“Well, well, well,” the being with liquid platinum skin and golden veins said. “What are we going to do with you?” There were a number of beings like him all about Adam, each of them taking the obvious form of a man or woman ahead of him, except for two of them. There were fifteen of them in total, and though they appeared similar to Belle, he didn’t recognise any of them. 

“Hello,” Adam said, a little confused. He had passed out and then arrived here. He tried to look about, and though he could see everything about himself, he noticed that he had no form. The others around him, the divine beings, were there in their beautiful forms. They were more beautiful than any mortals, each so different and yet he couldn’t really make them out. They were different, that was for sure, as each of them were completely different in their levels of beauty, and yet he didn’t know how he came to such a conclusion. The differences between them were equally vast and equally little.  

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” one of them said, a man with a moustache that was thick, and fell straight out the corners of his lips. 

“Why not?” another replied, a woman with long hair. 

“Father will be enraged when he hears of this.”

“He’ll love it, he loves chaos,” she said.

“There should be some order to this.”

“Should there? It’s chaos!”

“Enough, enough!” Another said, a woman with a pair of scales in her hand. 

Oh, they were each holding something, though he could and could not see them. It was as though they were stopping him from seeing too much in this weird place. It was all black, but more like they were in space, with stars all about them, but far in the distance.

“Hello Adam,” the woman with the scales said. “I am Elaveil.”

“Hello miss, how do you do?” he asked, nodding his head to her. 

“I am doing well, though I could be doing much better.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that.”

“Well, it’s not your fault, I suppose. My father is to blame, not that we’d ever say such to his face.” She smiled warmly, and it healed his insides, though right now he didn’t have any insides. "That is a matter for another time. There is another issue at hand." She motioned with a hand as though to follow her, and she began to walk with him. Though they were moving, Adam could feel his legs shifting from one step to the next, his body following suit, they actually didn't move from their spot, as the other divine beings remained fixed in place.

'Trippy.'

"You are currently diseased, though I have no doubt you will overcome such a minor inconvenience. The issue comes to the fact why you wish to take a third level into Guardian. That was what you wanted to do, correct?" 

"Uh, yeah I do," Adam replied, not entirely sure what the issue was. Part of the deal he had made with Belle was that he would be able to take levels into classes, and there would be no limits to it.

"That is true," she said. "Guardians swear oaths, and these oaths mean something. The issue is that you will have sworn an oath, and typically these are to ideals, not deities. We cannot have you swearing oaths to just anybody, and to any ideals, so we had to intervene. We apologise for the inconvenience, but it is something we must do in order to control the balance." Her scales moved up and down before equalising out. "Being the Goddess of Balance, such things are important to m-" The goddess stopped and looked into the distance. 

Adam followed her gaze to see something off in the distance. It was small, the colour a mix between white and blue, and it was in the shape of an eye. It was a mark of some kind, and yet the eye seemed to move this way and that way, before settling on Adam. It wasn’t looking near them, no, it was looking right at him. There was a presence behind it, familiar, and yet unknown.

"Excuse me," the goddess said as she walked over to the eye in the distance, her steps now actually moving her away.  

"I told you this was a bad idea," one of the gods said. “See? We drew the ire of Mistress Fate, not even Father can handle such!" 

‘What is going on?’ Adam thought. The gods, these divine beings of great power, were panicking. 

“She doesn’t seem so upset,” one of the divine beings said. “Mistress Fate isn’t a genocidal maniac like Iyrwentath, she won’t snap us out of reality for wanting a simple chat.”

“Was this a simple chat?” one asked.

The space around them cracked, rumbled, and then completely changed to white. Adam looked about to see the divine beings were no longer platinum and gold, but now handsome people, though not quite what they should be.

In the distance, where Elaveil, had gone to check out the eye, Adam noted that even Elaveil became human. He especially spied that there was no longer an eye, but a figure that wore all black, far taller than any of these other divines, but sitting down at a table. 

Then he was there, at the tablet, sitting down. Elaveil was opposite him, smiling warmly towards the half-elf. She was a tall, thin woman, with long blonde hair, bright golden eyes, and looked partly like an actress he was fond of. There was another presence there, but Adam couldn’t see them. They were behind him, and he didn’t want to look back where he felt the presence, for the presence felt so much more… powerful.

“Excuse me,” Elaveil said. “Shall we continue our discussion?”

“Uh, sure…” Adam replied.

Elaveil motioned a hand and then summoned some tea and biscuits for him, and Adam was suddenly far more amiable towards everything as he dipped his short biscuit into the tea and then bit into the soft biscuit. Damn did that taste so good! The crumbliness of the biscuit, the smoothness of the tea, and the sweetness of both complimenting one another.

Heaven.

“Well,” she said, “we noticed you wanted to take a third level into Guardian. However, we do need certain assurances...”

“What kind of assurances?” Adam asked, sipping his tea as politely as he could.

“Assurances that you aren’t taking oaths that would cause too much chaos in the world.”

“My goal isn’t to make chaos in the world. I just want to explore,” he said. “Freely.”

She nodded her head slowly. “I understand, though there are certain rules that come with each class, and as much as we would like for you to explore freely, there are certain checks and balances that must be respected.” As she said balance, her scales formed on the table, balanced.

“I can understand that…” Adam replied, his voice dry. He wasn’t happy about this at all, even if Guardian worked a particular way, he had hoped he could add the abilities to his arsenal. There was one spell he was thinking of that he was excited about.

“I hope we can come to some sort of agreement. For example, we could allow you to swear whichever oaths you would like, without holding you to such oaths for your powers.”

Adam’s ears twitched. “What’s the catch?” he asked. Gaining the abilities of a Guardian without holding to an oath? Now that sounded like a good deal. A deal too good to be true.

“I would like to ask for your aid in assisting me in certain matters,” she replied. “There are matters in which your Mistress and I feel are important, and some matters we feel may need a mortal touch. We have spoken and it is in our mutual interest for these beings to be dealt with, once you are powerful enough.”

“So I’ll have sworn my oaths to Balance and Fate?” 

“You already have sworn to Fate,” she said. “I would like to ask of you to also join Bal-”

“Hold on a second here!” A man appeared, with fiery red hair and shiny black eyes. He was muscular, a moving statue of manly physique. He wore a chain skirt, a belt across his chest, with a blade at his side. 

“Brother,” Elaveil said, “please. We have a matter we are discussing.”

“I think you’re trying to steal him from us!” The man said, stepping beside Adam. “Don’t listen to my boring sister here, she knows nothing of fun. That’s why you’re here, right? To have fun?”

“Yes?” Adam replied. That was part of what he wanted, so he paid attention to this new man.

“Who doesn’t want to have fun? Look, you follow me, Bandlor of War, and we can have so much fun! I’m not only about War, I’m also about exploring the world and fighting all sorts of creatures.”

Another figure cleared their throat, revealing their presence. It was one of those that didn’t seem like a man or a woman, but just a pretty person. Long black hair, dark eyes, wearing a pale grey cloak that covered their entire form.

“I am of the Travel, brother. Do not take my divine right from me so quickly.” They stared at their brother with a cold look.

“Aglo, hush, let me speak with the boy. You can speak with him after, once I’ve laid out my words.”

“Ehm,” a woman said. “Words?” she asked. She had long red hair, wore a pair of circular glasses, and carried with her a spell book. No, not a spell book, the spell book. Adam could feel the magical aura flowing out from it, glimpsing spells he had never even thought of. They were spells that had yet to come into the world, and spells that would never come to the world.

“Oh, damn it. Look, I get it, Words are your domain. It wasn’t quite what I meant.” Bandlor shook his head. “Let me first offer him my plan, and then he can reject yours after.” 

“I think he would be far more interested in the offer I had to make,” the woman with the spell book said. “I am Arcana, yes, like Arcane but with a different vowel. Yes, I did do that on purpose.” She smiled proudly at her own little joke.

Adam smiled in return. It sounded like something he would do, and so he quite like Arcana. Plus, Arcana, Goddess of Words? That sounded like something to do with spells, and if he accepted her, perhaps he’d get some more spells?

“I am sorry about my siblings,” Elaveil said. “They are eager to meet with father’s… acquaintance.” No doubt she had wanted to say something far less appropriate.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Adam said. “I’m Adam.”

“We know who you are,” a voice crept through the air towards them. Then a man, well, a boy appeared. He was sitting on a throne, which moved with him as though it could fly. It didn’t fly though, it sort of floated, as though on clouds, bouncing along. The boy looked young, barely in his teens, with milky skin and dark eyes filled with death. He didn’t hold anything with him. 

“Sozain,” the boy said.

“Oh,” Adam replied. He knew that name. God of the Underworld, if he recalled correctly. “I have heard of you.” He remained silent after, thinking. He hadn’t expected someone like this to be the God of the Underworld, he had expected someone tall, muscular, though equally as pale and dark. Perhaps someone tall and lean, a little older though…

Sozain raised an eyebrow towards him, though it barely moved, and Adam’s lips grew taut. It was as though the God could read his mind.

“I can.”

‘Oh, right.’ Adam sipped on his tea, embarrassed. He grabbed a biscuit and fell into its crumbly comfort.

“He is already a follower of my domain,” Sozain said. “There is no need to accept any others.” 

“Are you jealous, little brother?” Elaveil asked, cocking her head to the side. Though she held a pretty face, her words were laced with words of war. Adam could tell, because he had siblings of his own, and there was something more to the words than she let on. 

“Jealous of who? You, you old hag?” Sozain replied. “The only thing you need to balance is your ego.”

Elaveil smiled, though Adam could see the daggers that were seeking to come for the God of the Underworld. Adam sipped along his tea, trying to hide behind the cup as he slunk into his chair.

“Enough! Let us not fight with our words,” Bandlor said as he tossed his belt top, raising his blade. “Let us fight with our weapons!” He roared with laughter and then disappeared, as though he had never existed. 

Adam didn’t even blink, the god was just gone. The other gods seemed to glance at the presence behind Adam. He just sipped his tea though, grabbing another biscuit.

“It seems as though we all want to share,” Elaveil said. “The last time we shared something, do you recall what happened?”

“I don’t want to share,” Sozain said. “Adam is mine already, you want to take him from me.”

“He won’t lose his Priest abilties,” she said.

“He already has,” Sozain said. “He prays not to me, but to Father, though I grant him the abilities.”

Adam raised his brow. ‘How did that work?’

“As long as Father requests me to aid you, I will do so,” Sozain said, answering his thoughts. “He has been missing for a short while, due to certain events.” Sozain stared at Adam long and hard. “After all, he did decide to bring forth a being of great power into our world.”

“What was it?” Adam asked.

“I believe it is easily described as an Eldritch being.”

“Oh.”

“You understand how it’s not easily described.”

Adam nodded. 

“However…” Sozain floated a little closer, tentatively. He looked to the figure behind, as though for permission. “I could offer you something more.”

“More?”

“Allow me to at least finish my offering,” Elaveil requested, smiling. “Please, there should be some order.”

A woman walked over and then plucked an apple from the table, which hadn’t existed until she had plucked it. She was strong looking, very muscular, and yet so feminine too. She wore a long dress of white, and at her side was a small blade. 

“Order?” she said.

Elaveil sighed.

“Please, sister, stick to your Balance. I will stick to Order, thank you.” The muscular woman took a bite out of her apple in the way a villain would. Her eyes snapped to Adam. “I’m no villain, thank you.”

Elaveil sighed. Adam looked into his endless teacup, avoiding the gaze of the beautiful, muscled woman. 

“You think I’m beautiful?” she asked. 

Then came a whisper, though Adam couldn’t understand it. It seemed as though Mistress Fate had had enough, for the rest perked up and fell silent. There wasn’t even the crunching of an apple. 

“Then, perhaps a quest from each of us?” Elaveil said, breaking the silence eventually. 

“To keep the Balance?” Sozain added.

Mistress Fate whispered something that Adam couldn’t hear, though the gods and goddesses nodded. 

“What say you, Adam?” Elaveil asked. “We will offer you each a quest, where there shall lay a reward of our choosing, and you may pick whichever Guardian subclass that you wish?”

“Uh. Sure?” Adam replied. 

“You won’t be able to pick the subclass until you complete one of our quests, but you may still level into it, if you so wish.”

“Oh. Alright, that’s fine. Is it just the subclass benefits I won’t earn?” Adam asked, sipping more of his endless tea. 

“Yes,” Elaveil said, “the subclass benefits will not be active until you finish a quest.”

“Hmmm, uh, alright? I guess…” Adam looked about to the other gods, who remained by themselves further away. They had seemingly wanted a chance to leap in dramatically as their cohorts had, but it seemed they had lost their chance. 

“Then, the deal is done. A quest for all of us here, as well as Mistress Fate, and in return you may choose whichever oaths without being bound by them.”

“If I could request something…” Adam interjected, as politely as he could. “I don’t have access to my Priest abilities, is there any chance I could?”

“You have chosen to follow my Father’s path, and have sent no prayers my way.” Sozain stared at Adam.

“Could I pray to both of you?” Adam asked, raising his brows. 

“You could,” Sozain replied, though it gave little confidence to Adam.

“Would you return those Priest abilities?”

“If you decide to complete my quest first, I’ll offer them to you now,” Sozain said.

Adam stared at the god of death. “Sure,” he said. “What’s the quest?”

“I will send it to you later, but you have promised me your aid first.” Sozain looked to the others and Adam swore he could see the corners of the boy’s lips press upwards. “I will choose, in due time, the quest I will ask of you.”

His siblings narrowed their eyes at him as the boy then shifted into dark smoke and then disappeared from sight. Adam stared at where the God of the Underworld was just, where nothing remained. It wasn’t as though someone else had plucked him out of existence, but that he made a dynamic exit. 

‘Cool.’

“Balance has been restored,” Elaveil said, reaching for her scale and then tapping it against the table. The scales moved and then balanced, and…

Nothing. 

Adam had expected something, and so had Elaveil apparently. Then Elaveil looked behind the half-elf and turned slightly pale. 

“Sorry,” the goddess said before everything began to swirl all around.

Adam found himself staring at the ceiling of his room. 

“Whoa,” he whispered. “That was weird.”

“Man, you’re telling me,” Hades replied, the owl staring at Adam.