This was originally a creative writing project but can be continued/rewritten to be longer and better.

"Why does this place have to be so bright and sunny? I just wanted to go back to Narathsdül but no, my ship just had to crash and I get stuck on this fucking beach that smells of salt and dead fish." I groaned, maneuvering the rocky shore and fixing my snowy hair back into its usual bun.

A scream sounded off in the distance. I jumped off the rocks landing easily on my feet and rushed over to the source, flaming claymore in hand. Hopefully, there's a good fight going on and not someone just getting stuck or breaking something.

An orc stood over a young erudite wizard boy that looked a few years too early for leaving the temple (a few years early for adolescence as well). The orc was preparing his final blow. I rolled my eyes and out of pity and boredom, generated a cloud of black smoke, shooting it at the orc and letting it engulf him. I took my bow off my back and fired an arrow surging with electricity at the orc's head just as the smoke dissipated.

I slung my bow back across my torso and tossed a healing elixir to the young wizard, who was bleeding quite a bit, before continuing my walk down this blasted beach.

I think it's safe to assume that he was alright enough to take the potion because he came running after me shouting, "Hey wait!" repeatedly. I simply ignored him and kept walking.

Eventually he caught up and started circling me, saying things like: "Why is your hair white? How old are you? I don't know of any group of people that have dark grey skin. Why are your eyes red? Is that black band across your face a tattoo or just paint?"

At this point, I was sick of his questions and starting to regret giving him the elixir. I stopped abruptly and turned around to face him. "Kid, you ever heard of shadow elves?"

"Yeah, they use disease and undead magic, are only bested in melee by the barbarians, extremely vulgar, and that one should stay away from them because of their violent and unpredictable nature. Why?"

Giving him one of those, "How much of a dumbass are you?" looks, I scoffed and kept walking. Apparently, he connected the dots and jumped in front of me, his little coffee hands grasping his staff firmly.

"What the hell are you doing kid?"

He squeaked, "You're a shadow elf! You could attack at any moment!"

"You do this to everybody that saves you?" I sighed, giving him a half-hearted push. He fell into the sand with no resistance. I stooped over him and said, "Listen kid, us shadow elves are mostly just dark, sarcastic assholes that just like a good fight. If we don't think that the fight will entertain us or benefit us in any way, we don't do it. Now, shoo." I made the little universal "shoo" hand motion and continued my walk.

The wizard kid got up and tugged at one of the scalemail flaps of my armor. "Can I come with you? Wherever you're going?" He asked. This kind of caught me off guard I'm won't lie. Nobody really ever wants to go with shadow elves anywhere and we like being alone anyway.

"Now why would you want to do that?" I inquired.

He shifted awkwardly, "Well, my temple got destroyed by orcs and dire badgers. I managed to get away through a portal but I have no clue what to do. I've got nowhere else to go. I just thought maybe..." His voice audibly choked up and tears began to well up at the corner of his eyes.

I laid my forehead in the palm of my hand. This kid should've tried to find a temple or village. I mean there's gotta be one around here somewhere. But, by the looks of it, this kid doesn't know shit about anything. Nevertheless, I don't have the space or time for brats.

"Listen kid, I'm sorry about your temple and all, but I don't have any positions open for companions. So, see ya 'round." I turned and kept walking.

He shouted at me, "My name's not kid! It's Ekwueme!"

"That's real fucking nice kid!" I shouted back.

In the end, I honestly don't know why I let him tag along with me. Maybe because I was too annoyed to care anymore and that he was dogging me around the island anyway. Ekwueme was horrid when it came to combat but, he was decent when it came to spell casting. He couldn't carry much either. He sort of ended up becoming the little brother that I never wanted.

Then one day, he went missing in one of the dank caves we were exploring. I looked at the map to see where he could have gone. There was a relatively large clearing up a little ways. Upon advancing into said clearing, I found Ekwueme being held at knife point by a shadow elf I could have sworn I'd seen before.

He grinned at me and said, "Now Yüthòra, I shall take what is precious to you as you did to me." His low scratchy voice echoed around the cave as he prodded Ekwueme's throat with a rather nice dirk. Maybe I should steal that from him when this is all over or something.

"I'm sorry you are?" I asked.

"Excuse me?" He replied, "I-."

"No, no, no don't tell me I know this one. Um, oh yeah! You're that one guy that became the laughing stock of Narathsdül because he got so broken up about his brother's death and kept relentlessly trying to track me down. You know, I'm glad you're here right now because you really are a pain in the ass."

Those last few remarks must have flown straight over his head because he simply said, "You killed my older brother you bitch."

I stretched my arms out wide and responded, "In a ring fight he entered under his own power, full aware of the possible outcomes. Sorry honey, but that was decades ago. Time to move on." After that he had gone into this long spiel about his brother who was just so precious to him and that his life was snuffed out too early.

Ekwueme even mouthed at one point, "Should I try to escape?"

I shook my head no.

Rolling my head from shoulder to shoulder, I sighed and drew my claymore. The elf was too distracted by his speech to notice. His grip on Ekwueme had slackened. With one quick movement, I disarmed the elf and sent him to join his brother.

"C'mon, there's people all over like him and we gotta finish exploring this cave." I told Ekwueme. I sheathed my sword and started to walk forward, wiping the dirt off of the fallen shadow elf's dirk. Ekwueme didn't follow me like usual. "Ekwueme? What's up kid, huh?" I asked. I had gone back to where he was sitting and crouched down to his level. He looked confused and shaken up quite a bit.

Eventually he responded, "Yüthòra, what exactly do you do to make enemies like that?"

I smiled and shrugged, "Oh what I do goes by a lot of names: bounty hunter, assassin, prized champion. But, in reality it's all one thing. I fight, and I do it often. Now come on, we have to get through this cave and go get some food."

I gestured forward with my head. Ekwueme got up and followed me into the rest of the dank and dark cave.