Disciple of Fire

Chapter 1: The Ceremony

The ceremony began the same as any other. Those aged fourteen were all in a line down the middle of a sprawling palace. Older children off to the left, younger ones to the right. Banners drape down, lapping at the ground from the vaulted cathedral ceiling, bearing a royal purple shade and a golden crest resembling some form of mythological creature. A dozen pillars extend the reach of the palace.

The line shuffles forward in small, hushed steps as the king passes on his judgment. The children are individually sent to a chamber on either side of His Majesty. Some are escorted out the grand front door. No younger kids know what's behind the doors, and the older kids are forbidden from saying anything. Any who do are quickly reprimanded.

17... 16... 15... I come closer and closer to being in front of Him. Glancing around, I see all the older kids standing like an army of statues, the color drained from their faces.

9... 8...7... My heart is in my throat as I approach the front of the line, ready to live like the rumors I've heard around my district. Looking to my right, I see various expressions from the younger children. Some were curious, others shaking anxiously, and a few were excited. Most weren't even interested, ready to go back to playing in the street or being with their families.

5...4... 3... As I get closer, I can see better what is happening. The King's right-hand woman is placing a strange, glowing crown on the heads of each child. It seems like the King is listening to the crown or maybe seeing something...

The King grumbles almost too quietly to hear, "Not them" or "They'll work." The boy in front of me steps up, and the crown goes on. "No," the King's voice was much clearer now.

The crown was quickly removed, and the boy was ushered to the door on the right. Screams echo through the hall for a moment as the door is opened and the boy is escorted in. A tingle runs up my spine, and I see the little kids nearest the door stiffen up. I'm next. I approach and look up at the king. Still, I can't discern any facial features because of the large stained glass windows behind him shining a beautiful mosaic of color onto the palace floor. I can see he is a large and built man. The light is glinting off his hair. His right-hand man places the crown on my head, and the silence grows even more deafening. The crown glows brighter, and I close my eyes in anticipation, but I don't hear anything. I slowly open one eye to see a shock on the King's servant's face. I have been to this ceremony every year since I was four and have not seen any of the King's staff show the slightest inkling of emotion. I glance over to the King, beginning to panic when he slowly begins to stand. This can't be good. I quickly close my eyes again, as hard as I can. Seconds go by, minutes. I can hear my heart beating out of my chest and my teeth grit hard enough that I fear they will shatter. It's as if a lifetime has passed by. I open them again to the King standing directly in front of me. I feel his commanding presence encapsulating me, his anger crawling under my skin. He leans down, still towering above me, and utters a single word.

"Out."

His soft stern voice sent a chill up my spine. I stare blankly for a second, out? Which door do i go through? I look around and see some older kids are white as sheets.

"Get OUT!" He shouts. Before I can turn back to the King, two servants grab me by my arms, and I'm lifted into the air. His voice boomed through the hall, causing every child present to stiffen up and hold their breath. I heard a few younger kids cry, but servants quickly came and pulled them into a separate room. They begin carrying me to the end of the hall, past the rest of the children in line, everyone still petrified, having heard the King raise his voice.

I thought I would just be taken outside the palace and brushed along, but we got out the door, and the servants kept walking, my legs dangling in the air. Down road after road, past poorer and poorer neighborhoods. Every person we passed on the street seemed to line up and watched as I was carried by all the way until we reached the wall. THUD. I hit the ground and slid. They must have thrown me. I try to stand up but am quickly forced back down. I manage to look toward the gate, struggling to turn my head. A giant twenty-foot wooden door is in front of me. Six guards run to the door and begin pulling it open. Only once it's fully open, am I allowed back up. I slowly stand and take in the vast forest in front of me. A small dirt path winds up before disappearing over the hill. I feel a shove in my back and gingerly take a step out past the door. The gate slams behind me, making me jump two feet into the air. They.. they actually kicked me out? I'm just a child. What could I... what could i have done to have them throw me out like this? No, surely this isn't real. I turn around and start smacking on the gate.