There's an old saying. That before you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes. But what no one ever told me was that it can still flash... if there's a giant red dragon ripping out your heart! And I forgot to mention, still living afterwords.
I grew up in a fishing village in the south of Gransys. I wasn't born there, I was born in some other land that I don't even know the name of. When I was small, my father was a traveling story teller. He would often tell me tales of his journeys prior to meeting my mother. She died from sickness not too long after I was born. He took it upon himself to raise me. As when I was about eight years of age, he had hit the road again and took me with him. I remember sitting there when we would hit a town, he would tell all kinds of stories for coin. He told of all kinds of lore, including that of the elven folk. Those were my favorite stories. And when we couldn't make enough for lodging, he would do odd jobs in whatever town we'd hit. He always said that the odd jobs fills our stomachs, but story telling feeds our souls.
I remember that we decided to head for Gransys because it was time. We weren't in any kind of trouble that I knew of, but it was time we left our cold homeland. Since Gransys was supposed to have mild weather all year long, it seemed perfect to him. Personally I thought he was out of material and needed something new. However, the voyage didn't go as planned.
I still see it in my nightmares, that night. The ship we worked so hard to get passage on was hit by a massive storm. Even though it all happened in a flash, I still remember how the mast fell over from the strain, breaking the ship in two. Father held on tight to me when we went overboard, holding on to both me and a piece of driftwood. I don't remember how long we were stranded out at sea, but I do remember that a crew of Cassardi Fishermen saved us. They were even nice enough to take us back to their village and abandon the rest of the trip. Even their chief, Adaro was kind enough to take us into his home. Sadly for my father, it was too late.
"Good ser, I would like to thank you for your kindness... but I fear that my health is getting worse. I know you had done much for me and m' boy already... but I must ask more." my father said.
"What will it be?" the chief asked.
"Please... watch out for m' boy. His mother died not long after he was born. And when I meet the Maker... he will be all alone. T'is not right for a child to be alone." my father replied.
"I'll see that the boy has a place to call home." the chief assured him.
"Thank you. But before I meed the maker... I must ask. What land be this village in?" my father asked.
"Gransys." the chief answered.
With that, my father had passed with a smile on his face. He had made it to the land he always dreamed of going. The next day, they had laid him down to rest in the chapel's small cemetery. Even though he was an outsider, they still treated him like any other. I remember crying as the priest before Clemente had given my father his last rights. However, I also remember girl named Quina putting her hand on my shoulder.
For the next fourteen years of my life, I grew up as a Cassardi. Despite my fair complexion, they always treated me as one of their own. I was close to Quina and another boy named Valmiro. We were always a trio, the odd ones of the village. Quina was usually bullied by the other children, but I always defended her. It was the least I could do, despite all the black eyes, cut lips, and bloody noses I got. Valmiro on the other hand, was even more odd. He wasn't much of a fisherman, despite being Cassardi by birth. His only serious attempt caused him to get seasick and he fell overboard. That experience caused him to want to try and figure life out. He always got himself in some kind of danger in his personal studies, which would result in him needing saved and Quiena chiding him. But neither Quina nor I ever could criticize him. We would just listen to what he learned... one-sidedly.
What really drew them to me was the stories I had learned from my father. Even though I was very young, I remembered the tales of magick and elven folk. Even though Valmiro did question their existence, I would remind him that just because they are not seen, don't mean they don't exist. But despite him questioning my stories, he would still listen closely. Quina loved them too. After she had lost her own parents, she was raised by the chief as well. She pretty much became my sister.
The one thing that I hated was fishing. I didn't mind the hard work or being out at sea, I just didn't like the smell. As soon as I could, I got a bow and took up hunting just for something else to do with my spare time. I made extra coin by selling the pelts and meat from the rabbits I would hunt. I was jokingly referred to as "Rabbitsbane" as a pun on the duke's surname and the fact I'd rather hunt than fish. However, the chief didn't like that I wasn't out fishing as much as I should be.
"Thatch, how many times have I told you that you could be out there fishing and now playing with your bow?" Adaro asked.
"I lost count after the fifth-hundred time, ser." I would reply.
"That's not funny anymore, you're a grown man now." he stated.
Yet, he was right. I was a grown man... and the tallest in the village. The the children who bullied me, Quina, and Valmiro when we were young were now scared to mess with me due to my size. Not to mention that fishing for most of my life did give me muscles. The fishing crew that I worked with loved having me around as I could haul the most fish in.
"Chief, I know that this is a fishing village. I'm grateful that you took me in as a child. But I'm not a child anymore. Unlike Valmiro, I know more of the world. And there's more that I would like to see. Beyond Cassardis, beyond the Sea Breeze Trail, beyond the Witchwood." I stated.
"You were messing in the Witchwood again?" Adaro asked sternly.
"Only when I can get passed the Iron Hammer to reach it. It's been more difficult as of late. For some strange reason, the wolves have gotten worse. Even I don't try fighting those." I replied.
"That's it! I'm taking your bow!" the chief replied while snatching it.
"Wait, that's mine!" I replied in anger.
"It's passed time you learned your place, Thatch. You're a fisherman and that's final. The days of the Rabbitsbane are over." he said storming out of his house with the bow.
I followed him, pleading not to do anything crazy. The whole village watched on as he stormed off to the pier with my bow. I was on my knees, about his height standing up now begging him not to do it. But despite Chief Adaro's old age, he flung the bow very far into the sea. All I could do was watch in shock, there was nothing I could do. Chief Adaro raised me, I couldn't strike at him no matter my size. All I could do was accept my fate, I was a fisherman of Cassardis.
After Chief Adaro cast my bow off to the Brine, I just waked around Cassardis. I was broken, in a sense. My body just moved on it's own, to Inez's Alehouse. I just ordered some Cloudwine and sat down. I don't remember how many jugs of it that I drank, but I do remember that was one of the few times I didn't come there to flirt. I'm sure to her, that was off because I usually flirt with any woman near my age. Even Rorric, the town drunk couldn't keep up. But no one said anything, they were all there to see it. After I had enough, I decided to walk home.
Despite my drunkenness, I was able to make it to my house alright. I bought a place that was separated from Pablos' Inn by a wall after the previous tenant decided to leave. It wasn't too far from the Chief's house, it was actually on the way from leaving it. I'd been living there just going on a year now. It was a little lonely, but now I was glad to no longer be under the chief's roof. As I laid on the bed looking up at the ceiling, I could only think about my lost bow. I passed out not knowing what was to come.
The next morning, there was a red sky. There's an old sailor's saying, "Red Sky in morning, Sailor take warning". I just knew that it wasn't going to be my day. As I got dressed, I thought about going to the chief and forgiving him. He was only scared for my safety after all. And things had been getting worse outside of the village's gate lately. There have been guardsmen from the capitol, trying to enlist villagers to take arms. Something about a coming of the dragon, I didn't heed it too much. As I walked out, I could hear their ramble again.
I looked around, and saw Quina giving me a wave and a reassuring smile. She too witnessed what Chief Adaro did. For once, I was able to see how beautiful of a woman she had grown into. I smiled and waved back, signaling that I was alright. But as I waved, a heavy gust of wind about knocked me over. Everyone looked around and to the beach. The next thing I knew, Cortese was running towards everyone. Quiena quickly ran to me and shielded herself.
"It's the Dragon, it comes!" he yelled.
The next thing we knew, the Dragon came. All hell had broken loose as it descended and started destroying the village. I managed to get a glimpse of of Quina running to a crying girl, trying to get her to safety. As the chaos reigned, I noticed a sword dropped by one of the Duke's men. I didn't know why, but I took it's hilt and ran for the Dragon. It tried to crush me with it's massive claw a few times, but I managed to avoid it and slash at it a few times. I had never seen anything that big before, and I really wished I had my bow so I could had attacked from a distance.
The battle was futile, but I didn't care. All I could think about was stalling the Dragon long enough for the villagers to flee to safety. It seemed to have gotten bored with me, and swiped at me. Before I was hit with his claw, I made sure to direct the blade of the sword to stab it. I ended up knocked back a few yards with my face barely above the water. I was sure that it was time for me to meet the Maker.
The Dragon had looked at it's claw, and the sword fell out of it. It then crawled it's way to me very slowly. As the massive beast looked down upon me, something was different. It's eyes were glowing like the fires of hell. It then spoke something to me in a language that I didn't understand. It even paused for a moment, like it was thinking. During the pause, it slammed it's massive tail on the beach one time before continuing it's gibberish. Slowly, it held one of it's claws above my chest. It then pierced my breast, and I screamed in pain as my heart was removed by the claw. I was conscious enough to see it move my heart near it's mouth. It spoke more gibberish, then my removed heart started to glow before the beast swallowed it. As it walked away... my life flashed before my eyes as everything went to black.