Chapter 38 - New People(2)

After Randel left the girl woke up and looked at Arya, it looked like she was about to open her mouth to say something when one of the caretaker's entered the room to serve out breakfast. "You all only get one meal, no seconds and no complaining. You're lucky we're giving you food at all." said the caretaker.

This caretaker was a younger woman with a very small frame. As she spoke all the kids began to from a line in front of her, some of them were fighting to be ahead, "Hey don't fight in front of me, you might tip over the pot and ruin my dress. Honestly we should just throw you lot in prison." sneered the lady as she shouted at the kids who were fighting.

Arya was one of the last kids to get in line, when the girl saw Arya leaving she quickly stood up to follow him. She stayed close behind him, careful not to get too close but tailed him like a lost puppy. Once Arya got to the front of the line and got his meal, the girl looked at him seemingly confused, so she copied what he did and grabbed a bowl as well.

When the girl smelled what was inside it she quickly began gulping it down. The food is the bowl was a grey mush that to most would be inedible, but to the kids of the orphanage it was a privilege that they were lucky to have.

"Hey! What is she doing! Didn't I tell you to have her drop her food as well!" shouted Randel as he took the bowl from out of her hands and kicked her to the ground. The girl regurgitated what she had eaten and lay on the floor motionless. Seeing her on the floor like that set something off in Arya's mind. "Kill him! Kill him!" said both voices in Arya's head.

For the first time in 4 years Arya let mana collect in the palm of his hands, he let of a strong killing intent that startled Randel, making him move back a few steps. Just as he was about to shoot out a beam of ice at Randel the caretaker walked in. "Hey what did I tell you about fighting! That's it Randel get over here I've warned you several times about this. We're going to the Director's office."

As Randel left with the caretaker the girl stood up wiping off the tears and vomit that covered her face. She didn't seem sad and kept quiet, just staring at Arya and the bowl he held in his hand. Arya handed her the bowl and looked the other way, the girl was happy to oblige as she snatched the bowl and scarfed down all of its contents before someone else could try stealing her food.

"What are we doing here?" asked Arya to the other voices in his head. "I've told you many times to escape but you never listen. If you just use magic to blast your way out of here no one would be able to stop you" said another voice. "And what would we do once we got outside? Live on the streets? Die from the cold or starvation? Or do you want us to rob for a living." said the other voice.

"Thank you." said the girl once she was done eating, her voice was still a little hoarse but it seemed to have gotten better. Arya just looked at her and didn't respond. "My name's Terresa." said the girl holding out her hand that was still covered in vomit, when Arya didn't shake her hand she slowly withdrew it. "I was told that that's how you make friends. Am I doing it wrong?" asked the girl with a confused look on her face.

"She was told that's how you make friends? She's a weird one brother." laughed one of the voices in Arya's head. "We aren't brothers but you're right, she is a weird one. Maybe we shouldn't talk to her Arya." said the other. Arya ignored both voices and turned to look at the door.

Randel walked into the room with bruises all over his face, he seemed to have been disciplined by the Director. As he walked passed Arya he whispered, "This isn't over demon.". "Okay kids it's time to go to town." announced the caretaker as Randel took a seat at the back of the room and began discussing something with the other boys.

The caretakers of the orphanage would often take the orphans to town so they could beg for money, of course all that money would go into the hands of the director and the caretakers would steal a good share of it too. "If we find out that you haven't handed over all of the money given to you, you will be dealt with severely. It takes a lot of money to feed and take care of you and we need every penny." continued the caretaker.

"Ye right." mumbled a few kids, but no one had the guts to openly say it. The kids all grouped up behind the caretaker before heading out. Every orphan was assigned an area to beg at in order to increase the net of money they could draw in.

Teressa however didn't care to separate from Arya, she followed Arya to the spot he was assigned to and sat there as well. Arya was assigned to the city square, although Calburg was just a town it was many times bigger and more advanced than Draquerth.

Due to the fact it was a border town it was blessed with good commerce and many trades routes ran through it so the people of the town were quite well off. The Town square was quite busy, as many people walked around visiting shops or haggling for lower prices.

The buildings reminded Arya of Great Britain in the 1880's, although it seemed beautiful it gave Arya the impression that the people here were rather undeveloped. Arya noticed that there were no cars so their technology must not have been that advanced.

Although Arya was only about to turn 5 he usually thought about how advanced this world was, he assumed that since they had magic they had no need to create new technologies like those in his old world. At the center of the square was a huge fountain made of white marble with a statue of the Grand Magus as the water pump, that's where Arya and Terresa sat.

"Look at them, so filthy." said two young maidens as they stopped to stare at Arya and Teressa as if they were a circus act. "Ahh shut it, you two don't look so good yourself. I bet you would be hard pressed to find suitor's to marry you with faces like those." said an old man as the two girls quickly walked away covered red in embarrassment. "If it isn't the little runt. You know if you don't start begging the caretakers won't be too happy with you." said the old man as he handed Arya a few bronze coins.

"And who is this? Have you gotten yourself a girlfriend?" asked the old man as he held out his hand to shake the girl's hand, however Teressa hid behind Arya, seemingly afraid of the old man. "I see birds of a feather. Anyway I have to go, it's nice seeing your still alive." said the old man as he walked away.

The old man was a black smith who worked for the local smithy, he met Arya about a year ago when a group of older kids were picking on him. The man chased the other kids away but Arya didn't seem happy to be saved.. After realizing he was from the orphanage the man would sometimes stop by and give Arya food and money whenever he found him in sitting on town.