What makes a hero a hero? How does their childhood shape who they will grow up to become? What happens before they are their world-renowned selves?

I tapped the carriage door rhythmically as it moved along the old roads of the backcountry. The road had twisted, turned, rose, and fell in the trip from the capital. I was bored and ready to leave the carriage. Despite the several stops, I was ready for it to be over. The occasional in was stopped by but most nights he and his driver were camping. It was the furthest I had traveled from home. The nerves were getting to be as I shifted my hands and pulled at the edges of my robe.

It was a nice robe, new, clean, and free of wrinkles like I had seen on my old teacher's robes. Theirs had gone through many lessons, children, and experiences. I was alone about to start my first assignment.

I looked at the clipped pages tied together. They hadn’t changed in the dozen times I had looked at them. It was at least something different to do instead of the tapping I had done for the past hour. I had tried to write a little, but the rocking and bumps of the old carriage were unpredictable and best and unpleasant at worst.

Report to the city of Henoes. The head priest there will follow up with the orders necessary for the city and region.

I sighed looking over the note. The other pages contained information on my route, the head priest, and information about the small city at the edges of the normal world. It gave little about what I was to do once I arrived. The assignment was set at the discretion of the head priest of Henoes. Which meant it could be anything I had been qualified to do.

‘I just hope it isn’t outdoor expeditions. I almost failed that introductory class. Cooking wouldn’t be too bad. Or entrance duty from time to time.’

I put the papers aside and checked the window. There was an open forest around with some wildflowers dotting the landscape. It was nice weather out and the light rain brought a liveliness to the plants.

The city grew closer. It was on the small side of cities but had all the amenities one would expect including a Church of the Kingdom. Stone walls had been built up after generations of work. Some pieces needed more work than others and were in the process of renovation. The process to get inside was quick, the guards nice, and I was no merchant with a load of goods to sell.

I took to the steps of the church which was built shortly after the town hall and a few other essentials. A priest stood beyond the entryway and nodded with a smile.

“You must be Priest Grant. I’m glad that you could arrive so swiftly in our rather minor city.”

“No. No. I’m glad to serve and even a minor city is still a city despite its distance from the capital. Its people have worked hard to distinguish itself from quiet village life.”

“Then so the city shall grow as its population and peoples grow. Come follow me inside. I have deliberated on where you should be placed once we got word that our request for an additional priest was fulfilled.”

“You did not have a role in mind at the time of the request?”

“No. I do things a little differently than during the strict obedience of your teachers. Our focus here is on the people who we meet while at the capital they must run the entire organization and prepare priests for a near-infinite amount of roles. I will still expect notes on your work to be turned in when you have time, but the other rules can be more flexible at times.”

“I know that the job here will be much different than if I were to stay in the capital.”

“I don’t know about much differently, but here we have our quirks. The first is our orphanage and your first assignment. We are looking to expand it unfortunately and that means new teachers and staff to oversee the children in our care. My head priest at the orphanage is currently swamped by the repairs and renovation so any help he can get would be appreciated. You will be teaching what you can, supervising playtime, and doing some other smaller things. I’m sorry to slow you right into the thick of things but your record as a student is strong.”

“It isn’t as bad as I feared, and I remember my time training in the Church’s orphanages fondly.”

“Good. The work moves on and so does the day.”

I echoed the final words and took my leave. The orphanage stood next door to the church. Scaffolding stuck to the wall on one side as a few workers gathered. It was a nice building slightly smaller than the church. Out in the front was a sign that read ‘Henoes Orphanage’. I noted the place as I walked in. It had the same style as the church, clean and warm. I heard the sound of voices down the hallway. Realizing the time, I found myself as hungry as the children eating their food.

I followed the sound of voices. The kitchens were busy with work and was the first I saw of people in the orphanage. Two women busied themselves around the stoves and oven. One of them looked up.

“You new here?” she said bluntly. “Got a confused look about you.”

“Yeah. I am looking for the priest In charge, but I also realized that I have not eaten yet.”

The other woman laughed. “Get yourself a plate. He is eating just like the rest of them.”

I followed her instructions leading me to the dining area on the other side of the kitchen and grabbed some food. Kids were seated haphazardly in little cliques that had formed while three priests sat alone at a table separated from the rest.

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They recognized me and I, them. I sat down with my food.

“You the new guy?” One asked.

“I will be joining you. Though I don’t know exactly what you want me to work on while here.”

“Are you fresh from training?” Asked another.

“Yes,” I said.

“Good. Then you should remember all of the courses meant for the kids. We’ve been lacking in our history courses, and you can remedy that. Hopefully, you remember everything because I don’t have a copy of the coursework like they did in the capital. Good luck.”

“Wait. Which one of you is the head Priest?” I asked.

“Formally I am. Name’s O’Brian,” said the first. “But I don’t care. The responsibility is spread around you see. That reminds me. Along with the history of the Empire, you will be in charge of the problem children.”

It took less than a week to collect some problem children.

I sighed as I looked at the four kids I had just started to get to know as part of the larger group of orphans. They were twelve and eleven years old. Less than half my age and short in stature. They sat in chairs shrinking their size further as I stood. In my hands were my notes which would be soon delivered to the other priests.

“Who would like to start, or should I pick?” I asked.

The kids gave side-eye glances, but none spoke. They didn’t know me, and I was just another adult stranger to them.

“OK then. Wilson. You were found to be sneaking out at night. I’ll have to make sure that the locks are well secured at night. Care to tell me where you went? I hear that this is your second, no third offense of this nature.”

“It is none of your business. You should be glad I am even staying here. It is miserable here sometimes.”

“Well, if you have any suggestions for improvement I will let my superiors know and hopefully they can be implemented if reasonable after the repairs are finished.”

The kids shifted in their seats allowing me to continue the conversation by myself.

“OK then. Next was Taylor. I was surprised to see you stalking around the small library so late at night. You do know that there is a curfew in place. Right?” I said while looking between the pair.

Taylor just hung her head in silence.

“Now you two. Would you like to explain how the fight broke out this time or will you keep up the silent glares?”

I looked at the remaining two, Greg and Brad. They both tensed up at being called on. Brad’s hand was now wrapped up and slightly swollen while Greg’s nose was braced, red, and at risk of bleeding again. The other pair didn’t speak up on behalf of one of the others and were content to stay away from the matter.

Greg sat back in his chair while continuing to wait out the awkward silence. I watched them both until Brad finally spoke up.

“Does it even matter who started the fight? I know I won’t go near him again. If I never saw him again then I’d be fine. Just give us our punishments and be done with wasting our time.”

“It is not wasting your time but should be a teaching moment and time for improvement. You are right that it doesn’t matter who started the fight because you both actively played a part in it. The fight continued until the priests in the kitchen pulled you apart. As for punishment. You all will join me for some time in a remedial study session so I know what topics I will have to cover with you and the others. Then we will do some important chores that have started to be neglected with how busy everyone is. You will each participate without complaint for the entire time that I assign you. Is that understood?”

The four children nodded slowly. I wasn’t sure that they knew the importance of forgiveness, change, and repentance, but I would show them the way. I would be lenient this time around. To them, I was the strange new teacher and priest. I didn’t want to be too harsh yet. For now, work needed to be done and they would be of great help.

I gathered them in one of the three classrooms the orphanage had. They sat in simple chairs that rocked a little when pushed. I let them settle in for a minute, but they still looked bored and disinterested.

“History is probably best understood when considering how it affects the present. If it is just a bunch of facts and information then the knowledge is easy to forget or in your case willingly forget and stay disinterested in the topics. Then in this case we will go over the history as I know it of Henoes. Feel free to add constructive comments to this discussion and your time cleaning after this may be reduced. Now, over a hundred years ago this city started as an outpost. Do you know why it was built?”

“Henoes was a trading station with the demon world beyond our own. They have materials valuable to us, and we have stuff for them. It was a temporary place of trade, so it grew slowly,” answered Taylor.

“Correct. The trade was very profitable and useful to the King. Over time the region has been invested in and grown. Despite the surrounding area, every five years this city brings in more revenue than any other.”

“What is stopping the region from being even more profitable during the off years?” asked Greg.

“That is the question that the region governors have been asking themselves for the past hundred years. I am not familiar with every development that was pushed, but the main growth has been through the city itself building up the livestock trade and the harvesting of the more unique plants in the area. This topic as a whole ties into the understanding of the economy within the kingdom and how it works which we can have later.”

I led the four children through the halls of the orphanage. They trotted along behind me. Each child wore their reluctance like a badge, dragging feet and barely looking at each other let alone me. The orphanage, with its vast and often overlooked corners, had gathered its share of dust and clutter over time, making it an ideal ground for teaching a lesson about responsibility and teamwork.

"Remember, this isn't just about cleaning," I said, trying to pierce the bubble of their collective disinterest. I took out the cleaning supplies and started to hand it out. "It's about taking care of a place that takes care of us. This place is more than just stone and glass; it's a home for many, for you."

Wilson snorted, pushing a broom half-heartedly along the tiled floor. "Feels more like a prison," he muttered with some disinterest. He looked around while focusing on the windows.

Taylor, silent until now, picked up a rag and began dusting the window sills, her movements slow but gradually becoming more deliberate. Greg and Brad, meanwhile, found themselves in a standoff over who would tackle the daunting task of cleaning the stained-glass windows. The previous tension between them, however, slowly gave way to a reluctant partnership as they realized the job was easier with two sets of hands.

I watched over them with one eye as I helped do some of the work. They each participated in their way. With five pairs of hands, the cleaning of the kitchen and nearby rooms went by quickly. They each looked longingly at the other kids who ran by without responsibility. I wasn’t sure if they understood the changes that needed to be made but at least they were present to accept their punishment.

I checked the time and one by one left them to return to their free time and other assorted duties. Taylor was first, happy to leave the boys behind she dropped the cleaning supplies she was using and ran off down the hall. Wilson was next. He made sure to throw the supplies he was using into one of the buckets. Greg and Brad were left to finish cleaning up the room. I let them go after scrubbing a table thoroughly. More food would get spilled on it by the end of the day, but it was looking nicer now. The two boys ran off after they finished leaving me to store the collected supplies in storage. I watched the pair run down the hall with the rest. Brad followed behind Greg. It was almost time for the next lesson.