Logan, the monk, and I all get up and begin our morning routines. The prince was too excited trying to get the saintess, Alice, to read the journal. Once the writings of the first saint began pondering rituals to heal people from a distance by marking them, both were huddled by the desk. They ended up reading it even after the rest of us went to sleep, using a small flame from the prince to continue into the night.

  The doorknob moves as someone tries to open it without knocking. Logan and I stare at the door for a moment.

  “Wake the other two,” I whispered. A slight jingle of keys comes from our door, followed by an almost silent click. The door handle began to open and I sprinted to the door. I left the room and confronted the intruder alone, hoping to buy the others some time. My blade was against the intruder’s throat before I even saw who it was.

  “I know we didn’t pick the perfect candidates for your team, but I still find myself disappointed you would try to kill me.” A young man in church garments leans back from the blade and looks me dead in the eyes. “I also know you have reason to be cautious, but don’t point your blade at me. Your haste will lead to your death. No wonder your family has fallen. Besides, I have a ritual spell that activates on the condition that I am attacked by a weapon, you can’t hurt me.”

  Logan steps forward from behind me and into my view again. “What could the church be in such a rush for that they wouldn’t knock or call out who they were before opening the door. We effectively have a bounty for each of us that needs to be removed. I thought that much was made clear. ”

  The young man nodded and frowned while looking at Logan. “Yes, it has been dealt with. We need you to get to the church immediately to access your second path. We also need to check that none of you gained a path related to murder, theft, or other crimes. It would be a real shame if we had to execute one of you.” The priest stared at Logan and smiled while mentioning the idea of executing someone. “It would help to dispel rumors that have begun.”

  The priest pushed Logan aside but he grabbed onto the priest’s arm and pulled him away from the door. Looking behind me I noticed that my companion must have closed the door after Logan walked out. Logan raised his voice.

  “The gentleman wants us to get our second path today! Get your clothes in order so you can walk in public!” Logan and I block the door as we hear the others moving inside the room.

  “Let me through now.” The priest hissed.

  “Or what? The church won’t sponsor us? You effectively don’t already. You’ll try to ban us from getting our next path? The church will be burned down by the end of the week for trying to repeat history. Are you trying to sneak a peek at the saintess while she is changing? People would gouge your eyes out for that crime.” Logan looked at him with a roguish grin.

  Eventually, the door opened and the other three left with us to the church. I saw the monk nod at Alice, getting a nod in return. They obviously had some sort of a plan, but were unable to explain it currently.

  The prince whispered to me, “Follow what they say at first, but make sure you are the first one they try to give a second path to.”

  I don’t give any indication I heard as the priest keeps checking behind himself at us.

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  We arrive at the church and see a line of people trying to get in as early in the day as possible to get a path or add to their path. Blacksmiths, merchants, a mercenary, all sorts were lined up. One girl with dark hair stared at us as we skipped the line, muttering something under her breath that made the others straighten their backs.

  Pushing open the doors to the waiting chamber, the priest motioned for us to put our weapons down at a designated corner before entering. The prince was holding the saintess’s spear so she could better hide her weapon as someone else’s. Walking through a second set of large doors, we were greeted with a chest height crystal in a foggy chamber. Black Volcanic rock lined the floor, giving a mysterious and imposing atmosphere. Before the young priest who led us here could point towards one of us to go first, I walked forward. I had to trust whatever plan they had. Also, I know I have nothing to hide in my possible paths that they might see. I put my hand on the crystal and see three transparent options appear before me.

  Metallic Mage

  Elite Swordsman

  Squire

  The priest held a small stone in his hand and looked in the direction of my choices. He was looking at me with disdain while muttering about how only my first choice was a rare option. The monk silently stepped behind the priest and hit him with a punch in the back of the head, followed immediately by a chokehold. While he was frantically moving his arms in a panic I turned my body and clamped a hand over his mouth to prevent him from screaming.

  The monk began dragging his unconscious body to a corner of the room while I ran to the door to the ceremony room. The prince went to the stone to get his second path.

  “I’m going to peek outside and see if anyone noticed what happened.”

  I pull the door slightly to see the waiting room and see a flash of metal. I pull my head back in a panic. I kick off with my front foot to take some distance from the person who sprung forward from the door. It was a mercenary with a dagger. The mercenary hissed in frustration at his failed ambush. Two people bolted from behind him. I grabbed a stonesmith who was charging with a chisel in hand. The mercenary lunged with his dagger, but I pulled the stonesmith in front of me. The dagger went deep into the chest of the stonesmith.

  As the dagger was pulled out of the stonesmith’s chest, his demeanor changed. Lying on the floor, I made out him say, “What… Why am I… happening?” Blood was pooling under him fast enough that I doubted he would last a few minutes without healing.

  The mercenary lunged again and I deflected the initial blow with my armguard, stepping close to him. The mercenary pulled out a second dagger and swung at my neck with his offhand. I grabbed his wrist with the dagger but felt a pressure on my back where he attempted to stab me with his first dagger. He must have switched to a reverse grip.

  I kick his legs out from under him and use my downward momentum to land on him hard. I punch his throat hard enough to make him bleed with every breath.

  I hear the prince call out from behind me. “Got my second path, no time to explain. There has to be a mage close by. Find them and kill them!”

  I leave the mercenary on the ground as Logan comes forward and steals a dagger to stab the man with. Stepping through the doors to the waiting room, I duck instinctively. A spear stabs at where my head would have been. The same spear we had to leave behind with the rest of our weapons.

  A thin girl stands behind some other people, one of them holding my sword and shield.

  “You must be the mage.”

  “I see the curse passed down through generations.”

  I sprint towards her and her two guards. I push aside the smaller of the two guards and get close to the bigger man holding my sword and shield. I get smacked by my shield but ignore it. I grab the sword arm of the man and twist it until he cries in pain and releases the sword. Grabbing the sword before it hits the ground, plunging the blade into the girl’s chest.

  The girl doesn’t look scared. She doesn’t look confused or pained by me stabbing her heart. She glares at me with an intense fury I hadn’t seen in a long time. I held my sword there as she bled out, with her whispering, “If I had gotten to the second path, I would have slain you all.”