Post by Cathán Neamhnaofa on Apr 24, 2007 13:30:20 GMT -5
The Legend of Cathán
I was born from my human mother, Bree, a father that I never knew. I didn’t have the innocent or peaceful childhood in my homeland of Firefax. I never had any friends due to my fiery red eyes and intimidating fangs, but my mother loved me regardless and that took the pain away. I wasn’t able to go out during the day because my mother feared that I would get hurt, so I would venture out of my house at night to cause trouble. From this I learned how to conceal myself in any situation. I also learned the remarkable trade of theft, and was able to claim a few treasures to call my own.
One night when I was 14, I snuck out of the house to have a little fun. It was a common pastime of mine. The empty streets were always more inviting to me at night then in the day, more accepting. Everything was going as usual when I heard a familiar scream tear through the air. I recognized it as my mother’s and ran as fast as I could to our house. By the time I got there the house had gone up in flames and I saw an ominous figure looming in the shadows next to the tree line. I tried as best I could to reach my mother who was trapped inside but I couldn’t get to her in time and the house collapsed.
Full of rage, I went to look for the person responsible for starting the fire and killing my beloved mother. I looked for hours but the only trace I could find of the culprit was a dagger and a Celtic cross medallion. I kneeled to retrieve the medallion, but when I reached to touch it my hand was scalded. Baffled, I decided to wrap it and carry it with me in my tunic.
To no surprise, no one would help me find the one who killed my mother or give me shelter for the night. Fortunately, it was mid spring and the weather was comfortable. I stayed in Firefax for almost a week on my own. The solitude didn’t bother me because I was accustomed to being on my own and watching out for myself. I was never very fond of the superficial humans that I had always been surrounded by. Fear, hate, disgust, that’s all they had to offer me. I felt as if I were a wasp submerged in a swarm of moths.
I was trying desperately to uncover the man who killed my mother and seek my revenge, but I knew I wasn’t getting anywhere. I didn’t linger any longer , and decided it would be best to leave Firefax and maybe get some help in another town. All of my possessions had been destroyed in the fire. The only things I had now were the dagger and medallion that I found and a piece of my mother’s fabric from her dress that I had tied on my left arm.
The night that I left I acquired a map to help me on my journey. It was a complete map of my country, Amuria. Firefax was the town farthest south. I decided to go to the next town north of Firefax, Monk’s Pounddon.
On my journey to the next town I discovered something about the new dagger while I was hunting. I was tracking a rabbit when I startled it, but instead of running it sat paralyzed. I found it’s behavior bizarre considering that all the other animals I had hunted ran when confronted. I thought something must have been wrong with the rabbit so I leaned forward and poked it. Then as if suddenly aware of the situation the rabbit snapped out of it’s trance and ran away. This happened to all of the animals I hunted with the dagger. When I approached them with the dagger they would not move. It was as if they were in so much shock that their muscles didn’t work, like that of a corpse. I didn’t understand it but it made hunting a hell of a lot easier.
When I reached Monk’s Pounddon I became acquainted with Garsim, a blind monk. He noticed I wasn’t from around there because I was coated with the smell of blood. I asked for his help and he said he would assist me with what he could. I gave him the medallion and asked if he knew anything about it. The monk recognized it, and knew much about it because it belonged to a friend of his, Naxy. Garsim took me to see Naxy and when I met him he was very suspicious of me because of how I looked. I found out that he was in Firefax because of a demon named Pytho. He had been trying to stop Pytho from killing Bree, but he failed. I didn’t understand why he wanted to kill my mother, then Naxy told me that Pytho raped Bree about 14 years ago and he found out she had his child. Pytho had come back to kill her and their son. I realized then that I was half demon and that he wanted to kill me too, but why. What did I do to him to want to kill me? When I asked if the dagger was his he told me that it belonged to Pytho and that they could not touch it because it was cursed. Only one of evil can hold it. That is why I can use it but I cannot touch the medallion. Naxy also told me that the dagger has powers that stunned whomever it is used to kill. That is why the animals I hunted didn’t move when I was in their sight.
I didn’t tell them that I was Cathán Neamnaofa, Pytho’s son, because I feared that they would exile me from Monk's Pounddon and I needed to get more information. I wanted to know where Pytho was and how I could kill him. I didn’t have any weapon training, I only knew how to hunt. Naxy and Garsim both decided that I should go to the city Darkfox to get my weapons training and then to Port Silver Gulch to take a ship to Celtin Island. That was where Pytho was last spotted. They told me that I needed to find Rancer, the general of the army in Darkfox. I needed to tell him that the monks sent me because I am hunting Pytho and I need to learn how to fight. I stayed there for the night, gathered some proficiencies, and took off for Darkfox early the next morning.
The trip to Darkfox was only a one day journey. When I got there it didn’t take me long to find Rancer. He wasn’t hard to miss, a giant in a city of men. I explained to him what I was told to and he looked me up and down and then told a soldier to get me situated, because I was going to be there for a while. He was right, I was there for four years learning how to fight in many styles and to better take care of myself while I was in the wilderness. My favorite style to fight in was florentine maces, but I still had to learn sword and board as well. After my years of training, Rancer said he could not help me any longer and that I was his best fighter because of having demon blood in me. He knew I was part demon, but didn't tell anyone including me. I fought harder than any of his other men and was stronger and faster than them too.
I decided my time had come to leave in search for my father to avenge my mother’s death. I had acquired a set of maces, some gold, and friends who I will never forget. I left Darkfox on a clear summer day. The trip to Port Silver Gulch was a week’s worth. On my journey there I got caught in a fog so thick I could barely see my hand in front of me. It came during the night and I went the direction I thought I was suppose to go to get to Port Silver Gulch. I walked for two days before the fog cleared. I was still in the woods but they weren’t the same. There was a different feeling about this place. I looked at my map and realized that I was somewhere other than Amuria.
- to be continued -
i know its long but i like it. post comments on the other thread so this can just be for my story. thanks
