Disclaimer: I don't own Tomb Raider (darn), and I don't own the character Joachim Karel (double darn). So please don't sue me, and if you do, you're not getting anything because I have nothing whatsoever. Although I guess I do own the rest of the fanfiction!

Oh, and all the characters and the location in this chapter are entirely fictional. Any similarities to anyone/anywhere are coincidence.

Author's note-Please Read!: This is my first actual fanfiction posted here at fanfiction.net, so please be gentle; I have a fragile self-esteem. I'm not quite sure what kind of feedback this is going to get, because this is going to be different compared to an average Tomb Raider fic. First of all, Lara unfortunately is not going to show up here. This fanfiction is entirely about the character Joachim Karel and Lara didn't even exist during the times of this story. If you were hoping that Lara would be here, I apologize. Second of all, this story contains fantasy-type characters and situations. If you don't like that sort of stuff, leave now. However, if you're looking for a completely unique Tomb Raider-related fanfiction, I think you've come to the right place. ________________________________________________________________________

The Story of a Scar
By IncanArticuno

Chapter 1: Runaways

Turkey, 176 B.C.

Joachim stood at the beginning of a great forest as he watched the city burn several miles away. It had been his home, the only place he had ever lived in, and now it was being decimated by hordes of filthy marauders. He sighed bitterly.

He knew that Tyrocia would never be marked on another map. The city had been attacked quickly and effectively at the break of dawn, and by now it was completely ransacked. All of his friends and nearly everyone he had known were dead. Tyrocia had been captured by an enemy, a very strong enemy, so it was most probable it would never be rebuilt.

Their weapons were too strong. Nephilim were supposed to be immortal, so therefore no ordinary armament could ultimately kill them, but the assailants' weaponry had not been ordinary. All their blades and arrow-tips had been made of what looked like black crystals that he had seen annihilate many Nephilim. Against that army, a Nephilim was as mortal as any human was.

Joachim had seen humans attack Nephilim before, but never in such a way as they did this morning. This time the humans had animals with them. These animals had been different, for they weren't beasts of burden nor were they the slaves of the humans. These animals battled alongside the men without being guided. They were also wild and ferocious creatures; some Joachim had seen in the wilderness, but others he had only heard about. This army was one for all of his kind to fear. How could humans and animals create such an alliance? What sorcery could create a weapon that could dispatch the immortal?

As he contemplated, a voice called out from the trees. "Joachim? Joachim! Oh, where are you? We have to leave before we're caught!"

Joachim turned his back to his ruined home. "Over here."

He waited for a moment, and then a patch of forest undergrowth rustled as a woman stepped out. She was human, but at the moment she was the one person that Joachim trusted the most. Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders as she quickly ducked under a tree branch, and her bright brown eyes regarded him with relief. At the moment, they looked quite a bit alike. The woman continually wished their appearances similar because that way they truly would seem that they were relatives. This lady was none other than Jobina Karel, Joachim's mother.

"Joachim, it is not safe out in the open. Please, let us go!"

He sighed once again. Sometimes his mother could frighten herself very badly. She had always been this way, even before he was born, as others had told him. Joachim's mother had had a timid and shy nature ever since her husband had left her, leaving her to raise her son on her own. Because of this, Joachim never even knew who his father was. Whenever he had tried to pry it out of her, she'd either change the subject or start weeping. Jobina's shyness also had made her dependent upon her son, even if he was several years away from adulthood. At this point, she was trying to protect him as any mother should, but her panic was showing through.

"Mother, stop being hysterical. We need a plan."

"We are leaving! Is that not good enough for you?"

"There are not any cities safe enough for miles. We won't survive the journey without provisions."

Jobina immediately realized what her son wanted to do and became more frightened than she was at first. "You mean to go back to Tyrocia? There's an army waiting to slaughter any Nephilim or sympathizer they see! It's been plundered! If we go back, we will be killed!"

His mother was nearly raving. With terrible enemies sneaking about, her loud voice made him nervous. "Stop yelling! You do not want to draw unwanted attention!"

But this warning had come too late. Before either could do anything, a black-tipped arrow came darting out of the shadows of the forest behind Joachim's mother, straight for them. It hit Jobina squarely in the back. Her face contorted in surprise, and then her body slowly fell face down on the ground. Knowing that he could do nothing for her, Joachim was off like a shot, before any other arrows could chase after him.

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Hopefully you enjoyed that. If not, sorry. It was short, and it may have been confusing, but more answers will come in the next chapter. If I get any nice reviews, I swear I will continue this story to the end. Chapter 2 will bring in more characters (and drama), and Chapter 3 will be where it all ends, and Joachim will have his scar (and even more drama here too!). Bye! ^-^