The bed creaked, the wooden frame rattled, brought about by the true weight of the gluttonous man. The snoring which caused headaches and pain for many in the orphanage has now stopped. But the silence brought about a different kind of torment. The Director.
For when he was awake the orphanage was now a sea of screams. Internal or external. The Director always picked a child for which to vent his anger. The anger would then turn into a want for pleasure. With the beatings serving as some kind of ritual, all for his own pleasure. A sick way for him to feel like a man, someone who dominates those above.
The Director would grasp the money, and take it to have his fill of the selection of wine or woman. All of which was supplied by the orphans' actions. Many having their bodies bruised and broken, by failed attempts at escaping, always having to risk their lives. It was either that or be faced with worse beatings here. The worst 'contributor', as Kae called it, would face the wrath of the rest of the orphans.
A ritual of humiliation would they face. The children would have to perform circus tricks and entertain the Director as a way of contributing to his happiness.
Once the Director woke, he scanned for a drink nearby. Empty cups littered the table and the floor below. All as a result from yesterday. The Director, after lazily searching the nearby area, then screamed, "Kae, the master calls for a drink!" His shouting carrying throughout the house, much like his snoring.
Steps rang from the stairs. Like a hurried attendant in a palace serving royalty, service was immediate, out of fear for the retribution by their ruler. A small girl bolted into the room, although her stature made her look thirteen she was in fact 17 and would be 'adopted' soon.
Her name had been all but forgotten, with all calling her Lamb. The malnutrition from the lack of proper food and rest had shortened her height and led to her child-like appearance. A victim of the orphanage, she would be tasked with all manner of household chores. Ranging from the cleaning of the floors, to cleaning the smears of shit from the Director's pants.
One of those tasks were being performed now, bringing the Director his first cup of ale in the morning. A ritual she was used to, and one that would be replaced by her bringing other men drinks and doing favours for them in the brothels, as soon as she turned 18.
A ticking clock hung over her head, counting down the minutes until she would be 'adopted' by one of the ringleaders of the many 'reputable' establishments nearby. She however didn't protest, didn't scream, for she knew that this was destined. From the moment she set foot in here, she would become a prostitute, just like her mother and grandmother before her.
The Director merely glanced at her, chugging down the contents of the cup, giving a relieving moan. Only once the ale was gone did he start to look at the girl. A strange expression took over his face and a smile crept up.
The Director was now truly awake.
"Little Lamb, you'll be 18 soon won't you?" The Director looked over Lamb, face filled with glee. Lamb only nodded. The Director then continued, "Love that silence, customers don't like the girls to struggle. They want them to give into pleasure." The Director started to fidget with himself, the fat on his body having the same consistency as jelly.
Lamb looked horrified, a future in which you had no say in who your partner was or what they wanted to do. This was the path that she would follow. "You know, I'll have to start to look for some parents who would want to 'adopt' you soon."
The Director's smile started to get wider, with him towering over the girl. Lamb shrank back, but never truly moved, her face terrified. "You look like you would be perfect for Noble's Delight, they love girls with your particular essence." He licked his lips, hands slowly losing more of a grip on the cup. His mind filled with the dream of coin that he would soon collect.
"You know since you never truly contributed to keeping this place running...", the calluses on Lamb's hands said otherwise, the scrubbing of the floor ran them ragged, "...I may just have to pay you a visit to make sure that you are adjusting, just right." His hand started to slowly reach to Lamb, she however swatted it away.
"You bitch!" His voice once again rang in the house, this time however it shook the foundation, the walls twitching as a result. He slapped her across the cheek, ring still on his finger, a result of one of the orphans' efforts.
Lamb flew to the floor, like a hammer to an anvil, she struck the floor with fervour. Her rough, dirtied blonde hair from hours of scrubbing the toilets, the floors, and the clothes, dangled across her face. Her weak frame couldn't handle the blow, with her scattering across the floor, barely keeping herself up.
"You dare to swat my hand away, like... like... like I'm some fly." The Director's face was burning red. "I'm not some fly, I rule over you." He roared, sound bouncing around the room like an echo. "You are the bug not me. I tell you what to say, your life is mine and mine alone." The Director had steam coming from his head.
Lamb merely looked down on the floor, not daring to look up, hair keeping away any detail from her face. But the sound of dripping could be heard, a mixture of tears and blood. She shited her hands, moving about, fidgeting, anxiety riddled her body, making it move on its own. The Director continued on his tirade. "You always messed around, rejecting me just like your mother, and good riddance to her, she was terrible in bed anyway."
Lamb said nothing as this monster, this ghoul spoke to her. For she knew it was pointless, nothing could save her. The mound of talking flesh continued, "I'm just glad that she finally contributed to me. Giving me a girl, who would make me money." The Director now started to smirk, his shadow casting a shadow over Lamb by candlelight.
"With the money you make me, I'll be able to enjoy myself for a week. A bug like you will have some purpose. For once in your life you'll be useful." The Director then kicked her, sending her flying towards the bed. "Now clean that shit up, and don't forget a drop. For each drop missed, I'll come to visit you again and again, until you've served your purpose and produced a child like your mother."
He left the room, Lamb lying on the floor, holding on to something hidden in her hand. The human piece of slime moved down the stairs, seeking to torment his next victim. Lamb eventually took the hair out from her face, showing the swelling from the slap she had received earlier. The ring had cut her face and left it bleeding. The wound would leave a scar, marking her for life.
Her green eyes were filled with tears, caused by the pain or the Director's words, probably both. She eventually crawled to the bed where the cup lay, grabbing a rag nearby, it still sticky from the last spill that she had to clean in this room yesterday.
Through her crawling she eventually reached the bed, the cup having been scattered under it, she moved down to see where it went. She spotted the cup, however, she also spotted Riven, black hair drooping in front of his eyes, black in colour. She bolted back, revealing to Riven the item she had in hand. A kitchen knife.
There were traces of making breakfast still on it with crumbs present on the blade. She was startled by Riven, bringing the knife in front of her. Only to bring it down when Riven came out. She didn't see the child as a threat, but was suspicious of why he was there.
She pointed at him, mouth failing to produce words, with Riven having to guess what she means. Riven's head was rushing to fill it with plausible excuses, none coming to mind. His head was still filled with what he had witnessed. 'I knew the girl endured torment, but I never seen her face like that before.'
From his angle of hiding under the bed he could see her expression, the one that was hidden from the Director. It was one of anger. He saw that as soon as she was struck to the ground she reached for her blade that was hidden. With him seeing she fully intended to kill the Director. However, she failed to finish the task.
Tears only streaming when she failed to muster up the courage to kill the Director. His words didn't slice through her like he wanted them to. She merely let them pass around her like a fly.
Now being face to face with her, Riven knew. No, he swore an oath to himself, that he would get her out of here. He eventually spoke, "Do you want freedom?" Lamb paused her body, her hand with the knife remained steady, her body frozen. She had never heard of someone offering help. It was a foreign concept.
"I seen your face, you want to hurt the Director. Well so do I." Riven paused, for he had never told anyone his intention to escape, but he knew that it would be easier with two people. He continued, based upon the hate that he saw in her eyes, "I plan to escape, and I would like your help. Would you like to join me?"
He offered his hand to her, his body dropping to one knee, presenting himself truly without bad intentions. Lamb looked at his hand, questioning to herself, should she take this. No one had ever presented her with a choice in any matter. Her body froze. Before her was an experience that she hadn't seen. A helping hand.
The air hung still, the only sound being the two's breathing and the creaking of the old house. Eventually, with much deliberation going on in Lamb's head she finally took the hand of the child who offered her freedom.
Riven gently grasped the hand, careful to not scare the girl. He then asked after the confirmation, "What is your name?" He looked towards the girl, he knew no one has asked this before. This would be the start of a partnership, where each would have a say, and he needed to start it on the right foot.
Lamb struggled to open her mouth and speak, the sound almost trapped. She closed her eyes and eventually after forcing the muscles in her throat to speak and stated, "My name is Hope." The sound was so weak it was almost a whisper, but Riven heard.
He smiled and eventually shook her hand, "Well Hope, it's nice to finally know you." Formally Lamb, now Hope smiled. This was the start of a partnership that would spark the world and the Empire, they stood and was ruled by to collapse.