Hael lived in a mountain civilization known as Naul. It had started out as a perfectly normal kingdom, but over time, it had developed into a thing that they called a Goatancy. In a Goatancy, the power was shared between three officials. The Elder, Prestaog, and the Sook.
The Prestaog is chosen in probably the most extraneous way possible. When a man or woman kills a goat with his/her bare hands, he/she is placed on the List. When a new Prestaog must be chosen (when the previous one passes on to the Next), everyone on the list is placed in a different box around a large arena. Each box has two holes cut in them for the candidates to put their hands through.
After all the candidates are ready, a goat is placed in the center of the arena and is allowed to wander around. Whichever candidate's hands the goat touches first is the next Prestaog.
Basically, to be a Prestaog, you need to have strength, high tolerance for disgusting things, and access to tasty goat treats.
The Elder takes on an apprentice to replace him when he dies.
As for the Sook, most of the people only know of it as a mystical being of great power and intellect. Only a few know the truth.
No one knows how this system originated, but the creator was obviously slightly insane. Somehow, it had existed throughout the years and hadn't been thrown out the window years ago. Perhaps the people were too lazy to devise a new system. Or they were afraid that in the process of creating a new system they would lose the voice of the people.
Any person is allowed to propose a new law or change, and if he/she can get at least 1,000 signatures, it will go to the Elder. If he/she agrees, it goes to the Prestaog, and then finally to the Sook. Any of the three leaders are also allowed to propose a new law or change.
Hael was fifteen (almost sixteen) years old, which meant that he had only been five years old when his parents died. Not something any five year old should have to go through (or anyone for that matter) and it had been one of the main causes that he was only semi-normal. But that's ok. No one likes a normal person. Unless you like a normal person. In which case we have a difference of opinion. Which is ok. I guess. Where was I? Ah, yes...
The orphanage that Hael had been sent to was directly funded by the government's tax rilns (the official currency of Naul). In return for the funding, all of the orphans were required to serve in the army once they turned sixteen. The orphans had to serve for four years without pay, and then were allowed to either quit or continue to serve and be paid normal wages.
Hael was about a week away from turning sixteen. Naul was in the middle of a war with the kingdom of Kiy, Naul's closest neighbor in the East. They were fighting for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Or, at least close to no reason. Some soldier of Naul had his lunch stolen by a soldier of Kiy or something like that. Somehow the whole countries got involved and somehow they declared war on each other. As you can see, most people in the region were idiots.
Hael had no interest in risking his life or killing innocent people for no reason whatsoever. War sucks anyway, and when it's over a stolen lunch it sucks even more.
So, naturally, Hael was going to run away. He was, in fact, in the process of running away when he ran into an Ass.
