Prologue

A round swollen face with puffy eyes that seem to be experiencing pain the likes of which very few could fathom, stared down at him. "I'm sorry, so, so sorry little one." As she placed the bundled infant into the arms of the waiting doula. "I'm sorry for your loss…" unsure of what else to say Saya turned to leave and as she closed the door wails and uncontrollable sobbing could be hear as the medikus administered a very strong sedative.

Saya, a nimble blonde woman bereft of anything considered feminine beside her long hair, gently placed the newborn babe into a crib, more of a depression in the wood with slightly raised sides, and gently caressed his head. "May you leave this world gently, and may your journey be one of ease." She prayed. "Hush dear, best not to get too attached. He's not long for this world and if he decides to hang on at all, it will not be gentle or easy. His is one of pain and torture. If it was allowed, I'd "help" the poor child along." The medikus an old crone of a women stated in a tired voice. "Medikus!" Saya reprimanded "He is but a babe yet to even suckle, how could yo.." Saya's rebuke died as the medikus whipped her head around and with piercing eyes filled with fire and gritted teeth as she venomously retorted "And just how many babes have you had that suffer the Awakening to early, how many have you had to listen to scream and wail 'till only husky sounds squeak out from raw, bloodied throats or the smell of their skin as it slowly chars from the inside over days and days." With a deep weary sigh she continued in a grieving tone barely above a whisper "No, I do not wish to end this child's life but if I could save him from what is come… alas it is not our place as a medikus to take life." Saya had no reply, but to blush at her naiveté and looked down as if being admonished by her parents. The old medikus had turned back to regard the child again. "Feed him and wrap him warm we'll travel tonight, and I'll be back sometime 2 days' time." Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked out shutting the door to the nursery behind her. Saya didn't miss the fact she excluded the child from her return trip. She fed the child a bottle while she gently cooed him "I do not envy you little one, if it wasn't for the Awakening…" again, cut off from finishing as the lump in her throat grew too large to allow her to continue, instead she just stared down at the child with pity and sorrow. When he finished the bottle, she checked his eyes to determine the status of the Awakening. She gently plied the lids of on eye open revealing a golden, almost lupine eye staring at the ceiling. A slight blueish light surrounded the iris as ring almost touching but not quite. Quietly she whispered to herself "Any time now, I do hope the both of you arrive safely before." Before she left, she placed a leather bracelet with and oval wooden bead at the center the "Conall" was engraved on the bead. "A gift from your mother and father, the first and last gift they were able to give you." Saya whispered and set the bracelet down beside the child, she turned and began gathering everything for the medikus and infant to travel.

A covered carriage rolled into view and atop sat the old medikus, with her hand resting on many sided prism mounted just beside the driver's platform. Faint blue light emanated in all directions but not bright enough to illuminate the dark street. The carriage followed deep rivulets carved into the stone pathway by thousands of carts that pass by daily in the city. "Place the child in the back as far from the conduit as possible, I'll not have him going through the Awakening before we even arrive" the medikus stated, and grumbled lowly so as no one could hear her "If im lucky." Saya did as she was told and covered the infant up to shield him from the cold. She then place a clear glass-like container over the child, in hopes of further delaying the process and finished loading the remaining items into the back of the carriage. "Medikus, what of the father and mother? They still grieve in the birthing room and refuse to leave." The old medikus grunted and replied, "That is what I hired you to deal with, I don't do "feelings", too messy." The old medikus wrinkled her nose in distaste. Saya furrowed her eyebrows but responded "Very well it will be taken care of before your return, safe travels." With a grunt the old woman placed her hand back on the prism, her eyes slightly close as if trying to see something far off in the distant, and the carriage began to lurch forward. A bit rough at first but soon it was steadily moving into the distance. Saya turned and opened the door of the medikus' building. Candles hung on holders on the wall. The inside looked like a large wooden ship flipped upside down. In the center of the greeting room burned a low fire. Staring at that fire Saya took a deep breath in and exhaled as she walked towards the sound of quiet sobbing in the distance.

The medikus stopped the carriage after several hours of riding, she would need to stretch, eat, and rest for a bit before resuming. She used that time to check on the child. She took out a premade bottle for the child and removed the glass cover over the child. She checked the child's eyes blue ring growing closer together. She frowned "I'll need to move a faster if we want to get there in before the Awakening." She grumbled. She picked up the child held him in her arms and placed the bottle to his lips, a rush of pain, guilt and helplessness flooded into her as memories of a young medikus lying in birthing room with a babe to her breast suckling. tears streaming down her face as the senior medikus explained to her that her child was Awakening and she had maybe 2 or 3 days before the ring closed and the awakening began in earnest, "I'm sorry as a medikus yourself, you know there is nothing to be done. We could take the child for you and bring him to a place that is better equipped to handle these matters." With unconcealed spite she spat back "By better equipped, you mean soulless monsters who care not for the cries of pain from children. No, I at least want him to feel loved IF he is to leave this world early." "When," the senior medikus corrected, "make no mistake dear, this child, like all other children born to experience 'a too early' Awakening and all after, will not survive. They don't have presence of mind to find the pathways or to grow their chalice and the excess will burn them through eventually. At least with the strong ones is relatively quick unfortunately the weak one… well they live for a bit longer." There was more than a hint of sadness in voice as he said the last part. Unfortunately, the young medikus' was not strong. The medikus thought about the horrors she witnessed as the sounds of the infant sucking on a dry bottle broke her from her nightmarish reverie. "Hungry guy aren't ya…" she glanced at the bracelet tied to the blanket he wrapped in "Conall." She placed the sleeping infant back into the carriage and replaced the glass cover. The old medikus climbed back into the driver seat, where she ate enough food for 3 people. When she finished, she placed her hand back on the prism and the faint blue light came back into view, glowing much brighter than before as the carriage lurched and began a quickened pace to their destination as the first sun pinked into existence.

A short, girthy man with white hair that ringed his head and stopped at the top leaving a spotted bald patch skin glistening with a sheen of sweat, hobbled out of the front as the old medikus' carriage. "Judging by the silence I assume he hasn't ringed?" the old man huffed out as his frame wasn't in the 'best' physique. The old medikus raised a questioning eyebrow, "Come now, that doula you hired seems to have more sense than you Ta'al, she sent ahead to let us know you would arrive today with one who is either close to ringing or already has. Anyways everything is set-up feasting hall is closed right now but the cooks set aside some stew and bread for you, a jug of wine is waiting in your chambers and the team is ready for the child." 'How long has been' she thought 'since someone has called be my name.' It sounded foreign to her but her reverie only lasted a moment before she replied, "Thank you but I'll escort the child myself, have the stew sent with the jug to my room and send for the messenger I wish to express my gratitude to my apprentice." The short man nodded to woman who looked so old Ta'al wasn't sure how she even remained upright, 'I'm old and that woman looks twice my years if not more.' The ancient woman, with speed that seemed supernatural, sped off to see to the tasks. When they stood alone the old man spoke quietly, "My team is quite capable you really don't have to go through this, I assure you it will only hurt all the more." She frowned at him but took his words to heart. "Aye I'm sure they are plenty capable but I need to do this. If this child is not long for this world then id like to make it as pleasant as I can until…" she couldn't continue. 'That damned lump' she thought. The short man stood a bit straighter "Right this way medikus" as he waved a hand towards the open door and gave a slight bow of head, the medikus society had no rank just medikus and their apprentice. Your merit was what one respected, how much good have you done since taking the vows, how many lives saved/changed because of you. She smiled grateful of the respect he showed and the fact he didn't press the issue. She walked up a couple steps and through the darkened doorway.

They walked down a long corridor decorated modestly decorated. On the walls hung tapestestries depicting a medikus whose merits were vast, some three from the great sickness that killed thousands before they concocted a cure to treat it. A few whose discovery advance them years in field. Their feet padded along a carpet, more a long piece of fabric, that spanned the entire length of the corridor. Along the way they passed many other medikus', garbed in the long deep red, like the color of blood, robe that dragged a bit behind them, hood down and their apprentices, who wore the same save the sleeves which were black. A sign they have yet to take their vows. They came to a plain wooden door where the short medikus pulled a key from the sleeve of the robe and inserted the but before he turned it he turned to Ta'al and said "Are you certain you want to continue? The child is asleep now and I can take him from here truly medi… Ta'al, you've done right by this infant and have gone above what is required." Ta'al thought a moment feeling the weight of his words, she looked down at the sleeping child in her arms and with out looking up she replied "I would like nothing more than to hand you this child and run from here and the memories as fast as I could, but this is my crucible one that I have put off for far too long." She took a deep breath and looked up to the senior medikus "His name is Conall, let us continue." The senior medikus frowned when she mentioned his name but turned back to the key in the lock. He gave the key a turn and blue symbols began to glow around the lock. No click was heard but the door swung slowly on its hinges inward and as it opened Ta'al was hit with a wave of agony, screams, whimpering, and crying coming from the babes held within. Ta'al, back straight, head high, strode through the door.

To anyone looking they would see a wizened, old woman one who walked with the confidence of the knowledge she held over the years, however inside she was having difficulties even making herself walk forward, the memories threatening to break her will with every step. The infant's cries seemed to rise to a crescendo just as she reached the dais the short fat medikus led her to. Atop the dais laid a rectangular black glass box. She gathered enough courage to afford to look around. The chamber they were in was small and held rows of the exact dais she walked to, and a rectangular black glass box sat on each. The cries seemed to come from those boxes and before she could ask the short medikus explained "These are the newest versions, medikus Cable came up with the concept, made completely of dragon glass they can either repel or gather the surrounding mana. And they have allowed us more time for testing and experimentation." A hopeful expression crossed her face for a moment but before it could take hold the medikus continued "Unfortunately it seems to only delay the inevitable. We currently hold 5 babes going through the awakening two will most likely pass tonight, one within the week and the other two have just ringed and we are trying everything we can think of but I don't think we will make progress before this sixth…" "Conall" she interrupted. "Right, before Conall begins the second phase." The glass box lifted open on unseen hinges and inside lied a red velvet cushion. She placed Conall down onto the cushion rubbed a thumb on his forehead affectionately and stepped back to allow the other medikus' in the room to begin their ministrations. They gently unwrapped the infant and checked his eyes, a young medikus, who couldn't have taken his vows more than season ago, spoke in a effeminate manner with a slight lisp "He hasth ringed, maybe an hour so stho go." All hope left Ta'al in that moment and her strength with it. She reached out to steady herself and found the short balding medkus taking her arm to help steady her. She looked at him and his apologetic smile and he said, "Come there is nothing more to do, let us see you fed and both of us drunk as orc on a night of victory." She allowed a small smile and replied, "We may need more than just one jug." He barked out a laugh and said "No worries dear, I've acquired some orc's corn liquor on my travels last month. I'll meet you in your chamber in an hour or so." The short fat medikus waved over an apprentice to guide Ta'al and as she came to the door she glanced back one last time at Conall 'please mother just once, let one stay' and she crossed the threshold behind the apprentice as the black box slowly closed sealing Conall inside.