The Raven Thief
Born of the wastelands, Spheris Arnadel, a young skilled thief, finds himself subject to a twist of fate when he steals a powerful relic and becomes a Bearer — humans gifted with powers from the Gods. As a punishment for his theft, he is cast into an otherworldly realm alongside other Bearers, where he faces off against monstrous beasts and powerful enemies. Yet, in his determination to return to the Continent and save his dying mother, Spheris is hell-bent on surviving the abyssal world. Even if it means giving his body to the Dark God whose powers he had stolen... even if it means losing all of his humanity.
• Nightly Rejuvenation
In the evening, Perichan sat by a hill, enjoying a piece of game meat while he watched Spheris continue to practice and exercise. The Avatar had been going on about it ever since noon and did not seem like stopping at any point.
He watched him push himself to his limit, completing over two thousand pushups and one thousand strike combinations. Sometimes, he would see the boy freeze and gaze into the horizon, as though he was lost in thoughts or fighting with it.
Then he would continue, pushing himself through a series of grueling exercises. Sweat glistened on his brow in the crimson setting of the sun, his breaths coming in rapid, determined bursts.
As Perichan watched, his mind replayed events of the battle in the arena. He remembered the Influences the boy had conjured, even though they were ineffective against the Mogul, they were still very interesting and impressive.