The violet crystal broke free form the cave wall, as my pick struck sending off an explosion of small rocks. Careful not to make any sounds of joy another miner might hear, I picked the softly glowing crystal up off the ground and placed it in a brown sack. The thickly woven bag hid the jewels glowing light from anyone who might want to claim it for themselves.
The Masters exchanged temporary freedom for the larger magical crystals which would be worth my life to some of the other slaves. I needed the time above ground in the city. If I could make it to the temple perhaps one of the gods would grant me a Class. A battle Class would just get me moved to the army, but a rare crafting Class would grant me a life of luxury.
With the crystal safely stashed away my mining day ended early. I returned to the underground mining camp where other slaves and prospectors were resting. Soft snoring and whispered conversations brushed my ears, as I walked through the large room. Wooden boards checkered the walls supporting the softer ground nearer the surface .
A hand abruptly landed on my shoulder. I fought to hold back the scream it provoked as I recognized the large man towering over me. A man who had to be part giant stared down at me.
The giant spoke in an angry whisper, "Hello little traveler; it's been almost two weeks since I've seen you."
"Edward, oh thank the gods, I thought I was dead for a second," I whispered back at the man who somehow managed to sneak up on me.
I really had no idea how such a large man could move so quietly.
"I've found something for you Lavi," Edward said as he took something from his own bag and placed it in mine.
I wasn't able to see what it was, but he motioned me to follow and began walking toward the exit where a master would be.
"You look thinner than when you left. When you get out of here take some of whatever it is you're bribing the guards with, and buy some food," he ordered me.
"Uh, yes sir."
He had a point. What few rats and edible monsters I could find deep in the poisonous gas filled mines was not enough food to live off of. The Mythril ore I found there was enough to bribe guards for a bags of cooked rice and other food to make repeat trips, but was not enough to sustain me for the time I had remained away.
Edward was a captured noble. He didn't speak much on it, but he couldn't use the crystals to get out. Since he had arrived he has been giving them to me. I was both the youngest person in the mines and the most senior. Poisonous gas perforated the mines and killed off most within a year or sooner if they went down to the lower tunnels regularly.
With the aid of a mentor, Malcom, a few years before, I had developed a resistance and eventually immunity to the poison. This didn’t stop the regular beatings guards would hand out, but my bribes and time spent away helped me there.
Two guards looked at me greedily as I passed. Edward was left behind not being allowed any further, but he kept watching. The collar around my neck began to itch as I neared the master who would have a control orb linked to the collars of the mine.
When I handed him the large blue crystal Edward had given me along with my own violet crystal he said, "Three days," and motioned to the cave entrance where only moonlight shown through.
One day of freedom per large crystal was usual, but my luck seemed strong today. I hoped it held when I made it to the temple. The priests had no qualms about letting slaves enter, but the gods did not usually favor the collared with a Class.
Having killed a few monsters in the mines and gained experience from skill ups in my mining and smithing crafts, I had achieved a personal level of 11. However, with no Class I could use few skills and no magical abilities. These were granted by various gods and ranged greatly in abilities and power. This would be my third year in a row entering the temple in prayer hoping to receive a Class. At 17 this would probably be my last year where I had a reasonable chance of success.
I had run out of rice and found no edible monsters for two days, and my already weakened body had begun to starve to death. My ribs poked through my pale skin, and the hunger pains had ceased. But, I ignored my own plight and headed straight to the temple.
A bald priest in simple garb greeted me at the top of the stairs as if my collar didn't exist, "Welcome traveler. Would you like some food; we have some stew leftover from dinner."
That sounded amazing, but I held steadfast to my purpose.
"I have come to request a Class from the gods," I told him. "But, afterward I would love some stew, thank you."
The priest motioned with his hand to follow him. We passed through lavishly decorated halls and an occasional open room. Stone floors were softened by carpets of differing colors running down the center each with various religious drawings and patterns painted into them.
Once we arrived at the central room where four pillars stood tall in an open room, another priest greeted us silently at the entrance to the chamber. He motioned me through. The first year he explained to me what I should do, however the past year and this one, he seemed to recognize me and spoke no words.
Each of the twelve higher gods had an altar in this room. I could pray to one of them or all; it didn’t matter. Previous years I had prayed to all of the gods, however this year, I prayed to only one, Shai'tan, the god of death.
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My body had begun to weaken over the past two days as my starvation increased to dangerous levels. I recalled the masters words before leaving the mines, ‘Three days’. Closer to death now than I have ever been, I knelt at Shai’tan’s altar and began to wait.
Kneeling at my chosen altar with eyes closed, I was unable to gain many details of what went on around me. I could hear the priests whisper and people coming to pray.
Footsteps sounded close behind me as a child's voice spoke, "What's that man doing mother."
"He's praying of course. Now behave, don't interrupt people in prayer."
By the next night my knees were aching, and I began to feel ill. A steady thrum of dark energy passed between me and the altar. With the connection established I truly began to pray.
Soon after the prayers began my hunger had begun actively eating away at my physical health. Priests began to heal me. It didn't seem appropriate for them to do so, but after overhearing their conversation, I began to understand a little.
"Why don't we take the boy out of here; he needs some food. He'll die if we ignore him for too long," one male voice said.
A deeper voice responded, "You're telling me you want to interrupt someone deep in prayer with the god of death?"
"This is absurd, his collar should be preventing him from suicide." the first voice complained.
"Yes, but who says this child's goal is suicide?" the seemingly older man questioned.
By the end of the second day the activity level of the inner chamber increased drastically. Footsteps were common and whispers of prayers spoken aloud never seemed to cease. The smell of incense almost choked me as someone ignited the substance.
My knees were in pain, but my collar was pure torture. A notification appeared in my personal status page, telling me my starvation had entered a lethal phase. My health began falling even faster than before.
One priest stood near at all times healing me and preventing my health from falling to zero. The collar around my neck was sending an insane amount of pain through my body and attempting to compel me to survive.
The items safeguard was not fully sentient. It had no understanding of what was killing me, so it just caused me pain that would not end until I was no longer dying or, well, dead. A true suicidal intent such as jumping off a cliff would’ve been prohibited by the magical bindings the collar held over me.
Locking myself into prayer, and throwing my consciousness into the void before me, the pain subsided. I could still feel the agony, but it seemed lessened by distance.
Another night passed by and day three began. Energy poured through my mind as I attempted to contact the dark deity. To die or be saved, I cared not which. The end of my pain and slavery was all I prayed for now.
My mind nearly shattered when a voice spoke in my head, “Foolish child.”
The two words hit me like thunder and scraped my mind with a surgeon’s knife, then my mind went black.
Sounds that were once heard vanished. The void I found myself in was no dream; I could not control it. My eyes felt open, but when I lifted my hand nothing was there to see. When I clasped my hands together I only felt a shadow of the connection there should have been.
“A slave child who prays for death to me,” a child’s voice containing mild humor spoke. “You have drawn the hearts of the faithful, and word has spread to all the temples who could receive the message sent by your priests. They all pray, day and night, annoying their gods with whispers of you.”
It took great effort, but I managed to speak, “I thought they might keep me alive, but I never expected them to pray for me like that.”
“It is to your great advantage. The gods want the priests to cease their prayers, so lending aid to you might be more appealing for them.
I will introduce you to a few of my siblings. Ask for their aid, for no Class will be granted to you by me.”
The void changed. I wasn’t sure how it worked, but it felt like my void merged with another. My body became visible and had taken a cloaked form matching the now visible but shorter Sha’tan. Before us sat a dwarf on a throne. His height was too great for one of the mountain folk, but his proportions and red beard made him unmistakable for anything else.
Shai’tan spoke first, “Greetings brother, I have brought you the source of all the prayers you have been receiving.” His voice held a smile in it.
Death was scheming here, and it terrified me when I realized I was among his victims.
The dwarf replied, “Brother, I have no desire to aid you in granting power to your chosen priest.”
“But he is not my priest, I have merely brought the one annoying me with prayer in hopes that one of you will have mercy on the child. It is not yet his time to die; I cannot take him as he wishes and will not claim him or give him a Class of mine.”
The dwarven god directed at me with a voice as though earth itself spoke, “Feeble child, your slavery is a result of human evil. It is neither our fault nor our responsibility to aid you. But, you may have a Class gift from me if it will shut up these dwarven priests of mine.”
With those words and a gesture from the god, I received my first Class.
Class received, Miner; a crafting Class that can augment mining capabilities.
The large dwarf spoke again, “This Class should make life more tolerable for you. You’re mining skill is already advanced; you should be more valuable to your masters now.”
After breaking from his void I once again found myself alone with the god of death.
“I was hoping for more than that,” I told Shai’tan with disappointment clear in my tone.
“My scheme has only begun child. I have concealed your Class from the others; they do not yet know of your gift from the Dwarven god.”
My world merged again with another, and the process repeated five more times after that.
Not every god gifted me with Class, but the three others that did granted me only the barest minimum to answer their priest’s prayers. I was now a bearer of four minor crafting Classes.
Anger boiled inside me at the petty gods.
Shai’tan must’ve been able to sense my emotion because he addressed it, “Please, my trick has played out perfectly. My ignorant siblings will be very upset when they find out what I have done.”
I didn’t understand. All the gods did was make the perfect profitable slave for those whom I detested.
“With your body so near death I managed to bring you here fully. This void is your world. You are practically a lesser god inside this world of yours. Some rules can be bent or even broken under these circumstances,” Shaitan said with excitement in his voice.
Death put one of his shadowy hands on my chest then pain shattered the void