There are many sayings about power 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.' or 'Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.' Is that really true? Does power truly corrupt a person? Or were we all corrupt and power just brings us to light. A critical misconception however, is that every-one wants absolute power. Most people don't run in politics or establish their own businesses. Some people are content with what little they have. Perhaps the reason we see power as a corrupting force is simply because the people whom seek power and achieve it are already corrupt to begin with? Following that logic these people in turn teach their children to seek power, stoking ambition for wealth and plant the seeds of corruption to a newer generation.

"Like this?" Alex asked unsure, while laying on his back.

"Yes. That's right. Puuurfect" The goddess smiled alluringly.

"This feels so weird." Alex said nervously.

"Don't worry, it's always done like this." The goddess alluringly looked down upon him a bright smirk on her face.

The goddess was moving swiftly and efficently calculating the positions intricately. Alex was laying down, with the various crosses on various parts of his body, stark-naked save for his underwear. The goddess informed him they had to perform a ritual to strenghten his spirit and quickly laid out her plan.

"Alright. Now close your eyes." the goddess said seriously.

"Okay..." Alex said closing his eyes.

"Open your mouth wide, the power will flow through your mouth to enter your channels." The goddess instructed.

"AHH." Alex opened his mouth.

He heard her begin muttering in some forgien tongue. She performed vocals and did shreaking and shouting as if to the heavens. Finally she switched to a language Alex understood.

"I hearby impart you....with a ....Pfhhhhh..." The goddess broke out into hysteric laughter.

"What?!" Alex said opening his eyes and closed his mouth to see the goddess rolling on the floor.

"HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NO! CAN'T....BREATH." The goddess wailed on the floor.

Comprehension dawned on Alex and he reddened from shame. The goddess eventually calmed down, only to break out laughing when she saw his red face. The shame burned deeper and he struggled not to shout at the she-devil.

"That...was...not...funny!" Alex spelled out, angry.

"Hahaaha. I'm sorry. Couldn't help it. It's been so long since I've pranked someone like that." The goddess giggled, wiping an imaginery tear from her eye.

"Are these even here for me to get stronger or not?!" Alex demanded holding the wooden cross symbols.

"Sure you don't want to put on your pants first?" The goddess said with her aggravating chuckle.

"Ughhh..." Alex groaned, he had walked into a horrible joke of a goddess.

He quickly pulled up his pants with some modicum of dignity, still red with shame.

'I can't believe I let her con me like that.' Alex thought to himself.

She was visibly trying not to smile, but failing as she released a few infuriating giggles along with an involuntary smirk.

"Can we please get to the actual ritual now?" Alex pleaded, wanting nothing more that to return to his friends and put this fiasco behind him.

"PFhhh." The goddess snorted.

"What? You're not done yet?" Alex asked deadpanned, she was really something else.

"Hehe. There is no fancy ritual silly. All you have to do is to completely focus of a single cross. Anyone will do. Then you try to pull power from the image." The goddess explained slowly.

He quickly closed his eyes and began the process.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" The goddess stopped him.

"What!" Alex got out.

"The next gift of spirit will let you heal you comrades." She explained carefully.

"Okay and?" Alex said tired of her previous antics.

"As I said any cross will do just imagine it and push your desire towards the patient same as the first gift." The goddess continued.

"Alright." Alex said ready to get this over with.

"Be warned healing others is much more taxing than healing yourself. If you push too much too fast you can harm your spirit. Sometimes permanently." The goddess gushed out.

"Mmm." Alex listened.

"Your still weak, so stick to healing vital injuries first and if you can continue then do non-lethal ones. You have limited spiritual stamina and it recovers with time" The goddess monotoned.

"That all?" Alex asked.

"Well you won't be able to use it till the infusion finishes. So for now yes." The goddess smiled, though this time he was aware of her vile-nature.

Alex closed his eyes and focused on the image of a regular cross. No need to over-complicate things. He willed the image to send power to himself. He felt a rush and soon blinked. He was back with his friends and the surge hit.

Once more he felt the viney or root sensation stretching and expanding within him. This time it wasn't painful however, simply weirdish and uncomfortable, like an itch he couldn't scratch. Everyone was watching him for any signs of pain and he smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Jessica asked concerned, which made him smile wider.

"Not so bad this time." Alex declared feeling much better to be away from that she-devil.

"Cool, I hope it's that way for all of us." Eian said feeling substantially less scared now.

"Hmm... Anything peculiar happen?" Sarah inquired.

"There was a.... god there, whom gave me a quick run down on what my next power will be." Alex replied slowly.

"A god? Hmmm.... So?" Sarah continued.

"Ummm you were right. I will be able to heal you guys." Alex said slowly.

"Cool, thank him next time, if you see him." Eian remarked, causing Alex to remember the goddess' remarks over Eian.

"That's wonderful news, Alex. But why are we here?" Sarah smiled at being right once more.

"Huh?" Alex asked confused.

"You forgot to ask him about our situation didn't you?" Sarah asked dead-panned, he nodded and she stared at him like an idiot and shook her head.

"Well I'm just glad you didn't hurt yourself this time. By the way guys... Is it normal for the other two tattoos to have coninued glowing after you select something?" Jessica smiled questioningly.

The group was surprised, but Sarah deduced these crabs gave more than they originally thought. Jessica sat down and chose Body. A spike of lightening adrenaline flowed throught her from her heart.

"Well that's a rush." Jessica blinked feeling odd.

"Told you." Eian said rembering his encounter with the shock from Body.

"Well lets continue hunting these crabs. We'll need to find fire later to cook them. They seem easy enough. I want to see what happens if someone selects all three markings at once. Since, we don't want Jessica to choose magic yet just be careful not to kill anything okay?" Sarah lectured.

"Chop chop huh?" Eian remarked with a smile.

"I think it's best we split up into two groups and try killing them faster." Alex vouched.

"Isn't that dangerours?" Jessica asked.

"They don't seem hard to kill. These long-spears can both puncture their shells and these things on the sides hold them at bay." Alex reasoned, he had pointed at the lugs on spear.

"Hmmmm... As long as we're careful. Perhaps." Sarah thought.

It took a bit of convincing, but the group decided to go with his idea. Eian and Sarah went in group while Jessica and Alex went in the other. The hunting was going well for a few minutes. Eian managed to kill one and Sarah quickly desposed one on her turn, as they were taking turns with the long-spear. Alex killed one and then saw a lone crab by the edge of a steep but large pool of water. Alex and Jessica approached the crab from afar and saw it dipping submerge it's legs under water.

"That seems a little steep, wait here for me to get it okay?." Alex said.

"Sure." Jessica sending a smile his way.

Suddenly a gigantic explosion of water erupted from the pool. The crab was no-where to be seen, and was replaced by a monster, with two tennis-ball sized red eyes. Alex was stupefied by the appearance, Jessica shrieked in fear.

"RUN!" Eian screamed.

"MOVE!" Sarah shouted at the same time.

Alex pulled Jessica and they fled backwards towards the other two. The beast quickly climbed the incline and ran towards them. Eian and Sarah were waiting for them at the entrance where the cave tunnel was barely wide enough for two people. They were nearing the cave entrance and Eian and Sarah kept telling them to run, because the beast was following them. It spotted the dead crabs soon however and began munching on them.

"Let's get out of here!" Jessica gasped out of breath.

"I agree." Alex readily agreed.

"You guys are both fucking late. We already decided to scram." Eian said voice shaky.

"Let's go! GO!" Sarah ordered.

They quickly fled up the tunnel like their asses were on fire. The didn't stop till they arrived at the five fork split.

"Did you manage to get a good look at what that thing was man?" Alex questioned Eian.

"It was a huge water-crocodile of some sort or maybe an alligator. I'm not sure what the difference between the two are actually." Sarah replied in his stead.

"I vote we never go down there again." Eian hastily replied, to which the group agreed.

"Do all these passageways lead to mortal danger?" Jessica fearfully asked.

"They might, if the these first two are anything to go by." Sarah said slowly.

"I'm beginning to see why someone would block the bloody exit with metal bars..." Eian stated.

"Yeah man. Compared to that thing, I think I'd rather risk those goblin-guard things." Alex said

"Well. Look at the bright side." Sarah said as she thought of something.

"What bright side?" Jessica asked unnerved by that monstrosity.

"We didn't jump in the first big pool we saw. That water might have had some of those croc...monsters." Sarah said slowly.

"Holy Shit!. We were washing there!" Eian exclaimed, causing Jessica and Alex to pale slightly.

"Yes. I think we should stick to the smaller streams from now on." Sarah mono-toned.

"So....the middle path next?" Alex asked unsure if they were ready.

"I...I don't... I don't know if I can do this." Jessica began to tear up and cry.

"Hey... Hey .. Calm down....Shhhh." Alex gently held her wrists, as she sobbed.

Eian and Sarah continued speaking, till Jessica recovered herself. Sarah noticed her burning sensation had stopped glowing. She felt normal and they both spoke about it, while Alex calmed Jessica.

"Me and Eian agree... middle path it is, my old plan still holds merit." Sarah informed Alex and Jessica.

They shortly set off through the middle path. This path was moderately bright, with a few brighter spots littered around. Eian soon noticed that his tattoo stopped glowing as well. He informed them and after a short discussion they kept going. Once more they saw movement and they saw a party four of goblins whom charged them.

Well armed, Alex, Eian and Sarah easily dispatched the group. Sarah stole two kills swiftly wielding a long-spear with eerie precision, while Alex and Eian each killed one. Sarah removed the leather from the way then gazed at her tattoo, it was blinking again. She removed her helmet and swiftly selected spirit. The world washed away from her.