An Old Friend

In the morning, Lavernius waited in the Guild House. He sat alone in the corner watching the door and waiting for David and Hazel to walk through. The two adventurers entered the guild house and walked over to the desk. They both looked exhausted and worn down.

"Good morning." Lavernius greeted them

"Levi?" David asked

"Yes," Levi said, "I was wondering if you would like to join me for a trip I was going to take."

"Where to?" Hazel and David asked

"To the nearby chapel of the Church of Fate." Levi said

"Sure, how far is it?" David asked

"A day East." Levi answered

"Alright, let's go." Hazel said

Once outside, they saw the sunlight shine upon the buildings and streets. The air was crisp and clear. In the distance, they could hear the bells ringing from the chapel. They followed the path east until they saw an old church. The church was built long ago, when the city was first constructed. The stone building was covered in vines and moss. It was hard to believe that anyone lived here.

"Wow, I've never seen anything like this before." Hazel said

"Me neither." David agreed

They walked into the church and reached the altar where the priest was kneeling. The priest seemed to know Levi on a personal level. He stood up and greeted the group.

"Good morning!" The priest said, "How may I help you today?"

"I have a few questions." Levi said

"Sure La- I mean Levi. What do you want to ask?" The priest asked

"Kenneth, this is David. He has been seeing things. Visions. How did Prophet X deal with these things?" Levi asked, "And what about Apotheosis?"

"Prophet X was a very smart man and he did indeed talk with the gods, but he was wrong about many things," Kenneth said, "You don't need to be a direct descendant of a god to Apotheosize. There are many humans with a very small amount of a god's blood in them. There isn't enough to be called a demi-god, but even one drop is enough to reach Apotheosis. These visions are nothing to be afraid of. What do you see?"

"I see... an empty field and a giant disformed knight. In the distance is a giant mountain that touches the heavens. Inside the mountain glows a strange thing that is brighter than our sun. Suddenly I was standing in front of it." David said

"What did it look like?" the priest asked

"It was a pyramid with an eye in the middle of it." David explained, "It spoke to me in this horrific voice."

"The Illuminati," Kenneth said, "Created by Kryptonick."

"Why am I seeing these things?" David asked

"I don't know. Maybe to inflict fear or just for fun. The gods are beyond our comprehension. Even Prophet X had no idea what they were thinking and he talked to them frequently." Kenneth said

"Thank you for the information, friend." Levi said

"Anytime." Kenneth replied

The three of them departed from the chapel and began their journey back home. As they returned, the sun set and night fell. The streets were full. A flock of crows flew overhead. The sky was darkening as the moon rose higher in the sky. The wind blew coldly. The stars twinkled brightly above. They enter the tavern and enjoy a warm meal before departing to bed.

David changed out of his suit into comfortable clothes and sat down on his bed. The moonlight shines through the window into the room. David stared at the ceiling and thought about the day's events. He was beginning to worry. Something bad was going to happen and he couldn't tell what it was. He tried to sleep, but his mind kept wandering.

In the morning, David woke up and went downstairs. He found Hazel in the cafeteria. She was waiting at a table. He sat down next to her and smiled.

"Morning, Hazel." David said

"Hi David. Did you get any rest?" Hazel asked

"Not really." David said

"Neither did I." Hazel said

"Let's take it easy today." David said

"You didn't go home?" Hazel asked

"I was too tired to walk home." David replied

The innkeeper serves them food and they gratefully eat it. After eating, they rise to leave and Levi enters the inn.

"Oh, Levi," Hazel said, "How are you?"

"I'm good. I was wondering if you could do something for me?" Levi asked

"What is it?" asked David

"It is really simple. All you have to do is join me in this quest." Levi said

"What is the quest?" David asked

"I think you are going to like it." Levi said

"Just say what it is already!" exclaimed Hazel impatiently

"We are going to recl-" Levi was cut off by the door opening wide

A familiar man stood in the doorway with a wide smile on his face. He ran toward David and hugged him. David and Hazel hugged him and cheered like kids.

"Ash!" They yelled

"Ash, this is Levi Bruin. He has been helping us." David said

"Obsidian!!!" Ash shouted

"Nice to meet you." Levi said, "As I was saying, the quest I have to do is help reclaim Crow Tower."

"What!" They all said

"We just have to kill at least a dozen monsters and then get out. We don't have to be risky. Plus the materials from the monsters will be reward-able enough." Levi said

"How far is it?" David asked

"It is quite the journey." Levi said

"I have to tell my parents, but I'll be right back ready to go." David said

"Alright we will get ready to go, too." Levi said