33 Risen#re

"How did they know the phenomena was caused by the steps if they didn't see Arthur climbing the steps personally?" Lirian asked curiously, for once he felt like there was something in this world that intrigued him, and it even made his head that was muddled from drinking a little clear.

A feint smile crept up on to Albus's face, "Can you guess why reaching the ninth step is what we consider as passing the talents steps?" he asked Lirian.

"Does a change occur in the steps?" Lirian asked, it was the only logical explanation he could come up with, and when he thought that the steps came from a god, it struck Lirian that it would obviously have multiple stages to it, gods liked to do things like that.

As a former god he understood the thoughts of gods rather well, in general gods would send things down to help mortals progress, or at least that's how it appeared on the surface, gods mainly did such things to observe how their influence would turn the tides of a world.

It was how gods gained a better understanding of the universe and of themselves, it was a very important thing that gods would do in order to progress themselves.

What appeared to be a selfless act was in fact selfish and how could it not be expected of them, in order to become a god a key requirement was to be self absorbed with near fanatical belief in ones self, how could such a being be charitable and selfless to random puny mortals.

When gods sent objects down that were two difficult for people to use it often got discarded and lost, making the god waste a lot of effort and time, so the gods would create items that had multiple levels to it.

The levels would entertain the mortals and grant them an ego, and when that happened people would compete to surpass each other, making the item the centre of attention, and by doing that it was almost guaranteed that someone would come along who could reach the highest level as the god intended.

In Lirian's opinion the talent steps fit that criteria perfectly.

"You're quite sharp for a child," Albus said, "Yes the steps reveal an image on the sides, depending on how high the person climbs it reveals more of the image and makes it a lot clearer,"

"With the candidate in particular, the steps has often given them name of worlds, the same worlds that are an option for them to go to you could say that the steps shows them the best path for their growth."

"For some it shows the image of a person, or an item and as the person goes higher up the stairs the image becomes clearer and easier to understand,"

"Take me for instance when I climbed it a saw an image of your mother it was hundreds of years before I ever met her, but it showed me her image,"

"And let me tell you all those that have found what was in the image have experienced great changes to themselves like experiencing a metamorphosis,"

"So the steps read an important part of a persons fate and show it to them," Lirian said in surprise, it was basically a divining tool that was made to be used without any diviner controlling it, even by Lirian's standards it was an amazing piece, and he couldn't help but wonder which god created it.

Lirian would bet that even his bitch of an ex-wife Katerina, would be lost in admiration of the device.

"But that still doesn't explain how the guardians knew the apparition was from the steps?" Lirian quickly added when he realised that his words had actually put his mother and the emperor in a pondering state.

Neither of them had ever thought of the steps in the way Lirian put it, they always figured that it was an object that showed people a path of good fortune and success, as everyone that found what was in the image had achieved greatness, and those that didn't ultimately died.

Lirian felt that his guess was spot on and there was more to it, the device was something that tempered with fate without revealing it's secrets, it was definitely made by a god with a deep understanding of fate.

Albus snapped out of his thoughts to look at Lirian with a profound gaze, "The images shown by the steps always display seven dots like stars in the sky,"

"When the phenomena occurred, they saw the seven dots rise into the sky along with the image of a girl," said Albus.

"A girl?" Lirian asked.

Albus sighed lightly, "They couldn't remember what the image looked like after it passed, they only knew that it was a girl, for that reason they believed that the image could only be seen clearly by whoever climbed to the top of the steps," Albus said to Lirian.

"So, tell me Lirian do you think you can climb the steps to its peek?" he asked Lirian in an expectant tone and now his voice was loud enough that it cut through everyone's conversations stopping all their mocking words.

"It will be a piece of cake!" Lirian said with a shrug of his shoulders, if that Arthur person could do it then so could he and he'd do it with ease.

When Lirian finished speaking the emperor extended his hand and a small item hovered in his hand and floated into the middle of the ball room, when it landed it started to expand in size until a fifty foot set of stairs stood in the middle of the room.

It released a divine aura, evidentially showing of its divine origins as a creation of a god.

Albus got up and addressed the nobles, "It is time for us to witness what we all came here to see, as you have all heard my foster son has declared that he can reach the top of the talent stairs," he said and few people chuckled loudly in response.

"From the time the great civilizations were founded not a single person has achieved this feat and back when the empire was just founded it was declared that should a person reach the top they would be granted an elementary second accord cultivation technique as well as the secrets of how to achieve the second accord," the emperor said in a serious tone that took everyone by surprise.

"Lirian if you are able to do as you've said, then not only will you have brought great honour to the empire, but you will have made history, as your foster father and emperor I wish that you can do what no other has done before, I believe in your ability and I'm sure that you already know this but so does your mother,"

The seriousness with which the emperor was treating Lirian and his declaration took even the nobles that knew the emperor their whole life by surprise.

In their eyes the emperor was always an aloof and amiable person, but he rarely ever took things very seriously, but it was then that they were reminded that the emperor had actually risked his life to come here.

And he did say that he wanted to personally see Lirian climb the steps when he arrived, they wondered if the emperor truly thought so highly of Lirian that he thought he'd be able to do what had long been deemed an impossible task.

Lirian was also slightly taken aback by how seriously the emperor was taking this, and due to how serious the emperor was not a single person dared to even laugh, it made the whole task a lot less annoying for Lirian.

"Prince candidate Lirian, step forward and place your foot on the stairs," the emperor said gesturing for Lirian to go forward.

Albus stepped back and sat down besides Taliyah, she smiled at him, "Thank you," she whispered to him, he didn't need to ask why, he already knew that he fulfilled a long cherished wish of hers by taking some time to speak with Lirian and by showing his support of Lirian.

Lirian stepped forward and took a breath, he naturally didn't care about the cultivation technique and knowledge he'd be given, but he did want to know what the steps would show him when he reached the peek.

When Lirian placed his foot on the steps he felt a surge of power completely sealing of his centres of power, he quickly realised that this was how the stairs maintained fairness, it turned anyone who climbed it into an ordinary mortal before they began the climb.

Lirian felt another sensation enter his body as he placed his other foot on the steps, it was a type of pressure that acted against his spine, his dantian, and his mind, and finally there was an energy that coursed through his opened energy points in his body.

Lirian understood at that moment that it was a true test of talent and will power, as he climbed the pressure would double with every step he took placing a tremendous burden on his entire being.

But he showed no fear at all in fact an elated smile hung on his lips.