Chapter 7: Chapter 7 : Priest of The Path

Chapter 7:

Priest of the path

Behind the stage, the priests ushered me into a cozy, well lit room. The space was modestly furnished and served as a quiet sanctuary for the visiting clergy. I had heard that it also served as a debriefing area for those who had taken their first steps onto The Path.

As I took in my surroundings, I realized I wasn’t alone.

In the corner of the room, an overly plump clergy member sat comfortably, sipping tea and munching on a plate full of various pastries. At my arrival, he attempted to rise to his feet, but his considerable bulk required a few awkward rocking motions before he finally gathered enough momentum to rise.

“Ah, you must be Mr. Garner,” he said, his voice warm but slightly winded from his effort to stand. “My name is Father Elias. You may call me ‘Father’ if you prefer.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I replied, doing my best not to stare at the stray crumbs still clinging to his face. “If I’m being honest I’m still having trouble keeping on my feet, would it be alright if we sat down while we talk?”

In response, the priest eagerly accommodated my request as he lowered himself back into his cushioned chair with a grunt. His face jiggled slightly with the effort, and he let out a satisfied sigh as he settled in, reaching for another pastry.

“Please, Mr. Garner, take a seat and relax a moment. You’ve just experienced quite a lot in the past hour, and it will take some time for your body to adjust to the sudden change after being in the spiritual realm for so long.”

As I took my seat I couldn’t help but feel as I misheard the man when he said I had been in the spiritual realm for the past hour. Everyone else who had made their choices had done so within no less than a few minutes.

“Excuse me sir, I think I misunderstood, did you say I was there for over an hour? I was only on stage for a few minutes, wasn’t I?”

Father Elias looked at me with amusement before responding, “No, Mr Garner, you were there for the better part of an hour. In fact, out of the thousands of Choosing’s I’ve been apart of, this was the first time I’ve seen that happen.”

Upon hearing this, I wasn’t sure how to respond; the priests who prepared us for our Choosing Day had taught us that time flows differently in the spiritual realm. Minutes here in the physical world can be hours there. If what Father Elias said was true, then my talk with the Old Man had taken far longer than I originally thought.

“Mr. Garner, do you mind if I ask you some questions about your time in the spiritual realm? Part of my duties as a priest of The Path is to acquire as much information as I can concerning not only the different Domains and Paths, but also, the unique experiences had by those who walk it.”

I thought about what he said for a moment, it felt slightly inappropriate to ask me about something so personal that I had just experienced. I didn’t want to tell him no but I also wasn’t sure I wanted to share either.

“Am I obligated to share? Or is this more of a favor to the priesthood?”

Father Elias nodded as if he had anticipated the question.

“That’s a fair question that deserves a proper answer” Father Elias replied, as he leaned forward in his chair. “The answer is more complicated than I would like but I will do my best to present it to you as simply as I can. The Priests of The Path have no right to demand information from those who walk it. It is simply our desire to become as knowledgeable as possible so that we might better guide those who seek our counsel.”

“That makes sense” I said, “I can’t fault you for wanting to do your job. What is it that makes this a more complicated topic?”

Father Elias sighed, irritation manifested within the folds of his face as he continued.

"Recently, the King has decreed that our clergy must maintain written records of every Domain and Path awakened within the kingdom. His stated reason is to ensure the realm is better prepared to respond to any unforeseen threats. However, this mandate has stirred unrest among the clergy, as we hold each individual’s Path to be sacred. We believe that, if someone wishes to keep the details of their awakening private, then that choice should be honored."

Upon hearing his explanation the problem became quite apparent. Father Elias was in a position where he wanted to follow the teachings of his priesthood, but he was being forcibly pushed to do something that went against their teachings by a more powerful authority.

“That sounds like a tough position to be in” I said, doing my best to show my sympathy for his situation. “What are the repercussions if you do not present an accurate account?”

“Then those within the priesthood who violate this decree will be removed from their responsibilities and branded traitors to the kingdom” Father Elias said, as he slumped further into his chair. “Truthfully, we mean no harm in our questioning but I can’t guarantee that it won’t bring you trouble one way or another in the future.”

I looked up at the plump man, who had been open and honest with me concerning his predicament. He could have easily tried to bully me into sharing details about my Path, but instead he chose a more honorable route. For that reason, I decided that I not only liked the man, but I would do what I could to help him.

Over the next handful of minutes I shared what I could about my time on The Path; including details about my conversation with the Old Man, possible threats to the cycle, and the choices that were offered to me upon my choosing. As I spoke, Father Elias’s eyes only grew wider with each revelation that I shared. When I finally finished speaking he sat quietly for several long moments.

“Incredible. Truly. There is so much here to unpack and I doubt you fully understand the significance of the experiences you’ve just had. The Old Man as you called him is a concerning development, outside of the domains, we have very little knowledge of any other beings that inhabit the spiritual realm. Did the Old Man mention anything more about the nature of the threat that we may be facing?”

“He only mentioned that the threat may be small but could quickly grow in power, and if left unchecked could cause irreparable damage.”

Father Elias’s face was grim upon hearing the news a second time. I watched as he took brief notes on a piece of parchment before tucking it away into a envelope nearby.

“With that in mind” he said, as he worked to stand back up onto his feet. “I suppose it would do you good for me to teach you something about your newly awakened path. We share the same domain after all, and we have a few more minutes to spend with one another.”

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Father Elias with some effort returned to his feet and encouraged me to follow him to a nearby table.

“How familiar are you with the Divine Domain?” Father Elias asked, as he picked up a small knife from a nearby table that had been laden with many different fruits, pastries, and other desserts.

“Truthfully I don’t know much about it, other than the fact that it is a class held by priests and healers.”

“I see, very well, then I will start with the basics. First, you must understand that the four Domains all specialize in their own unique applications of potential. We of the Divine domain specialize in amplifying potential within ourselves and others using spiritual potential. When we amplify the potential in others it raises their the attributes, skills, and abilities beyond their normal capabilities.

“This potential is exactly as it sounds, it is the possibility of what something can become.” Father Elias held the knife aloft, his voice calm. “Take, for example, someone who has just fought a monster and received a cut on their arm.”

Without warning, he drew the blade across his own forearm causing blood to spill in crimson streams onto the wood floor below.

“If left unattended, it is theoretically possible for this cut to heal on its own, as it has the potential to mend itself over time. However, if someone in the divine domain possesses an ability than can facilitate healing…”

He stopped speaking for a moment as a white glow enveloped his hand, which he then pressed upon the cut.

“We can amplify the bodies potential temporarily, which in turn speeds up it’s natural recovery process. We are not simply adding to ones potential, we are multiplying it, and raising it far beyond it’s normal capabilities.”

When Father Elias removed his hand from the cut I was astonished to find that not only had it been healed but there was no scar left behind.

“That’s incredible!”

Father Elias smiled at me, clearly pleased with the reaction to his showmanship.

“The potential we invest in others can be applied in many different ways depending on the abilities at our disposal. Now, if you don’t mind please share with me the details of the abilities you received.

At his request, I did my best to recall the details of my abilities. To my surprise the information appeared clearly in my mind, as if I was pulling a book off the shelf and reading directly.

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Domain Ability: [Spirit Well] (Domain: Ability) (Common)

A tool of potential, Spirit Well allows practitioners to draw in and store Spiritual Potential within an internal reservoir. Stored SP may be manifested through the use of skills and abilities. Maximum SP is determined by one's Spirit attribute

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Path Ability: [Reap] (Domain:Divine) (Legendary)

A tool of potential, Reap allows the user to harvest the various forms of potential.

Item required: Scythe or Sickle

Skills: (Unlocked through use of ability)

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Path Ability: [Sow] (Domain:Divine) (Legendary)

A tool of potential, Sow allows the user to amplify various forms of potential.

Skills: (Unlocked through use of ability)

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As I shared the details of my abilities with Father Elias I watched as his face took on a look of utter astonishment.

“Is something the matter?” I asked, unsure why the man’s demeanor had suddenly changed.

“If what you’re saying is accurate then of your three abilities, two are exceptionally rare, so much so, that in all my years I have never heard of either of them before.”

Upon seeing my lack of understanding Father Elias calmed himself before explaining the significance of what was happening.

“When one chooses a their domain and path, they are given given abilities that allow one to facilitate their new powers. When I was a young man I chose The Path of the Healer. My first two path abilities were called Vital Surge and Meditate; In my demonstration a moment ago, I channeled my Vital Surge ability through the use of a skill called Mend Flesh. It allowed me to amplify the vital potential within my body in order to rapidly heal the cut on my arm.

The restriction of my Vital Surge ability is that I can only amplify the vital energy within a target. I cannot boost the strength of a swordsman, nor can I empower weapons like a paladin. Of all the applications of spiritual energy I am only able to influence one aspect of those I interact with.

He sighed enviably before continuing his explanation.

“The reason your Sow ability is so unique is due to the fact that it does not apply any restriction in regards to how you apply spiritual potential.”

At that, my own eyes went wide with understanding mirroring Father Elias’s just moments before.

The Priest’s excitement only grew as he saw that I understood what he had been teaching me. He gestured to a bouquet of flowers that had been placed in the middle of the nearby table. They were beautiful and no doubt had been picked from the garden outside.

“Let us perform a test while we have time, do you see that bud amidst the flowers that has failed to bloom? See if you can apply potential into it and make it bloom along with the others.”

At his request, I reached out to touch the stem of the budding flower. I wasn’t exactly sure how to use my ability so I simply concentrated and did my best to imagine the flower blooming.

As if in response to my desires, a warmth spread through my body; it began its journey in my chest, then moved down through my arm, where it finally pooled into my extended fingers. At my touch, the spiritual potential gathered in my fingers transferred to the budding flower and I watched in amazement as its yellow petals opened up for the first time.

Though it was a small act, I could still feel a faint trickle of potential leave my body. As I stared in wonder at what I had done, I felt a pleasant warmth radiate through my being. It was as if someone was inscribing information directly onto my soul. After the feeling passed, I found that I could perceive the change within myself as I concentrated on the change that had taken place.

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Skill unlocked: Green Thumb (Rank 1: level 1) (Skill Potentcy: Low) - Amplify the vital potential within plants causing them to mature at a faster pace.

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“I think I just unlocked a skill. Is that normal?” I asked, still processing the change that had taken place in my mind.

“Fascinating! And to answer your question, yes, typically experimentation and training will unlock skills as you discover them. Application and practice will gradually increase your understanding of, and therefore, the potency of the skill as well. The higher the rank the more effective it will be.” Father Elias said, as he leaned forward in order to get a closer look at the flower. “Now, what about your other ability Reap? Would it allow you to take back the spiritual potential you just spent?”

I looked at the flower intently doing my best to once again will something to happen. To my disappointment, I felt no rush of power matter how hard I tried to call upon my ability. Consulting my minds eye once again, I noticed a small detail that I had overlooked previously.

Items Required: Scythe or Sickle

When I shared the detail with Father Elias he simply sighed but nodded his head.

“That ability is quite interesting as well. Typically most divine paths recover potential passively through abilities such as my Meditate but yours possesses a much more active component. It requires you to seek out and claim potential from other sources, which is highly unusual..”

Before we could continue our conversation there was a knock at the door as the ceremony outside was reaching it’s end.

“Unfortunately, I’m afraid our time together has come to an end Mr. Garner.” The large man reached out his hand and shook mine firmly.

“While I am required to report my findings to the crown, I am by no means obligated to force you to report to the king himself. When it is revealed that someone within the kingdom has a path as unique as yours, he will very likely seek you out. I cannot say whether that is a good or bad thing, but what I can say is that his intrusion on the paths of others rubs the priesthood the wrong way. So as a favor to you, I will delay my report for as long as I am able. Also, I will report to the high priest and make sure he is aware of your encounter with the Old Man.”

“My gut is telling me that I should withold that bit of information from the crown, and trust me, my gut has great intuiton.” He patted his large belly appreciatively as he said this. “Good luck Mr. Garner, and if you find yourself in the capital feel free to seek me out.”

With that, our conversation reached its natural end. I thanked Father Elias for his time and then stepped out of the clergy’s private quarters and into the open air. A sigh escaped my lips as I took in the bustling crowd. There was still so much to do before the day’s end; formalities to navigate, conflicts to settle, and a future to plan.

But for now, I breathed deeply as I gathered myself, and did as all do on the Path.

I took the next step.