It didn't take Aeril long to find and defeat another Orc. On the same day as the quest was given to him, he had successfully finished it. A spectacular first considering the quest given to him was more difficult than the ones given to the other recruits. It was quite an event, many from all around Freeport came to witness it. Even the Ogre Boomba had come to see it, although in the back carefully monitored by the guards.

From that day on, Aeril could be seen daily outside the Ashen Order guild hall practicing daily, or patrolling the roads leading to the western provinces of the Commonlands and the Southern provinces Ro. So common was it, that Varlon found it somewhat strange not to find his son on his way back to Freeport. Upon reaching the gate, he was going to ask Malin, when he heard Aeril's voice coming from above him.

Varlon looked up, and to his amazement Aeril was high on the city wall inching toward a small white cat with little ribbons. As he reached for the scared cat it scratched his hand, momentarily filling him with fear and panic. He felt himself starting to lose his balance, and lunged for the cat.

Everyone who was watching gasped as the boy dove, grabbing the cat only to fall from the top of the 30 foot wall. Varlon was about to run to save his child, when he felt a large hand on his shoulder. He glanced behind him and saw the large Ogre shake his head. He quickly looked back to his son who to everyone's great amazement, began twisting in the air doing a beautiful double backtuck and landing perfectly on his feet.

He walked toward a small girl in the crowd and handed her the unharmed, but slightly dizzy cat. "Here you go Ulia. Make sure she doesn't do that again, I might not be around to save her."

Ulia nodded weakly still amazed at what she saw, before running of towards her home. He laughed and looked up to see his Varlon, who seeing his son rushed to him. "Aeril are you alright?"

"Ya Ulia said her cat got lost and I found it on the wall. Don't know how it got there. I had to get Boomba to help me get up there."

"What cat do?" Boomba asked.

"Nothing actually, it barely scratched me."

"Then what happened. What made you lose your balance then?"

"To tell you the truth, it was kinda weird. I just suddenly got really scared of the cat. I can't really explain it, it was almost like a memory actually."

"Boy try be catlord? Same happen to many Ogre Beast Lords. Ogre's throw in pit with many bear. Till learn to control bear or die. Many come out scared. To Ogre fear like death. Trainer kill."

"I don't think that happened to me. Definately not since Varlon became my father. I don't know anything before that, but either way it doesn't really matter. I don't really care what happened before then."

"You no want know real parents?"

"Varlon is my father." He said resolutely.

"But Aeril, don't you want to know who your real parents are? The ones who gave birth to you. Don't you want to know your real name, or why you change race and sex?"

"No! I don't want to know. I don't care, and even if my parents were Antonius Bayle and Firiona Vie I still wouldn't care. I am Aeril, child of Varlon, member of the Ashen Order of Freeport. I don't care about the people who gave birth to me and then abandoned me!"

Both Varlon and Boomba were speechless. In all the time that Varlon knew Aeril, he had never seen him so upset. For eight years Aeril had been a source of happiness to all who knew him, for nothing ever truly angered him or made him overly upset. In fact the angriest he ever remembered him was when the guards didn't want to let Boomba stay in the city. Feeling unsure of what to do, he just stared as his son turned and ran from them into the city.

He felt a large hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at the Ogre. "Boomba had son. Strong fighter. Come. Drink and Boomba tell story." Seeing Varlon hesitant to go anywhere except after his son Boomba said. "Come. Boy need think. He come back. Come drink with Boomba."

Varlon sighed. He felt so unsure of what to do. Aeril had never given him even the smallest problems in the seven years he had raised him. Should he leave him be or goto him. Varlon looked into the city. He had no idea where to find him. Freeport was a large city. He decided the Ogre was probably right, and after much deliberation took him up on his offer.

Unseen to everyone a figure in a dark brown travelers robe watched with interest. It followed when Aeril left, carefully keeping up with the him. Aeril ran to top of the theater close to guild hall of the Ashen Order. He was sitting there thinking when, he heard a noise behind him. He turned his head and saw the hooded figure. He could easily tell she was female, even though she kept the hood low over her head.

"I saw what you did for that little girl, it was... quite impressive."

His head shot towards her. The voice seemed extremely familiar, but yet he couldn't recognize it. "Do I know you?"

"I seriously doubt it, this is my first time here in Freeport. I come from the west. I was about to enter the city when I saw the crowd gathering and decided to see what had gotten their attention. You must really like that little girl to risk your life for her."

"Oh you mean Ulia? I actually don't know her very well. She doesn't live to far away from me. But I was walking the streets and I saw her crying by the gates so I asked her what was wrong and she told me. So I decided to help."

"So why are you here? Aren't you a hero? Yet ran away. Why?"

"I had a fight with my father."

"Ahh I see. What did you fight about?"

"Nothing."

"Ahh yes, I should have known. I always run away from my parents to sulk about nothing. I feel so silly. I almost thought it had something to do with you not wanting to see the people who abandoned you, like you shouted."

Aeril narrowed his eyes. "Who are you? And why should you care?"

She slowly reached up and removed her hood. Elven ears peaked out beneath her short reddish brown hair. "Because my birth parents left me to die about eight years ago too. So I know some of what you feel. I know what its like to have been abandoned.

He stared at her for a moment. He noted her ears while elven were smaller then his own as an elf. Her young face while elven had a rugged human quality to it. She was also much taller than his elf form, being more head taller. It amazed him how different the Half Elf looked compared to the way he looked like as an Elf. Sadly he said "I'm sorry to hear that. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. My name is Aeril."

He looked at her curiously for a minute, before realization came to her. "Oh I'm sorry. My name is Krynalia, but call me Kryn."

"Come over and sit down Kryn. You have an excellent view of the floating Academy of Arcane Science from here. It's the second best view in all of Freeport. Only thing better is the temple of Marr in the North Freeport. Isn't it beautiful?"

Indeed it was. The marble structure floated nearly 25 feet in the air, under it a lake the size of its base. Nearly everyone in the West Freeport could see it. She nodded her head in agreement. "I haven't seen much of it yet, but this seems like a good city."

"Oh it is. It's the best city in Norrath!"

"My aren't we boastful?!"

"Wana tour? I can prove it?"

She smiled at him "Certainly I'd love a tour."

They began walking around the city. Aeril played the part of tour guide perfectly. Pointing out all the area's of interest in Freeport, which was quite a lot.

"So tell me a little about Freeport."



"Well uh, its got more people than any other city in the world. Its so big they divided it into three parts. North Freeport, East Freeport, and West Freeport, where we are right now. I think Qeynos has more land than us, but we still got a lot of territory. Everything from West Commons down to the Oasis of Marr is owned by Freeport."

Kryn nodded her head looking slightly impressed. "I see that is pretty big. And they say the human empire fell long ago! Between Freeport and Qeynos, humans control nearly all of Antonica."

Aeril shrugged. "I guess. So, uh where did you come from? Only thing I know to the west is Rivervale and High Hold Keep."

"I'm actually from the forest that separates them."

"You're from Kithicor?" He said in shock. "Varlon's told me of Kithicor. He said powerful undead roam the forest like people roam the streets of Freeport during the festival of Marr!"

Now Kryn had never even heard of this festival of Marr. But knowing that the Marr twins were the principle deities worshiped in Freeport and with the size of the already crowded streets, she guessed quite correctly that it must be an Incredible number of people roaming the streets then. "Well maybe not that many, but the undead indeed make it very dangerous to travel at night in that part of the forest."

"Weren't you scared?"

"I was as a child, but there are many who hunt the undead and the other creatures that invade the forest.. They kept us safe. Then again my mother is a powerful wizardess, what child would need to fear anything when their mother could destroy anything foolish enough to want to do harm to her family with just a few words and gestures?"

"Ya that's true. I felt the same way after Varlon rescued me from that Orc when I was younger. I was probably no more than a child, but at seven even the smallest Orcs look huge and monstrous. When he picked me up, it was like I suddenly wasn't scared anymore. He's taken care of me since, taught me all I know, despite all the problems I've made for him."

"Its sounds like you love him very much."

"I do! He's my father!"

"Then why run from him?"

"Because.... they were talking about finding my real parents. They deserted me. Why should I care about them."

"Is that what's really bothering you?"

"What do you mean?"

From personal experience, I think having your adopted parents talking about finding your birth parents is making you scared.

"Why would that make me scared?"

"Because it makes you start asking questions yourself questions you didn't want to ask. Like why did they leave me? Do they even remember me? Did they ever care? Or questions like do I have any siblings? If so, How many? Are they older? younger? Both? Why then did they abandon me and not them? Or maybe they didn't mean to abandon me. What if I was taken from them? Or maybe something or someone forced us apart. All those and more. And then there's the question that scares you the most. "Will my adopted parent still want you after they find your birth parents?"

Aeril looked at her in shock. "How... how did you ...?"

Kryn laughed. "Don't tell me you already forgot I said I was adopted too. I've been through this all years ago. My parents began to wonder about my birth parents too. I was scared they didn't want me anymore either. Scared they too wanted to abandon me. They didn't of course. They were just trying to do what they thought was the best for me. I'm sure that's why your father wants to also. So that you can find the answer to those questions instead of letting them haunt you."

Aeril sighed. "Ya I guess your right."

"Of course I'm right. They took us in to their homes . Unwanted children, left in the forest to die at the hands at the hands of the undead or the savage Orcs who roam it. They took upon them the burden of having to raise someone else unwanted child. No one forced them to do it, they did it because they wanted to."

"I.. Your right! Thank you! I think I should probably go find Varlon and apologize. Will you come with me? You can stay for dinner."

"No, no I must go. Its getting late. I must meet my mother, If I'm late she won't be happy. But I thank you for the tour of the city, Aeril. Perhaps we'll meet again. Until then."

"Good bye Kryn. Come over anytime. My house is close to the theater we were at. I go there quite often. Stop by anytime ok."

"I will. Now I must hurry if I'm to meet my mother. Good day to you Aeril."

Waving goodbye one final time, Aeril ran to his home to apologize to Varlon. But when he arrived, he was surprised to see Varlon wasn't there. He waited several hours, but Varlon never returned. He was about to go look for him, when he heard a knock on the door.

He rushed to open the door. He was surprised to see his trainer Braka. "Master Braka! Hello! Please come in."

"Why thank you Aeril. I heard of what you did today."

Thinking of the fight with Varlon, he bowed his head. "I'm sorry sir."

"Sorry?! Sorry about what? I'm the one who should apologize. I've underestimated you because of your age. I tried to go easy on you, but your performance today has opened my eyes. I've been in fact slowing you down instead of helping you."

Aeril was confused "huh? What do you mean?"

"The way you broke your fall after you saved that girls cat. Let me tell you, I couldn't have done a better job in my younger days. And I grew up in the mountains of High Hold Keep. As of right now, we are starting your training to earn the yellow sash."

"Sir?" he said his eyes going wide.

"You heard, get dressed and meet me outside the guild hall. We'll be training every day and night from now until your ready to begin to take the test."

"Yes sir! I'll get ready right away."

"I'll meet you there."

Aeril got ready quickly and ran to the guild hall. It was a long and tiring training. He pushed his body to its limits, yet he felt he could continue on longer. When Braka was ready to finish, Aeril asked for them to continue.

Braka could hardly tell the boy no, so they continued to train. It was late at night when Braka was finally to tired to continue. Aeril returned home. Noting that Varlon still had not returned. That night he slept alone for the first time in seven years."