Chapter 6
The Tower Of Destiny

~*~

As I step foot into the Tower of Destiny, I feel like I've entered a tube of toothpaste. Pristine and minty, the pure white hollow interior rises higher than my eyes can see. Spiral staircases wrap around the circular wall, connecting the main floor to the upper levels and beyond. To complete the heavenly vibe, an ethereal tune comprised of string instruments sweeps through the air, welcoming its visitors as if we were royalty.

Yet, the place is eerily silent.

Everyone has become mute.

Everyone except a single man standing on an elevated platform in the center of the building.

"Welcome, welcome, Seekers of Destiny. You've worked hard and traveled far. Your dreams have led you here. Now it's time to learn whether they overlap with your fate. Asharia will have the final word."

I look upwards to see doors of various colors all around.

"Red, purple, blue, green, yellow. Knight, Wizard, Priest, Monk, Thief. Pick a door, take a number, and wait. Best of luck, and may Asharia smile upon you all."

And with that, his body flickers out of sight.

I head up the stairs positioned at eight o'clock, then proceed along the second level until I reach the red door. As soon as my hands come into contact with it, my entire body is sucked into another room. Here, kids pace about nervously as they wait their turn, while parents do their best to calm them down. Again, no words are exchanged whatsoever.

It's as if someone cast a Mute spell on everyone.

"23!"

My gaze follows the hovering panel down to its owner, a guy in the far back standing next to yet another mysterious door. One kid leaps from his seat and dashes towards him, before vanishing from the room.

Another kid walks past me and tears a piece of paper from a dispenser, then goes to sit down. I do the same.

45...Looks like it'll be a long wait.

"24!"

Or maybe not.

A new number is called roughly every minute. One by one, each Seeker of Destiny is sent through the far door to face their fate. However, they don't reappear. I imagine it's to keep foot traffic smooth.

Fewer and fewer people enter the room. By the time it's reached the 40's, only myself and nine other candidates are still waiting. I stand up to stretch my body, anticipating my turn.

"45!"

My heart doubles in speed. I take a deep breath and make my way to the door. At just inches away from it, I feel my body being absorbed into another room.

An assortment of swords, shields, and armor are mounted along the walls of the otherwise spartan space. Seated at the center next to a giant sword is an old man clad in gold armor, a helmet, and an unnecessarily long cape. His eyes lock onto me and pull me towards him.

"I am Sir Vanneck, Paladin and Servant of Asharia," he tells me. "Come. I want to feel your energy."

I approach the man and instinctively kneel down in front of him, feeling like Paul McCartney ready to be knighted. He retrieves his sword and rests it on my shoulder. I've never been electrocuted before, but I imagine it wouldn't be too far from what my body is going through right now.

"Hmm..."

"Hmmmmmm......"

"HMMMMMMMMMM!"

"No. No, no, no. You're not cut out to be a Knight. Leave now."

What?

The sword retracts.

Sir Vanneck's stare grows more intense.

The room begins to tremble.

I blink.

A familiar minty scent lingers in the air.

I'm back in main hall...What the hell? Does this mean I can't become a Knight? Is the game seriously pulling a fast one on me?

The announcer from earlier flickers into view. "Sir Vanneck has deemed you unfit for the Knight's Path. How unfortunate. Do not give up. There are four other options. Which will you choose, Seeker of Destiny?" He then teleports to another person and spits out the same words of consolation.

Considering I used all my energy to boost my attack, the next logical class to select is probably Monk.

I make my way up the stairs positioned at two o'clock and enter the green door. Inside, I take another number and wait my turn. After the fifth person, my number is called, and I go to meet the Master of Monks, or whoever it is that will decide my fate.

The next room is completely barren, save a bald man sitting in the center with his eyes closed and legs crossed. A crown of flowers rests on his head, the rest of his attire, a simple black tone. As I exhale, the sound of my breath reverberates in the gray space. The monk seems to hear this and lifts a hand to beckon me forth. I oblige.

"I am Archios, Aura Wielder and Servant of Asharia," he tells me. "Be calm. I shall examine you."

Eyes still closed, Archios swings his arms fluidly, drawing circles in the air. A warm aura envelops me, carresses me, seeps into my mind in search of god knows what.

"Hmm..." the monk ponders.

"Hmmmmmm......"

"Asharia be astounded! Your mind is an-an-an ocean of..."

Power?

"Chaos! Madness! I've never seen thoughts run wild like this. No, this isn't going to work. You must learn to calm your heart, young man. Come back in a few years and we'll see whether you qualify or not."

Before I can interject, I'm sent back to the main hall, leaving me confused once more.

So this is what Cassis warned me about. But what did I do to preclude me from becoming a Knight and a Monk?

"Failed again?" the announcer guy asks as if he cared. "Three more options. Which will you choose?"

I wonder if it even matters.

My eyes move to ten o'clock. Seconds later, I'm already stepping through the purple door. After a short wait, I find myself in the wizard's room.

"I am the Great Alecar, Sorcerer and Servant of Asharia," the frail old man tells me. "Stay where you are, and do not move."

I do as I'm told and wait for the magic to happen.

His staff rises into the air and circles me at a dizzying speed.

Whatever the Great Alecar is searching for, I hope he finds it, because I have no intention of becoming any of the other classes.

Then, I see the familiar words of failure.

"Hmm..."

"Hmmmmmm......"

"Yes. Good. Very good."

Really?

As I make to celebrate, the sorcerer's mustache twitches.

"Wait," he says. "I take that back. Apologies, but the path of the Wizard is not for you after all."

The staff whacks me in the head.

I cringe.

When I open my eyes, I see the announcer. "No luck? Just two more paths to choose from."

I run up a flight of stairs and storm through the yellow door, wanting to just get it over with. There's no one else in the waiting room except for a guy standing next to another door. I try to enter it, but it seems to be broken.

"The Master of Shadows has left for the day. Come back tomorrow if you still wish to become a Thief."

I raises my fists to bang on the door, but before they touch the metal structure, I reappear in the main hall.

"One last chance," the announcer says, almost heartless.

Irritation doesn't begin to describe how I'm feeling right now. I would be alright if things weren't so random.

And then it hit me.

The questions I was forced to answer at the start of the game must be driving this.

Why does the game even let me choose when my class has already been determined?

I head up to the blue door at twelve o'clock. Without even waiting for my number to be called, I charge through the second door. A blanket of mist hovers at my waist as I look around for the final Servant of Asharia. From a dark corner of the room, a pair of crystal blue eyes shoot open.

"I am Leola, Dark Priestess and Servant of Asharia."

As the eyes draw closer to me, I realize that there's no physical body to go with them. They're literally just two orbs floating around in the air.

"Intriguing. You and I share the same wavelength. Come, let's get this over with. I have a date to go to."

The orbs gaze at me from every angle for an uncomfortably long time.

I stand still and cross my fingers. Images of the crying kids outside the Tower of Destiny taunt me.

Cassis would laugh her head off if I failed to become anything.

"Hmmm..."

"Hmmmmmm......"

"HMMMMMMMMMM!"

"Your affinity levels are off the charts!"

You don't say.

"Oh my Goddess Asharia, you'll make a fine Priest."

Two laser-like beams shoot from the orbs and into my head. The mist starts to divide and enter me through every orifice. I try to protest but choke on the energy seeping into me. My body starts to glow an iridescent blue. I feel my being changing, growing, stretching, morphing into something I'm too afraid to find out.

What's happening to me!?

The room goes silent.

"Done!"

I take a moment to gather my senses.

The glow has subsided.

My body feels lighter. And taller.

The clothes I was wearing have been replaced by something more noble and dignified: a navy blue robe with gold trims.

"You are now a Priest. The light lives in you and will guide you on your path towards masterhood. Look inside yourself, feel your body. The power of Asharia is within you. In other words, I have taught you the Heal spell. The rest you will have to learn on your own. And now, goodbye!"

In an instant, my view bends and transforms into the main hall.

"Congratulations," the announcer tells me. "May you grow and prosper. Asharia be with you!"

It's final. I'm a Priest.

I let out a deep sigh.

With conflicting emotions, I gaze at the pristine interior one last time, and then make my way to the exit of the building.

Outside, Cassis is sitting on a rock, fidgeting with her sword. As I walk over, she sees me and rises to her feet. "What took you so long?"

I do a little spin to show her the outcome of my visit to the Tower of Destiny.

"So you chose to become a Priest. I'm surprised. Thought you were more of the Monk type."

What's that supposed to mean?

"Actually, I'm ecstatic." She circles me, nodding to herself and smiling with pleasure. "Now that I have a Priest in my party, my travels will be a lot easier. I'll save money on healing. And I can enter more dangerous dungeons and go on more dangerous quests. Muahahahaahahahaa! Remember, you owe me one. Let's get out of here. A whole new adventure awaits us."

Looks like I'm stuck with her for good. My only complaint is having to play a supporting role. I wonder if I'll ever get my own storyline...

~*~

midnightrainbow

So, Alex is a Priest. How do you feel about this? Of course, that's only a small part of his role in the game world...