Woken by the harsh sunlight as it filtered through the cracks in between the wooden slats, Toale groaned with pain as his stiff and sore body flinched from the glaring light. He lay there for a while, contemplating the wisdom of his previous actions and the chances of his tardiness leading to another heavy handed training session.

Deciding not to tempt fate and also driven by hunger and curiosity for his awakening, Toale rose unsteadily before stumbling to the wash basin. The cold bowl of water was filled with stale water, having been here for many hours. Too lazy to replace the water, he simply plunged his face into the bowl, before withdrawing amidst short gasps. The shock of the cold water cleared his clouded mind, refreshing him.

“Haha, first time I’ve seen a guy going to his awakening with a black eye.” The loud unrestrained laughter didn’t help his current mood neither did the face that appeared along with it.

Glaring at the youth who had appeared, Toale sighed with a little jealousy. In contrast to his lithe and ‘scrawny’ body, his best friend was built like a bear. Thick muscled arms, tall and wide frame and sturdy legs complemented his rather square face. He gave the impression of a simple and honest youth. Though this couldn't be further from the truth as Toale was clear that anyone who dared to underestimate Bryans intelligence was in for a surprise. The fatal kind.

“Did you come all the way here just to gloat?” he said as he pushed past Bryan while snatching the hunk of bread in his hands.

“Boss is looking for you. He said that you better hurry up else there won't be time for the rituals before the awakening.” smirking Bryan strolled after Toale, “Don’t worry. I’m sure Talia will give you a second look once you’ve got your rune.”

Grimacing, Toale gave Bryan a threatening glance before walking off. He had been more than Bryan's match a month ago, but following the large youths awakening he had simply added to an ever growing list of defeats at his hands - it didn’t look good in front of his long time crush.

As he walked through the camp, Toale cast a furtive eye over his surroundings. A ramshackle collection of wooden shacks located a few miles from Jamiche, it was temporary camp that the mercenaries used on their few returns. The camp was still filled with the bustle of breakfast with many men milling around campfires, groaning and cursing as they nursed their heads.

If hangovers are such a pain, then why drink? It seems why someone likes that disgusting swill is beyond me.

Nodding at the many greetings coming his way, Toale quickened his pace. He was already late and the last thing he wanted was to be caught up for a conversation. While the scarred, rough and rugged men might look and act like bandits, they far more good natured. A by product from constantly living at the edge.

Take every day as it comes, is it…

Before long Toale had reached the middle of the camp grounds. Here it was easy to see the difference in both the armour and equipment of the surrounding men as well as the conditions of the nearby building. A clear contrast to the surroundings. Appearances must be maintained for visitors after all.

“Toale, over here!” waving to catch his attention, the quartermaster and part time priest of the Silver Moon Mercenaries called out. Like many of the surrounding men he was well built and his face radiated a healthy glow. Unlike his peers however, his bare body and bald head were tattooed with many mystical runes and patterns. These joined together to form complex images, spirals and hypnotic patterns.

“Uncle Sheart, sorry for being late.” Toale said as he made his way to the priest. “I’m not too late for the ritual’s am I?”

“Rituals? You better hurry up. Your uncle's been waiting since dawn broke.”

The rituals in question was to stimulate a person's blood and yield greater results in the ceremony. It was a crucial step towards awakening as it determined the amount of blood that would form the rune and the strength provided.

Walking into the central building, Toale spotted his uncle at the head seat. The rest of the interior was devoid of furniture aside from an ornate bowl. Following him came Sheart. Avoiding Graveth’s glare, Toale stood awkwardly in front of the bowl.

Glancing at the silent Graveth, Sheart spoke, “As you know, awakening consists of three steps. Blood Letting, Blood Forming and Blood Consuming. Blood Letting to release your blood. Blood Forming to form your rune and Blood Consuming to integrate it.”

“We’ll start with the rituals. Perform your Dance to honour your ancestors and then start the ceremony.”

Dances where actions and forms that stimulated the blood. After awakening this would allow one to temper their runes, removing impurities and increasing effectiveness. During the awakening, higher quality Dances resulted in better quality blood being let at higher quantities.

Quite anticlimactic. I was expecting more but this is quite straightforward.

In fact Toale wasn’t wrong. Many institutions such as the Church of the Twelve or the many kingdoms for that matter over dramaticized awakenings in order to create a sense of belonging to their associations. This was in the hope of planting a seed of loyalty in the awakened mind through ritualistic practises such as reading of scriptures. A lengthy process.

Sheart took out an incense holder which held a single stick. A strong hallucinogenic and pain killer that assisted in the Dance.

Taking a deep breath, Toale calmed his mind entering into a trance.