Gai rushed down the alleyway, frantic in his flight from the boys who pursued him. The narrow passage was lined with dilapidated buildings, their once-bright paint peeling away in the damp weather. It had become a daily occurrence and point of fun for the village lads to chase and harass him. The cobblestones beneath his feet were slick with rain, and he slipped several times as he ran, the chill of the downpour soaking through his thin clothes.

Gasping for breath, Gai came to an abrupt halt and found slight refuge from the downpour underneath a doorway. The wooden door behind him was old and warped, its surface cracked and covered in moss. Clutching his chest tightly, he began to relax somewhat as his breath returned. Maybe the boys would call off their favorite pastime for the rain that buffeted the village. Gai strained his ears as best he could for the slightest hint of noise, but it felt impossible to distinguish any particular sounds among the howling wind and the relentless drumming of rain on the rooftops.

Hugging himself and tucking his hands underneath his armpits for warmth, Gai settled into the doorway to await the storm's abatement. The village seemed deserted, the usual bustle of market stalls and chatter of townspeople replaced by the eerie stillness of the storm. Gai's family had been very well off until about a year ago. His father had been in the army, and his mother had worked for the lord's house before she passed away from an illness that had swept the countryside. Gai had spent his days learning alongside the wealthiest children in the district, tutored by the best scholars the lord's money could buy. Until two seasons ago, life was looking good.

With a muffled sigh, Gai glanced at the sky and saw some rays of sunshine splitting the clouds. The gray clouds began to part, revealing patches of blue and allowing beams of sunlight to warm the village once more. With a grunt and cracking joints, the boy gained his feet and hurried from his hideaway. The alley behind him was narrow and shadowed, the walls of the buildings on either side covered in creeping ivy and green with moss.

Gai cautiously advanced upon the marketplace. If the boys were smart, they would wait there, as all the village pathways eventually found their way to the central and busiest part of the village. The boy crouched behind a hay bale on the outermost edge of the market and peered over the top, looking for any signs of his tormentors. The rain had kept most of the shopkeepers and townspeople away, and to Gai's dismay, there was little cover available for him to use if the need to flee should arise again.

Laughter sharpened his focus and quickened his heartbeat as he flicked his attention to the source. Sure enough, it was the village boys from whom the merriment emanated. All four of them swaggered into the marketplace almost directly opposite him. Gai's stomach dropped. They had stopped and taken post at their entry and the exit required for the boy to return home. They were smarter than they looked. Almost as one, the eyes of the boys fell upon Gai, and they shouted in joyful unison. They had barely begun to move by the time Gai had alighted from his position and fled back towards the safer alleys.

The absolute need for self-preservation blanketed his mind as he turned the first corner and careened straight into a wall of metal and hard leather that sent him sprawling onto his back with stars bursting into sight. The alleyway echoed with the clash, and the smell of wet earth and leather filled his senses. Two rough hands pulled him from the mud, and a gruff voice sought to gain his focus. Failing, a single sharp backhand broke Gai's stupor, eliciting a painful cry from the boy.

The village guard captain, Egbert, stood above him, his renowned smirk sitting upon his face. The captain's armor gleamed dully in the muted light, rainwater dripping from its edges. Speaking, he said, "Where are you off to in such a hurry, lad?" Hurriedly, Gai replied, "I'm being chased again, sir." Gai averted his gaze downwards as his cheeks burned. Egbert was a friend of his father and would be unlikely to take kindly to the continued bullying of Lionel's son, considering the repeated warnings that had been given to the village boys.

"Right, come with me." Gai chanced a glance at the captain only to witness a scowl take form upon his face. Not even waiting for confirmation, Egbert clasped the boy's elbow and pulled him back towards the marketplace. The streets, still wet from the storm, glistened under the returning sunlight, and the air was heavy with the scent of rain-soaked earth and fresh foliage.

"You turn fifteen this year, don't you, lad?" the captain asked, giving not so much as a glance as he dragged Gai to the center of the market, where, to his chagrin, the boys stood waiting. Gai simply nodded in confirmation of the captain's question as his stomach began to churn with nausea. The boys stood nervously in the very center of the market, refusing to meet the captain's glare. Egbert motioned to his accompanying guards, who silently and efficiently circled the group and blocked off all escape, their spears gleaming in the post-storm light.

Fear had only begun to spread among the boys' faces when the captain spoke.

"Roland is your name?" he asked the largest boy, who responded shakily in the affirmative with a short nod of his head. "How old are you, boy?" he asked gruffly, as if he already knew the answer.

"I just turned fifteen, sir." Roland looked hastily away from the captain, expecting a rebuke.

"Good," was all Egbert said before he asked the remaining three boys similar questions, identifying Boris, the son of a guard not present, who was to turn fifteen in a few months; Errol, the baker's son, not yet fourteen; and Louis, a farmer's son, already fifteen. A few minutes passed in silence, with all the boys showing obvious signs of discomfort at not knowing what would be. They had not been caught by the captain before, so there was no precedent for his coming reaction.

Egbert spoke, causing all present to jolt from their thoughts, guards included. "Most of you boys will be sent away in one month to the capital garrison. You will be tested for your abilities and then sent to anywhere the masters deem appropriate."

He took a breath and looked at each boy individually, taking stock of their features. "I do not know where any of you will end up, but I do know this. You will all have trials that you must overcome or in which you will perish."

The captain glanced at Gai while simultaneously shoving him in the small of the back towards the four boys. Blood rushed to Gai's head, and his vision tightened, his hearing becoming sharp and focused only on the boys, for he had become their trapped prey. Faintly, as if far away, he heard Egbert say, "No more games. Gai is right here, so do what you wanted to, or you can all share in a beating from me."

Everything seemed to slow down in Gai's mind's eye. He saw Errol be pulled from the circle; most likely he was too young to take part in such violence. He saw Louis try to flee, only to receive the butt of a spear across his legs. Louis fell to the muddy ground and was kicked by two of the guards as he hugged his swelling thigh. Too slowly, Gai turned his gaze to behold Roland and Boris launching themselves at him, with a mix of emotions flying across their faces. Terror planted Gai firmly to the ground as Roland's oversized fist collided with his jaw and Boris tackled him to the ground. In moments, both Roland and Boris were mounted atop Gai, raining heavy blows into his face and body. The cobblestones beneath him were cold and unforgiving, and the smell of wet stone and blood filled his nostrils as he blacked out.