Lore!Wikitale Drafts

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## Chapter 1: Hargest

Track sat in the corner, huddled up inside of a rusted cage he couldn't think of anything, it's not that his mind was empty. Rather it was the exact opposite, his mind overflowed with thoughts to the point where he couldn't find a single thing to focus on. He couldn't tell how long he'd been in this cramped excuse of an orphanage. Months? Years? Time had become almost non-existent from the moment he stepped into this place, what had once been a lovely home for children without families bustling with life and noise had become something akin to a circus.

Everyday, he'd see another child taken out of the orphanage, before they were taught that the kid was simply being adopted. But they learned the truth, there was no adoption for them, they were slaves. He didn't know why they'd want a bunch of starving kids as their personal playthings, but he could only assume it wasn't for anything good.

"Number 1024, Exit." A large man walked into the room, each of his steps reminded the orphans of the trauma they'd experienced in this purgatory. The beatings, the insults, they were barely treated as human anymore. Sometimes, two kids were taken out and one would return, covered in who knows what.

"Number 1024?" The guard looked down at Track, who backed further into his cage, hoping to hide from his gaze somehow. He noticed this and scowled at him, quickly unlocking the cage and grabbing Track by the collar. "You punk, when you're called, you answer. Understood?", Track nodded he was reminded of the bruise he had received on his arm just a little while ago. "Good. Now come on, you're getting adopted."

'N-No' Track wanted to call out, but his throat could barely utter out a whisper, who knew what fate would await him if he were to get adopted. He grabbed the wrist of the man, hoping to at least loosen his grip but was ignored. He was barely even a fly compared to him, but he didn't want to die, he didn't want to be a slave, he wanted to go back to how it used to be. He would give anything just to taste the bland porridge they were once served one more time, but there was no way to reverse time. What's done is done, he was probably going to be sold off. He let go of the guard and was brought to a room, it was entirely constructed of cold metal, even the chairs and table. The guard sat him down in one of the chairs before leaving the room.

"Hello, Rays Hargest." A stranger said, sitting in the chair in front of him. This one looked far kinder than the guard though, his clothes made it obvious he was a noble of sorts but his athletic build made it difficult to tell.

"H...Hi." Track looked downwards, trying to avoid looking him directly in the eyes. The stranger just laughed "No need to be afraid, I'm here to adopt you."

Track clenched his fist "You...You don't adopt people...you take them away." he still struggled to speak properly, noticing this the stranger knocked on the wall, demanding that Track be brought some water. When the guard arrived with a cup of ice cold water, Track immediately gulped it down. He had taken it for granted back then, but now he truly realized how much of a privilege something as trivial as a cup of water was. "Now that you've healed up that throat of yours, tell me what your opinion is on your adoption?" his voice was a mix between kind and threatening.

Track drank the last bit of water in his cup and looked at the stranger with newfound determination "You're all a bunch of jerks who buy us to do your dirty work." he pointed "I bet those kids you take out are put into some sort of game for your sick entertainment, right?". His personality change shocked the stranger, but he seemed pleased "Well, I suppose some patrons do in fact do that, not me though. I simply want to grant you a choice. You could either join the Crusaders of Helgum or stay here."

"Crusaders?"

"A group of 'holy knights' if you will. You see, Helgum has recently come upon some information that other kingdoms have become corrupt. They do horrible things that no one should do. The Crusaders exist to purify and convert those people and create a better tomorrow for the next generation. We simply wish the best for this world that we all must share."

"But...what would I gain?" Track asked, pretending as if he had any idea what the guy was talking about.

"We'll provide you with food, housing, healthcare. All of your basic needs just for some knight service. It's essentially just a job, you'll even be paid generously depending on the missions you complete for us. Of course you could reject any time during the service."

"Okay." He didn't even take the time to think, all he needed was food and good house, as long as he had that he was fine with doing anything.

"Lovely! We'll be taking you then."