His name was Axel.
There was nothing at all odd about that. It was an extremely common name. So common it was annoying… there was nothing like having the teacher call 'Axel!' and have five boys respond.
The red hair and green eyes weren't at all common, nor the facial markings. But they were typical for a blood witch. That was the generic term for anyone, male or female, who could work the ancient blood magic.
Once, his family had been respected landholders. Blood magic could be used to make the land more fruitful and keep it that way, along with careful agriculture, so they had been very well off.
Unfortunately, blood magic also had other applications. The story of the Blood King and his reign of terror was taught in school. Blood magic could be used to strengthen the body and live past a normal lifetime… if you were willing to take the blood from someone else. His family had never done that, and in the revolution they'd managed to hang onto the manor and grounds. But only that… the tenant lands had been given to the farmers, so they had immediately gone from well off to destitute. They had been able to hunt the woods and sell the lumber, but it fetched a poor price. The manor house had gradually fallen into disrepair.
By the time Axel was born, the manor had been abandoned completely and he and his mother lived in the small gardeners cottage on the property. The land rights didn't mean much anymore since they couldn't stop anyone else from hunting, and the local sheriff wasn't going to enforce the poaching laws, but his mother made ends meet somehow.
But people came and went, and gradually the farmers that had grudgingly tolerated them had been replaced with ones who didn't. Axel didn't know who had murdered his mother, and he never would. The investigation had been short and desultory, and resulted in the conclusion that his mother had been killed by a 'drifter.' Axel hadn't been stupid, so he'd sold what was left of the estate for the pittance that was all anyone would offer and had gone to the city.
In the city, he'd managed to buy a sturdy little cottage in a bad part of town. He fit in pretty well there. His red hair marked him as an outcast, but that actually helped, and blood magic was very good for healing. He fixed up some of the local gang members on occasion in return for protection. And sometimes, he did a bit of healing for the people in his neighborhood who were willing to part with a few coins and trust a blood witch. Mostly, though, he worked down at the docks as a carpenter. He was good with his hands and had always loved wood, so it worked. It was a simple life and he didn't have much extra, but he was getting by.
He never anticipated it being turned upside down in a single day.
"Hurry up and wait." Axel sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair as he half-closed his vibrant green eyes. He'd gotten out plenty early for the yearly property payments, but he was still six people back. He pitied the people at the end of the line… it was starting to snake around the block. On the other hand, they shouldn't have waited so late.
The line progressed quickly, and he'd finished paying his fees and was walking away when he heard an exclamation. Frowning, he turned his head and saw people backing away from the side of the road. He caught the word 'plague' and hesitated before walking over. Blood witches were largely immune to disease, and if there was something he could do to help…
He blinked as he spotted the blond boy, curled up and semi-conscious on the ground. Axel knelt down beside him, feeling for a pulse, and was relieved to find it was strong and steady. A quick check with his other senses was reassuring.
"There's no disease here. He's just taken a blow." Axel was able to say to the onlookers, and there was a small huff of relief before everyone continued what they were doing. Disease was feared but being hit over the head in an alley was business as usual. And having blood witches around was useful for detecting disease, even if they couldn't do too much to cure it. Axel looked down at the boy thoughtfully. He was rather cute, in a young way, and his clothing was strange but fine. If he left the child here, he'd wake up naked if he woke up at all. "Aw… hell." Grinning at himself, he picked the boy up, standing with a grunt. The kid was heavier than he looked.
It wasn't the first time he'd rescued a stray. He'd take this one home, clean him off and see what he had. Maybe it would be interesting.