Mantle of the Gods

His nails dug into my hands.

“Are you ready to be tested?” Annoyance dripped off every word.

I nodded, “Yes.”

“Then I pray you receive a God's blessing.”

His hands pushed mine so fast that I didn't have a chance to react. The tip of the Crystal dug into my hands and it felt like he was trying to push it all the way through. My blood was absorbed as it ran down the sides of the Crystal. The flash of light washed over me, but wrapped around me instead of blinding me. The six stats appeared in the crystal with numbers after them. The class was supposed to be under my name, but the blurred letters were impossible to make out. The light settled on me, covering me in a warm glow. I looked at the ArchBishop for guidance about the illegible class, but I saw his face contort for a second before he yanked my hands up. I was able to catch a glimpse of the class, but what I saw didn’t make sense.

“It is a glorious day!” the ArchBishop was back in announcer mode, “The Gods have seen fit to bestow Atlas with the class of Caster.” He pulled me into what the crowd must have thought was a tight hug. “Tell anyone what you saw and you’re dead.” he hissed before releasing me. He motioned for me to follow the same path that Rix had taken.

I felt lighter as I tried to hurry down the walkway. When I parted the door of the tent, Rix was sitting in the corner furthest away from the flap. She looked a lot less mad but still just as vigilant, her muscles tensed as if she was about to pounce.

“Whoa!” I held up both palms, “Whoa! I just got a mantle, so I’m supposed to wait in here.” I looked around the tent but there was nothing but two benches on either side. I sat down diagonally from the red-haired woman, because I thought that would be the place where she would feel the least threatened. After a long pause of silence that became uncomfortable, I decided that I had to start the conversation.

“So… Shooter? Was that the class you were expecting?”

The look she gave me had me thinking she wasn't going to answer but she just shrugged, “It's the speed based class.”

It was like she expected that to answer everything.

“I got the Caster mantle.” I lied. I didn't know how I was going to tell anyone what the thing was that the Crystal had read. I didn't know what I was going to do or what it even meant. One thing I was sure of though, it was going to cause me a lot of trouble.

Rix looked completely uninterested.

“I would have thought I’d be a Hitter or a Tank since I’ve worked as a Porter for the last four years. I don't know, maybe I'm going to be some Hitter-Caster hybrid.”

The redhead turned away and leaned against one of the tent poles.

I decided to continue the conversation in my head since she wasn’t going to participate.

I knew it wasn't uncommon for someone who trained in a stat other than their main one to receive a secondary class. Those two would later merge into a new blended class. There were almost one hundred known classes, but all of them started from the same six base stats. That was what we had been taught in school anyway.

After a few more moments of silence, I realized that I knew her name but she didn't know mine. We had heard at least two more failures from outside the tent by the groans from the crowd.

“You don't know my name and I know yours.” I leaned forward and offered her my hand, “I'm Atlas Zeb.” Only the nobility had last names. For the Mundane, their last name was the city that they were from. Now that I had received a mantle, I would be able to either join a Noble family or start one of my own.

She just eyed the hand and for a few moments, I thought she was going to ignore me, but she sighed, replying while leaving the hand there, “I’m Rix Zeb.”

I thought about asking her about her past, but she didn’t look like she wanted to talk. My own past wasn’t that great of a story, so I was actually a little relieved that I didn’t have to share it

I was an orphan of a realm war, where the city I had been living in had been destroyed. I spent eleven years at the All-Temple before I had been sent to work for the Dispatchers for the last 4 years. Actually, the Priests just assumed that I was 3 years old when I came to them. Without parents or someone who knew me before, there had been no way to know what it was. My birthday had become the day I had been brought to the Temple with the actual day being lost to time.

The tent doors parted, pulling me out of my musings.

A blonde Noble walked in. I could tell he was a Noble, because unlike Rix who was wearing worn holey clothes that I would have guessed were from the field workers. I was wearing a drab jumpsuit specifically made for Porters. This person had lace and frills on their clothes and the white parts were really white, like his teeth.

“Well, I guess I'm here with the trash.” the blonde-haired man glared at both of us, “I would have hoped that they would have the good sense to separate the filth from those who are worthy of receiving a mantle.”

I got up and he flinched as if he thought I was going to hit him. His reaction made me think about it, but I knew it wouldn’t be worth the trouble I’d be in later if I did. I gestured at the bench that I had just been sitting on, “Allow me to move, so you can have a bench to yourself. I apologize for marring your memorable day.”

“You should be.” the Noble straightened then sat down and crossed his arms, “I just hope that there is better company soon and I will make sure to talk to my parents so that they transport us in separate vehicles.”

I sat down next to Rix and leaned slightly towards her and whispered out of the corner of my mouth. “I figured you'd rather sit next to me than him.”

Her eyes stayed neutral but she gave a slight nod of her head.

It wasn’t long before the door to the tent opened and another Noble walked in, saving us from any more of the blonde’s focus. I really hoped that they would transport us in different vehicles, otherwise, it was going to be a long car ride.