Pantheon Online

Exile finally slipped into the Temple after queuing up outside. He had been stuck in it for so long that he managed to spot the others joining the queue, one at a time. He was relieved to see that they had at least thought about it as he walked over to one of the pedestals. So far, only some newer players had paid any attention to him, but that was most likely because of his gear.

Since nobody could see his Gamertag unless he interacted with them in some way, or if there was some spell to do so, he was certain it was not because he was on the rankings list. He waited for the little statue to form with expectant eyes. When he interacted with it, he immediately spent some prayers on bringing himself back up to full HP and DP.

The next thing he did was empty it of the items that had been offered to him. Which amounted to a few gold and everyday items. He let out a sigh as he looked over them. It was certainly more than what he got when he was only worshipped by the people in Eraldsfen. But he knew he had to further extend his influence. However, when he attempted to exit the interface, he suddenly got a notification!

[New Prayer Quest Detected!]

[Quest: The Doomed Raid!]

[Description: Harik Eraldsen, the father of your Oracle, has found himself in a dire situation. He has offered up a prayer for help, but due to his connection with you through his daughter, his prayer has found its way here. Descend to the mortal realms and ensure his survival and that of as many of the warriors of Eraldsfen caught up in a doomed raid. Warning! This is a time sensitive Quest!]

[Rewards: Unknown]

Exile froze as he read the notification. 'Harik Eraldsen?' He was too dumbstruck to fully register the information. He had, of course, heard Ania speak about him. But he never expected for the man to suddenly reach out when he had no knowledge of the situation in Eraldsfen since his arrival. Of course, he had not directly reached out to him by name. But it was still amazing that the system redirected it to him instead of allowing a God in the area to pick it up!

'So, as long as they have a connection to me through family or possibly where they live, they will be redirected to me?' Exile hummed at this piece of good news. However, he could not dwell on it too much for the moment. The Quest clearly stated that it was a time sensitive issue. 'Hm, I can't ignore this. Even if it is just for Ania's sake, I should try to help him. But I don't even know where he is or how to get to him!'

Exile felt a headache coming on as he accepted the Quest and left the Temple. As he glanced down the queue, he spotted Clay. 'I should let him know what's going on. I'll have to let him know to watch over my main body and be ready to descend at any time.' Exile casually walked down the queue and spoke quietly with the latter. 

Clay's eyes went wide when he heard the situation. He was naturally concerned that they too may receive quests, but if they could help, they definitely would. Exile nodded in thanks before hurrying to the bar and quietly slipping inside. He could not help but wonder if other people had access to this place yet, but it was the best location he had access to for now. 

Exile took a seat at the table they had used last time before confirming that he was ready. 'I can only hope Avatar works!' Exile grit his teeth and activated the spell. Just as he was expecting to hit a dead end, he discovered a new location that he could select to spawn at. 'This must be it!' 

Exile was thrilled to discover that he could directly go to the location. The only problem he could encounter was the possibility of other Gods being involved in some way. As he made his selection, he felt his consciousness being pulled from his body. Bright lights filled his vision as a sense of being dropped from an insane height without a parachute washed over him. 

Needless to say, it was an unpleasant experience to use the Avatar spell. But a few brief moments later, he opened his eyes. The sense of falling had disappeared and been replaced with the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet. An unpleasant, warm breeze washed over his skin as he raised his hand to block out the sun. 

He squinted as he glanced around, noticing a small pile of stones at his feet, with runes engraved in them. 'Is that supposed to be a shrine?' Exile's eyebrow twitched as he looked at the pathetic pile. There were empty tents arranged in a circle around the 'shrine' with the remains of a campfire.

To his left was a shallow looking river that disappeared into the horizon on both ends. But on the shore of this river was a large number of shallow hulled ships with ornate decorations for the figureheads and shields hanging on their sides. For the first time since he had joined the game, he truly got the feeling of being amongst a people known for raiding.

'But... Where is everyone?' Exile frowned as he glanced at the rest of the camp. There was nobody to be seen. No guards or anything! It was only when he looked away from the river that he could see tracks that led across the desert. It was obvious that a large army had gone that way, but he was perplexed why they would do so and abandon their ships. Just as he was contemplating following them to try and find Harik, he heard a familiar voice from behind him. 

"Exile? What are you doing here!?"

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-Antihero]