Gold and Gray.

  That was the color Damon saw fade away before the sphere went back to its original white color. Lightning. The gray clouds and golden flashes behind them represented the extremely rare lightning element. Damon would have jumped with joy if he could but the dream he had stole that moment from him.

  ‘Dream, was it a dream? Do you fall asleep when you Awaken?’

  Confused, dazed, scared, relieved, and happy. Damon felt all these emotions at the same time that he didn’t know how to feel or how to react. He could barely hear the cheers over the constant buzzing in his ears.

  “Mr. Beaumont” Damon locked eyes with the Lt. Governor who now bore a slight smile.

  “I think congratulations are in order.” Confusion must have been on his face because he was quickly given a reason as to why he was congratulated a second time.

  “ Breaking a record like this will be the talk of the Republic. A small city like ours having a fifth Awakener will bring shock to all of the Republic. And not only did you Awaken, but you Awakened with the rare Lightning Element” Damons’ eyes widened after hearing this.

  ‘That’s right. I am the fifth awakener. I actually awakened. I really did it. And it's the Lightning Element’ A full blown smile came across his face before facing the crowd to find his family. Finding his family caused immediate tears to form as he saw the reaction of his family. Sparky was being swung around as Riley jumped up and down. While his mother and father were holding each other with smiles on both their faces.

  “Alright, go ahead and head down to your fellow awakeners.”

  Damon turned back and nodded his head before making his way down the platform with a smile. At the bottom of the platform was Amelia, the very same girl who gave him a much needed boost in confidence. She was surprisingly staring right at him with a congratulatory smile. Seeing this he gave her a nod and a smile which led to her once again beginning her staring contest with the ground.

  “Good luck.” Passing by her he did not forget to give his fellow classmate a quick few words of encouragement as the ceremony resumed and he could not talk to her for long. As he walked a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

  Damon quickly turned around and called out to the girl.

  “Hey Amelia”

  Stopping in front of the stairs, Amelia turned around at the sound of her name.

  Damon saw the nervous look on her face that he probably had just a minute ago and realized he was doing the right thing.

  “If a fifth miracle exists why not a sixth” Damon sent a smile her way which Kira happily mirrored as they stared at each other.

  “Ahem”

  A loud cough was heard from the platform where Lt. Governor stood with a stern look. Damon bowed his head before quickly turning around after feeling his face heat up from the many pairs of eyes that witnessed their little interaction.

  Damon quickly made his way to the large tent for Awakeners in hopes of dodging the stares he felt from behind.

  As he was escorted to the tent for Awakeners, Damon felt a wave of relief. He Awakened. He really did it.

  Ever since he turned eleven, his shoulders sagged with the constant weight of the unknown. The fear of the results, the fear of not being able to live his dream, and the fear of what he would do if he failed.

  The weight of it all left bit by bit with every step he took to the tent where he hoped his parents were. He hoped to be met with a warm embrace from his mother, or hear the encouraging words from his father that made him feel taller than he really was.

  But they weren’t there.

  Instead Damon was met with a sight that wasn’t half bad.

  “Found yourself a little girlfriend did you?” A teasing voice welcomed him the moment entered.

  Damon held back a smile as he scoffed at the familiar voice before sending a retort. “ Shut up. Unlike you, I actually try to get to know them.”

  Damon smiled once he met the eyes of his best friend who was making his way over to him with his arms spread and a big smile on his face.

  “ I knew the spirits wouldn’t allow me on this journey without you” Rodrick pulled Damon in a hug as Damon shook his head as he returned the hug.

  “Well of course. Who else is going to be there to lend you their shoulders when you get rejected by every girl we meet?” Damon said as he let go of his friend.

  “The moment they see-” Rodrick, offended by the make believe scenario, was cut off by an announcement that froze everyone in the tent

  “Congratulations” The familiar voice of the Lt. Governor reached the ears of everyone in the stadium.

  “Amelia Granger”

  “ Has awakened.”

  Everyone in the tent froze at the announcement. Another Awakener.

  “Impossible” a whisper broke the silence of the tent and brought everyone out of their stupor.

  Damon turned to scan the room for the voice and found all the awakeners were here except for the boy from House Lyle. After scanning the room he found the voice to belong to a boy of similar age as him with short blonde hair wearing a long black robe with gold trimmings. Underneath was a gold tunic with black laces and pants to match.

  “Five is something very few cities like ours have witnessed but to have recorded six awakeners is a first for small cities. We have already passed the threshold of mid size cities.” The boy continued after seeing the attention was on him.

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  “Mid-sized cities usually record on average around six to twelve awakeners a year. This will most likely be the talk of the Republic.” He continued his explanation feeling satisfied that he caught everyone’s attention so he can brag about his knowledge.

  Damon switched his focus from the boy, to the front of the tent as he heard footsteps approaching the tent.

  “Hey Amelia” Damon greeted the girl once she entered the open tent.

  “Hel-” “That’s not how you greet a noble you idiot.” The boy who was giving an explanation earlier scolded Damon before turning to the noble girl to bow his head as it is customary when meeting a noble.

  Amelia formed a frown at the interruption that wasn’t seen by the boy in gold as his head was still bowed. A few moments later her frown turned abashed as everyone in the tent copied the boy’s movements and bowed their heads including Damon and Rodrick who were a few seconds late.

  “Get up quickly. You don’t have to do that” Damon pulled his head up with a smile as he witnessed her flustered expression. His smile didn’t last long as a nudge from beside him made it known that his actions were seen by a certain someone. Standing up straight Damon ignored the constant nudging from beside him and pretended not to hear his friend’s snickering.

  “Congratulations. I knew you could do it.” Damon smiled at the shy noble girl who nodded her head in thanks.

  “What were you guys talking about?” Amelia asked, hoping to quickly move the spotlight away from her.

  “We were just talking about how crazy these awakenings are. Five is crazy but six is just insane. There have been only five cases of a city our size giving birth to a sixth Awakener and the last one was over three hundred years ago. We literally broke a record. If we can break into the double digits we can compete with those cities watched over by Great Houses ” Miles responded, excitement crept into his voice by the time he finished.

  “How do you know so much?” Rodrick inquired.

  “Oh I’m Miles Briggs from the Briggs family” He lifted his head with a proud look. Although Damon found the look to be annoying he knew that a family background like his was worthy to be proud of. The Briggs family is a half a century old family with businesses all over the city due to them getting lucky and finding an ore deposit. Although luck gave them the opportunity they didn’t waste it as they turned the company into a local powerhouse with some influence in other cities. Damon was familiar with the business not only from the stores he saw but because his father worked for them as a supervisor at one of their mines.

  Miles wore a proud look once he saw the awe on his fellow Awakened.

  “Where is the boy from House Lyle?” Miles’ proud look morphed to disdain after hearing the question. Turning to Damon and finding his clothes to be no more than a few silvers his disdain heightened.

  “ In his own tent” Miles replied as if the answer was obvious. “You think he would stay here with us?” Shaking his head in disappointment after giving the whereabouts of Draven Lyle.

  “He is from the legendary House Lyle, descendant of the Third Lord of Fire, the famous Dragonlord who earned his moniker after taming a dragon that hadn’t been seen since the first generation of Elemental Lords. With an Elemental Lord in their bloodline, it would make them a Great House with history spanning nearly two thousand years.” Miles ended his explanation with a look of fanaticism.

  Damon frowned as he already knew this and was only looking for the boy from House Lyle in hopes of asking him questions about his household but before he can explain himself he was cut off by a cough from Rodrick who stood beside him causing Damon to shift his attention to his friend who gave a pointed look at Miles.

  Miles, seeing this, became confused for a second before his eyes lit up in realization. Quickly turning around to find Amelia staring at him with a frown.

  “Of course, I only meant us and not you Lady Amelia. You are also of noble birth-”

  “Lady Amelia” Miles’ attempts at giving an explanation was cut short by a soldier entering fully decked out in silver armor with the republic’s sigil splayed in the center of his chest plate holding a silver spear that looked like it had it’s experience in a fair amount of battles. All these signs let everyone know that he was not just any soldier but a soldier from the Governors manor. And the Governors Manor only recruited the most experienced soldiers.

  “Lord Draven heard there was a fellow noble that awakened and wished to invite you.” Damon frowned after hearing this from the soldier. Turning his head he saw Amelia bow her head in acceptance with slightly furrowed brows.

  “ I’ll see you guys later.” Amelia said to everybody before nodding at Damon as she walked out the tent and trailed behind the soldier.

  Damon’s eyes watched her leave with a slight smile that was quickly washed away from an elbow to his ribs. Frowning at Rodrick’s weird smile, he rolled his eyes as he turned his attention to the dwindling lines of Awakeners.

  “You think anyone else will awaken?” Shock filled everyone’s faces as they turned to the red-haired girl who still wore her phoenix hairpin, as this was the first time they heard her talk.

  “Forget it.” With their jaws still hanging the red-haired girl changed her mind.

  “No, no, no” Waving his hands with a smile Miles happily explained his stance on the matter to the girl. “I still think there could be somebody. I mean we just crossed the halfway mark. Who knows what could happen.” Miles smiled as he happily explained whilst ignoring the glares from Rodrick.

  Damon chuckled as he watched Rodrick make his way over to the duo to make his predictions known.

  ‘ I finally did it. I Awakened. Not only that, I Awakened with Rodrick. Both of our dreams came true.’ Smiling to himself at the realization. ‘ Wait we both awakened’

  Reaching for the pouch on his waist, he quickly opened it and found it. Looking over at the trio, he found the tall lanky Rodrick and stubby Miles arguing while the red haired girl continued watching the ceremony. Shaking his head at the sight he called over Rodrick before fists started being thrown.

  Rodrick, seeing this, walked away but not before throwing a final glare at Miles and a smile at the girl with the phoenix hairpin who probably regretted opening her mouth.

  “What’s up?” Rodrick greeted his friend who only responded with a smile. Rodrick looked his friend up and down in confusion which made him realize Damon had his hands behind his back.

  “What are you hiding?” Rodrick questioned his suspicious friend with squinted eyes. Rubbing his growing mustache in wonder as scanned his friend. All of a sudden his eyes widened “ Don’t tell me you finally made your first love letter and wish to let me be the first to see it before giving it to that girl.” Rodrick was answered by a smack on the side of his head resulting in him letting out a fit of laughs which slowly died out once he got a good look at what Damon was holding.

  In Damon’s hands was a pink box the size of an adult hand familiar to Rodrick. It was something that Rodrick would never forget.

  “Is this…” Damon nodded his head to the question after placing the small box in Rodrick’s hands. Opening the box allowed the familiar sweet smell to enter their nose. Rodrick looked at the small red and gold cake then at Damon with confusion.

  “ I guess I don’t have to ask if you recognize this cake.” Damon stared at the cake.

  “It was the cake you sent me when I failed the awakening the first time. And then I ate it again once I failed the second time, the only difference was you ate it with me.” Rodrick smiled at the memory.

  “ Yes, but” Damon grabbed the cake from his friend’s hands before continuing “ it originally wasn’t meant for cheering you up.” Rodrick bore a look of confusion. Damon seeing this continued with a smile.

  “ It was meant to be a congratulatory cake. And today it lives up to expectations.” A big smile found its way onto both boys.

  “Congratulations Roddy.” Damon looked up at his tall friend with a smile.

  Rodrick laughed out loud before grabbing the cake out the box with his bare hands and breaking it in half.

  “ You mean congratulations to both of us.” Rodrick lifted his cake in cheers and Damon mimicked his actions with a smile.

  “Yes. Congratulations to the both of us.”