Aurum, the Goddess of Destiny. "You were chosen because Elkomere saw something in you that could be awakened and used for a higher purpose." Destiny walked over to the Massive statue of Aurum, bowing her head.

"There are many folks that could have been awakened.. True, Not all of them serve Elkomere or would even think of serving him. But There are plenty of followers for him to choose from still. It is because he believes that you can win the Tournament one day; and one day.. If you do win the tournament he will ask you to do something for him." Destiny hinted at the sad truth of it all; The Reasoning behind the Demi Gods and why Gods chose champions.. It was to slay other gods so one day the darkness or the light would be wiped out and the world would be under the control of a single side.

Destiny lifted her staff towards the statue and it glowed with a blinding radiant light. From the light came a brilliant looking staff as well as a white cloak which both appeared at the feet of the Massive statue. "This staff and cloak were once used by one of Elkomere's Chosen.. She was quite the warrior!" Destiny Motioned to The girl to pick up the staff and cloak which were neatly placed.

Staff of Flaming Greed

Jenna's Cloak

Sara listened as Destiny spoke, the gears of her mind turning furiously as she tried to make sense of what the Demi-Goddess had told her. As grateful as she was, it still didn't make much sense to her as to why Elkomere chose her. Surely the Lich, with his immense power, would be a better fit for the job? Unless there was something it had neglected to tell her. Maybe she'd have to pay another visit someday. And what was this about Elkomere requesting something from her in return? Honestly, it wasn't entirely unexpected; one of the God of Greed's primary teachings was 'never do something for free', after all, so it made sense that she'd have to repay the debt she owed to her God. Still, it would have been nice to give her the terms first. Contract and all that jazz.

"So, let me get this straight," She said aloud. "Elkomere chose me to represent Him in some sort of tournament? And I have to face off against 15 people chosen by the other Divines? And I don't have any say in it? Raw deal. I shouldn't expect Elkomere to make a deal that doesn't benefit him in the end, but it would have been nice to have some warning. Unless you're the warning," she muttered, looking up at Destiny. "In which case, thank you."

She walked over towards the two items Destiny had laid out, desire plain in her eyes. She grabbed the cloak first; it felt warm and familiar, like a blanket she'd had as a child. She swiftly exchanged her current cloak for it, appreciating the cool feeling that washed over her as she donned the gold-trimmed cloak. The staff was next. It was warm to the touch, and fit her grasp as though it was molded to fit her hands exactly. Both objects smelled of value and opulence, but there was a nostalgic scent to them too. It reminded her of her years spent training with the Lich, learning the ways of Elkomere. Holding them both made her feel protected, as though she was being watched over by something beyond her. It was a rather pleasant feeling.

"In Elkomere's name, I shall take the armaments of a fallen disciple and do what she could not," Sara intoned. "Elkomere tells us, 'if you cannot take the first step, you cannot profit'. This is my first step. I shall take this world and carve out my own pieces to claim as mine." She turned to Destiny. "Where should I go next?"

Destiny smiled at her and bowed slightly. "..Your Welcome." Affirming that she was, In fact, The Warning. "Elkomere has invested a lot in you, You should be proud to be a Chosen one." Destiny gripped her staff tightly while leaning on it. "Next I will grant you a gift from yours truly.. It is a Weaver's gift to unlock a hidden power called The Soul Jewel. With these abilities you will be better off than you were." Destiny let go of her staff which by its self, held in its place perfectly. She walked closer and closer until she was only a foot away, nearly kissing the top of the girl's head.

With her index finger she pointed outwards and slowly raised it to the Third eye in the lower center of the girl's forehead. "It is Destiny.." She thrusted her finger forwards gently making a powerful glowing occur around the Girl. She would feel awakened, as if a deep ability was triggered within and could be now used at will. "It is time.." The surrounding area faded to a blank, white and like before a golden door with blue appeared before them. Destiny spoke like before, "Hold my hand.. We are going to Plasma City." Before any reply was made and as soon as the hand was held the doorway opened up to a bright and busy new world.

Destiny was now nowhere to be found but the Girl would now see the busy streets of Plasma City. Peddlers and merchants from all over came here to sell their wares and of course, Pay their respects to the most powerful man in Adaria. He was known as The "King of Adaria" Because he was the closest King to bringing all the kingdoms of Adaria together. It was here Destiny decided to leave the Girl and it was here in this place the girl would find herself.. or maybe not.. Only The Goddess of Destiny could tell.