Esh sat with the other 14-year-olds under a metal roof held up by four tall poles. He looked down at the shoes he had spit shined earlier that morning to see that they were now smudged with soot. The ash in the air marked the shirt he had tried so hard to freshen up with excess liquid cans he'd found in random garbage bins around his neighborhood.
This was the happiest sun-cycle of his life, replacing the time he had found the secret grammar book on Vivreonish. Soon he would be leaving the orphanage for good and would be heading in the direction of prestige, to respect, and to acceptance. He was confident that he would be chosen for the role of soldier.
Three lieutenants came to the orphanage four weeks ago to run all the orphans through some sort of crazy physical test. They were forced to climb ropes, run long distance, fifty push-ups, and even had to complete a session of hand to hand combat with each other. He wasn't surprised that he was the only one to make it through the running section. He had been training for this. Mehch didn't even complete the rope climb, falling after making it five feet. Esh had to stifle a laugh when he saw how red the fat bully's gut had become from rope burn.
Since no other orphans had made it to the fighting part of the test the three lieutenants were forced to bring a few other kids who had passed the test from other schools and orphanages. Esh took care of each of them rather quickly, especially after he took off his shirt revealing his scar and using it as a tactic of fear. Two of his opponents had even refused to fight, choosing to cry instead.
As Esh sat straight up in his chair, he felt a sense of pride for the first time in his life. He couldn't help but puff out his chest around the other kids.
In front of the waiting fourteen year-olds was a podium surrounded by about thirty chairs where the kids' future bosses would be sitting soon
Kids chatted with one another excitedly. Through each of their mannerisms, Esh was able to tell which kids were from Reahlic royalty and which had been drug away from juvenile gangs.
It wasn't long before a nasty fight between a royal and gang member erupted and ended quickly with both of them bleeding but it was the royal who was now missing an ear.
"What the hell is going on in here!" screamed a fat sweaty male who had just entered under the metal roof. Behind the fat male walked behind him two large males porting the menacing shiny armor and Esh instantly forgot about the fight. The fat important male turned his head and yelled over his shoulder for someone to call an emergency care unit.
The ceremony didn't get started until the royal and gangster were transported out. The gangster didn't go without a fight, but it only took one punch to the gut by one of the armored soldiers to silence him. Esh heard a crack and was sure the blow had broken a few ribs.
"Now..." said the fat male, wiping sweat off his forehead. He wasn't hot, he was just too big for his body to handle, "We can start the ceremony!"
Strangers dressed in all sorts of different uniforms began to pour into the makeshift auditorium, most of them were not happy to be the representative of their trade. It was just another sun-cycle of work for them. The orphans were the only ones cheering, the other kids seemed unhappy to leave their homes or wherever they came from.
"Everyone sit down!" demanded the fat male, his eyes running through the crowd of orphans in disgust. "Last year's ceremony took too much time and as you all know, the humanoids before you have work to do. So without further blabbing, let us begin."
With a flick of the wrist the male had pulled a large piece of parchment out of his pocket and placed a monocle over his eye. Esh doubted the important gross male needed glasses at all, it was just another way of placing him higher in the hierarchy.
"Rotz!" cried the male and a young male in the back stood. "You are hereby sentenced to maintenance. Congratulations." Before anyone could clap the male had read another name and then another.
"Grond! You are sentenced to guard duty at the prison. Darurah, sentenced to midwife." The male began to read faster and faster and soon two or three kids were standing up at once. "... sentenced to painter! ... sentenced to surveillance! ... sentenced to mail! ... sentenced to..."
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Esh's excitement began to lessen and lessen as the ceremony dragged on. Had they forgotten about him? The auditorium was now only him and about twenty other kids.
"Mehch!" cried the fat male and Esh's head raised. The sentence came quickly, "sentenced to the army!"
Mehch squeaked and he fell over getting out of his chair. As he ran up to the two armored soldiers he turned around and gave Esh a smirk. How could this be? Mehch didn't even make it up the rope! He was almost as fat as the male sentencing the kids and was no better than a piece of shit dropped on the side of the road by a shagra!
Esh made himself shake it off. He had come too far to let something like this get in his way. He knew he would make a better soldier than Mehch and he would prove it.
"Esh!" cried the announcer.
Esh's heart raced and he stood with lightning speed, startling the fat male before he could even read the sentence.
"Err, um, yes... Esh, let's see. Oh! Yes, sentenced to garbage duty. "Chindrah! Sentenced to..." and that was that.
The young, hardworking, scarred and mentally abused orphan stayed standing, sure of himself that he had heard incorrectly. He had just been sentenced to soldier, ya, that's right. He would become an excellent soldier. He would walk down the streets and humanoids would yell his name. Lieutenant Esh! Lieutenant Esh!
Yet reality began to melt back into place. He realized everyone was staring at him, including the announcer who had stopped reading.
The ceremony was over and everyone was walking out with their new employer.
Beads of sweat mingled with tears at the end of Esh's nose. He was all alone now under the metal roof. His misery took all of his attention away from the sun-cycle's heat, heat that was more intense than usual.
How was it possible that he had not been chosen as soldier? He was by far the best! He was even smarter than them! It wasn't fair! All that hard work... and for nothing.
Esh fell off his chair and pounded his fists into the ash, splashing the black all over his body. Tears ran down his cheeks as he kept smashing his fists, ignoring the pain. It was only until he noticed his fists were bleeding that he did stop. His head drooped and his forehead rested in the dirt. He closed his eyes
But he knew why he hadn't been chosen, because of his hair, his eyes, and... his parents. He would be punished yet again for being bred by a traitor and a loathed.
Ten minutes must have passed by before Esh realized he wasn't alone. He could feel a presence behind him, and he opened his eyes.
Through his legs was the Elder, the male whom Esh had helped six years ago. His white beard had grown longer and he now wore large black sun shades.
And he was asleep.
The Elder was snoring very loudly which made Esh wonder how he had not heard it before. He stood up quietly and tried to make his escape before the Elder awoke.
The snoring stopped and the Elder leaned his head forward.
"Not too happy are you, lad?" he asked with a smile. His teeth were surprisingly white, too white for someone of Reah.
"Why didn't you ever come back?" Esh asked, turning back towards the Elder. It was the first question that popped into his head, a question he hadn't even know was important to himself. But it was important.
"I never came back because I never left," replied the Elder. He pulled a long cane he had strapped around his shoulder and placed it in front of him. "Why would I leave when you are so interesting to watch?"
Esh was instantly creeped out and at that moment he wished he could go back in time and stop his eight-year-old self from ever getting in the way of the orphans and their crude game.
"And besides, who else would protect you from that mean ole Korp."
Esh's eyes widened. This Elder actually knew about Korp? How could he?
"What do you know about him?" Esh asked, momentarily forgetting he was just sentenced to garbage duty.
"All I know is that he is very strange and very dangerous. He has problems in the head, I think."
Esh was starting to believe Korp and this Elder were both crazy.
"However, I never did have to step in. Looks like he found someone else to play with," said the Elder, standing up and turning his back to Esh. "Come along, we have to pick up all the undesirables that Reah has left on the street."
"You might as well place me in that bag of yours," Esh said under his breath. The Elder, with lightning speed, turned around and slammed his cane into Esh's right temple making him crash to the ground.
He layed there holding his head, his body stunned. His cheeks burned out of pain and embarrassment.
The Elder bent over and put his face directly in front of his. Esh could smell alcohol on his breath. "I don't ever want to hear you say that again," he hissed. "Do you understand me, lad?"
Esh nodded his head and the Elder gave him a hand up.
"Let's go, we have work to do."
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