It was an early morning when I was out front in the garden practising my sword techniques and stances.
Outside of the house, my parents sat both watching me. I tried my best to ignore them, but the anxious atmosphere that they had created made it difficult to.
It was my sixteenth birthday. The day that the Knights would come to see my awakening. If all went well, I would be sent to Hades.
I had faith. My bags were already packed, and I was ready to leave. But my parents were worried.
Worried that the Knights would think of me as some sort of devil for having a prematurely awakened.
Wasn't that foolish?
To awaken before the age of awakening should be something praiseworthy. Why be ashamed of it?
And so I trained and I trained, until I found myself drenched in sweat. I didn't want to head inside for even a minute. My anticipation wouldn't let me.
And then finally, they arrived.
...
The clattering of horses' feet against cobbled pavement suddenly echoed through the air, which forced us all to turn our attention to the roads.
My parents wasted no time in hopping to their feet and rushing over to the edge of the estate, hoping to greet the Knights.
I remained in the garden, with my sword stabbed in the dirt, and I watched.
Moments later, a chariot came into the distance. A large one that seemed to carry someone inside of it already.
At the front of the chariot was a horse pulling it along, and sitting atop the chariot were two knights in onyx black armour.
As it came to a stop, I watched as they leapt down and landed on the grass with a heavy thud.
One of the men wore a great hammer on his back, standing as tall as he was. And the other wore only a shortsword around his waist.
The first question I asked myself was.
What pathway are they on?
I guessed the first man was of the hammer path, as his weapon was glorious in design.
But the other man, however, wore but a simple sword. I doubted he was on the same path as me.
A magical path, then?
My parents bowed their heads towards the knights in greeting, trying their best to keep the nerves from their faces.
"K-knights of the realm." My father spoke shakily. "It's an honour to have you visit the Cadence Estate."
The knights scanned their heads around our house. Despite wearing helmets that covered the entirety of their faces, they emitted a serious energy that would intimidate anybody.
"T'is a pleasure to be here." The hammer wielder said, voice rough and deep. "Modest, but beautiful. I like it."
The other knight nodded in agreement before they both stepped right past my parents and into the garden.
I couldn't believe it. I knew that the knights carried authority over all nobles of the realm, but to step into the estate without even asking for permission!
Nerves spread through me as I watched the Knights approach. My parents looked at me with anxiety in their faces.
At sixteen years of age, I stood average height. My build was muscular, but lean, which allowed me to move fast.
The two knights, however, were like brutes. Towering over me so much so that they had to lower their heads to look into my golden eyes.
The Knight with the hammer inspected me up and down for a few moments before speaking, which made me feel tense.
"You..." He said, in a confused tone. "You have already awakened?"
The Knight with the sword stepped closer, as though in disbelief, now inspecting me himself. He removed his helmet to reveal a middle-aged face with a balding head.
"What the fuck... You're right. The kids seal is already at its second tier."
Afterwards, he reached into a satchel on his back and pulled from it a small piece of paper, scanning it up and down. After finishing it, he passed it to his partner.
"We haven't made a mistake. It says here that this is the day Vale Cadence turns sixteen summers old. Unless this ain't him?"
I had to admit, I was enjoying the spectacle. My parents, on the other hand, looked as though they were about to faint with wordy.
Trying my best to keep the smile from my face, I answered the Knights in a casual tone.
"Knights of the Realm." I started respectfully, earning their attention. "You haven't made a mistake, today is my sixteenth birthday. However, I awakened a month ago, in that forest over there."
I pointed over to the forest from which it all began. The Knights listened to my tale intensely.
"I came across a Blightcursed one night. It was the scariest moment of my life, and I felt sure that I was going to die... But the Blightcursed was of the fire pathway, and we stood by a lake..."
As I continued excitedly telling the story, the bald knight's eyes began to light up in understanding.
"It can't be..." He said in a hushed tone. "You dragged it into the water so that I could not use its powers?"
I nodded my head.
The knights stared at each other for a few seconds, before the hammer wielder let out a bellowing chuckle. I couldn't help but smile myself.
"I awakened directly to the second tier, skipping past the first."
In my mind, I had believed that a premature awakening was something exclusive to me and a few others. But from their reactions, they seemed less surprised than I had expected.
However, they didn't say anything that helped me to confirm my suspicions.
"Can you imagine that?" The hammer wielder said to his partner. "Another prodigy of the Zalethi has been hiding away in this estate, underneath our noses."
"King Sky will need to hear of this. It seems the gods have blessed our kingdom once again. The light continues to shine."
A warm feeling spread throughout my chest as I listened to the way the knights spoke of me.
To be called a prodigy was beyond my beliefs, and it seemed the same for my parents too, as a smile of relief spread across their faces.
But still, a question loomed in the air.
What next?
And it was a question answered only moments later as the bald knight rested his heavy hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes.
"Well then, gather your things and let's get going." He started. "The King will still want you to spend time in Hades. It will help you prove yourself before joining the forces."