You are in a small Awakening shrine.

Complete the trial to improve your destiny!

Unlike the awakened rooms in the past this one was open. In fact, it wasn’t so much a room than an open space surrounded by six columns. Bluish-white sky continued to the horizon above a ground of grey rock. There was no sun that could be seen, although Dallion could swear he almost saw the outlines of several moons in the whiteness above.

“I was like that the first time I came here as well,” Gloria said a few steps away. “I spent hours looking at the sky.”

“Err… how are you here?”

This was the first time he had seen a living person in an awakening realm. Unusually, it had always been empty rooms, mazes, and item guardians. Having Gloria here, equipped with a long sabre, was beyond unexpected.

“Shrines are different,” she sighed like a teacher who had to repeat an explanation in class. “By improving them, you improve yourself.”

Dallion kept staring at her, as his mind tried to make sense of it all. On their own, each of the concepts was clear, simple, and understandable, but when jumbled together nothing seemed to make any sense.

“The shrine is like you,” the girl said, deliberately slow. “If you complete a challenge here, it’s the same as if you complete a challenge for yourself. After that happens, you can claim the reward that it offers you as if it’s—”

“I got that.” Dallion’s pride kicked in, forcing him to interrupt. “But why are there two of us? That’s not supposed to happen, even upon reaching a breakthrough.”

“The shrine allows other awakened to be invited for support…”

Finally things started to make sense. It wasn’t so much that the girl wanted to help Dallion, rather she had come to him for help. Granted, it was mutual help—he was also going to get a free breakthrough as a result, and at a time he needed it.

“This isn’t your first time here, is it?”

“It’s my fifth. The last time was two years ago.”

That was quite a while ago.

“Why did you stop?”

“When I failed last time, the shrine suggested I find another awakened to help me.” The girl gave Dallion a long, silent look. “Now I have.”

“There wasn’t anyone else you could ask?”

“No one I can rely on. Everyone awakened in the village is either old, or part of my family. You hate my grandfather and have as much to lose if he found out you know about the shrine.”

One could only be impressed by her logic and petty mercantile nature. It was obvious she had plans of her own that didn’t involve the village chief, or anyone else for that matter. The moment she had approached Dallion had been meticulously calculated to be at the point he couldn’t refuse. In the boy’s mind there was no doubt that the village chief had prepared a task beyond his awakening level. Still, Gloria could have simply come up to him with the offer earlier.

“What’s the trial?” Dallion smiled. No point in being upset at what could have been.

“I’m not sure. The previous tasks were combat, so probably the next will be as well.” She turned to her left and took a step forward. An arch formed between the columns in front of her, marked by the glowing number four.

Fourth trial? Dallion wondered. If so, that meant that the shrine was limited to six trials.

“Remember, we’ll need to work together on this,” Gloria said in a bossy fashion. “I’ll focus on attacking the monster, while you guard me.”

“How come I do the guarding?” Dallion grumbled.

“You have the Guard skills.” She pointed at his buckler with her sabre. “With a perception of six, I could tell the moment you improved my ring.”

When people wanted to brag, they would often slip in a piece of useless information to attract the listener’s focus. Gloria was no different, mentioning her perception skills, again, then stressing on the level in an attempt to impress. Dallion, in contrast, remained silent. He could easily have mentioned that he had reflexes at six, despite only being a level one awakened. There was still the option that he did, though, maybe after the trial was complete.

Shrine trial 4 chosen!

Prepare for combat!

The moment the two walked through the archway, all remaining columns melted away. A strong gust of wind appeared out of nowhere sending a wave of dust at them. Instantly, Dallion jumped in front of the girl, protecting his own face with his buckler.

The sandstorm kept building up for a while until suddenly it stopped. Dallion, however, took no chances, keeping the buckler in front.

“Are you alright?” he asked, glancing about.

The landscape had changed completely. No longer the endless barren plain, it was now a desert. Bright orange rays scorched on dunes of rusty sand for as far as the eye could see.

“I’m fine.”

“Did this happen last time?”

“Sort of…” The girl her lip, hesitating. “There still was a desert, but no storm.”

“I guess this happens when you invite someone over. Any other surprises I should know about?”

“Can we just get this over?” Gloria snapped.

“Yes, your highness.” Dallion smirked, lowering his shield. “I’ll get right to defeating…” His words trailed off.

SHRINE GUARDIAN

Species: DRAGON

Class: SAND

Statistics: UNKNOWN

Skills:

- SANDSTORM

- UNKNOWN

- UNKNOWN

Weak Spots: EYES

The size of a small commercial airplane, a massive beast towered above Dallion, glaring at him with glowing amber eyes. It was everything one would imagine an eastern dragon to be: long, scaly, snakelike, with a massive head that could gobble up Dallion’s house for breakfast. Upon seeing the two minuscule humans, the creature snorted, releasing streams of sand into the air from its nostrils.

“Err, Gloria?” Dallion asked in his quietest and most polite tone. “Was this the guardian you faced before?”

Speechless, the girl slowly shook her head.

“I didn’t think so…”

COMBAT INITIATED!