Boom! Boom! Boom! Adan awoke with a start, oh thank God it was just a dream! Boom! Boom! Boom! Again the loud sounds interrupted his thoughts. Come on boy, it's time to complete your chores. A gruff voice resounded through the door, you'll get no breakfast if you delay any longer. Adan stood up from his bed and slipped into his servants robe, unfortunately they were only cleaned once a week. His robe smelled of sewage and had several stains and small tears along the hem from his daily duties.
"I'm coming Maestro, I'll be right out!" Adan yelled as he sighed internally. "I don't know how much longer I can keep up with this grueling work." After he tidied himself up a bit he walked slowly toward the door, all the while imagining what rotted nasty thing he would find in the sewers of the city today. His stomach rolling in dread, there hasn't been a single day in the two years he had worked the sewers that he hadn't lost his breakfast.
Opening his door and looking out he immediately spied the taskmaster Maestro, "It's about time you get out of bed you lazy shit!" the man replied with a smile on his face. He may have spoken rudely, but, Adan knew this man cared for him more than anyone in the city, or in the world for that matter. He slyly replied to the old man, "Yes, Yes, the savior of the sewers has arisen, oh what will they ever do without me to shovel their shit?" He then jumped forward quickly as Maestro took a halfhearted swing attempting to slap the back of his head.
"Now that you're up lets make our way to the mess hall and get some meat on those bones!" the man replied with a laugh that shook his fat belly vigorously. They began walking quickly through the halls, it never ceased to amaze him, despite the man's heavy stature he could move extremely fast. Approaching the mess hall, Adan could hear the laughter and conversations of several of the other apprentices.
It should be known Adan was proven to have enough aptitude with magic, that he was able to secure a spot as an apprentice at the Battle Academy. Unfortunately for him, because he had no known family connections he had to endure three whole years of labor before being allowed to sit amongst the vetted and more well known apprentices. After completing the years of labor, those who entered the Academy in this way were still looked down on and made fun of. Sewer rat, shit head, shit face, fudge packer and many more were the insults they would hear on a daily basis.
One would think performing the labors would give one a foot up on the other apprentices as far as physical strength, however they were greatly looked down upon by the powerful and well known families of the city.Adan hurriedly sat down in the mess hall and grabbed a roll and slathered it in butter, he also dipped himself out a bowl of the hearty beef stew, his favorite meal of all.
He bowed his head low and gave thanks for the food he had, despite the fact he would lose it all again within a few hours. I hope someone out there knows I appreciate this food and where I live now, despite the conditions it was better than the streets where he had lived before Maestro had found him. He was sick and skinny as a stalk of wheat when he was discovered in the cold soaking wet alley.
But, this man had given him a new hope. If he was able Adan would definitely lay down his life and everything he owned (which wasn't much) to help the man in the future. He swore to himself that when he became an apprentice he would not forget the kindness this man showed him. Adan was by all accounts a grateful young man, at only 16 he was very mentally mature from surviving in the streets.