The Versati were worshipped as Gods. Noone dared to challenge their rule exept for one race, the Ismarels. Unable to control them, the Gods cursed them making it impossible to use any form of violence. Centuries later the descendants of the great wa...
The stale bread that the soldiers gave them during the journey was barely enough to fill their growling stomachs. They spent two days on the road before reaching their destination, a huge military camp built with large wooden buildings, each capable of housing hundreds of people.
They had passed a tall wooden wall on their way there and still had to ride the carriage for another hour before reaching the military camp. In the center the ground was elevated forming a large circle and most of the wooden buildings were built on it in a circular manner. That way their walls created a fortification blocking intruders from freely climbing the elevated area without using the portable bridges. If they chose the space between two buildings they would next face the wall of the next building. They would have to take another turn and as they passed another row of buildings they would enter another circle made of buildings. It was like a wooden maze.
Under the elevated area the ground had been flattened and planks had been placed on the sides creating a track that went around the camp. The carriage stopped close to one of the many fenced areas that were placed around the track.
The soldier shouted, rushing them to get off the carriage, almost tripping each other. The older children tried to help the smallest ones get down but that made the soldier shout even louder. Before they had the chance to find their footing, the guards that were stationed there grabbed and separated them into groups. A few of the youngest ones were taken to the buildings while the rest were divided and placed at the fenced areas.
The boy was pushed in one of the fenced areas with a few dozens of unknown children already there. They didn't pay much attention to him after a quick glance, so he remained in a corner near the entrance. The door opened and closed a few more times and new children were guided inside.
After a while the boy started noticing a pattern in their demeanor. In Amon village quite a few travelers and merchants passed by so everyone had to learn how to avoid dangers by observing their behaviours. For the ones that weren't allowed to fight back this was the most crucial skill for their survival.
He decided it would be better to focus on them than on his own anxiety and fear. Most were a couple of years older than him and looked more well built and taller. A minority of kids were wearing expensive clothes and walked inside full of confidence forming groups among themselves. Others with cheaper clothes, still better than his own, seemed glad to be there and were chatting merrily. The rest looked like him, afraid and alone.
"Hey, is this place free?" A joyful voice asked him. A child around his age was standing next to him dressed with worn out clothes that could only be described as rags, almost as dirty as his own.
"Were you sold or taken?" The friendly kid asked but, seeing the boy's eyes watering, he quickly raised his hands in a calming manner.
"Taken, got it" he sat down next to him "I was sold, my mother's husband couldn't feed any more of us. And i was the most troublesome. After I got into some trouble he decided to send me here, than to pay the fine" he stretched his legs and arms. "Still better than ending up in a cell, at least here I get to eat" he tapped his flat belly, leaned closer to the boy's ear and whispered like he was sharing a great secret "I heard that after stage 3B you even get to eat cheese, I can't wait to try some"
"Stage 3B?" The boy's whispering voice was hoarse after 2 days of not uttering a word.
"Well, I don't know exactly, I heard some kids talk about it on the way here. Basically, they will ask us to do some stuff like running or other things like exercises and lifting stuff. If you do it, you go to the next stage and get food and clothes. Those smug bastards know more but, they are not telling." The child nodded towards the group of the confident kids. "Their families are nobles and knights so they told them about stuff but they didn't tell me anything when I asked. Oh, by the way I'm..." A loud cough interrupted him. A soldier threw him a sharp glare. "Sorry boss" the child said to the guard and smiled. The soldier threw him another side look and kept walking. "Apparently we are not allowed to use our names while being here. I saw a kid getting beaten because he introduced himself after being warned about it" he raised his shoulders and turned his head around. Then with a mischievous smile he whispered "I am Leo by the way" and very theatrically he looked around with a serious face making the boy smile. "Oh, Mika is here" he said, jumped on his feet and waved his hands to catch her attention. A short girl with dark brown hair had just walked in. She blantanlty ignored him pretending she didn't hear him but, after he kept making a spectacle, she was forced to approach him.
"Don't call my name, I'm gonna be hit" she snapped at him.
"So, you also got caught" Leo said.
"No, I came here for fun" the girl snapped.
"Well, better than being sold at the joy house*" Leo said and chuckled at the angry look he received for his crude joke.
"Did the rest get away?" Mika asked.
"I doupt it, considering how many guards were chasing us. The bastards came prepared to wipe us out"
"We had it coming, I guess"
The boy wasn't sure what they were talking about and decided not to pry but Mika noticed him listening. She threw him a glance and turned back to Leo.
"Are you making new friends?"
Leo srugged his shoulders "We'll see" he said and winked at the boy. Mika threw another cold look at the boy.
"Do as you see fit. I'm going to see if anyone else was sent here" she said and left.
"Don't mind her. She needs some time to open up but I could think of noone better to have my back" Leo explained when she was far enough not to hear them.
"And you?" The boy asked still wary of him.
"I don't need time" he grinned.
#
*Joy house: brothel
Sketch of the training camp:
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