Hi everyone!... this is my first attempt at writing a story so I admit it is pretty terrible.
This story runs in a world that me and my friends made so you will not find and spoilers within this.
And so... onto the first chapter of A Shadow in the Mists
Naughtbeast
Italics = thoughts, speech or reading I'll generally explain throughout though
"War… War is an art… and the world… my canvas…"
Unknown
"Holg, get down here!"... said half-orc pulled himself slowly out of bed, put on some clothes and went downstairs. As he lumbered down the mahogany stairs he saw his mother cooking in the kitchen. "Who's my strong, little half-orc" babied his mum. Her azure eyes were twinkling in the morning sun, dark brown hair flowing along her back down to her hips. She was wearing a long, green dress, nothing fancy but just enough to keep her looking better than the regular scrabble of the city. As he went and sat down at the serving table he thought to himself. Sometimes it annoyed him that they still had not grasped the idea that half-orcs mature faster than humans, at the age of 5 he was already the size of an 8-year-old.
"I am 5 you know" he replied perfectly in the language of common.
He had learnt to speak earlier that year and his tutor said he had an adept ability to master languages very quickly.
"Ok then just finish up quickly, you have to work at the shop today"
Maturing faster also meant that he had to work with his father at the blacksmith forge, learning things that would normally come much later in life, but he enjoyed the feel of heat and concentration ever-present in the forge.
"Good morning Holg, morning Melany" came a gruff voice from the hallway, slightly groggy from the night before. His father walked in with full blacksmith gear on, ready to go, but his jet black hair was a mess and his brown eyes were slightly baggy, indicating another sleepless night. Just as he was about to say another sentence three loud bangs were heard from the door. His father backpedalled towards the door, whistling as he went.
"Well hello there" were the last words he ever heard from his father. 'Thunk' something hard hit the floor. After a couple of seconds of silence, his mother began walking over and called "Jacen?".
She walked round the corner and let out the loudest scream I ever heard. But the scream was cut short as her body slumped to the ground. I could barely stand as her head was just visible from the corner, blood pouring from a crossbow bolt embedded in her head. Lifeless eyes stared back at me, showing the despair in her last moments. I could only stare in shock as she was slowly dragged towards the door until she was out of view, blood following her like a puppy. A dark, cloaked figure walked from the hallway holding a long, thin, curved knife in one hand and a large crossbow in the other.
Streaks of red adorned his cloak and his fingers that he used to pull back his hood. Pure black eyes seemed to look straight through me as a being from hell walked slowly forward. This was a tiefling, a human infused with the blood of Asmodeus, devil horns protruding from its head, a thick tail winding around his leg, skin as dark as the night.
It walked up to him, knowing what would come next Holg slowly began crying for the first time in his life… he didn't want to die…
Pain shot through his head but that was all. Blood flowed across his right eye, and he still stood dumbfounded. "Well orc scumssss it appears that you are all alonesssss, I have no trouble with you ssso unlessssssss you want to end up like themssssssss you will leave now". Shocked and weak Holg slowly walked in a circle around the tiefling never taking his good eye off the knife. Sprinting through the door not caring where he went he only paused slightly to look at his parents. Lying together faces down on the floor, a pool of crimson surrounding their limp bodies.
He walked weakly around town not knowing what to do… he had no friends, family or home. The only place he knew was the blacksmiths… but when he got there it looked to have been ransacked by looters, somehow knowing that the smithy was gone. He lay there thinking about what happened… and so he stayed there for five days. He managed to get his eye healed by a kind dragonborn who also gave him some food, but that was the only good thing that happened. Knowing he had to do something… anything… he began begging on the streets to make ends.
Wandering aimlessly, covered in muck from days of homelessness, Holg was deprived of food and sleep. Being close to death he could only stumble around the city in his dirty rags, begging for someone to take pity on him. Sometime after midday, a cloaked man approached him. Too tired to run he slumped to the ground in defeat only to be lifted up. A calm face stared into his eyes. "Don't worry" was the only thing he heard before he slipped into unconsciousness. He woke up seeing nothing but black until a badly lit brick room came into view. After minutes of regaining muscle control, he got up and saw a note lying on the table.
For the young half-orc, you are safe for now and we will also give you training in our ways. We are priests of the order of Pholtus and gladly accept all members of any religion, and even if you worship none. Come to our main hall if you wish to join.
Slowly pulling himself out of his soft bedding, feeling his right eye. He carefully opened it feeling little pain. The only thing left from his experience was a massive scar and a slight red haze in his right eye. Massaging his scar, he lumbered to the main hall to find the man who had taken him in sitting on a stool. A hood covered most of his head but he had hazel eyes and strange yellow eyes, which shocked Holg.
"Welcome child, we are the brothers of Pholtus" gesturing to the whole hall as he said this.
"Thank you for saving me" choked out Holg as he began to see the hall around him. Massive 200-foot-tall columns lined the palace-sized hall, large stained glass depictions of glowing figures with larger men standing over them.
"Is that Pholtus?" inquired Holg, motioning to the largest depiction, a man with a scale in one hand and seeming to hold the sun with the other, with beams of light flowing from him into a kneeling figure.
"Yes, that is Pholtus giving his power to Relter, our temple's founder… The gods work in strange ways giving people very small amounts of their power. Not many people are given their gifts but when they are it can impact their lives significantly. That brings me to the reason you are here. When I saw you I saw the faint glow of someone given power by the gods. I know not of which god but your heart will choose."
Overwhelmed with what this priest was saying Holg could only stand, mouth agape, staring at the priest. Smiling at the confused half-orc he decided to break the silence
"Well we should probably get started." At the end of his sentence, he rung a small bell, barely enough for Holg to hear but on that command, another man entered at the far end of the hall. "This is Brother Daniel, he will oversee to your training and show you to your quarters."
Daniel stepped in front of Holg and bowed, gesturing to the other end of the hall. He began walking but stopped to say to the first priest.
"I forgot to ask but who should I thank for saving me?"
The man turned his head up and contemplated for a couple of seconds, the man replied: "Call me Enlightenment for now, it will serve its purpose until you are ready."
Completely confused Holg turned around feeling that he would never get the answer he wanted. Arriving at a small doorway, inset with lead hinges and knocker, he heard Daniel say "we will come and get you in the morning when you will begin your training".
Then, being shoved in through the door with robes and a pillow, the door locking behind him, he came face to face with 12 human boys all of them looking no older than 7. They were whispering to each other in small groups obviously talking about him. Walking over to the only cloth bed without possessions on it Holg was interrupted by a foot… causing him to drop everything and land on his face.
"Well well well, who do we have here… ah, it doesn't matter. If you're going to live here, you will follow my rules… Or else" threatened the tallest of them. This was swiftly followed by a punch to the gut on the part of Holg. The other boys all gasped and started chanting 'fight, fight, fight'. The guy got up and tried to hit Holg only to receive another punch to the jaw. Holg was not going to stop, he had had enough, venting all his anger on this boy who had insulted him.
"I…listen…to…my…own…rules" he panted as he viciously beat the child to tears. Stepping back, he let the child get up, picked up his possessions and lay in his bed trying to get some sleep, not caring what the others thought.
He was woken suddenly in the morning by water sinking down his nostrils. Coughing, violently he expelled the water only to be hit on the head.
"Shhhh do not wake the others". Daniel was standing over him holding an empty pale. "Your training begins now… follow".
His harsh words shocked Holg. He had never been so rudely addressed. Without another word Daniel swiftly walked out and harshly gestured for Holg to follow.
What followed next was 7 years of continuous shunning and torture by the other boys and constant mistreatment by Daniel. His only salvation was with Enlightenment who taught him to find his inner call to life, following the god who imbued his power in Holg. As soon as Holg became of age he joined the royal army to escape his life at the temple, the age being much less for half-orcs compared to humans. He only regretting leaving Enlightenment.
He fought in 3 different campaigns against elves, orcs and goblins, being revered for his braveries continuously. By the end of his career he had risen to the rank of Lord Executioner, leading the heavy assault companies into the fray. During that time, he received visions of the holy god of war, Kord and could channel his power in the heat of battle. Knowing his true calling he was urged to return to the temple to enlighten them to his revelation (pun intended).
Hearing this, Enlightenment christened him a Paladin of the order of Kord and gave him everything he would need much to the dismay of the now older priests who had tormented him in his youth… never making it to a recognisable position. He left to make his mark on the world. After many months travelling over the vast landscape of the nation of Oerik, Holg made many lasting bonds. He saved the king's advisor Carric from dire wolves.
Recognising the paladin's family name Carric informed Holg of the tiefling's death and granted him his land back as well as awarding him noble status and gave him falconry classes which lead to his bond with the hawk Silverbeak, a wild hawk the size of an eagle and with a beak that shined with silver. After travelling north Holg met the dwarven prince of the Beor mountains, currently in the middle of a battle with marauding orc party he intervened and eventually the dwarf persuaded him to be allowed to follow on his journeys. Now they travel, finding trouble more often than not and eventually ended up back at Holg's home in Losune.
The two had stayed there and decided to rejuvenate after months of constant fighting… not knowing what was to come next…
