Slowing down once he passes the walls, Arrin looks around to observe the space he’s just entered. Hundreds of seekers, likely the teachers at the academies, lined the tall stone walls. The ground curved downward until finally reaching the rock itself. Massive in size, the rock could easily hold a few thousand beings. Coated in runes and channels flowing with mana, it was split evenly into two parts. On The half away from Arrin, the rock was further divided into 12 spaces. Each space resonated with the power of the respective Novum’s element. At the very edge of each space was a statue of the Novum that element belonged to.
Climbing onto the near half, the candidates immediately began to meditate. Shrugging to himself, Arrin sat down to meditate as well. He had no idea which Novum would ever decide to bless him, a “mere human”, but he decided that there was no sense in coming this far to just not try. After all, the seekers had said that he was touched by the divine.
One-by-one the other candidates flared with an element’s power. Walking toward the statue of the Novum, they would touch it and the element would flare and join with them. Sitting down, they would meditate to discover the nature of their blessing. When about one tenth of candidates had been blessed, a disturbance happened. Instead of touching the statue of Legh, a halfling had been grabbed by it! Raising the him to eye level in the palm of it’s hand, the statue touched foreheads with the halfling, transferring much of its power to the candidate. Turning him around, the statue revealed a very startled Ert.
Speaking in a loud, booming voice, it declared,” Behold! The Champion of the Halflings!”
Smiling with genuine joy, he waved to his friend and joined the general cheering that greeted his appointment. After the cheering had gone for a few second, it ended as quickly as it began while the remaining candidates turned back to their meditation. Slowly but surely, the near half of the Rock emptied of candidates. Arrin knew none of the other eleven champions, but he could see Ert looking at him worriedly. At this point he was one of the few people remaining on his side.
Finally he was alone, staring at all of the chosen of the year. He felt a small sense of disappointment. Chastising himself for daring to hope that any of the Gods would ever care for the abandoned race, he stood up stiffly and met the many taunts and jeers coming his way with stony ignorance.
“Ha! Look at the filthy human! How could he ever think any God would bless him!”
“Look at his mana pool! I could barely pick my teeth with that power!”
“Go home monkey! You’re just a waste of space here”
“See I told you all he would always just be trash.”
Snorting at the pitiful insults, he readied to turn himself and walk away when time around him froze and a rumbling voice spoke in his mind.
Hahaha! Hold Fast Young Human! Not all of the Novum lack the compassion to care for an abandoned race. We’ll show these fellows true power together: if you’ll be my champion that is.
Shocked by this voice, Arrin immediately thinks,” Who are you? All of the Novum have already chosen a champion!”
I am the thirteenth Novum, just like your race, I too was thrown away by the twelve. Now, I can’t hold you here forever, choose. Become my champion, and build the human race to something worth mention, or refuse and return to your slums. It is entirely your decision.
With a bitter smile, Arrin asks himself if there was ever any choice there, and replies,” Very Well, I’ll be your champion. You’ll have to explain yourself in greater detail though.
Ha! You too know that knowledge is power. Very well, I shall endeavour to give you a full explanation when we have more time, as for now: let’s start this show! It’s about time I came to a family reunion!
Returning to normal time, Arrin shook himself and looked around in confusion. Nothing had changed. All of the Chosen were still mocking him, and there was no Statue behind him to name him champion. He was wondering if he had imagined the voice, or if perhaps it had been a final cruel trick of the Novum, when suddenly, the rock began to shift. Lines of runes formed at the edges of the empty half. Moving inwards, they formed a glowing spiral of silver mana.
Slowly, the spiral begins to spin leaving tracks of power behind each arm as it moved. Individual runes collided, shattering apart and taking new combined forms. After a few moments of pure chaos, a large sphere of runes begins to develop at the spiral’s outer edge. Slowing, it eventually stops at the point on the circle furthest from all the other Novum. Suddenly, it shrinks in upon itself drawing in all of the strange mana that had appeared only to blast it upward in a column of pure power.
At its very peak, the geyser of power compresses taking the shape of a helmet. The helmet was spectacular: Made out of a dark steel, it had a 13 pointed crown built into it. Each point held a sphere of a Novum’s power, with the tallest spike topped by the silvery mana of the newly revealed thirteenth. Coming downward, it had a plate reaching downward covering the wearer's nose and cheek plates that reach down to his chin, leaving where his face should be exposed. However, instead of blank stone features, two fierce silver beams of light pierce through a dark, empty void.
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Intimidated by the power behind those eyes, Arrin looked down to observe the rest of the statue. The chestplate was made out of hundreds of overlapping metal plates. Reaching up to articulate with the helmet, and down to the bearer’s hands and waist, it left absolutely no open weaknesses. The Novum’s standard, a solar system held within a massive hand, adorned the broad central plate.The Novum’s legs were also plated in thick dark armor down to a set of thick hardened boots boots.
Most impressive however was the weapon he held in his right arm. The closest parallel Arrin could draw to it was a massive halberd, however that paled in comparison to this monstrosity. At its upper end, it terminated in a long spear point. Close to the handle however, was a truly massive axe head. Almost a third as tall as the shaft itself, it stuck out and formed a huge semicircle with massive serrations. Near the top of the blade, a hole in the metal held a floating sphere of mana that looked almost eyelike. However even that was not enough, at the opposite end of the dark metal shaft, a warhammerhead served to counterbalance the massive weight on the upper half.
Stricken by the appearance of the new being, all beings in the area fall silent. The owners of the mocking voices were left silent as the entity bent down, and used its left hand to lift Arrin into the air gently. Exhaling steadily, it envelops Arrin in energy. The power feels completely alien to him. Seeming to burn but also freeze, kill but also revive, it triggers every nerve and his body, leaving him frozen stiff from the intense stimulus. Still unbelieving, He is turned around by the statue to face the other twelve Novum.
Speaking openly in a voice tinged with pride, it declares,” I Zerran, thirteenth and youngest of the Novum declare this human, now named Arrin Starkeeper, to be my champion. With his coming I declare my own.”
Arrin notices tension build in the hall. Instead of cheering, the Seekers are all reaching for their weapons. Arrin guessed it was only logical: an unknown being had just crashed into one of the most sacred ceremonies they held and declared itself one of their gods. Shifting position, Arrin readied himself as best he could to run away. He had just barely obtained his power, and if it came out to a brawl between the Gods, he didn’t really want to be on the losing side of a 12 vs 1 battle.
Fortunately, it did not come to that as the other twelve Novum acknowledged his claim with strained nods or other similar symbols of agreement. Turning to the head seekers, the statue of Arghan commands,” Take the chosen to the academies and lead the champions to the Blessed mountain. We twe… thirteen shall have our yearly council.”
Kneeling down and bowing his head, the eldest inquires respectfully,” And what of the thirteenth champion, great First?”
Zerran answers quickly,” I have already made arrangements for his stay in the blessed mountains. He has a room, instructors, and is fully provisioned with food and instructors.”
Backing away and bowing even more deeply, the ancient dragon replies,” As you will it, exalted thirteenth.”
With the Eldest’s public acceptance of the new God, all remaining tension dissipated. The seekers efficiently corralled the blessed off through the same path they entered. Zerran set Arrin down on the ground and motioned for him to follow the other champions who were already moving towards the crater’s far exit.
Giving Zerran one last inquisitive look, Arrin jogs over to the other Champions. Pausing momentarily, he yells back over his shoulder,” Don’t forget your promise Zerran!”
Chuckling and shaking his head, the Novum replies,” Ha ! I’m almost as old as time itself! I won’t forget a promise I made this very day. Now go on!”
Satisfied with Zerran’s public acknowledgement of his promise, Arrin quickly catches up with the other champions. After he passes under the walls he pauses for a moment. Looking back one last time, he could swear he saw a silvery grin on the Zerran’s face but before he could check, the gate had firmly shut.
P.O.V. Zerran
Ahh, that was the most fun I’ve had in a millennium! That kids mind is as sharp as any I could have hoped for! Making me confirm my promise before the other Novum? Even daring to bargain with me when I’m offering him champion hood for free. Genius! Enough on that though, I suppose it’s time I got serious.
Looking around the chamber, I see that, surprisingly enough, I already have some friendly faces Arghan, Meiko, and Elae are actually smiling honestly! Hmm, If I’d known they actually remembered me, I’d have done this reunion a lot sooner! The rest of my family seems either neutral or slightly guarded, except for Lerrin that is. I caught a glimpse of a fair amount of … fear? Anger? Disgust? Hmm, I’m not quite sure what that emotion was, but I suppose I’ll have to watch him more closely from now on. He may just be the one who is starting the war.
Since I am the intruder here, and since we would probably stand here staring at each other for the rest of the year if I don’t, I speak up first.
“Hello Everybody! It’s nice to see you again.” I cringe slightly at my awkward greeting. I seem to be a bit out of practice: likely because It’s hard to have conversations when you are quite literally alone in space.
“Yes, it has been far too long little Brother! Why haven’t you ever visited us?” Arghan kindly replies. Hmm, I may have judged him a bit harshly when I was younger. Then again, he was the one who chose me to be the one that stayed behind in the void. I suppose I'll just have to reserve judgement.
responding politely, I try not to let milenia's worth of anger seep into my voice,“Oh, I was just blocked by the limits of my power and the seal that you all and Mother put on this world. Fortunately,” I continue, raising a hand to forestall any questions,” I’ve persuaded her to allow me in.”
“Why?” Lerrin asks bluntly. No hint of emotion anymore, but I’m now almost certain he is not very happy to see me here. But back to his question…
I snort derisively and respond,” Many reasons I suppose.” Ticking them off on my hand, I continue,” I was getting bored of watching you all, I was lonely, I want my own empire of beings that worship me,” pausing for a second and then continuing in the most deadpan, cold voice possible, I conclude,” Oh, and saving the race all of you abandoned from dying in the crossfire of your coming third war.”
Leaving them with that sally, I fade back to my palace. I had accomplished what I needed to do for today. Sitting down on my throne, I look out upon the thriving world below me, smiling and sighing contently as my plan to save it falls perfectly into place.