The Guide
Prologue:
In the Community, there are many Assignments for Twelves, which will determine their life. The Elders of the Community observe the young while they do their Community Services, or Service Hours, Community Hours, Community Service Hours, or Services, either helping in the House of the Old, or assisting in the Nurturing Center. Community Services are Assigned to all children that are either an Eleven or younger. The children of the Community do these Community Services to show the Elders what their interests are, and then in the Ceremony of Twelve, it would be easier for the Elders to select an Assignment for the future of Twelves. After the Ceremony of Twelve, the new Twelves begin their training for their future in the Community, but in all of the history of the Community, one simple rule changed one certain young Twelve's life, named Correl, forever: "There is no war." But all of that is about to change…
Chapter 1
"Correl! Wake up this instant, Correl!"
As Correl's mother continued to yell at him, the alarm on his bedside next to his bed beeped wildly. Correl woke up with a start. He laid on his bed for awhile, thinking of yesterday's events, as most people do when they awake. Nothing special, he thought. Just regular stuff in the Community, school, Service Hours, preparing for the Ceremony of Age…He thought about this last remark. He jumped, excited. The Ceremony of Age! Today! Today was the big day. His big day. The day when he turned Twelve, but more importantly, when he received his Assignment for life. He wondered what Assignment he would receive. Then he thought of his specialties. Well, I enjoy assisting in the Community Tool Shed, and I help around the Blacksmith's Den.
But then he wondered. Could the Elders possibly know of my woodworking at night? Ever since he was a little Seven, Correl would chop some wood in secret and bring it in his house. Then, after dinner and the Ceremony of Sharing Feelings, he would quickly finish his homework from school, grab a flashlight and some tools, and carve strange objects. He did not mean to, but he would carve objects not even his parents knew or heard of. And then he would think up strange names for them. Cat he would think, or maybe Sword. He didn't mean to. He just did.
"Correl, I'm not going to repeat myself! Get up, get changed, brush your teeth, comb your hair, eat your breakfast, and get on your bike, NOW!" his mother yelled. Correl did as he was told, eager of his future.
But what he didn't know was that his future, would determine the course of everyone else's future…