A ray of light flashes over Alistair on all sides. After the light dissipates it reveals the boy to be wearing a form fitting full bodied suit.
He feels slightly constricted in the suit but feels it does not get in the way as much as his jacket once did. He then looks curiously towards the mirror.
The voice on the speaker says, "Well even if you have not had previous training before, we are required to test you on your battle prowess. Please either pick a weapon or attack bare handed."
Alistair asks, "All I have to do is hit that thing and then I'm done?"
There is no response to his question. Alistair assumes that he is correct and walks over to the table littered with various weapons. Swords, maces, spears, shields, guns and everything else one could imagine being considered a standard weapon lays before his eyes.
He glances over everything, ultimately choosing nothing on the table he goes towards the mannequin and stops in front of it.
"You may begin combat whenever you are ready." The gritty voice states.
Gerald pays close attention to Alistairs movements hoping to redeem himself for believing in headmaster choice of sending Alistair to them. However, Alistairs performance does not live up to his expectations.
Alistair goes on the offensive. Without overthinking things, he imitated what he saw the beast do in the vision he had in the wilds. He held his arms forward and fingers stiffened as if imitating claws.
Gerald sees Alistair getting into this bizarre position and suspects that maybe this child actually does know something amazing and his face begins to light up in joy.
After Alistair gets into position, he lunges at the mannequin and begins mauling it. Scratching it with his finger nails and biting any part of it that can fit into his mouth.
He chose to imitate that as it was the most ferocious and bloody seen he had seen as of yet. Unfortunately for him though, to the spectators, it only looked like a child flailing about in his first confrontation.
Geralds face fell immediately after watching this scene. "He can't be serious..." He looks over at his colleague with the gritty voice and sees him smirking at him. Unable to take it anymore Gerald pushes a button on the desk in front of them and says, "I have seen enough."
A door fades in from nothing onto a wall of the white room. Alistair hears the voice over the speaker
"We have seen enough, you are in infestation training. Proceed through the door. Your instructor will take you from there to get you settled in."
Alistair stops in the middle of gnawing on the hand of a mannequin and walks to the door. Eager to be done with the test he opens the door and walks through. In front of him appears a single sized bed and desk in a space that could barely be considered a walk in closet.
After walking through he hears the door close behind him and he turns to look at it in surprise. What he sees though is a fit lean man who couldn't be more than 30 dressed in a form fitting black top and baggy cargo pants.
The man immediately begins speaking before allowing Alistair to process the situation.
"My name is Terell Washington. You may address me as Professor Washington. I will be showing you around the area only once so commit it to memory and ask any questions needed. Please follow me."
He then turns around and opens the door to the room Alistair had been directed to from the assessment and begins walking away.
Alistair shuffles to catch up to Professor Washington and begins firing off questions as they come to his mind.
"What is this place? Why am I taking tests? I thought this was just a place to meet people and get adopted how come I had to fight? What's infestation training?" The questions fired off in such rapid succession it leaves Professor Washington slightly taken aback.
However, with the demeanor of a professional, he responds in quick succession.
"The Diamond In The Rough Orphanage. Orphanages double as academies and this military academy needs to assess your bodies condition. To make sure you can handle the training. You will be finding out the training after the tour."
After answering all questions in a single breath Professor Washington takes a deep inhale and looks quizzically at Alistair. "From these questions, it's apparent that you are completely new to this concept..."
He puts on a stern expression. "I won't pry into how you were accepted but I will let you know now that I offer no preferential treatment regardless of backing. Now let me show you around."
Professor Washington gave Alistair a very detailed tour. The cafeteria, gymnasium, library, classrooms, dorms, and more, all of the places he would need to know to get by at the orphanage. Explaining all their uses and how they will affect him.
After finishing the tour, Professor Washington took Alistair back to his dorm room and hands him a stack of papers and says,
"Your classes and all other information can be found inside those papers. So with the tour concluded do you have any final questions that you want answered?"
Alistair thinks for a second and after processing everything he was shown during the tour he nods his head and says,
"At the cafeteria you said they give you food based on your contribution points. What are contribution points, how do I get them, and does that mean I will go without food until I earn them?"
After being given the tour, Alistair's stomach began feeling that familiar pain. This time though it was not as bad as the previous time. "It seems like the pain gets less and less by a small amount after each time I eat." Alistair thought to himself.
Professor Washington methodically explained, "Contribution points are rewards handed out by the mission hall. They are earned by students who complete tasks assigned by the mission hall. Students are given a free meal voucher every day. It expires at midnight each day but you are granted a new one the moment the old one expires."
He pulls out a card that is paper-clipped at the top of the stack of papers he handed to Alistair.
"This is your meal card. You can get one entree and two sides along with one drink per day. If you want more food or more luxurious food you will have to work for it." He gives the card back to Alistair who holds it as if a precious treasure.
"Okay, that's all my questions for now. Thank you!" Alistair smiles brightly as he did before with Bethany Brightstar. He finally feels like he will not have to worry about living and about how to satisfy his cravings.
Professor Washington simply nods his head and turns to leave saying, "I'll see you in class tomorrow. I would tell you to be prepared for the worst, but I'm sure you already expected that the moment you went through the tests in the assessment."
He closes the door behind him leaving that statement. Alistair being left in the room notices a pile of clothes on the bed and a note. He goes to pick up the note and looks at it.
It was at this moment Alistair realized a monumental problem he faces. He cannot read.