Chapter 1: Scraps

"Oy, Kid! Move along! If you don't hurry your sorry arse, we'll just dump you 'ere, all the good you do us!"

Yurick sighed. Smith, the captain of the Merc group, had been pushing them all nonstop, trying to make a journey ordinarily lasting a week take less than three days. Naturally, as the smallest and newest member of the group, he had been assigned to carry their enormous pack of supplies and weapons again.

"Well maybe you ought to have a go at carrying the pack then," Yurick called back in an irritated tone.

"What did you say, little swine? I don't like your attitude. You ought to show more respect to me." said Smith, "Without me, you would be crawling on the streets, begging for scraps. You would have nothing, if not for all the kindness I've shown you!"

Then it shouldn't be so hard to carry a pack half the size of your fat arse, and be show that supposed kindness.

"I'm sorry," he called out instead; "I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Damn straight you will. 'Cause if you don't, my boys 'ere would be only too happy to remove it."

Yurick berated himself silently. He had long since learned to keep such thoughts to himself, but it had been a long few days and he had grown tired of Smith's constant mistreatment of him. He was barely twelve when he had joined Smith's band of mercs, and over the course of seven long, painful years, he had learned that it was always better to keep his mouth shut. Smith punished even the slightest retort with a harsh beating.

Yurick and Smith, along with Grido and Kansu, the other members of their band of mercenaries, had been traveling for two days, going north to harass a rich man into ceding his land to their boss, Lord Rithe of the southern town, Rithetown. Mercenaries had been growing increasingly more in demand as the Empire's war had grown, and it was not so hard to find work anymore. There were many times when Yurick thought about leaving Smith's tyrannical, greedy band and making it out on his own, but he has always decided against it. Yurick was a mage, and an incredibly powerful fire mage at that. He had no doubt that he could hold his own in a battle, but it was near impossible to get work alone, as employers thought mages, especially one scrawny like him, needed protection. As much as he hated Smith's band, he held his tongue and stayed with them, for he knew his survival was unlikely without them. Beyond that however, there was no bond. Yurick was, for the most part, left to his own devices, which was how he preferred it. He had gotten used to taking care of himself at a very young age, and he wouldn't allow anyone to step in now.

Not that they would. Smith, along with the others spent their nights off in shady bars, drinking noisily and disruptively until they were nearly incoherent, then harassing the bar maids until they passed out. They had not a care for Yurick, beyond a debt owed, five years ago.

Cold. Ever since he and his mother had left their foggy seaside village, Yurick had hated the cold. It reminded him of that that had been taken from him that freezing morning when the pirates attacked. That was the day his father had-

"No." The word came out louder than he had intended, and he looked around cautiously.

"Don't think of that," he commanded himself. He had been traveling in the mountains looking for work, and was left without a place to stay. He had managed to sneak into an abandoned house, but was currently hiding, for he had heard voices.

Perhaps the place wasn't abandoned after all, perhaps it was haunted and-

Yurick shook his head firmly. He could not permit such thoughts to enter his head; he needed to discipline his mind better.

His small, twelve-year-old frame shook violently from the cold, yet Yurick refused to move. He had heard voices; of that much he was certain. He had heard them, and had no desire to be caught by their owners. He could only imagine what they would do when they found a small twelve-year-old boy-

Man, he was a man. He could no longer afford to call himself a child, for that implied the lack of responsibility needed on his part. He was alone in the world now, abandoned by his mother and father. He shook his head. He didn't need them, really. He was fine on his own. Only… he could not ignore the unpleasant presence he had felt lingering on his conscious for the past quarter hour. Yurick sighed, and to appease his fears, he cautiously pushed his consciousness out, scanning for the unwanted presence.

He stifled a yawn as he continued his search. He had awakened at the crack of dawn, hoping to reach the town that day. Failing that, he had needed a place to stay and found one, in an abandoned three-story house. The house must have been grand once, with its marble floors, grand staircase and crystal chandeliers in almost every room. It had long since been abandoned, though Yurick could not fathom the reason why.

Presently, he was in a small bedroom off of the kitchen. He supposed that it must have been the quarters of a servant once, but now it served his purpose well. He was just about to stop searching the area for other life forms and order his weary mind to go to sleep when he noticed two things. One, he was not alone in the house. Three floors above him, there was a trio of men. In fact, they must have been the voices he had been hearing. They were laughing and talking loudly, and Yurick silently berated himself for not noticing them sooner. He had met men like these before, foul smelling drunkards, and it was best to stay away from them.

He felt also an animal presence. Judging by the strength of it, there were twenty or more of the creatures. He chanced a glance out of the window, into the surrounding forest. Cave cougars? What were they doing here? Despite himself, Yurick began to feel apprehensive. He doubted that he could have even managed five of the beasts, but twenty?

He pondered his options. He could stay, and attempt to fight off the cougars. He wrote that one off immediately. He also decided against hiding, for the hungry beasts had an astounding sense of smell, and would surely find him. He could go upstairs…. But his pride rejected that option immediately. He was not a child, to run and cry for help when in danger.

The beasts drew closer and closer, and Yurick knew he was fast running out of time. Standing up quickly, he made his decision.