Last Scion Of The Sun

You're a boy?

The more closer the guard got towards the place where he hid the picture, the more nervous he got.
Out of fear and nervousness, he closed his eyes. Just when he thought that he'd get caught, the guard marked a number on his clothes and spoke;
"You can go"
"Huh?"
He stammered with his eyes wide open in shock.
"Didn't you hear me? Move forward"
Hearing that, Sol quickly marched forward without looking back. He knew that if he spoke more, he'd only get himself in trouble. Thus, without further questioning the guard, he exited the scene.
Finally after countless inspection, he was left with only his naked body and the clothes provided by them.
After inspection, everybody were required to pass through a tunnel like hallway. There in the hallway, they were required to get dressed and walk towards the wooden door at the end of the hallway.
Sol put on the clothes provided by them. His clothes were a little oversized for him but surprisingly, it felt comfortable. Clothes were luxury to Sol who used to live in slum.
He'd put on any clothes, he'd get his hands on. Whether that be thrown away clothes or ragged clothes with several holes in it.
For the first time in his life, he was finally wearing a cloth without any holes in it. The moment felt surreal to him.
"Oh! What's this? It says 17"
While looking at the number embedded on his t-shirt and half pant, he exclaimed.
He then walked towards the wooden door. Gently pushing the door, he finally exited the hallway.
His eyes were open wide in shock as soon as he exited the door. The scenes of the slave encampment was totally different from what he had witnessed back then.
The ragged clothes of the captivities, their emaciated and soulless look, their body covered in bruises and wounds gave him chills.
Just when he was frozen in shock, two guards stationed at the entrance of the wooden door pushed him.
[Move brat! We don't have all day to wait for you to move.]
One of the guard yelled at him.
Anger started to rise in him as he staggeringly fell down. But listening to the voice of the guard, he kept his cool and tucked up his anger.
While picking himself up, he joined the queue of the slaves. In a straight line, they followed the guard who was leading them.
As they followed him around the slave encampment, it became crystal clear to them that there stay at the slave encampment won't be a pleasurable stay.
Finally at one of the tent, the guard which was leading them stopped. The sudden stoppage of the guard startled some people as they bumped into each other.
"Everyone stop"
The guard halted.
"This will be where you'll be staying. So raise your hands and step forward as I call your numbers."
'What numbers?'
Sol wondered.
"The numbers embedded on your clothes. From now on those numbers will be the identity that define you. And in this encampment those numbers will be your identity. And I'll warn you, those numbers are really important. So keep that in mind, if you want to survive in the camp."
The guard continued.
As the guard kept on explaining, the chatters of the people were getting louder.
"Stop your chatter this instance and stop babbling. You must do whatever you're ordered to do. Those who defy the order shall be punished. So keep that in mind."
The guard yelled.
Hearing his yells, everybody stopped their chatters and movement.
After that he began to call on the numbers. Everybody who's number were being called, voluntarily stepped forward and followed his commands.
Soon everybody were allocated their beds and their respective accomodations.
Sol was placed in a tent with 3 other people. Their respective numbers were 157, 95 and 25. With him being the number 17, the lowest among them, there were altogether four of them in their tent.
'What's this? Are we not being allocated in numerical order?'
He thought while looking at their numbers.
He remembered the words of the guard. The emphasis the guard put on the numbers. But as he looked more closely, he noticed a faint sensation of mana from the number 25.
'Do the number indicate our magical prowess?'
He wondered.
He couldn't feel any mana from the number 95 and number 157. He kept wondering about his assumptions, but having no evidence to support his claims, he stayed silent.
Number 157 who had a long face and sleepy eyes which were barely visible, even when it was wide open broke the silence between them.
"Hey guys! I know that most of you are scared and I'm scared as well. But since we're inmates, I thought that it would be better for us to introduce ourselves."
The rest of them spoke nothing and nodded their head. While number 25 simply ignored them and paid no attention.
"I'm Fred and I'm from the northern part of the empire."
Number 157 cheerfully introduced himself.
"You're from the northern part of the empire? I'm also from the northern part of the empire."
"Oh yeah I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Alfred and I'm a son of a merchant."
Number 95 excitedly spoke.
"I'm from the city of Geno. In our hometown we used to sell timber and make our living."
Fred replied.
Alfred's eyes were similar to that of Fred and even their facial features were kinda similar. They both looked like long lost cousins who were separated in some kind of festival.
'Pft.. haha, What the hell? They look the same.'
Sol wondered while holding back his laughter.
Alfred and Fred were deeply engrossed in their conversation that they barely paid any attention towards Sol and number 25.
"Could you stop your yapping?"
Number 25 coldly spoke, expressing a hint of annoyance.
From the begining, number 25 kept his mouth shut and didn't mingle with them. With a pale white skin, long blond hair, blue eyes and feminine face, everybody assumed him as a girl.
"Why must we stop, princess?"
Alfred contorted his face and replied.
"Huh? Princess? Who are you calling princess, you box face?"
A fight was about to break between the two of them, as they continued to argue with each other. Just before the fight broke out, Fred interrupted and stopped them both.
"Look we're sorry about being loud."
Fred apologized.
Number 25, hearing the apology of Fred dropped his anger and calmly settled down. Alfred felt bad for making Fred apologize, thus he too dropped his anger and settled down.
Sol who was observing the whole situation, kept his mouth shut and did nothing. As if enjoying the drama unfolding before his eyes, he observed the whole situation with a smile on his face.
"What are you smiling about, you shorty?"
Number 25 stared at Sol with his icy gold gaze.
Listening to him, Sol quickly retracted his smile and maitained a poker face.
A long silence followed through after that whole mess.
"By the way, what's your name? Also you look like, you belong to some kind of nobility."
Sol asked number 25 unable to hold back his curiosity.
While all of them were focused on trivial affairs and chitchats, Sol was constantly observing everybody and everything present there.
"Why do you ask?"
Number 25 furrowed his eyebrows and coldly replied.
"Well no particular reasons. I just thought that you are too pretty to be a commoner."
"Huh pretty?"
Number 25 raised his voice.
"Yeah pretty. Isn't that how we address a beautiful girl? I learnt it from the guys of the slums. That's how they address a girl."
"What the F*** dude? I'm a guy."
Number 25 yelled.
"What? You're a dude?"
All three of them choired in one single voice.
Neither of those three had expected number 25 to be a boy. But when number 25 revealed himself as a boy, they were utterly shocked.
All three of them were misguided by his feminine appearance and they naturally assumed him as a girl.
The atmosphere around them got awkward as number 25 revealed himself as a boy.
To broke the awkwardness between them, Fred spoke;
"You both have yet to introduce yourself?"
Only Sol and number 25 were the ones remaining to introduce themselves afterall. Number 25 still hesitated to introduce himself.
Noticing his hesitation Sol introduced himself first so that number 25 would have no choice but to introduce himself as well, since he'll be the last one remaining.
"I'm Sol. I lost my mother recently in this war and I haven't seen my father from my birth. So logically speaking, I'm an orphan.
"We're sorry to hear about that."
Fred and Alfred quickly apologized listening to Sol's introduction.
"Don't sweat it, you don't need to apologize."
Sol replied back with a smile.
Seeing the cheerful face of Sol, who've lost his mother cheerfully introducing himself, number 25 could no longer keep his identity hidden.
"I'm Lance. And as you've mentioned previously, I'm not a commoner. I come from the house of 'Steelheart' who excell in sword combat. And also one of the nobility of the empire."