[Fable]

*IN PROGRESS*

Fable groaned as he arrived at the city centre. Crossing a heavily populated street lined with travellers, beggars and miscreants, he took a few small detours to avoid the crowd picking his way through side streets and empty squares.
It wasn't long before he came to a huge, red bricked and sooty building, that loomed over the horizon as if to block out his view of all else.
Whether he liked it or not, today was likely the most important day of his life.
The day he, along with dozens of others, would be given a job to see him through life and work him to death.

He wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion. Coming from a simple background, he had never had much in the way of clothing, a few bland outfits, two pairs of worn shoes and a cloth cap. Nothing particularly fancy, but at least he was healthy and clean.
His hair had been preened to perfection, washed with the foamiest soap he could steal and then fluffed extensively with his own saliva and a free hand in the hope that his well kept appearance might secure him a better job.
Blegh. It did have its downsides though. He could still taste the soap.
Taking a few moments to glare at the building in the vain hope that it might just give up and vanish, he eventually admitted defeat and made his way inside.
What met him was chaos. People everywhere, travelling in every direction, down narrow, beaten corridors and through tiny doors straining under the magnitude of people.
He stood solemnly at the administration office, right before a rowdy and enormous queue, looking about him impatiently.
He noticed a few people staring at him, the usual.
With a scowl he pulled his hat down as low as possible and waited for his fate.
The attendant, a small balding human, stood behind a glass pane and called out numbers with an angry expression, as if furious that this task had fallen to him.
Everytime he bellowed a series of digits Fable jumped, as if readying himself for an unknown enemy. Yet still there was nothing.
Everytime a number was called the crowd would tense, looking at each other and mouthing 'me?' with fear and excitement.
Usually quite proud of his height, as rarity among his kind, Fable suddenly felt very self conscious and large. He tried to move to a quieter spot in the shadows, but still he kept a watchful eye and a wary ear on the proceedings.
Another group was called forward, followed by a series of excited and dismayed shrieks.
The decision of the board was always final. You took the job given to your name and you worked it the rest of your life.