Selection

"Blood Trace? What's that."

All around him Dante could hear the others whispering amongst themselves. None of them had any idea where they were, let alone what a blood trace was.

"All will be explained in due time!" The angels voice boomed, magnified to be heard over the chatter. "Let us begin."

"Grant Baker." The guard that let them in called.

Beside Dante, Grants whole body tensed. He could feel his palms sweating, and his kneels felt wobbly. Still, he had no choice. With a gulp he mustered what courage he had, and walked up to the dais.

Dante watched grant ascend the stairs. He was very curious as to what the blood trace was, as was everyone else. He payed close attention to the orb. It seemed strange.

Dante couldn't tell what the orb was made of, but it looked like metal. It looked solid, but soft, almost like you could form it in your hand. A presence seem to radiate from the orb as well, almost as if it was alive.

Grant reached the orb. Dante could tell that they were speaking to Grant up there, but he couldn't hear a word of what they said. Then, Grant nodded and placed his hand warily upon the orb. After a second Grant retracted his hand, rather quickly, and grasped it in his other.

Everyone in the hall stared intently at the orb, waiting for its response. The kids had no idea what it did, so they wanted to find out. Many of them were very glad they did not have to go first. It wasn't just them staring at the orb though. Those seated around the dais were staring intently as well. They were waiting for something specific to happen.

The metal orb slowly built up light inside of it. It shown bright, many colors sending ripples and waves across the orbs surface. Then, all of the light was concentrated on top of the orb, projecting upward. The light was soft white, and inside of this light hung the image of a full moon.

With the moon showing the wolf-man said something to grant. Grant nodded, and descended the stairs. However, upon reaching the bottom he did not rejoin the others. Instead he walked toward the hall they had came from. Here, the guard from the previous room was waiting, and led him away.

More whispers started up but they were cut short as another name was called almost immediately.

One by one people marched up the steps. Everything seemed to play out the exact same way every time. The only variance would be the color of the light and what symbol it shown.

A red light with a drop of blood. A copper light with a scale. A dark grey light with a scrap of armor. A green light with a butterfly. An orange light with a contract. And a golden light with a gate.

"Kristia Meadowlark!" The guard called.

The girl wood elf looked at her twin brother, squeezed his hand, and ascended the steps. After she placed her hand on the orb a green butterfly appeared. The fairy lady spoke to her, and then she was gone, walking down the hall.

Her brother started to follow her, but then his name was called.

"Vaelen Meadowlark!" The guard called. But then seeing him walking toward the hall he extended his weapon, blocking the path. "Up the stairs."

"I go where my sister goes." Vaelen growled.

"You go where The Trace sends you." Another voice said.

The angel had stood, played a few chords on her harp, and a golden light enveloped Vaelen. His body levitated slowly up the stairs.

Dante could tell Vaelen wanted to be with his sister, but honestly what choice did he have. Dante didn't think all of the kids combined could take down a guard, let alone any of the people seated at the dais. Vaelen must have realized this too, as he angrily put his hand upon the orb.

An orange contract hovered in the air before him.

Vaelen looked murderous. Everyone could tell he was about to have an outburst. Then, all of a sudden, the red devil waved his hand and Vaelen had disappeared in a puff of flame. Dante looked at the other 6 seated around the dais and realized they still looked calm. Either the devil man had not hurt Vaelen, or the others didn't care what happened to him. This just made Dante even more nervous.

The process was fairly quick, and soon there weren't many people left standing around. Dante looked around and noticed just a handful of people. The Half-Orc girl was still there, but she was the only one he recognized.

Dante had lasted almost the entire time, and he began to notice a few things.

First, he noticed race had a lot to do with what light you received. Gnomes and Dwarves mainly went with the metal men. However, Gnomes could also receive the butterfly mark, and Dwarves could also receive the scale mark. The Halflings seem to receive the butterfly and blood, and the elves could seemingly join most factions, just like humans. No human had been chosen by the butterfly however, and no elf by the scale. The contract and the gate seemed to be the only symbols not to be picky. Anyone could be chosen by those symbols.

"Dante Tenebris!"

Dante heard his name called and was snapped out of his thoughts. He knew he couldn't run, and he wasn't strong enough to fight, so he marched forward. As he walked up the stairs he looked across the beings sitting at the dais. As he scanned from left to right he noticed something. There were 8 chairs, but one was empty.

On the far right there was a chair, almost identical to the others. The one difference it did have was a large crack running down it, almost splitting it in two.

Dante thought it was odd there were 8 seats. There were only 7 people sitting there, and he had only seen 7 symbols. Did there used to be an 8th? And if so what happened to them?

"Dante Tenebris it is very good to meet you." The Angel spoke to Dante first. She smiled at him warmly, and continued, "How is Victor, and your mother?" She asked.

Dante looked at her confused. Victor was his fathers name. She didn't know how she knew that, but she did. "I'm sure they are worried about me." was all Dante could reply with.

"Fret not Dante, your father knows exactly where you are." The angel said knowingly.

Dante was shocked. He hadn't thought about his parents much since arriving, as he had his own situation to deal with, but when he did think of them he was sure they were frantic. He thought they would be doing anything they could to find Dante at that very moment. Now the angel was telling Dante that his father knew that he had been kidnapped?

"Dante believe it or not, when your father turned 16, he stood exactly where you do now." The angel explained.

Dante thought he was shocked before but now he was gobsmacked. Every time this angel told him something new she just left him with more questions.

"enough with the pleasantries." The large dragon man grunted.

"Yes, Corinne, you don't even know that the boy will be selected for Seraph." the devilish man spoke as if he were bored. "Can we please just get on with it?"

"The entire Tenebris line has been chosen for Seraph. This will be no different." The angel told the devil sweetly. "But they are right. We waste time. Dante, if you will please place your hand on the orb and begin The Trace."

So many thoughts rushed through Dante's mind. Pushing all of that aside, Dante reached out his hand. After placing his hand on the orb nothing seem to happen. Dante stood there, waiting for something. That's when it happened.

Dante felt a stab in the middle of his palm. When he removed his hand from the orb he saw a small spike atop it, fresh with Dante's blood. Then, the spike sank back into the orb, and Dante's blood disappeared with it.

Dante stared at it intently. If he had to leave with any of them, the angel would be his first choice. The wolf man and the pale man seemed a bit scary, and after witnessing what happened to Vaelen he wanted nothing to do with the devil.

The people seated at the dais began to look confused. Dante could tell why too. No one else had seem to take this long. As Dante stared at the orb he noticed the colors playing across the top of it, the same colors as all the lights. They pulled and they pushed, warped and bent. It was almost like a beautiful war, with no seeming victor declared. None of the colors wanted to back off.

Then Dante noticed a change. As he watched the colors in their contest with one another a ripple went through them. Then at in between them a deep purple color appeared. It came like smoke, choking the other colors. Before long the entire top half of the orb was an inky purple.

Dante looked up, and noticed the angel was standing. She clutched her harp to her chest tight, a look of shock and horror was glued to her face. She wasn't the only one who noticed the color change either. All the beings before him were different parts confused and anxious.

Then came the light. Before, when the orb lit up for the others, a fairly small beam and been produced from the top of the orb. This time, however, the entire upper half of the orb lit up the entire room. A thick Purple fog billowed from the orbs bottom. And then, a giant pair of black wings unfolded before Dante's eyes.

Dante looked around once more, not knowing what was going on. This was way different than what happened to anyone else.

When Dante looked up it was already too late. The fog that had expelled from the orb touched Dante, and swirled around him. He felt a pulling sensation as his feet were lifted off of the ground, and he was sucked inside of the black wings.

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Darkness. All Dante could see in any direction was darkness. A sea of black. He tried to call out, but when he opened his mouth the darkness entered, stifling all noise. He soon became scared the darkness would fill his lungs suffocating him. Dante moved his feet as if to run but he wasn't moving. At least he didn't think he was moving. Dante wished more than anything he had some Charisma Crystals right now.

He knew if he couldn't leave this place soon he would go mad before he died of thirst. For hours Dante tried everything he could think of. He tried running, swimming, jumping up and down. He swung his fists and stamped his feet.

As Dante thrashed about he felt something move in his waistband. Pop's present! Dante pulled it out and imagined a short sword again. The weapon was black, so Dante didn't think he would be able to see it, but as the weapon formed it shone with its only light. The light radiated outward, cutting the darkness. After the blade of his sword had finished forming Dante watched as the light coalesced into a 2D rendition of a wisp.

Wherever the light touched wispy darkness receded as if it was burning against it. Tendrils would reach out to the blade, only to recoil as if in terror.

Then Dante heard something strange. It sounded like a voice, but it wasn't spoken. Not out loud at least. It sounded like it came from within his head.

"Ghog'ba rohakeklr" The voice in his head said in a strange, gargled voice. The sound of it imposed on him, sending odd sensations through his mind. He started picturing impossible things, things that scared him. Odd shapes connected to sharp teeth, impossible eyes and too many mouths. Amorphous beings that seemed to shift and shape to whatever terrified him the most in that moment.

Dante's mind started to break. He didn't want to see these things any more. He didn't want to know about them, and he definitely never wanted to ever see it again. But then, the wisplight shot of beam of light at his forehead. Immediately the strange visions ceased, and the strange voice sounded much different.

"Interesting, very interesting." Another voice said inside of him. It sounded a little intrigued, but more than anything it sounded amused.

"Who's there?" Dante said in his mind. "What do you want?"

"Oh Dante. Poor, innocent Dante." The voice laughed. "I want for nothing. Well, nothing you could give me at least. However I do sense something inside of you. Something you want Dante."

"Picked up on that did you?" Dante replied angrily. "Of course I want something. I want out of here! Duh!"

"No Dante, I'm talking about something greater. Something you have always wanted. Even greater than your desire for, what's her name, Amada?" The voice replied.

Dante was getting tired of games. "How do you know me and how do you know about Amada?" Dante yelled at the being with his mind.

"I know all your secrets Dante. I know your every want and need." The voice said simply. "And furthermore, I can give it to you. That thing you want the most. The thing that defines you down to your core."

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Dante asked sarcastically.

"Power of course." The voice replied. "That is what you want, isn't it Dante. The Power to protect those important to you? The power to stop a war?"

Dante was not impressed. Power was probably the thing most people wanted more of. The last bit was a bit odd though. It reminded him of the wish he made on his birthday.

"And what a splendid wish that was." The voice said.

Dante couldn't help but be shocked. He knew he didn't say this to the voice in his head, at least he hadn't meant to.

"You should realize by now you can hide nothing from me boy." The voice said laughing. He really was amused by this whole situation. "I brought you here Dante to offer you the power you desire. All you have to do is reach out and take it." The voice went on.

"Yeah? And what's the cost of this power? My soul? My life?" Dante asked angrily.

"Oh don't be so dramatic. I'm not a devil my dear boy." The voice was starting to sound annoyed. "As I said earlier there is nothing you could give me that I want. However, there is something I do desire. You may not be able to help me now, but maybe one day after you grow stronger you can. Besides, it's a win-win situation."

"You could really make me powerful enough to stop the war?" Dante asked incredulously

"The power I could give you could end all wars. I don't like to be kept waiting Dante. I help you now, you help me later. Deal? The voice replied.

Dante did not know what would happen, but he felt he really had no other choice. Other than wandering around the darkness until he died that is.

"Deal." Dante finally said.

"Excellent" The voice said, and then all of a sudden Dante blacked out as a strange sensation filled his body.

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When Dante awoke his head felt strange. Before he blacked out he thought someone shoved a needle in his brain, and then electrocuted him. When he opened his eyes he still saw the blackness rising above him, but he was on solid ground. Before him was a what looked to be a city, with a large castle. He was standing just outside of this city which was floating on an island in the darkness.

Even after seeing all this the strangest part, was the words he saw before his eyes.

Name: Dante Tenebris

Race: Demon (Obyrith)

Level 1

EXP: 0/50

Health: 150/150

Strength: 15

Dexterity: 15

Constitution: 15

Intelligence: 15

Stamina: 100/100

Magic Points: 100/100

Skill Points - 0

Talent Points - 0