"I told you to stand up!" A sound of a whip and a horrendous scream echoe through the mining grounds.
It's a usual sight, a discipline soldier beating on the labor force. I looked up to see who was the newest victim, it looked to be a old man in his late 80s or 90s.
No wonder he can't keep up, a man that age shouldn't be working.
That's probably what any normal person with a reasonable amount of moral compass should be thinking, right? Well not me.
What I'm thinking about is what an amazing feat it is to reach such an age as a Red.
No wonder the guards are beating on him, they must be very frustrated and offended at the mans age. After all the usual life span of a Red is 20-30 although there's a very high possibility that it could be earlier than that.
The soldier probably sees the mans age as a act of rebellion, because it almost amounts to theirs.
I think as I quickly load the crystals up the thought of helping the poor man hasn't even crossed my mind. After all, there's no heroes among the misfurtunate.
I learned that the hard way.
I quickly loaded the crystals up and started my two hour walk to the likeware factory. I had to hurry home to keith an- "Noy, Noah!"
I turned around to see who so rudely interrupted my train of thought. I had already narrowed it down by the nickname they called me.
It was Roy, Roy underbridge to be exact.
We were teammates on a hunting expedition I saved him from a couple of wolves and ever since he's been stuck to me like a magnet, although I'm not complaining. After all you gotta have someone You can trust around here.
"What is it? Roy, are you trying to have the guards beat me too?" Noah asked.
"Sorry Noy it's just I've finished my daily duties and was wondering if I can sleepover yours tonight?" I can bring food."
Noah looked at him uneasily before responding.
"I'm not sure, today's not the best day." Noah says. "I was just about to walk to the labor factory to hand over these crystal cores, and then find keith so we can go home together."
I just don't think this is the rig-." Noah doesn't get to finish his sentence, before Roy adds to it.
Please my dad just went to a interview to try out for a higher position."
Noah eyed him a bit confused.
"But Roy isn't that a good thing?" Noah asked.
"I know what a drunkard he is but isn't it a good thing that he's trying to better himself for yo-."
"He's not trying to better himself!" Roy yells out.
And at this point I'm convinced he's trying to get us a beating.
"At least not for me." Roy says in a quieter voice.
And at this point I'm starting to feel imaculately bad, but I'm still curious so I ask.
"Okay I get that but I still don't understand why you're asking to stay the night I mea-. "
"Because I know that he's not gonna get it and once he's been rejected he's gonna take it out on me." Roy says his hand formed into a fist.
I look Roy up and down, and admire the way he has made me full of guilt already. But I can tell he's feeling bad about asking this of me.
This is a sad day for me, and my family. He himself knows it. But he is my friend. "Think tha-." Noah tries to utter out before his interruption.
It's alright I know it's a sad day and I'll probably be a nuisance, I'll just find another place to stay at."
Roy says as he rubs the back of his head.
"It's no bother ,really." I mean, I can always
sta-."
You know you're really starting to piss me off underbridge."
Roy looks at me confused and says.
What?"
Clearly not understanding the problem.
"I'll elaborate".
Your constant interruption is not helping your case, it's just making me wanna punch you."
Roy chuckles.
"yeah sorry I was just really nervous." Roy says continueing to rub the back of his head.
"Next time just be nervous without the interrupting part."
They both look at each other for a few moments in silence before bursting into fits of laughter. After they both had calmed down a bit they both stopped holding their stomachs and straighten their backs, there were still a few chuckles and snickers here and there.
"Yeah sorry about that Noy, really." You could see the sincerety in his eyes when Roy apologised, I couldn't stay pissed that long.
"Apology accepted and of course you can stay the night." Noah said sincerely.
"You're pulling my tail now aren't ya." Roy asked seemingly serious.
"You have such weird comparisons." Noah says mockingly.
"Just answer." Roy says, I chuckle at the unusual expression.
"No Roy I'm not pulling you're tail." I say trying to maintain a serious expression. But before I can get my poker face on he jumps on me inevitably making us both fall to the ground and making a loud thud noise.
"This is why you're my best friend: you're the best."
I didn't even hear what he said, I was too busy trying to look past his shoulder to see if the soldiers heard the loud noise. Luckily they were too busy watching the other soldier beat the old man.
We were lucky this time I think to myself.
"Roy have you lost it?" Noah says with a grim expression.
"Noy were having a moment don't ruin it."
Roy says with an earnest utterance.
"If the moment is going to lead to me being beaten to death than I would rather not have it." Noah says with a little bit of sarcasm in his voice.
"You're no fun." Roy says with a mischievious expression.
"Indeed, now get off me."
Noah demanded.
"Yeah yeah." Roy says as he gets off Noah.
"Wanna walk to the factory together?" Roy asked.
"As long as you don't jump on me again I think I can." Noah says contemptuously.
"I'll try my best." Roy says with a laugh, I don't reply and begin my 5 mile walk to the labor factory.
While Noah and Roy were talking, a boy ran up to him and jumped on his back. "Explain the 6 factions standings to me again." The boy demanded.
Noah wasn't surprised, the boy always came up to him and asked him to explain the social hierarchy of the 6 factions.
Even though it was tiring to explain the same thing over and over again, he still wouldn't dare to refuse. Not because of his age, but because his father is good pals with the guards.
The first time the boy came up to him he of course didn't know about it so he ended up swearing at the kid, the boy started to cry and ended up telling his father which ended up in me being beat half to death by the guards, and the dad.
Recalling that memory I didn't waste time and just started explaining, while also giving the boy a piggyback.
Roy didn't look surprised, it wasn't the first time it happened and certainly won't be the last. But he erased all those thoughts and started listening to what Noah was saying.