Awakening

"Open it, I had picked it out for you." Elizabeth smiles softly at me as she gives me the box which contains the gift she intends to give me.

"Thank you, I will humbly accept your gift." I smile at her as I reach to collect the item. I sit up straight to fix my posture. I open the gift and my eyes begin to widen. 

The box itself was red while the inside was white, but the item inside shined bright. It was a pendant of a cross. Polished gold and silver, a noticeable engraving in the middle of the pendant. I begin to trace the pendant and the engraving with my index finger.

"The engraving is the insignia of our family Holy Knight order. If you ever decide to visit in the future, show them this pendant and you will be let through without a problem" She says to me as she turns away and walks out the door, Hiding her blushing face in the process.

This dream was the event that happened when I woke up from my coma.

Currently.

I grunt awake as I stretch myself from the best sleep I've had. A strong gust of wind comes through my bedroom window. I open my eyes as I sit up, I wipe my eyes and see my family and friends in my room, while Elizabeth holds a cake. 

"Happy birthday, Azrael!!" Everyone screams out in joy. I feel warm and happy that I get to share a special moment with my favorite people in the world.

I get up from my bed, wobbling all over the place as I just had woken up.

"Thank you, guys. Seriously, thank you" I say softly as I reach and embrace everybody.

Six hours have passed. I received kind words from my family, friends, teachers, and kids in my classes. Today is the day, that I receive my awakening. I make a fist while holding it close to my heart as I make a face full of content and determination.

My trainers, friends, and I met in the training grounds after classes.

"You seem nervous, kid" Michael says in worry. 

Ezekiel nods his head in agreement.

"I bet you'll get stats lower than mine!" Ryan shouts as he crosses his arms and looks at me with a confident smile.

"Ryan, stop trying to rile him up. Instead cheer for him." Mich says timidly towards Ryan. "I hope you get a good awakening. To be fair, you did slightly train harder than us in some training exercises." Mich smiles at me in a supportive and kind way.

"No need to worry about me, Mich." I close my eyes as I let out a sigh. I look up to Ryan as I stare at him and say "Infact, I'm excited. Ryan and I have always been competitive. It's only natural for us to fire each other up" I say in utter excitement.

Both Ezekiel and Michael smile at us like proud teachers.

"It's almost time, Azrael" Ezekiel says as he looks up at the sun.

"Around this time your parents said that you were born. It should be happening any minute." Ezekiel says as he crosses his arms as he observes me.

The all sit in silence just looking at me, waiting for my awakening.

I feel it! A surge of energy comes flying up from my feet to head. My body glows in gold energy, the same way it did for Ryan and Mich. Quickly I hold out my right palm. The mark that has always been out of color, glows red and yellow.

The others look in and get curious. 

"Woah, Red and Yellow marking? That's got to be rare. Bring up your stats." Michael says in curiosity.

I turn my palm the other side and hold up my hand in front of me. A window appears and my Information reads out.

Azrael- F rank

Title-None

Attributes

Strength- 7

Speed- 5

Health-2

Dexterity-5

Inteligance-8

Stealth-0

Mana-1

"One on spirit? That's weird, we have never taught you how to use spirit. We will find out with time, Congratulations by the way'' Michael says proudly to me. 

Ryan scoffs, but then he pats me on the back. "I'll just have to train harder from now on." He says in a competitive way. 

"From now on, we will now start sparring. We will familiarize you with fighting. We will spar with you, then you'll take turns sparring each other. But that doesn't mean we won't do training." Ezekiel says as he picks up a wooden sword.

Somewhere around the area, Elizabeth says to herself "I wonder if Azrael is already training, I will go check up on him." She smiles as she begins to head their way.

Michael also picks one up. "He is right, we will teach you the art of fighting, defending, and even counterattacking. We will begin now" Michael says as they get into a fighting stance.

Ryan, Mich, and I look at each other and smile with determination. "Alright!!" We say in unison as we hold out wooden swords and charge at them head on. We take turns swinging at them, they dodge and parry with ease. 

"Together, from above. A downward slash!" I scream out as we all nod and begin to synchronize. Ezekiel blitz Infront of us as we slash downward at Michael. Ezekiel parries our swords all at once with an upward slash, causing all three of us to lose our swords and knocking us back as we stumble, trying not to lose balance. Michael appears behind Ezekiel coming from the right, he turns and swings his sword hitting all of us. 

As he hits us, he sends us flying to the building next to the training grounds. My wooden sword lands right next to me.

Elizabeth witnessed the scene as she arrived not too long ago. She is in utter shock after what she just witnessed as she covers her mouth.

"You don't think you could've held back a little on that swing?" Ezekiel asks Michael, not taking his eyes off of the kids. 

Michael chuckled as he gets into stance again.

"No, they are awakened. They can handle a hit like this, besides I didn't use my stat power." He laughs.

I know they are knights, and they're strong. I am just a kid, but I want to get stronger. I want to be able to protect the people I love, Mom, Dad, Emma, Ryan, Mich, and her. The image played in my mind, silky silver hair, glittering sky-blue eyes. Then, the ominous feeling came back.

"Huh, suddenly the air feels, tighter.'' Michael says as he becomes wary.

Ezekiel grips his sword.

The image of Elizabeth lights up in flames as it burns. I start to feel this emotion riling up again. What is this feeling? Loss? Anger? Revenge? I raise my arm and slowly begin to grip my sword.

I will get stronger, to be able to protect everyone! I look up as I embrace this emotion, not allowing it to take control of my body again.

Ezekiel and Michael both stare and the cloud of dirt slowly clear up, they make out a figure standing up and dashes towards them.

Elizabeth collects herself and cheers me on silently.

"You can do this, Azrael. I believe in you" She holds her hands tight to her chest as she continues to watch.

I dash at them, already Infront of Ezekiel I one handedly swing my sword down, clashing with his as he blocks it. Quickly I change hand positioning to land my next strike, I swing upwards. He blocks it once again, Ezekiel grins at me and starts to prepare an attack. I look down with wide cold eyes, I use everything on my next attack. I had another sword hidden when I rushed them. 

Ezekiel realizes this and goes back to a defensive block, but not expecting it. As a result, he was too late. He will be able to block it, but not fully.

Simultaneously with my second swing that he blocked, I used the momentum of the swing to fully bring the other sword from behind into a powerful upward swing, using all the anger I felt. 

Our swords violently clash, I manage to knock back Ezekiel and make him lose his defense. I had forgotten that Michael was also here. 

"You forgot about me, use this as a learning mistake" he says as he swings his sword at me from behind. He sends me flying into the wooden fence.

"Azrael!!" a worried scream can be heard in the distance. My vision begins to fade.

His powerful attack knocked me unconscious.

One year has passed, constant training and sparring, our stats went of because of it. We have learned a lot from it.

We had turned eight. Elizabeth and I have grown closer with every day that passes. 

"Ok kids, we will be taking our leave. We are needed back at our base. Train hard until you are at the age of ten, enroll at the academy in the Kyrat Kingdom. I'm sure we'll see each other again someday. Maybe as knights" Michael says to us with a warm smile. He is proud with what we have accomplished. We say our goodbyes and they leave town in a carriage. 

I began to spend time with my sister and family in-between days I take a break from training. It's been months since Michael and Ezekiel has departed from here.

I take my sister to eat and sometimes into the fun small carnivals they have here in our little village.

We head back home one night.

"Azrael, you'll always stay with me and protect me, right?" she begins to tear up and holds the back of my shirt tightly. I can feel her body shaking.

"Of course, Emma. I will always protect you. You don't have to worry, when I become a Knight, I will become your personal Knight and protect you everywhere you go in this world. I will be your sword and shield" I say as I turn around and embrace her. I hold my little sister tightly in a comforting way.

"Mom and Dad, said that you'll eventu-" she begins to say as I interrupt her.

"Shhh, It's ok. I won't leave you alone. I will only go to the academy to become a Knight. When I do, I will take you, Mom, and Dad to live with me in the kingdom." I softly say as I begin to comfort her.

She begins to cry uncontrollably, I am sure she was scared or worried when she heard I was going to leave, but no way was I going to let them live in this village. I hold her tighter as she cries in my arms. I look up at the beautiful moon and whisper. 

"I will become strong..."

We went home after. I see to it that I tuck my little sister in bed. I make my way toward my room and lay down on my bed. I begin to fall asleep, only thinking about strength. Eventually I fall fast asleep.

Later that night, I wake up to feint screaming. The smell of fire and smoke. The moon was beautiful but was slowly covered in smoke. 

I look outside my window to check out the screaming noise I heard. My eyes widened when i realize what I was witnessing.

"Why is this happening?" these words are what I was able to manage to say. Despite the horrors I am looking at.