CONTINUATION OF AVEL THE ONE EYED BACKSTORY

He remembered why he was here, two deaths. His parents killed when he was just a boy and all he could do was stare. Rooted to one spot unable to move, unable to breathe.

From where he was hiding he saw the man clad in black slash his mother

He saw her fall. He glimpsed the limp frame of his father crumpled against the wall blood still seeping out the wide gash across his stomach.

Avel tried to move but he was transfixed to the spot by the horror of it all.

The screaming had stopped but his ears were still ringing.

Dropping the limp frame of his mother, the man in black finally turned towards him and then like the first rains of spring, It broke out.

One overpowering command in his head; RUN!

Up the stairs and out the window, he fell on the roof sleets nearby but he didn’t stop… couldn’t stop.

He ran past the streets, past the hunters camp where people were supposedly able to help protect the city and it’s people. Where were they ?

He kept running until he reached the bend that led to the gates out of Fyosporia, he looked back. He saw no pursuer but he kept running out of Fyosporia, away from the horror.

He kept running through to the next day

He kept running until his feet bled and even then he didn’t stop he had to turn away from it all.

That was long ago but even now, Avel was still running, just from something different.

He opened his eyes. He didn’t like remembering how it all started, the emotions thay made to well up in him betrayed the training he had gone through for so man years. But he had to. It was his drive. He had to find the truth.

He closed them again.

Living as an orphan with nothing but the clothes on your back was tough.

What was tougher was doing all that in the The Maddening Marsh.

It wasn’t that bad and after some time, if he did not count he contact figt s due to someone always trying to steal something from and the strong smell that always followed Rabith,’ you could almost say he was okay.

He had to survive by stealing all he could and where there is a wll there’s a way but you also get noticed by the head of the Local Mob too.

Gontaroo

His first master who appreciated his speed in movement and taught him how to use it to stealthily steal anything, take anything and have everything he wanted. Working for Gontaroo was harsh as he had to turn in a high amounts everyday or he was beaten up but this was better than just living on the streets.

So slowly the small sharp witted boy finally became a ruthless adolescent who was well known for his heists throughout the sullen plains and other parts of Krisipan.

Avel moved up the ranks and finally became one of Gontaroo’s most reliable men. Gontaroo was happy with the increase in the steady income that came through the numerous raids but not everyone was.

And so when news came into town that an unknown stranger was offering a huge sum of silver for information on the whereabouts of a glythe, Maico saw his opportunity to rise fall into his lap.

Easy peasy! it was like taking food from a baby, this was the Maddening Marsh after all and one thing you should never do was to ignore or disobey the invisible rules.

Rule one: Trust No one

Maico made contact with the man in black and then the stage was set.Disaster given a perfect outlet.

“This is the biggest catch of our lives” Maico kept muttering to Avel as he prodded him to come along on this heist.

He looked at him, pitch black fur lined with bright gold at the tips and paw structured hands that easily hid the knives embeded in the gloves but the most striking feauture were his sapphire eyes — aunusual for glythes who usually had blue eyes.

Maico studied him carefully and made sure to stick close to him as time passed. It was obvious that Avel was one of those special ones,there was just this energy Avel exuded that commanded respect from everyone who came in contact with him. He couldn’t quite place it was it his gait or the apparel he wore.

He couldn’t figure him out and he hated that,If he couldn’t find out what made him tick, he couldn’t control him.

Maico wanted greater things and would do anything and eliminate anyone who was in his way and right now that was Avel.

So he put on his best charms and prodded and pushed not relenting,laying his trap perfectly.

Avel finally accepts on the condition that he gets first pick on the spoils, Maico agreed and with that they set out for the town east of the marsh.They rode on their mounts for about 10 clicks before coming upon the location;

A large mass of land supposedly holding treasure belonging to a family in Herodence but was buried here.

Everything went smoothly until Avel went scouting at the storehouse.

He split up with Maico to cover more ground and as he’d always remember: “That was the beginning of the one day he’ll never forget, even if he wanted to”.

There were various paths that networked in the property but he didn’t follow the regular ones, instead he moved against it until he came to a vast space.

This was weird

It was a big clearing and he had barely covered half of it when his instincts told him he was being trailed.Avel acted normal and kept riding his brutarg refusing to betray the fact that he had caught on.He directed his mount to a small patch with several trees, good for bouncing off weapons…and people. He smiled and stopped.

“You can come out now!…” he shouted and added, for their benefit, “…No one would disturb us here”.

He was getting used to this, making a name in the Maddening Marsh not only meant more influence and power, it also made you a target and fights were not something you could always avoid.A figure made his way towards him from where he stood he couldn’t tell much but one thing was sure, He was big.

The signature burly muscled arms, small ears, and reds eyes. A Brutam, he wasn’t the only one as he came closer, several more came from different sides of the clearing forming a pentagon formation.

He counted five ,no six including the one that came out first.

“Fuck!” he muttered under his breath, whoever sent them wanted to make sure he died and stayed that way.The first question in his head was “What the hell is a Brutam doing in the hidden horde?”

But that didn’t stop him from jumping back to evade the first slash of brute strength from the first one. He had to throw away all thoughts and focus on this moment.

Rule 2: Survive first then asks questions later.

The second came at him lunging at his mid section from the get go. He doubled down and rolled cleanly, avoiding the attack and made a slash at his assailants ankle. Blood spurted as his knife found the target but this was a Brutam one cut wouldn’t be enough.

They quickly encircled him and coordinated their attacks, not putting too much effort in attacking but making sure he was expending energy evading their blows.

“Fucktards!” they wanted to wear him out and then rip him apart. He would not let this drag out long enough for them to do that.

Putting power behind his legs he propelled himself off the floor and slashed across the weakest parts of the first big burly Brutam that lounged towards him, their eyes. If he couldn’t clean out kill them he’d make them unable to continue attacking him.

The Brutam screamed out in pain, holding his eyes or whatever was left of them anyways.

One down…Five to go

Avel landed and hooked himself in the branch of a tree and moved with even more speed,twirling and slashing and stabbing every chance he got.

Four left… then Three.

“He’s good…” Vshborne whispered to the hooded figure behind him as they both watched the fight unfold below them.

“He’s good for a common thief” was the reply he got, in a raspy almost ghoul-like voice. Vshborne remembered that the hooded figure never liked showing his face and forcing him to come all the way out here to witness this was already stretching the line too far.

He’d make him feel more comfortable, he was one of his biggest pillars afterall.

“I want a closer look, I’ll be back” and with that light shone and in his place was a dark bird. Big enough to lift a full grown man. With a flap of his wings he was off and circled the skies above the clearing watching everything in detail.

There were two Brutam’s left but Avel wasn’t faring any better, as they found out his motives, they raised their guards up significantly and now he had to take some damage from the last two Brutam’s he took down and from a Brutam, any damage was too much damage. Right now he had a broken rib and his nose was bloodied from the direct blow he received seconds ago. His head was still spinning as he fought to keep the world in focus.

The Brutam saw the opportunity and charged at him trying to grip him in a death hug, he rolled once more and escaped or so he thought. At the last moment, his left arm was grabbed by the other one and before he could react, he heard the snap.

“Aaaaaarghhhh!!!!” He screamed in pain

His arm was gone and in it’s place was a limp piece of appendage barely connected to his body, he managed to stab one eye of the Brutam who held him and pulled away in time.

One left…

…but the damage he had taken was too much. He had just one arm was bleeding almost all over and he felt like a whole flock of Rhins had ridden all over him.

He couldn’t win this head on

An idea came to him, a last ditch attempt to take this one down, the problem was ,He would probably be going down with him. If this worked and he came out of this alive. Maico would regret the day he was born.

Staggering then dropping to his knees Avel feigned weakness and then tried to raise his hand up but let the dagger drop to the floor just within arms reach.

“Finish it, just get it over with!” He shouted at the Brutam as his last attacker stood up and started towards him cautiously.

“Come on, Idiot” He spoke in his head as he watched the Brutam make his way towards him. He slowly stopped his breathing then restarted it cycling it as his mother taught him. He hadn’t done this for years. In… Out… he took six deep breaths and then stopped, whatever was coming he was ready.As the Brutam was just three steps away, Avel took the last breathe and was about to burst into action when the strangest thing happened.

The Brutam’s head fell off and behind him was a feline brandishing what had to be the slimest sword he had seen in his entire life, bluish blood dripping from the tip.He looked more like an instructor holding a whip than someone who just killed a fucking Brutam in one strike.

“Hello there, I’m Ashborne” he said

He remembered how he spoke “Six Brutams and One Glythe Puppy…unfair don’t you think?” and then he smiled, not one that gave off warmth and reassured you but one that brought the cold of the north wind and with it came dread.

The rest was history

Ashborne took him in back to the guild of assassins and trained and taught him how to fight. When it came down to ending a man’s life, there were so many ways.

The training was pure hell, basic torture training everyday as a morning routine and the hellish atmosphere of the compound mixed with a population of mostly glythes gave the whole place a bleak out view but he would survive. He would find those responsible for his parents death and Kill them.

For some reason he could not explain, all his trainings were harsher and took longer than the rest. He had enough chores alone for 3 people and most of his waking hours passed in the training room.

3 years went by… and then he was sent on his first mission; to kill a business mogul controlling sugar importation. He remembered how the merchant begged for his life, remembered the slitting his throat and from there numerous jobs until that very one…

The one that changed him forever.