Two Stories

Aldred II

I awoke to someone rapping the door with an intensity that threatened to knock it down.

I shambled to my nightstand and struggled to make myself presentable for whoever was outside and simply refused to wait a second longer, continuing to knock as if the fate of the world depended on him hitting the door as rapidly as possible. Before I could arrive I saw my father and mother standing at the doorway simply looking at it like a sailor might look at a too large wave. Like I imagine he would've looked at the flames Galen started.

It unsettled me, but it didn't stop me from opening the door before it caved in the face of the intense knocking. Waiting at the other end was the short man from earlier, flanked by two armored guards and clutching tightly to a sheaf of papers and a pen. As the door opened his face twisted into a smile, if you could call it that. It was unsettling how forced it seemed.

"Ah, of course it would be your child who would not come to The Examinations," he said, overlooking me and addressing my father. "Fortunately for you, I am an astute civil servant, have followed my duty without fail, and will have every youth in this town take the Examinations. And I will have everyone of age take them."

"Please. Be reasonable. One child not taking the examinations will do nothing to change your chances of promotion. I beg you. Allow him to stay. No one needs to know." My father frantically pleaded as the two guards flanking the short one walked over to him menacingly. Knowing that armed men impassively walking towards a family member is never a good thing, I stepped forward.

"I'll go," I announced while going to follow the wryly smiling, incredibly unlikable short man.

He turned and motioned for the guards to follow him.

"I have no idea what the fuss is, it is after all just a test," he lowered his voice to a raspy whisper as he tried unsuccessfully to conceal what he told the guard at his right. "I find it very unlikely that any of these farmers' kids will be taken to the Capital anyways."

I followed him to the in where all the children sat in a bored silence, all of them looking as if they wanted this farce to be over. Even the short man who was so insistent on rounding everyone in the town up seemed about to fall over from the dullness of the occasion. After letting the quiet stretch out for a little longer he finally spoke.

"This is a chance for you to get out of this pit and go to Alendrin, the largest and most amazing city in the world in order to work for the largest and most amazing empire to ever grace the face of our planet under, if you are fortunate enough, a king that was mandated by the most holy God to rule. That is the opportunity that is being presented to you in the form of these pieces of parchment being placed in front of you. We recommend that you treat it as such, and try your best. You have two hours to complete whatever the Examination asks of you, no more no less. Your time starts now."

I opened the pamphlet and started writing.