"Arghh" A loud shriek was released into the air attracting the eyes of those around, Rodrick walked with a pep in his step hoping it would soothe his baby brothers cries. "It's okay, it's okay,"

  "We're almost there Riley." Damon pointed at the high walls of green and black that towered over its surroundings to his exhausted little sister. "See? We just go to that building and then we're there." The pair of boys probably regretting choosing their pride over their abilities, attempted to ease their siblings suffering with their parents behind them holding their amusement.

  Riley nodded with a yawn at the information. "You want me to carry you Riles?" Rodrick noticing the exhausted expression on the little girl's face offered his strength.

  Although taller than Riley, Damon couldn't really lift his little sister anymore who was on the way of following their father on the road to the tall category. Although the offer from Rodrick was genuine it couldn't escape Damon who grew up beside the mustached schemer.

  Despite the chance for an easier journey Riley shook her head "No, I'm okay." Rodrick could only smile bitterly before going back to trying to soothe his baby brothers cries while Damon wore a proud smile at his clueless little sister.

  After a while, the two families were close to reaching their destination. The building with high green and black walls that towered over the surrounding buildings was the destination. And after passing a few more buildings and taking a turn, their destination was finally in sight.

  Damon once again laid his eyes upon the shocking familiar scene with both awe and respect. With the walls now in front of him and no other buildings blocking his way, Damon had a clear view of the walls of the old arena that was once used as a fighting pit until the Crimson Fires from six hundred years ago burned the city down, leaving behind a ruins of a once famed building.

  Although in ruins, the arena still held enough of itself for it to still be useful. If one was to observe carefully they could find signs of the fires from six hundred years ago that left the high walls with cracks and burns. From the cracks grew vines and plants giving the building a more approachable look. With these colors together it gave the walls a blend of green and black to welcome its visitors.

  From the very first time he saw it, Damon thought the building gave an ancient and grand aura. A well earned presence considering it still stood after surviving the Crimson Fires from six hundred years ago. A feat very few buildings have done. Damon believed that the rich history of the building was the sole reason why it was chosen to hold the yearly Awakening ceremonies.

  Taking his eyes off the walls, Damon set his eyes on the sight in front of him where a crowd of thousands gathered. The two families' destination laid past the immense crowd that anyone from outside the city could have mistaken as the city’s marketplace. The crowd was mostly made up of people like Damon, Awakeners from within the city and outside the city who came with their families for the Awakening ceremony. The rest were made up of merchants and vendors who stood beside their stalls or behind them shouting out their prices and wares to their surroundings hoping to entice a few customers.

  Damon walked beside Rodrick after giving their younger siblings to their parents to watch over as their child strength wouldn’t be much compared to an adult. No matter how much they bragged.

  “I could easily take a thief with one hand.” Rodrick complained to his friend after being told to give up his younger brother as it wasn’t safe for him to hold him. Damon rolled his eyes already used to the overconfidence of his friend.

  “Yea, sure.” Damon said sarcastically “ And I can take a dragon on with one finger. Roddy, just because you can beat up a few guys from school doesn’t mean you could beat a grown adult.” Damon rolled his eyes before being bumped by someone. Widening his eyes he grabbed the pouch on his waist and opened it. Finding everything there he let out a sigh of relief.

  Rodrick noticing this raised an eyebrow in Damon’s direction who responded with a strange smile “ Secret” Rodrick rolled his eyes before taking in the surroundings.

  "You think we should buy anything?" Rodrick looking unsure, asked after seeing the bustle going around.

  The question caused a grimace to form on Damon’s face “ Why in the Spirits should we do that? You know everyone here is just a scammer. Just look around.”

  “A necklace blessed by the fire spirit. When worn, the chances of you awakening the element of fire increases.”, “A lucky charm bracelet that could let the eyes of the Spirits land on you for a few seconds.”, “A ring of fire blessed by a priest of the Sun Deity. Awaken and become a fire elemental. Only seven silvers”

  Damon frowned hearing all of this. Damon could not believe how shameless these people were. Five silvers for a common household is worth around two months of work. The average household earns around 25-30 silvers a year. It would take them around five years just to earn a hundred silvers which was equivalent to one gold coin. A feat deemed near impossible with taxes and bills.

  "Listen to all this." Disgust clear on his face, Damon shook his head, vehemently against the suggestion. "No way we're wasting our time and money on these type of stuff." Damon walked away not noticing an odd expression flash across Rodrick's face after hearing Damon's take.

  “Do these people not have any brains?” Damon questioned after seeing a couple purchase their son a glove that could apparently preserve his power until the time he started his Awakening Ceremony.

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  “I mean c’mon” Gesturing to another couple buying some type of rock when rubbed could summon Earth Spirits to bless someone. “ Did they leave their brains at the front gate?” Damon chuckled at himself before saying “ What could possibly lead them to believe-”

  "Desperation." A cold voice cut him off. Damon startled at the voice turned around to see a rare serious expression on Rodrick's face.

  "When life beats you down for not meeting expectations. Either from others, your parents, friends, or... yourself." A heavy sigh escaped him "You start searching for something. Anything." A memory from a year ago popped into Damon's head after seeing his friends defeated expression reminding him of the pouch on his side. Fighting the urge to open it, Damon decided that a a simple apology would do but before he could do that, he noticed his friend's attention shifted to a commotion up ahead.

  Following his friend's line of sight, he found a hunchback old man accompanied by a young girl that seemed around the same age and height as Rodrick stood in front of a stall arguing, catching the attention of those around them.

  Damon observed the two who appeared to be grandfather and granddaughter arguing about an item the stall owner was selling. The old man with a long unkempt white beard that reached his neck hovered over a box that carried an item he was considering buying. But from the young girl waving her hands around, she was most likely strongly against such a purchase. Damon scanned their attire and agreed with the young girl.

  The old man wore a plain brown robe that was torn near the bottom leaving the robe to be uneven with unknown stains found here and there. The young girl was probably the reason for the attention of those around them. With her shockingly red hair and green eyes that must've matched her dress before it was washed one too many times for the green was slightly faded but still, it could not mask the beauty of the young girl that many recognized.

  “We don’t need it grandpa.” The red haired girl pulled her grandfather’s arm. “It’s probably just another scam, just like the others.” reminding the old man about his previous purchases. Her comment on the Stall owner's product caused the crowd of spectators to frown at the man behind the stall.

  “Are you planning on buying something? Or are you just going to question my credibility all day?” The stall owner questioned with a frown after hearing the accusation.

  “No, no, no. We’ll buy it.” The old man reassured the stall owner before turning around to give a smile of reassurance to his granddaughter. “ Don’t you worry little phoenix this time it’ll work” he said softly.

  “But Grandpa…” Her need to challenge him was waning after seeing his face. She pleaded one last time in a whisper “Please.”

  Her last desperate pleas resulted in the old man hesitating.

  Feeling his money was on the edge of flying away, the stall owner grabbed a jade phoenix from the box in front of the old man and described the item with flair. “This is probably the only jade hairpin this market has. And it was even blessed by the spirits.” The stall owner lifted it up to the sun “Look at the way it glints under the Fire Spirits radiance. You won’t find anything like it.”

  With a look of determination, the old man pulled a worn and torn satchel from within his robes that appeared to have accompanied the old man for years carrying around whatever he needed. And today he needed ten silvers, which the satchel provided.

  With a glint of disdain in his eyes that paired with his greedy smile, the stall owner snatched the ten silvers from the old man afraid he would change his mind. Grabbing the ten silver, he tossed slid the box that held the hairpin before waving away the the old man and girl.

  Witnessing this, Damon attempted to step in to put a stop on the daylight robbery happening in front of him. A hand fell upon his shoulder, preventing him from taking another step.

  “Father?” A look of confusion was sent towards the owner of the hand only for a shake of the head to be the reply he received from his father.

  Giving Riley to his wife where they would follow uncle Kade down to the arena.

  Rodrick, still wearing a serious look, gave one last glance at the old man and his granddaughter before following his family.

  Damon watched them leave before he turned to find his father smiling at him, only it wasn’t his usual smiles that made him feel at ease but one that told him something was wrong.

  “I could’ve helped them.” Damon informed his father with conviction in his tone.

  “Yes you could've. But what then?” Damon’s father challenged him “ What will you do when they find another stall? Hmm? Are you going to stop them again? Are you going to follow them around? Are you going to do it every time they want to buy something?” Damon was bombarded with questions that wavered his previous confidence.

  “Of course” He answered, although not as confident as he was before. Damon narrowed his eyes “We know awakening items don’t exist in the Outer District. It's all just fairy-”

  “And so what?” Before Damon could say finish he was cut off by his father. His father's smile from before was no longer there. Instead replaced with a glare that made Damon lower his eyes.

  Feeling slightly guilty, Robert lowered himself to be eye level with his son.

  Damon slowly lifted his head from the ground to lock eyes with his father who smiled at him gently.

  Before he could say anything, Robert saw something from behind Damon that caught his eye.

  Damon watched a small smile soon find its way onto his father, leading to him looking at his father with confusion.

  Grasping Damon’s shoulder and turning him around, Damon was able to see what was the reason for his father's smile.

  Damon watched the old man he was planning on saving reach up to place a jade phoenix hairpin on his granddaughter who lowered her head for the old man to reach. The red haired girl’s face bore disapproval that gradually morphed into a reluctant smile after seeing her grandfather take a few steps back and smile at her clearly happy at the result.

  “He was looking for something” Damon felt a hand on his head before Damon’s father turned him around to once again become eye level “ And he found it.” The words immediately reminded Damon of his conversation with Rodrick.

  Damon was confused and his father, seeing that, smiled. “If you ever Awaken Damon- no when you Awaken, remember this. When times are rough, and desperation takes over, the search begins."

  "The search for-”

  Dong dong

  A bell tolling echoed through the city signaling it was time for participants of the Awakening Ceremony to start entering the Arena.

  Robert smiled at Damon before standing up and saying “You heard the bells."

  "It's time."