The air was still and quiet, smelling of dust and old wood and not smoke and fire. Grey morning light shone through the single window of their small shack in the Awdal slums.
His heart was hammering in his ribs. He gasped, his left hand flying to his left shoulder. His fingers trailed the cold, unfeeling metal latch. His drill-arm prosthetic lay on the bedstand next to him.
He held his shoulder. Thinking to himself.
It had been a dream. The same dream.
…
Located at the sea shores, far down the coast, each section separated by large gatezones, called Sections or Sets. Set 6, The lowest tier of the kingdom of Awdal.
A coastal kingdom, the capital set at the tip of the two colliding coasts, shaped as a colossal triangular lagoon. .From Kaito's room, he can see the high structures and the high tower as a lighthouse. To remind us of its existence and our place in this tier.
Kaito looks at it as shuttles fly across and in the highland, as he stretches his stale body.
He took one last look, then took his prosthetic and hopped off the bed.
The floor is so small that the bed covers the floor, with one motion he goes down with the ladder, and gets to the main floor.
With three steps avoiding the foot-sized hole on the floor as always, already standing next to the dinner table besides the door to the outside. On the table is a plate with cloth covering something, and an overused paper with erased sketches that says.
"Ole man Dakari have me doing early shifts, fancy breakfast for you this time, no complaints. See you on our way home " - Uzoma.
Kaito puts his prosthetic down and removes the cloth to see a fried two headed fish and blue beets.
"Stepping up your cooking Uz", Kaito said, as he took his lunch bag hanging on his chair. He put it on the table, opened it up and poured the food into the bag.
He lifted it up to check the weight, eating some parts of the fried fish before closing it with the strings attached at the edge of the opening.
Hanging it from the right side of his belt, leaving it slightly open so he could reach it without too much motion.
Taking a medium small water bag, laid beside the ladder. Brings it up, taking successive gulps to even out the weight.
Finally pinning it to his left side, then walking back up the ladder and pushing the board off on the roof like a made up escape door. Taking a step on the bedstand and heads out.
He stands on the roof and basks in the soot air, taking big inhales and exhales, while squatting down, cracking his knees and ankles. He stands up, grips his feet on the torn souls of his homemade buckled sandals, and loses them.
He looks down and sees the narrow and loud street.
Rows of people on two sides walking opposite to each other in a machined formation. One and half storied buildings made out of a weak mix of cement and wood.
Women on the top windows speaking to mugs connected to strings attached to the windows of the area, as they laugh, argue and gossip with each other, while doing chores.
Kaito takes a few steps back.
Taking an agile leap to the other building. Soaring through the soot air, legs tucked in and his one arm laid back.
When landing on the other side, he dashes on and in between roof tops of his neighborhood.
Avoiding the pipes, pointed up. Sharp metal edges peeling off. Roof holes, both new and yet to be repaired.
In a state of trance, eyes gazed at the surroundings. Using his arm to propel and turn from the obstacles in his path.
As he slowly blinks, stops at an edge on one of the taller roofs. His shoes perfectly fit on the aged cement print.
When he opened his eyes
He sees the great lake and the land cornering along the water.
Below he sees roads, vehicles drifting by to their destination. Men in storage carts on their way to or from work. Busses taking labourers and drafted students into queued rows, where the operators check the documents for entering the terminal to Set 5.
Scanned vehicles, large leached aardvarks sniffing the reviewed vehicles and people on the side. Some continue their day. Others get taken away into large tramcarts filled with people, vehicles and the gods know what for further revision, as everyone goes on.
The grey walls blocking the Sets into their respective sections.
Kaito turns the direction away from the Terminal and walks as he eats a bit of the fish and beets, drinking some water while looking down at the streets next to the pathways. Next to the clay roads, a fence blocking the people from vehicles. Along the fence there are tapped or attempted repairs from older crashes.
Below near Kaito are the market stands and vendors, kids running around attempting to take items, as the people haggle for prices and valuables.
"No way I will buy it at that price, you hag! ", a lady said as the few coins in her hand shook with her offended posture.
"The price is what the price is, maybe get a man who has better work than mining!", the older lady responds back, not seeing the very items fall off her broken stand, and get snatched by a stray ferret.
Kaito laughs to himself, strolls further on the roof. He watches the grey road, built into a hillside. Passing by the shuttle launchers.
Material handlers dressed in dark beige , holding discs check off the contents, while managers ramble on the workers to strap on the containers.
Some shuttles leave earlier, rat shaped vehicles with wings poking out on each respective side, platforms on the roof carrying the cargo. Hover steadily up, turning their noses to the capital.
Other shuttles take their time strapping the containers carefully onto the shuttles. The handler glances at the anxious workers labor.
"That's good, one more check up on the straps." said the middle aged handler in a bored voice before signing the report. "Wouldn't want another accident, how many were injured?"
"6 men, Sir!", a small older bulky manager with a sturdy belly responds back with his head slightly down. "Got more men, so that another instability won't happen".
When the check up is finally done, the handler walks into the shuttle and flies off the launch, as the bulky manager still stands. When the shuttle is up in the air, the bulky manager lets out a big sigh in relief, pushing his anxiety from his chest to his belly. Giving it a gluttoned shape.
"Get yer asses back to the vehicles!" The gluttoned manager yelled.
"We got more work back at the site!"
"Yes Sir Collen!" The workers yelled, hopped in their vehicles and sped off.
Still standing, Kaito takes a look and graces his prosthetic, then his chest. The worn out long sleeve garment brushing his skin leaving some residue. His right sleeve sewed as a second layer on the left sleeve where his good arm is, with a plastic elbow pad and another pad on the shoulder. Then his low cut fizzy dark hair.
He takes one step forward, then stops. Looking down to see that the platform that connected the two buildings across one another, is demolished down.
"Shit, Gotta get to the pole bridge!" Kaito muttered to himself, before skipping down to the street.
He nervously strolls crouched in, putting his hand over his prosthetic as people push him by.
Finding a way into a small section in between buildings with Elderly people sitting on stools, disfigured folks behind stands, kids playing with bricks and shine drunks sleeping on the floor.
Kaito gets to the other side, a round space leading to one road from where he stands.
Rats below him, scurrying away, as a sudden sound of trash gets scattered.
"Scrap rat!" A voice is called out from that side.
"Didn't I tell you aren't allowed here!".
A taller older boy gets in front of Kaito. Wearing a thicker buttoned dark swamp green long sleeve, pants and boots . Slightly wider than Kaito but the clothes are too big for the older boy. His medium large hair, with faded sides.
More appear wearing similar clothes, a girl with her hair bunned, holding a sewn rugsack while holding an injured ferret by the neck.
Two boys, one more built and taller than the other one. Although the second smaller boy takes a walk around Kaito.
"Are you also mentally disfigured? Maybe that's why there is no need for educating you freaks!" The smaller boy said as he shoulder butts Kaito's prosthetic. Then stand behind him.
They group closes in on him. The older leader brings out a stick tied to his back and starts poking on Kaito's chest, shoulder and then prosthetic.
"Do you feel a difference?" The leader said while he and the rest chuckled.
"Sekani", the girl said, calling the leader. "Maybe we should examine him, like what we did in class".
Sekani grins.
"Yes, let's examine a mechanical Scraprat this time!" He said and prepared to hit Kaito.
Kaito releases from his paralysis and ducks down.
"Ooo, a fast one!" The smaller boy said, as he dashed for a tackle.
Kaito swiftly jumps up, then the rest start to jump him.
He dodges the upcoming attacks. The bigger boy grabs him by the left shoulder, while the girl tries to kick Kaito.
In a quick maneuver, Kaito steps and leans back. The girl misses Kaito and hit the bigger boy's balls, as he lets go of Kaito and holds his gemstones.
An opening.
Kaito speeds off, he sees the road. Sekani quickly sidesteps and blocks the path.
Scanning around the area, Kaito sees a porch standing on the front of the home. Kaito jumps on the board covering the porch,then up to the roof leaning down. Grips it with hand as he then swings to get his foot on a stand.
Now that he was on the roof, Kaito dashes off. With Sekani and the girl behind, losing the boys falling to get up.
As he runs and evades the obstacle in which Sekani and the girl follow attentively.
Kaito holds his prosthetic in irritation.
"If only…" he whispered, until he felt the food and water sack swinging aggressively on his belt.
Kaito takes his hand into the bag and starts throwing it behind him.
The girl got hit with a part of the beet.
"What the hell?!" She yelled as she dodged the next.
Sekani dodged every throw, as they started to catch up to Kaito.
"Makena! Go to the other side!" He commanded her.
Makena disappears after Kaito throws the last fish that hits Sekani's head, angering him.
"Shit!"
Kaito looks forward and leaps over to another building, he takes the water and pours it down on the roof.
SekanI follows through, looking down to not slip, missing a pole hitting his nose.
Without worrying about the weight anymore, Kaito managed to run away from him.
The roof ends, and forces Kaito to hurdle down a cart waiting for its turn to move forward on the traffic.
He rolls down on the ground covering his prosthetic from the dirt and stones. Small pieces scraping off from the outside layer of the drill arm.
As he stops and stands up.
Makena proceeds to kick his hips and he stumbles down.
"Got yer ass!" She chants, Sekani joining after with a bleeding nose.
He kneed Kaito in the face, making Kaito's nose bleed.
Sekani holds Kaito's head up as Makena holds his good arm.
"You know after a Medjay slay a Behemoth, the slayers keep the spoils of their victory".
Kaito's eyes widen as Sekani reaches for Kaito's prosthetic arm.
"No!" Kaito screams, "Please don't take it, I need it!" .
"Rules are rules, Scrap rat!"
Tears building under Kaito's eye lids.
He can do nothing but bear.
"What are yer shitheads doin?" A middle aged man yelled at the three teens.
Kaito turns to see a guardsman wearing a dark blue operator suit with a collar around his necks, embedded with stars and a mountain ferret on his left side of the chest.
Behind the guard are a couple guardsmen, standing in position as the man speaks.
"Are you deaf? Dumb? Or perhaps both?" He said in an unsatisfied demeanor.
Kaito looks up in a bittersweet glance at the guard. Sekani and Makena frozen in fear.
The guard looks at the kids, only giving a small glance at Kaito.
"Drop the disfigured", he commanded.
They obliged.
"Aren't two of youse supposed to be in the academy?", the guard said while gesturing to the uniform's chins.
"Well…"
"Well what?!" Said the man, in a more unsatisfied expression.
"Sir!" Both Sekani and Makena stand in an erect position. The guard did not change his expression.
Sekani speaking for both him and Makena.
"We had an early physical test, Sir! We were allowed here while waiting for the next bus to the compatibility test"
Sekani said with a military but worried look at the guard. Pausing then saying, "Sir!" Nervously.
The guard looks at them. Then nodding, both teens running off without looking back.
Kaito stays down, holding his prosthetic while having his head low. Sometimes looking upwards to the guardsmen watching over him.
"Yous a miner aren't you, boy?" Said the guard, only looking at the prosthetic.
"Yes Sir", Kaito said in a lowered volume.
The guard takes a look in Kaito's eyes, then while turning away from him.
"Scurry on, back to work! Yous wouldn't want to risk losing yer job now would ya?"
He said lastly and Kaito ran all the way to the mine, far out Set 6 near the border.
On time with Mr Collens and the other miners.