Joseph closed the book and rubbed the bridge of his nose and in between his eyes with a headache that was setting in. When he looked out the window, he was confused as to where they were, because they were driving through a flat desert that seemed like it was out in the middle of nowhere. He leaned up to the front seat and sighed, “Where are we?” He asked his parents, who were still wide awake.

Joseph’s mother turned around emphatically and smiled, “We are in New Mexico and making our way to the border with Mexico. Now get back to reading. You need to finish that book by the time we get there.” She huffed a bit before turning back around.

“Can I just ask one question?” Joseph prodded as he tried to get out of reading for a little span of time.

“Sure.” His father responded with a thick tone of resolve in his voice, like he already knew the question that he was about to ask.

“Why is this book so important? I mean, it’s a good story, but that’s all it is right?”

Joseph’s father sighed and shook his head, “What part are you on?” He seemed like he was done trying to explain everything so he was going to set Joseph straight once and for all.

Joseph thought for a second, “Seth just met up with Korak in the Congo. Why is that important?” He was starting to wonder what his parents were trying to get at.

“Because it’s not just a book. What you’re holding is a record of the great deeds of great man.” His father scolded him as they drove, “Everything that you read in that old tattered book actually happened at some point in the past. Every word is real. A retelling of the most honorable man I have ever known.”

Joseph’s eyes widened and he picked up the book once more. He looked at the old leather pages and then up to his father, “Everything? Everything in this book actually happened?” He reeled when his father nodded, “Ok, but how is it relative to us?”

Joseph’s parents shared a worried glance before his father started explaining everything, “You are the successor to a legacy left behind in times past.” His father looked out in the mirror and chuckled, “Looks like everyone is here.”

“What?” Joseph asked as he tried to find an angle on the mirror. Then he saw a series of vehicles with similar trailers trailing behind them. “Is that … the guys?”

“Yep, all but one.” Joseph’s mother stated.

“So, who all is coming?” Joseph asked.

His mother thought for a moment before listing everyone off, “Let’s see, Gubler, Cole, Moss, Antolin, Tyler, and Leon, that’s the guys. The girls that are coming are Rachel and Abby. They’re all in the same boat as you, except for one monumental difference.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Ok, who’s the other one that’s supposed to be coming?” Joseph asked as he slumped back in his seat.

“That would be Ryan.”

“Really! I haven’t seen him in ages.” Joseph exclaimed as the excitement started to rise, “So, why are we all going to this Bonivallia?”

“You are meant to be the leader of a group of an elite force of soldiers and your friends back there are the very soldiers that you will be leading.” His father stated as his mother started to rummage through a bag at her feet.

Joseph’s mother turned around in her seat and excitedly smiled, “Each and every one of them has a specific role to play. Would you like to know them?”

Joseph was taken off guard by just how excited his mother was, but answered anyway, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Ok, to start off, Gubler isn’t just a tank to you guys. He was born with a strength and power that rivals the strongest of walls and defenses. He will most likely specialize in hand to hand combat.” Without skipping a beat, Joseph’s mother continued on with the explanations, “Cole was born with the powers of a demolition archer. He can fire an arrow that explodes whenever he wants it to. Moss was born with the power of a rogue cavalier. He isn’t very strong but is the best when it comes to recon as well as strategy and swordsmanship. Antolin was blessed with the powers of a combat mage who can control the elements, but if you put a sword in his hand don’t expect much. Tyler is a combat medic and has basic knowledge in triage ingrained in his mind. He can even heal most wounds simply by touching them. Leon is an expert scout and has the ability to travel through the shadows. His primary role is to gather information and intel on anything and everything. Rachel is an herbalist who can make potions and other concoctions to enhance abilities or heal wounds. She is an excellent cook as well. Abby is a shield bearer that can block just about everything with her defensive magic. The main thing that you need to remember is that they will be your soldiers and your friends, just like you will do anything for them they will do anything for you.”

Joseph was at a loss for words, “But, why? Why would they?” He put the book back down and tried to work it out in his head.

His mother gripped his hand and sighed, “Because you aren’t just their leader. You are their friend. You are their future and they are yours.”

“But why does it have to be me?”

Joseph’s mother turned back to the front and placed all the papers that she had gotten out. His father was the one to answer him, “You were born with the power of the man in that book, passed on to you by only him. They were also given their abilities by him, but yours encompass all of them, if you put your mind to it. You will learn soon enough what you can do.”

“What’s Ryan’s ability? You never said.” Joseph asked as he leaned forward in his seat.

“He has the ability to control the wind. He is more of a jack of all trades man. He can shoot and arrow as well as wield a sword.” His father answered, “At the moment, he is the one standing guard to where we are headed.” He looked back and smirked, “Now get back to reading so that you finish that before we get there.”

Joseph sighed and looked out through the window at the massive desert there. ‘What am I supposed to be destined to do here?” He thought to himself. Then he looked at the book again. If he had all the power of this Seth character, then he was stronger than he let on, which was true. He had always held back, but he still couldn’t imagine being that powerful though. Joseph picked it up and thumbed through the pages to find where he was. ‘How can I get all the powers of this outrageous story and how can it be pure fact?’ He thought. Luckily, he stopped at the end of the chapter, so it was pretty easy to pick up where he left off.