“Donavin Myrefall!”

Angelus snapped out of his daze as he heard Donavins’s name be called out. It had been hours since the ceremony had started and so far, there had been multiple classes that were given out. It had been mostly of the common variety such as solider, mage, and archer. But there had also been a few rare classes that had been given by the gods such as blacksmith, ranger, rogue. The latest participant had received the ultra-rare healer class, when the Voice had announced the young man who was given that class, the crowd had gone wild and couldn’t stop congratulating him. The young man’s family was currently surrounding him and crying tears of joy. But when Angelus heard Donavin being called up, he knew that it was only a matter of time before it would be his turn to go up.

“You ready to get you’re class?” Angelus asked in a confident tone, Donavin looked towards him and looked like he wanted to say something, but he hesitated, looking back at the disciple who had called his name. He raised his hand to let the disciple know that he was here and when the disciple nodded and told him that he has five minutes.

“Don’t do that, please.”

Angelus blinked, “Do What?”

“Don’t give me hope for a class.” Angelus didn’t know what to say, he just kept looking at him. Donavin wasn’t usually the one to respond seriously when it came to Angelus’s attitude, he usually have something witty or deadpan to most things that they said to each other. It was how they had done for most of their lives. Donavin noticed him staring and sighed. “I’ve given up on the chance for a class Angelus, I don’t need you to ask me stupid stuff like this.”

“What’s so stupid about wanting a class?” Angelus asked, agitation creeping into his voice. “Everyone in the world wants a class.”

“Yeah, I know that, and I wanted a class too. But I know what’s really going to happen Angelus.” Donavin growled quietly, before sighing. People were beginning to look at Donavin as their conversion went on. “I’m going to walk into that temple, go through the ceremony, not receive a class, and come out disappointed.”

Angelus couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Donavin had come he saying that he wasn’t going to receive a class with an uncaring attitude, and Angelus thought that he genuinely didn’t care about receiving a class. Donavin had been in the same boat as Angelus, where he was preparing for the ceremony of awakening. The difference was that unlike Angelus, who had spent his day’s training to become an adventurer, Donavin had been looking for jobs to apply to for when he became an adult. He had gone everywhere, from bakeries to talors. It was only a few months ago that he had found a job with a construction company that had promised him a job so long as he didn’t receive a class. He came back that day looking happy, even excited about the job. It was a good job that promised good wages, reasonable hours, and didn’t have any requirements in order to apply. Donavin didn’t need a class to make a living. Now Angelus saw that what Donavin really thought, it wasn’t that he didn’t care, to have a class, the thought seemed to make him actually sad. He spent all this time preparing for disappointment, even if the job was a good one it wasn’t what he had wanted. Angelus remembered when they had spent their youth discussing classes and what they thought would be the best classes for each of them.

Angelus didn’t know what to say, he had just found out how disappointed that someone he considered his brother would be with his life, that was if he didn’t get a class today. Donavin turned towards the disciple waiting by the gate and made his way towards him. Angelus reached out and grabbed his arm, Donavin stopped but didn’t turn around.

“I..I” Angelus hesitated, trying to find something to say to him, but what do you tell someone who’s already given up on themselves? “Y..You don’t have to hope for a new class Donavin.” Donavin turned around and blinked, confusion written on his face, Angelus kept talking. “You don’t have to hope for a class, but I’ll do it for you. You may not have faith in getting one, but I have faith that you will. And you know that when I have faith in something, it always works out.” Angelus was rambling, he knew that, but he wanted to let Donavin know that he wasn’t going to be alone when he went inside. “It’s not just me, it’s everyone in Myrefall. Claudia, Olivia, Annie, the twins, and the girls. And you know for a fact that no one would be disappointed in us if we came back with no class.”

“But someone will be disappointed,” Donavin tore his arm out of his hand and walked towards the disciple. Angelus just stood and stared at Donavin as the Disciple talked to him and began to lead him towards the temple’s doors. When he reached them, the doors opened automatically and allowed him inside. Angelus stood and looked to the roofs of the temple, on the top stood a large, clear crystal. The crystal was another well-known part of the ceremony of awakening, every time someone would enter the temple to receive a class, the crystal would act as a conduit for the gods blessing to reach mortals. The crystal had an effect where whenever a class was being gifted, the crystal would glow with the gods’ powers, showing that the participant was worthy of a class. Depending on how bright the crystal glowed, the people could guess how good the class was. If it was a solider or a mage, the crystal would glow noticeably, but no brighter. When the healer received his class, the crystal had shone like a beacon and stayed like that for five seconds.

Unlike everyone else in the crowd who were chatting to one another and waiting their turn to be called, Angelus looked to the top of the tower and watched the crystal. He knew that the process of getting a class would take time, but that didn’t matter, he wanted to see the moment his brother got a class.

He waited…

And waited…

For ten whole minutes he watched the crystal, his focus so intense that the noise around him went silent. But that wasn’t important to him, none of the conversations, none of the music, none of the cryings from happy families, all that mattered was that little bit of divine light. And after another minute, he got that light.

At first, it wasn’t much, it was just a dim glow, and that alone was enough for Angelus to cheer. But it didn’t stop at the glow, oh no, that dim glow turned into a bright light, and then that bright light became a shining beacon. The light that came from the crystal shined far brighter than the light that gifted the healer with his class. Not only that but it glowed for much longer than the healer, almost thirty seconds. By this point the whole crowd had gone silent, watching the beacon of heavenly light. But the true shock came after when the bright light’s color shifted, going from a pure white to dark orange with blue magic sparks around it. Not only did the color change, but the beacon started to emit heat waves, shifting the temperature from normal to sweltering.

The people behind Angelus started to yell, saying that this was a sign of the champions coming. Angelus didn’t know if this was true, but one thing that he did know was that he’s never seen a blessing like this. Everyone that he’s seen was only the pure white light and nothing else.

“Do you think it’s true?” One of the teens, a male dwarf with black hair, said Angelus didn’t turn away from the light but he listened closely. “Do you think that it’s truly a Champion’s coming?”

“No way!” Another teen, a girl with short brown hair, replied. “I read a book about this, this isn’t a champions class. This is one of the minor gods classes, a Legends class.”

Angelus couldn’t believe it, a legends class. He had heard of them before, in fact, Zepher himself had a Legends class in his party, Tyler Linx, the Soulbow. His class was Hawkeye, from the minor goddess of the hunt. He played a large part in Zepher’s party by dealing a large number of damage miles away from major threats with his ability, soul bow, sometimes outright killing any beast that was a threat to them. And now Donavin had a class that could be compared to that. But what could it be, Angelus knew of legend classes, but he didn’t know what class’s he could get.

“What do you think it could be?” the Dwarf asked, seeming to always have the same thoughts as Angelus.

“I don’t know what class, but I think it’s going to be related to fire.”

“And why do you think that?”

“Look at the light, and don’t you feel the heat. If it’s not something related to any of the gods of fire then I’ll buy you your first drink.”

“You mean my first LEGAL drink” the Dwarf chuckled, and the girl soon followed.

Angelus had wanted to think more about this situation, but the light had finally started to die out. Everyone in the entire plaza waited with bated breath, all anxious to find out what class had been granted to Donavin. The wait felt like an eternity, even though it was two minutes, but Donavin did come out, along with the Voice. He looked shocked like he was wondering when he was going to wake up and actually go to the ceremony. The look stayed on his face, even as the Voice Walked ahead of him and began to clear his throat.

“My people, we all stand here today to witness the birth of a class that not been seen in over one hundred years.” He paused, letting the weight of this sink in. “It is a class that the best craftsman in Astera’s history have held, as well as being blessed by the god of runes and forge, Helmdrar. Donavin Mryefall has been granted the class, Arcane Blacksmith.”

Angelus nearly went deaf when the crowd behind him roared. Their cheers loud enough to send the birds on rooftops flying away. The cheers from the healer class weren’t half this. Angelus didn’t know what the class Arcane Blacksmith was, but he could guess that it mostly had to do with the weapon and armor crafting.

Angelus laughed, It was almost the perfect class for Donavin. Donavin didn’t like the stories that involved the hero’s death or the fighting that was involved. That wasn’t to say that Donavin wasn’t afraid to fight, both he and Angelus have done so plenty of times, but he would say that he didn’t like the idea of watching people die. The idea of blood spilling out of someone had always made him queasy and to see blood pouring out of someone, he would faint. But now that Donavin had a crafter class, he didn’t have to worry about killing, at least not directly.

He pretty much got the class of his dreams. Angelus thought, the pride in gut almost making him fold.

As soon as the cheers began to die down, the Voice had gestured for Donavin to walk down the step. He hesitated when descending the stairs, still looking as shocked as the moment he left the temple. He looked around when he got close to the bottom, Angelus didn’t know what Donavin saw, but what ever he did had his legs shaking.

When he got past the gates, Angelus couldn’t help himself, he ran towards him. He felt the eyes of the crowd land on him, but he didn’t care. As soon as he reach Donavin, he crashed into him and game him a hug that would would break ribs.

“I told you!” Angelus laughed, smile on his face and tears in his eyes.

“Yeah,” Donavin chuckled dryly, hugging Angelus back weakly. “You really did.”

They were only able to get that much out before the swarm of people came to them. Well, they actually wanted to swarm Donavin, but Angelus was close enough to him to be surrounded as well. All of them were asking him questions, all of them starting to blend together at one point. The voices of the crowed was large, but there was one voice that had started to make itself heard.

“MOVE IT!” The voice was loud and commanding, make a few people turn around in the direction it was heard. Anyone that was close enough to see the person was pushed aside to make room for the group that was following her. Both Angelus and Donavin broke their hug to look towards the voice, both never hearing anyone with a voice like that. When the owner of said voice finally made their way through the crowd, Both of the boy were shocked.

“Cluadia?!?” They both shouted, but once again that was all they were able to get out before they were interrupted once again, this time by the hug of a bear disguised as a woman.

“I knew you could get one.” Cluadia cried, smothering Donavin into her shoulder and not letting go. The others joined the hug to, the twin laughing, Sylvia and Juno smiling, and Olivia crying tears of joy. The crowed seemed to get the hint and all of them backed off, holding their questions for later. Angelus got pulled into the hug by Cluadia, and she tried to say something, but it came out as gibbish. Angelus laughed as he heard her blubbering, trying his hardest to remember her face, it wasn’t often that you got to see Cluadia Myrefall a crying mess, and Angelus wanted to remember this. He continued to smile until he had a thought come to him.

If Donavin got a class, then that means that he’s going to head to the Champions Acadamey. And just as he came to that realization, he heard someone calling out to him.

“Angelus Myrefall” Angelus turned to the sound of the voice, it was the disciple. “It is your time to be tested Angelus.”