Dawn of a Thousand Suns, Book I: Arch De Angels

Chapter III

"Wake up, Michael!" The sleepless night made it even more difficult to wake up.

"Michael!" It was the caregiver. "Get up! Now!" Michael found it difficult until she woke him up. "There is much to do, but you have done nothing for two days".

Michael got up slowly, stretched, and jumped out of the bed. He put on his sleeveless jerkin and threw on a piece of cloth once referred to as a cape over his shoulders. The cold made him realize he had forgotten to put on his shoes, so he went back into the room.

The corridor was full of newly awaken boys. The girls' dorms were on the upper floor. They were following the boys down the stairs to the garden. Still yawning, Michael also mingled with kids and joined in the line.

Several kids were being herded to the academy by some of their caregivers, others remained in their lines to sing the anthem and then go to work.

After they sang the anthem to praise the Arc De Lugdar family, the watchman unlocked the rusty lock of the gate, and the children, encircled by the caregivers, left the premises one by one. The shelter was on the top of the hill, looked down on Mondelay. Thick forest surrounded the place and kids' daily duty was to collect twigs there.

Michael had difficulty finding Lucius among other boys while he was collecting the fallen branches on his own. Afterward, all the collected wood had to be taken to the shelter. Beginning part of the forest was quite light as the sunshine could easily escape through scattered-around trees and colored up the rough tree barks.

"Why do they make us sing in the morning?" Lucius had silently approached him.

"That's how it has always been like as far as I remember. I wouldn't ask the caregivers though if I were you," answered Michael.

"Does your head hurt much?"

"Not really," he answered briefly. Lucius had taken the bandage off his head.

Michael took a long breath and threw the twigs he was carrying on the pile. Then he turned to Lucius, who was gazing at something near the tree roots. Far away you could spot Derek and Jamey, but with caregivers all around, he was not afraid of them.

"Work, or if the caregivers see you standing idly, they will beat you up", Michael warned Lucius and continued collecting the twigs and branches.

The Sun was not warm, but it generously poured its light all over the orphans in the forest. Having taken Michael's advice, Lucius started collecting the branches and putting them on the enormous pile. Michael found it difficult to describe Lucius and his peculiarities but observing every move, he could tell that he had nothing in common with other shelter kids. He was not what one might call a typical orphan.

"Break time!" announced the caregiver, opened up a huge stack and started distributing some dark bread. Each would get one piece, so there seemed no reason As the caregiver gave him his piece of baked dough, Michael walked towards the tree log close by. Lucius was the last to get his share and, munching his bread away, he headed toward Michael. Lucius had eyes of different colors. One of them was golden like the reflection of the Sun, whereas the other eye was emerald green. It seemed he could look deep in people's souls, and this deep look created the illusion of calmness, although you might find anything but peace in them.

Michael ate his slice of bread reluctantly. The early spring chill felt more bitter during the break, so Michael stood up to warm up a bit. There was no one else nearby.

"But why did you save me or where did you find that medicine?"

"My parents were village healers," Lucius only answered the second part of the question.