What are Gifts and How do They Work? A Look at the World of the Warriors

Gifts. That’s a central focus in the Rise of the Warriors series. Ancient prophecy foretold of seven gifted ones who would free a desperate kingdom from a tyrant king. But what are gifted ones? And what are gifts? 

It’s simple. Gifts are special abilities that only a few people have. Because gifts are rare, people grew to distrust the gifted ones. It didn’t help that the Artasian kings fueled the fire of fear with their own hate. Now, gifted ones are hated outcasts, and are sometimes enslaved or murdered. That’s why they must hide. 

You may be beside a gifted one and never know it. Some develop their secret-keeping skills more than they practice using their gifts. If they don’t remain hidden, their lives will either become a torturous round of insults and loneliness… or be ended. 

This is where we find the prophesied warriors: in hiding. One lives as a virtual hermit, only going to town once a month. Another pretends to be the opposite of what his gift really is. A healer uses his gift, but in secret. The youngest hides her gift, even from her family. And one becomes violent to deal with the troubles his gift has brought. The other two warriors? I can’t say, because of spoilers. Let’s just say they’re in hiding, too. And possibly in denial over the fact that they even have a gift. 

There are several other gifted people in the books outside the warriors, who are also in hiding. Of course. Because they don’t want to die! 

But what makes gifts so frightening to those who don’t have them? Are they dangerous? That depends on the gifted one. While gifts are given by the Creator, and he has good plans for their use, people are free to use them as they choose. Some don’t always choose wisely. But for the most part, people are afraid of the gifted because they’re different. How so? Let’s just look at the gifts themselves. 

Types of Gifts

Prophecy

Prophecy is the rarest gift, and prophets are perhaps the most hated gifted ones. Prophecy comes in many forms—poetry, artworks, dreams, and visions. The most famous prophet in Artasian history is Youri, who prophesied of the kingdom’s fall, the rise of the warriors, and Artasia’s eventual return to a thriving kingdom. Prophecy is one of the two gifts that only works if the person is a believer in the Creator. 

Healing

Healing is simple: the ability to heal even the most grievous wounds. This is the other gift that only works with faith. The gifted one must pray while healing or the gift will do nothing.

Healing also tells the person if someone is injured or sick just by touching them. The gift is powerful, and takes a lot out of the gifted one, making them tired after healing a patient. 

Animal Talking

Ever wonder what animals are saying? That’s exactly what this gift does—gives a person the ability to understand animals, as if the animals were speaking the same as a human. But, as Charleston—a sarcastic, overweight bulldog—is quick to point out, all animals speak but not all humans can listen. 

While this gift makes a person understand animals, the gifted one must speak verbally with them. This leads to what appears to be one-sided conversations… which quickly make others consider the gifted one to be crazy. 

Plant Talking

This gift gives a person the ability to communicate with plants. Plants, like animals, are intelligent, able to carry on conversation. They love to tell stories, especially the elder trees. Speaking with plants, albeit strange, gives a person powerful allies. Nature is very accommodating, strong, and willing to help a plant talker in most any way they ask. Just like with animal talking, a plant talker must speak verbally to the plants. People with this gift are often thought to be insane… after all, they talk to trees. 

Insect Talking

One of the stranger gifts, this gives a person the ability to speak with insects of all kinds. While not as intelligent or long lived as animals and plants, insects make good allies. They are everywhere, hear everything, and are able to terrify and attack if the gifted one so requests. However, most with this gift simply speak with insects, not use them for conquest. 

Strength

This gift gives a person superhuman strength, as well as an overall stronger body. It takes more to injure a person gifted with strength, and wounds tend to heal faster. Given the unnatural appearance of a small person possessing amazing strength, this is the gift most likely to land a person in slavery as a performer, and is one of the hardest gifts to hide. 

Sight

Sight gives a person amazing vision. Someone gifted with sight can see for miles in the distance and extremely close up. It’s like having binoculars and a magnifying glass in your eyes. The gift can be used at the gifted one’s discretion. They can “turn it off” when they want and see as a normal person. The gift of sight, however, does nothing in the dark, and the gifted is as blind as any other without light. 

Hearing

Like sight, the gift of hearing increases the natural sense. Someone with this gift can hear sounds from far away. As useful as it may be in some circumstances, it can also be a dangerous gift. Sounds are sometimes magnified to deafening volumes. Again, like sight, the gift of hearing can be “turned off” and the gifted one will hear like anyone else, but it takes time to learn to control the gift. Because of this, it can cause great discomfort in someone whose gift has just developed. 

Mind-sight

Mind-sight is the ability to see people and places with the mind. All a gifted one has to do is focus on a person or place to see them. 

However, there are limits. Three things will cause mind-sight to fail: if the gifted one is too tired; if the person they are trying to see is too far away; and if the person they are trying to see is dead. 

Mind-sight grows stronger with time and practice, but a gifted one must build their ability slowly as overuse of the gift causes headaches. 

Bravery

This gift is different from others as it affects who a person is, not just what they can do. A person gifted with bravery is unusually courageous. While they still feel fear, as everyone does, they are better able to overcome it. Because of having less fear, this gift makes a person an excellent warrior, but they can also become reckless and rush into things. This gift is a strength if used properly, but is dangerous if the person is foolish. 

People Reading

People reading gives a gifted one the ability to know things about others simply by looking at them. Someone with this gift can gather many things: a person’s emotions, if they are trustworthy, if a woman is with child… 

However, it is not mind reading. Someone with this gift is very understanding and difficult to fool, but they are not all-knowing. Given the unique ability of the gift, the gifted one is often seen as unsettling and frightening. 

So, those are the gifts in a nutshell. The types of gifts vary greatly, but all gifted ones have one thing in common: they are abnormal. Like anything that is misunderstood, people hate and fear gifted ones because of their abilities. But gifted ones may be their only hope. 

The prophecy of the warriors makes it clear that the gifted will save the kingdom. If they survive long enough…