48 years later.

  A nervous excitement filled the tightly packed gathering hall. Searx of all ages stood together, waiting for the sun to set and the Awakening to begin.

  It was the same every year in the village of New Birth, seated deep into the snow capped Stames mountain range. This was the only home of the Searx.

  They were human, but a race of humans set apart from the rest. When a Searx reaches 23 years of age they have the option to go through the Awakening. The ceremony occurred one week after the first spring rain, and a big festival took place afterward. On this day, if they wished, the twenty-three-year-old's could enter an ancient cave behind the gathering hall, and go though the process of changing their race. It was a rite only the Searx could take part in, and even they had a low chance of survival.

  Faye was one of these twenty-three-year-old's, and she could not wait for her chance to enter the cave. She had spent the majority of the last 23 years preparing for this moment.

  You couldn't actually choose what race you become, so Faye had done all she could with New Birth's limited resources, to learn anything she could about all the races. She became fluent in several popular languages, and familiar with many others.

  In the end, she didn't care what race she became. Anything had to be better than the life she had now. With no family, Faye grew up in an orphanage, and it was a miserable existence. Even when she came of age and was given a small cabin of her own at the edge of town she still had no real freedom. Women had one important role in their culture, and that was giving birth and razing children. Faye was older then most new mother's, but she didn't want to have children; not in this village at least.

  Letting out an unsteady sigh, Faye tried to tame her unruly brown curls into a knot at the base of her head. As usual, it didn't help all that much. She turned her deep brown eyes to the nearest window in an attempt to judge how much time was left till sun-down.

  What a stupid tradition. What difference did the time of day make? They should just get it started when everyone was gathered.

  Making a very un-lady-like sound of frustration, Faye began to fiddle with her belt. Most Searx women wore long skirts or dresses and long sleeved shirts. Not Faye. She couldn't stand them. All that fabric made her feel trapped. So, instead, she wore men's clothes- or trousers at least. Most didn't like that she did, but at least she wasn't running around in a short skirt. Something she had actually tried once, but got a solid scolding from the orphanages director for. And a stiff warning to never be that indecent again. So, men's clothes it was...

  Needless to say that even if Faye was interested in finding a husband and settling down, no man in his right mind would want her. Faye couldn't have cared less seeing as how she found all the men in the village as unappealing as they found her.

  Lucky for Faye, she was born to the one race that allowed her absolute freedom from her human bindings. No way was she going to squander her good fortune. Every spare second was dedicated to being ready for this day. She even went out to the woods and practiced fighting. Had she been found doing so she probably would have been thrown into the jail for a few days.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The only thing standing in the way of her new life was a half disk of the sun slowly creeping below the horizon.

  What would she become, she wondered. There were so many options. She could be an elf, a dwarf, perhaps a mer-person, or a dray-kin. Though it was rare she could even become a dragon! The only race not open to her was that of the daemon. In all of Searx history there had never been a women had been recorded as a new blooded daemon, or daemona (as the females were called). No one knew why that was, but Faye had decided not to worry about what she couldn't become and focus on what she could.

  Another frustrated glare out the window told her that her life would be forever changed in only a few more moments. Taking a steadying breath, Faye gathered her courage and made her way through the crowd to the back of the hall where the door to the cave stood.

  It was customary for one Searx to go through the door one at a time and go through the process of the Awakening. From what she was told, the cave was a massive winding tunnel which ended in a massive grotto. Supposedly, the exit was just beyond that grotto.

  Having made it to the door without stepping on too many toes, Faye looked at the rest of her fellow Searx about to take part in the Awakening. Faye was the shortest among them, and one of only two women. The rest were strong and proud men, all blustering and grinning.

  She knew that just because she was the smallest didn't make her the weakest. She doubted any one of them had trained like she had, both physically and mentally. All those hours spent in secret with a stolen broken sword, and with her nose stuck in a book would not go to waste.

  "Its time." Rasped Nordus, the elder of their village. Faye had no idea how old Nordus was, but if looks were any indication she would have to guess prehistoric. The man was almost bent double over his carved wooden cane and had more wrinkles than really should be allowed on one human being.

  Everyone in the hall grew silent and those to be Awoken clustered closer together at the head of the hall. Faye probably could not be seen from behind the taller men now in front of her, but she didn't care.

  Griping the hem of her thread bare woolen frock she wore over the trousers, Faye swallowed nervously. This was it! The time had finally come.

  "Justice," rasped Nordus "you'll go first. Say your last farewells to your families."

  Justice, a handsome man of about six feet with wavy black hair and deep green eyes, stepped up to his family for what would most likely be the very last time. If he survived the Awakening he would be sent to be with his new people, and would likely never return here again. No one ever did. It was forbidden.

  The village butcher held his son in what must have been something close to a death grip, while a frail looking women with Justice's eyes cried silently next to them. He was her only son, and illness had taken away her ability to have more.

  Out of all those about to go through the Awakening, people she had grown up with, Justice had perhaps been the kindest to her. Even though he was usually the center of attention, he still didn't let it go to his head and become mean to those many would have seen to be beneath him. And Faye would have been seen as very much beneath him.

  Stepping away from his parents, he approached the door that Nordus now held open for him. Nothing could be seen beyond the threshold. They would all have to travel without any light.

  A blast of cold air tickled Faye's skin, causing goose bumps, as she watched Justice take a steadying breath before plunging into the cave.

  In the seconds it took Nordus to shut the door Faye wondered if she would ever see the happy- go-lucky butcher's son ever again...