(Interlude) Fragment of the Past VI: Spark of Flame (Metas)

Young Metas woke up in a room littered with beds and stirred to a knocking on the door. Children to adolescents of different ages, slept and wake at the morning. "Time to eat." A mustached man was knocking on the door and walked off to the other rooms to wake the others up. Metas rubbed his eyes and waved away his gray hair, the others walked off and he slowly walked at the rear of the pack and into the hallways.

Streams of sunlight seeped onto the cracked glass windows of the place. The rooms were spacious but were filled with mostly beds and the hallways led into a large room with long tables and benches, with high ceilings and high windows. The common area had plates with bread and soup laid for each one of them on the table and some of the older knights and a few helpers were attending to them. Metas and the others went slowly and groggily towards the area, some of the walls were adorned by long but worn-out banners which displayed a coat of arms featuring an image of a dragon.

"A-TTENTION!" an old man in armor stood in front of railing which lied at the top of the stairs. Even as young as some of them were, they stood straight and faced the man, one hand on their chest and another beside their waist in a kind of salute. "Starting from this day forward, our newest and the youngest knight in our company shall take over from me and will now be the one overseeing this facility." A younger Siegmund with a thin but well-defined mustache, walked over to him. He bowed cordially.

"Dismissed!" He stepped back and walked away, sighing. "Well, looks like you're aching to get back to headquarters." "Kid, I'd rather be here than there, and I hate it here." He sighed deeply. "Only thing they'll make me do is shuffle papers around, I'm too old to fight anyway. Anyways, good luck kid, better you than me. "Understood, sir" He gave Siegmund a salute while Siegmund bowed in response. As the others were already eating, Metas observed quietly.

Siegmund rushed down the stairs and approached Metas who was still carefully eating and blowing at his soup while the others began already to leave. "Metas, breakfast time is nearly over, you're going to be late again. "So, the old man stayed here all this time, and then he's dumping it onto you?" Siegmund let out a laugh. "He's done quite enough for the kingdom, and besides, I took this work of my own volition!" Why would you tire yourself by overseeing this?" "Well, how else am I supposed to guarantee that you don't keep getting into trouble huh?" I told you, I don't need to do all this, I'm still going to become a knight anyhow." Yes, because of your 'spark of flame'? Do you want to set that kind of example for your other siblings?" I told them, that they should go their own ways, I chose this path, they should choose theirs." You really don't get it do you?" Siegmund laughed heartily and made Metas slightly smirk. "Maybe I will try a little harder." Siegmund patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "Now, finish your food, your instructor's bound to be there already." Alright."

Metas smiled begrudgingly as Siegmund walked away. 'This boy… There's something about him, I… can't put my finger on it… If the rumors are true, then he's…' His expression changed from jovial to a serious unbroken stare as he walked back upstairs.