He heard a call from the side, Ledan’s powerful voice breaking through the clamor.

“Those who wish to join the Vezian Alliance, come forward!” he bellowed out. Dharen shrugged. Seeing as how joining an Alliance was an objective required for additional rewards for the Floor, he would be foolish to pass up the opportunity that had presented itself. In addition, he felt that he could really foresee a great connection that could be made with this particular alliance, and with Duende in particular.

Having decided, Dharen moved. He lined up amongst the others that had chosen to join the Alliance. Surprisingly enough, nearly every person that had been invited to the Spire had chosen to accept the offer set forth by the Alliance.

Thinking back on it, perhaps it was not so surprising. There was very little reason to not accept the offer put forth by the Vezian Alliance; there had been no real demands or stipulations made, no obligations set. Only the chance to become a member of an elite group, and to receive additional Tower rewards in doing so.

It was certainly a tantalizing offer.

Dharen slowly reached the front of the line, noting that the occasional warrior was sent to stand to the side, before encountering Ledan. The dour man looked at Dharen appraisingly, then made a motion with his hand.

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You have been offered a position within the Vezian Alliance!

Completing the Fifth Floor as a member of an Alliance will provide additional rewards.

Accept? (Y/N)

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Dharen, still anticipating the rewards upon the Floor’s completion, accepted the offer.

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Congratulations!

You have been accepted as a member of the Vezian Alliance.

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Completed: Prove Yourself

Quest Giver: Ledan.

Objective: Prove yourself to the Vezian Alliance and gain a position within the alliance

Rewards: 1000 Contribution Points, Position in Vezian Alliance

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Following his acceptance, Ledan held out his hand. He held a small badge, depicting a Vezian Spider.

“Welcome to the Alliance. You may use this badge to receive reduced rates with the majority of human shopkeepers and merchants while in the sector of the Vezian Alliance, as well as other benefits.”

Dharen indicated his thanks, and, with nowhere else to place it, pinned the spider to his armor. He then began to make his way off to the side.

“Wait. You won the tournament in the Pits just the other day, correct?”

Dharen nodded.

“It was just the beginner section, but still… tournament victors and runner-ups are to wait over there,” he said while indicating the few warriors that had been sent to wait to the side.

Dharen followed along with Ledan’s request. He noted that Anand stood within the small group as well, his stare still shooting constant daggers at him.

While they waited, Dharen and the others exchanged introductions. There were five others, besides himself. They each represented the various levels of the Vezian sector’s most recent tournaments, from the beginner stages to the advanced.

Rather than be separated by level, the stages were delineated based on the length in which a particular participant had been on the fifth floor. The idea was, it would separate those who had the opportunity to use the fifth floor’s resources to grow in power and those who were more precocious in their strength.

Anand, of course, was the name of the noble who he had defeated while taking part in his own duels. Dharen couldn’t help but be discomfited due to the man’s constant glare.

The intermediate bracket victors had been Beran and Held, two brothers who could have passed for one another if it weren’t for the scar that ran down Held’s face. Dharen refrained from questioning which of the two had won.

The advanced bracket victor was a woman named Riell, while the runner-up was a sour-faced man named Ethan.

He quickly discovered that Beran and Held were a relatively friendly bunch, Riell was sharp-witted and quick to make a joke, Ethan was fiercely competitive, and Anand was...well, Anand was Anand.

The group of warriors continued to converse among themselves while they waited, using the opportunity to get to know other strong individuals.

Eventually, Duende announced that he would be making his leave. He stated that, though he had to leave, the others were invited to stay and enjoy themselves. Then, he approached the waiting group of warriors.

“I appreciate your patience. Once again, it is a pleasure to meet such fine warriors, and such fine people.” He punctuated his words by briefly shaking each warrior’s hand and expressing his respect. While shaking his hand, Dharen felt a spike of gratitude at the man’s deference.

“Please, if you would all follow me,” he said before beginning to exit the room.

Curious, Dharen followed along with the other warriors. They passed through the hall, returning to the seemingly endlessly winding steps. They followed the steps upwards, eventually stopping at the uppermost landing.

Duende looked back at them, an amused glint in his eyes. “Quite a workout, is it not? I sometimes envision a training regimen for new warriors that involves climbing these damn steps.”

Beran and Anand, in particular, looked rather winded. Dharen could only suspect that the two of them both suffered from a reduction to their Endurance attribute.

The Vezian Alliance leader led the group to what appeared to be his office. The room’s decor was rather austere, at first glance. However, Dharen’s practiced eye was able to pick out the minor details, the small baubles and flourishes that indicated extreme wealth.

After Duende made a motion for them to find a seat, the group of warriors found their places. “I greatly appreciate each one of you for being where you are, tonight. Not everyone would make the same decision that you have. I respect the decision to become soldiers for the many. Together, we can accomplish great things, for both this city and for humanity itself. We can…” the man stopped suddenly. “I do apologize, I found myself getting carried away. Please, excuse me.”

“To get to the crux of the matter, each of you present has displayed great ability. I would like to be the one to sponsor that ability, in the hopes that my actions will encourage each of you to work even more diligently alongside the goals of the Vezian Alliance.”

The man flicked his fingers, drawing Dharen’s attention to a Spatial Ring identical to his own. In Duende’s hand appeared six soulseeds.

“These are each quite rare soulseeds. You may recognize that they are Rank II Common Mid-Grade Seeds, with each holding enough power to level an individual twice while within the 5-10 range. I would like to apologize to Ethan and Riell, however, as I suspect you have already surpassed that stage. Even so, a soulseed of this level is not something to discount easily,” he said.

Dharen was astounded at the man’s level of resources. He was offering a significant amount of quite hard-to-find soulseeds with ease. He couldn’t help but wonder what the Alliance leader’s own level was, that he did not use them for himself. He knew that weaker soulseeds became less useful as one increased the strength of their own Seed - as demonstrated by how he now required soulseeds in increasing numbers or potency, causing his levels to be twice as difficult to increase as before.

The assembled warriors found themselves agreeing thankfully, Dharen alongside them. One by one, Duende offered them the soulseeds in an almost ritualistic fashion, placing a single hand upon their shoulder as he did so.

Each warrior observed their own soulseed in turn, with Dharen watching as the light shone in their eyes, as they exulted in their newly increased power. Finally, it was Dharen’s turn. He accepted the soulseed gratefully, and began the process of assimilating its power into his Seed of Triumph.

The seed shattered, and he grasped the energy with a practiced ease. Soon it became his, and Dharen’s eyes were shining in turn as he viewed his updated status and Boons, his rewards for reaching level ten at last.