Hello y'all!
I don't even know if people will read that OS, because who cares about side-characters?
Kayal is a boy who didn't choose to live in Youswell, but who learns about life in a hard way because Yoki hasn't met Ed and Scar yet
To those who'll find this modest work, enjoy!
Kayal's life had never been easy. Growing up in a mining town didn't give him a lot of choices for his professional career. When he was five, he'd lost an uncle in an explosion of a gallery of Youswell mine and knew how dangerous it was to work to give coal to Amestris so people could have electricity in their houses. But he knew he would dedicate his life to dig the rock and excavate coal when he would be old enough. For the time being, he'd help his mother run the family inn on his return from school.
He'd never been naïve and gullible. His father, Howling, had a strong character and wasn't the kind to let others step on his feet despite his generous heart. So Kayal had chosen him to be his example so he would grow to be an honest and firm man. When Lieutenant Yoki the director of the mine took power in the city, he was as revolted as the other town folks, even if he didn't understand the width of the problem the man could be.
He hadn't crossed the Lieutenant's path often despite his father's role of representative of the workers. But the way Howling spoke about him gave him an unflattering image of the guy. Yoki wasn't elegant despite the little moustache he seemed to care for like the apple of his eyes, and a large part of Kayal's friends didn't like his squeaky voice.
One day they decided to trick the Lieutenant, to teach him he shouldn't pick on people from a town like Youswell. The workers, and particularly the miners were men used to hard situations, and there was no doubt they would get out of it.
With a group of friends, Kayal organized an ambush to surprise Yoki after school. They knew the train station was on his way during his tax collection on Wednesdays. They hid behind the short walls of the houses on the place after gathering lots of rotten fruits and vegetables. That was the result of the last tax collection that had left only a few correct products to the grocer. The worst thing was that Yoki did that only because he was greedy. Everyone knew the ingredients of his meals came from Eastern and Southern farms and that said meals were cooked by a well-known chef from Central. He should have paid for these fruits and veggies so the soldiers from his base could eat them, but they seemed to eat only military rations sent by the East City command center instead of products from Youswell.
Kayal was enraged by such hypocrisy from that man who considered the mine as a cash cow and the miners as pawns who could be used as he wanted. Holding a dripping tomato in each hand, he waited for Yoki and his escort to pass with his friends, hidden behind the brick wall.
They heard the noise of boots, and when they arrived at their level, Kayal and his comrades bolted out of their hiding place and threw the projectiles on the soldiers who tried to protect themselves with their arms. This assault was only the first, since another group of kids attacked from behind with rotten eggs that exploded on uniforms. A sulphurous smell irritated the noses of all participants to the fight and the children momentarily retreated, coughing, wheezing. Kayal felt satisfied and victorious.
But the second group of soldiers that ran toward his friends was unexpected. The kids scattered everywhere, panicked, trying to escape the men in blue. A distressed scream rang when a soldier caught Leya by her hair. The girl fought in vain between the arms of her captor, and Kayal witnessed, powerless, his friend being taken away by the giant who was holding her under his arm as if she weighed nothing.
Yoki, who'd been protected during the second wave of rotten food, stepped out of his wall made of bulk soldiers. He wiped his face with a handkerchief he threw carelessly on the ground. He smoothed his moustache.
"To all the midgets who tried to assault the authority I represent: leave immediately your trashy hideouts," he declared out loud. Since nobody moved, he walked to the soldier holding a crying Leya. "If you don't obey, she'll suffer the consequences of your actions."
The effect of his words was instant. All the kids left their cover, shuffling, but Kayal could see they were as worried as him.
"Good, good," Yoki snickered. "Now tell me where you live, girl."
"Don't do anything to my family, please!" Leya begged, her strangled voice ringing all around the place.
"You should have thought about them before taking part in that ridiculous ambush," Yoki replied and pinched her cheek.
Leya cried.
Under escort, the children walked to Leya's house. Her mother, five months pregnant, and her twin brother by her side, watched the strange procession approaching her garden with a growing concern. She ran to her daughter when she recognized her firmly held by a soldier.
"Do not move, ma'am!" She froze at Yoki's voice.
Kayal suddenly realized how foolish his idea had been. Horrified, he listened to the Lieutenant stating all the accusations held against the eight-years-old girl and exposed his sentence. Her father was now jobless, and the family had to leave the city before the end of the week.
The soldiers left the crying family and a petrified Kayal. Guilt overwhelmed him. He'd been so naïve, so reckless… Why hadn't he thought about the consequences of his actions? Before planning the stupid idea to attack the military? The sentence was unfair, exaggerated compared to the offence, but he'd been inconsistent, thoughtless, and now he was paying the price with his guilt.
He asked Leya's mother to punish him, to never forgive him, because it was his fault. But the young woman, who looked to have aged ten years, told him she didn't resent him. She knew life would be hard after that, but he didn't have to live with this burden. He must continue to live and grow into a good man and protect his city.
They had to fight the military, but Kayal decided it would be subtle after the disaster that had cost too much to the people of Youswell. Leya's family was well-seen among the workers, and their sudden departure saddened all the community.
Kayal knew he would never count on the stupidity of the soldiers, because their strength was above it. They could make the people who protested Lieutenant Yoki's arbitrary decisions powerless.
He would never again be naïve.