A F Kay [Kay - Shade’s First Rule

T oday, Ruwen would finally die for the first time.

He stepped out of his home and into the predawn light, alone. Almost a year had passed since his parents had disappeared, but this morning, their absence was especially hard to ignore. Ascendancy was the biggest event of his life, and they should have been here.

His revival would take a least a week, and he wondered if theyd be back when he woke up. He knew better though and pushed the thoughts away. This day was too important to wallow in self-pity or false hope.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Ruwen strode down the packed stone road toward the citys center and Urus Temple. The smell of baking bread made his mouth water and his stomach rumble, but he was too nervous to eat breakfast. If he puked during his ceremony, he didnt want to make a mess.

A cool breeze from the mountains west of town made Ruwens skin prickle, and he rubbed his arms to warm them. He focused on the top right portion of his vision, just above his map, and read the temperature: forty-eight degrees. He thought about going back and getting a jacket, but hed worn his best clothes, and the only coat that fit had frayed hems. Today he would rather look presentable than be comfortable.

He superimposed the map over his vision and placed a marker on the temple. The walk would take twenty minutes at this pace. He blinked the map away and veered to the opposite side of the street to avoid two laborers unloading wood from a wagon. They both had scarves around their necks, gloves on their hands, and long-sleeved shirts. It didnt seem cold enough for scarves, but maybe theyd worked through the chilly night.

The three of them were the only people on the street at this early hour, and the larger of the two Workers gave him a curious stare. The mans eyes looked too big, and Ruwen quickly glanced away. He didnt bother to bring up the mans Profile. Worker Profiles never had anything interesting in them. Their days were filled with mundane tasks, not spells or fighting or exciting discoveries.

Most people ended up as Workers, but not Ruwen. Hed been blessed with brains, and today his life would finally turn around. Today he would start gaining the skills he needed to find his parents and clear their name.

He tripped as the packed stone of the road transitioned into flagstone. He refocused his attention and saw the name Center Road hovering in the air. The road ran down the middle of town. Whoever had named the streets here in Deepwell had no imagination. He dismissed the name with a thought and turned left.

He couldnt wait to get rid of his student interface. Sixteen years with the same basic information and no way to customize what it showed him. Ascension would give him his Class-specific interface, which he could change to his hearts content. That alone was worth dying for.

He mumbled a quick prayer to Uru in case the goddess thought him ungrateful. The information and abilities she provided her people were truly blessings. He shook his head. Of all days, today was not the day to upset the protector of his town. The priests said she watched over all the townsfolk and knew their capabilities and strengths. She blessed them with their Class choices.

And he knew what Class hed get. He had known as soon as his attributes settled down after the surge of puberty. Now that his body had stopped changing so much, he was ready for Ascendancy. Death, after today, would very rarely be permanent. Ruwen looked to make sure his path remained clear and then focused on the round icon in the upper left-hand part of his vision to bring up his Profile.

Name: Ruwen Starfield

Race: Human

Age: 16

Class: Not Ascended

Strength: 10

Stamina: 10

Dexterity: 10

Intelligence: 16

Wisdom: 10

Charisma: 12

He couldnt wait to see what his other stats where once he received his Class. Ruwen rubbed his hands together. He would make a terrible Fighter, but his natural intelligence made him a sure candidate for a Mage. School had come easily to him, and he had finished the required education three years early. His teachers had given Ruwen over to Tremine, the head librarian, who had let Ruwen spend his days reading.

A blinking arrow pulsed on his map and he turned right. The Temple of Uru came into view. The building had been made of granite from quarries in the nearby mountains. Bits of mica in the stone caused the temple to sparkle in the early morning light. Only three stories high, it didnt seem that majestic, but Ruwen knew the temple was constructed in a depression, and most of it remained hidden underground.

A Guardian stood at each of the four corners. They were identical oblong spheres like an egg had been stretched. Priests ceremoniously cleaned them every month, and the Guardians would gleam white for a few days until the blowing dirt colored them brown again. They were made from terium, the same metal the townspeople mined from the nearby mountains, and were nearly indestructible. The Guardians hovered a few feet off the ground and were completely still and silent.

The Guardians protected the area from attackers and had come to life twice in Ruwens lifetime: once when a band of Fighters approached the town and refused to turn back, and once when some Keld tried to burrow into the city. Ruwen hadnt seen the battles, but the stories all agreed the attackers had been turned into ash. He had researched the Guardians in the library and had decided they were some sort of high-level golems made by a Grand Master Summoner.

Three adults and a teenager exited the temple, and Ruwen stopped when he recognized them. He looked for somewhere to hide, but there were no options in the middle of the street.

Ruwen stared, paralyzed, and his interface mistook his focus as a request for name and Class information.

The tallest adult had grey hair and wore a white robe with a blue circle stitched on the chest. Basic information appeared above his head:

Name: High Priest Fusil

Class: Order

Sub Class: Priest

Specialization: Administration

Class Rank: Adept

The other adult male, dressed in a fine grey robe with blue fringe read: