"Kael"
"Kael"
"Kael wake up" Elion shook Kael out of bed.
Elion fell to the floor. Not having a choice he stood up.
"C'mon C'mon, you know what day it is" Elion joyfully cheered.
"Yes, I know I know"
The day of awakening.
The day where 12 yr kids awakened their 'path'. These were to determine the rest of their lives. And if they worked hard their path could transcend to limits beyond man. There was many paths the gods provided but they were usually hereditary.
As a branch of the Aurelion family, they were bound to be somewhat special and combat related.
Racing down stairs Elion greeted Mum at the diner table with a smile.
"Mum, mum today's the day"
"It sure is" she said, serving breakfast.
"Is Kael up?" dad asked as he walked in.
"Yep, he was on the floor last time I checked."
"That dam brat would sleep on the floor given the chance," Dad stating walking up the stairs. They all laughed merrily.
A happy family.
The house they lived in was a small but cozy two story cottage. The twins had been living in one of the rooms of the attic with their little sister another.
The cottage was located across the valley beyond the inner city walls. Most of the farming was done by employees who lived in a separate cottage hall which looked more like a dormitory on the inside. Dad, Victor, worked as a guard captain for the outer-wall. And Mum, Felicity, worked as the local healer.
Victor made sure to dress them up in the fitted tunics before leaving toward the inner city in a carriage.
Upon arriving at the gate the guards let him in without hesitation, recognizing him instantly and wishing the twins the best of luck.
And suddenly they were upon it.
Vall Cathedral.
A towering building filled with intricacies adorning the pillars and the borders of the windows. A testament to the power and wealth of the church.
With the amount of 13 yr old's in the city, different ceremonies occurred throughout the week of the Summer Solstice. But really this was too split the ceremonies for the classes with paid premiums for ceremonies closer to the solstice.
And luckily for the twin's not too many nobles were born this year allowing them to only just secure a spot on the day of the Solstice.
As they entered the 18 foot tall archway wooden doors, the spectacle of the windows filled the twins with awe as they took their seats at the back of the church.
In the center, beyond the alter, laid a ginormous white pilon which shot through the roof of the cathedral. It could be seen from the outside of the building and it said that it fell out of the sky sent by the goddess.
"Please take your seats," the bishop directed.
"Today is the Solstice, the lightness day of the year. The perfect day for the children of our city to determine the bright future of our kingdom. Their paths will forge..."
As the Bishop continued with his grandiose speech nobles on the premium top floor began to whisper among themselves.
"Must we listen to the same speech every year" a man dressed with a lavish tunic and adorned with red curly hair said.
"Hehe, it is scripture, and the goddess loves her scripture, Lorin" A girl in an equally lavish dress flirted back.
"Elizabeth, I swear if another prophet awakens with another tome I'm going to bury him 7 feet under" Lorin stated
"Oh my heresy. How charming," she giggled, "but isn't it 6 feet?".
"I added an extra feet. You know, just in case."
She giggled in response.
.
"So without further ado, let's start the awakening. Can the top floor please get ready to walk the aisle as we begin with the first rows... Andrew Greyvale, please rise."
The Awakening happened by calling every child on the list in order. Once the child was called they would walk down the aisle in church fashion and approached the alter. The bishop would wave his specter around blessing the child before the approached The Pilon.
The child then laid their right hand on The Pilon and it pulsed twice with different colors.
The first pulse was the rank.
Black- Common
Brown- Uncommon
Red- Rare
Orange- Epic
Yellow - Legendary
White- Mythic
Yellow and White never happen though. It is the stuff of fairytales. And Orange happens every couple of years. The goddess only gives out what is needed.
The last time a yellow was granted it was assigned as a craftsman. That was only to build bigger and better Cathedrals though.
And that's where the second pulse comes in. It indicates the Category of the path.
Red - Martial
Orange - Commerce
Yellow - Scholar
Green - Agriculture/Nature
Blue - Craftsman
Purple - Arcane
White - Divinity
This being said when Lorin Revaris stepped up, everyone went silent. This was a big reason why many nobles had attended despite not even having there own children present.
As Lorin pressed his hand against the Pilon the silence grew thicker.
The Pilon blinked yellow.
Everybody roared. They cheered.
"The goddess has blessed us."
But some nobles recoiled. Revaris was an arcane family. It would make war harder.
But then the Pilon did something no one expected.
It blinked Red.
Martial.
The goddess was telling them that a period of violence was bound to come. And this boy was at the center of it all.
The church filled with murmurs as the bishop tried to hushed them. But alas to no avail.
"QUIET!!!" Boomed a figure from the top floor. Everyone fell into silence as the mayor spoke. "Let's not jump to conclusions. For us to attempt to interpret the goddess' will is heresy. Leave that to the prophet's"
And with that the Bishop continued.
Elizabeth Awakened an Epic Martial Class. Atypical for her family
And it was finally Elion's turn. The second last.
Placing his right hand, it flashed White. His hair started to wave up as The Pilon emitted a pressure.
The hall went silent once more.
And then The Pilon went white once more.
Elion's eye's turned white as he felt her presence, the goddess's presence. His hair turning from brown to blonde. As he heard a faint whisper.
"We'll talk later"
The Bishop a mouth a gasp curled into a smile.
"Welcome to the church young one, let us go over your status"
"Bishop, but we have one more " the senior priest stuttered
"Tch, you do it" the Bishop retorted, " I have bigger issues to deal with."
"No, he's my twin", Elion stammered.
The Bishop eyed him curiously. His twin had to be somewhere on this child's level.
"Very well" The Bishop smiled. He led Elion to the alter by the hand.
The crowd erupted in questions.
"What's his path?"
"Is it a hero or a saint?"
"What was his name again?
"Does this mean war?"
"SILENCE" The Bishop channeled divinity into his words. "Their is one more child to awaken, Answers to all your questions will be provided after the ceremony"
And with that the crowd fell silent once more. No one dared go against the goddess. Not even nobles.
"Kael Aurelion"
Kael walked to the front. Went to put his right hand on the pilon but he couldn't. For some reason his right hand refused to move.
"Place your right hand on The Pilon!!" A priest yelled.
"I... I can't"
The Bishop scoffed "Paladin Rodrick, Help the child"
The bishop's burrow frowed when even the paladin couldn't move his right hand.
Until Kael's left hand shot toward The Pilon.
"Heresy" The bishop whispered under his breath.
It flashed White
Kael's heart dropped. He didn't crave the fame like the rest of them.
But then the Pilon did something no one was expecting.
It flashed Black. Not only the Pilon but the sun. Everything went dark.
The forbidden path.