Lined in Silver and Gold

Prologue

The saints were leaning down, whispering amongst themselves, as they stared at a small infant with dull, yellow eyes. They had arrived at the entrance just moments earlier, having been startled by the rough knocks on the door in such a horrid weather. They were stunned as they glanced at the infant and weather, looking back and forth between the two. 

Besides the streaks of lightning, the day exuded an unforgiving darkness. Thunders clapped and the winds whistled in every direction while the splatters of rain assisted in the horrid scenery. The drops grew heavier with each second, pounding on the cemented road and pelting after the grass on the field, filling the entire ground with frigid water. 

The saints cried for me that day, tears pouring from their sympathetic heart, crying for my inhumane beginning.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, one of the saints pushed her sisters aside and reached out for me, holding my basket to her chest.

She gazed at my face for a while longer before uttering a few words: "I name you, Aurum, for your golden eyes shine with life despite facing such a cruel fate."

With a final glance at the horrid weather, they took me deeper into the cathedral.

...

For most of my life, I was brought up at Saint Faraday's Cathedral, a large gray building located in the midst of the capital city. The cathedral was a crown-sponsored facility that was run by religious saints as an attempt to give orphans a plain and normal life. The saints were elderly ladies who volunteered from the goodness of their heart. They were gentle towards us, and they would comfort us in our scariest nights and protect us from the unforgiving world. Thanks to them, we experienced an inkling of a normal life. I loved our caretakers. And though they may be strict at times, their generosity and dedication were more than compensation enough. But, despite all their gentleness and optimism toward us, there was still an unsinkable feeling of hopelessness. After all, we were unwanted children, nothing more than a burden to society. And while the saints cherished each of our dreams, no one would expect us to achieve them.

For a time, I accepted this, knowing that my life was ruined from the start and that my fate would have been much crueler if not for the saints. I would just live the life destined for us: a life of peasantry without a true purpose, just living our lives till the day we die.

...

The recruiter arrived a little after noon. He marched towards the cathedral, surveying the area, before his eyes landed onto one of the saints, a woman in her fifties who could always be seen carrying a loaf she found in the storehouse.

The saint froze for a split-second and then massaged her own arms, attempting to appear calm, before formally greeting him as he approached the entrance. "Welcome, the journey must have been long. Please have a seat before we do the testing."

With a curt nod, the man stepped into the cathedral, ducking under the doorway, and took a brief look around the interior before taking the seat offered by the saint. Mystified by the recruiter's presence, the saint simply stood for a moment before jolting back into action.

"Would you like a drink?" While she said this, another saint whispered into her ear, explaining the situation.

"No thanks. Let's just get started now."

With those words, the cathedral exploded with activity. Several saints left the building while several more entered, hurriedly finding and herding the children into rows each time they returned. This cycle continued until all the orphans were gathered in front of the recruiter. Confused by the entire situation, and annoyed at having their recess interrupted, all the orphans glared at the recruiter.