"Get your asses down you brats!" Aldric screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice cutting through the morning air like a blade.
The children jolted awake, some crying out in surprise, others groaning as they rubbed sleep from their eyes. Most of them had grown used to Aldric's harsh wake-up calls over the past week, but it never got easier. The man seemed to take pleasure in startling them from whatever brief peace they could find in sleep.
The wooden doors of the wagon swung open with a loud bang, and brilliant sunlight flooded in. After spending so long in the dim interior, the sudden brightness made the kids squint their eyes and shield their faces with their hands. Some turned away completely, blinking rapidly as tears formed from the harsh light.
But as their eyes slowly adjusted, what they saw in front of them made every single child open their eyes wide in pure awe.
