Laraough was a village on the southern tip of Varriah. It was a place where no one race was predominant. Referred to as a gem, a nearby dungeon was the most lucrative in the south. The Economy prospered until a foolish group of adventurers attempted to steal the dungeon’s guardian and failed. Angered, the dungeon become more dangerous and produced less, halting Laraough’s growth.
Without loot from the dungeon to fuel trade in an otherwise remote southern coastal town, it stagnated and became known as The Dump. The residence grew accustom to the name and embraced it, as it was a reflection of its state. Remnants of once paved roads were now gravel and dirt. Housing and merchant buildings were in equally as rough shapes. Some were dilapidated, they seem ready to collapse at a moment’s notice. This was the place Cas called home.
Run. Keep running. A huff escaped with each breath, visible in front of him. It was abnormally cold day this time of year. It did not stop the others though from chasing and chastising him with basic magic. Chunks of earth, balls of water and an occasional ball of ice shot in his direction. They were more of an annoyance than anything. A THUMP could be herd as an ice ball connected with the back of his head. The pain caused him to lose focus and tripped over his own feet.
“Clumsy Looser!”
“Gonna cry? He’s gonna cry!!”
“No one wants you here Cas, go away!”
A boy named Jace raises his hand from the group of hecklers, causing the others to go silent. He casually walks up to Cas as he lay on the ground. Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach from Jace’s kick.
“Don’t get it? You’re not welcome here. Tisa may let you stay, but only because she feels bad for you! Who could ever love a thing like you? Do you even know what you are?” Jace spoke, but Cas was distracted by the pain in his stomach to reply.
“Pathetic. You won’t defend yourself.” Jace said with a look of disgust while standing above him.
“Jace! Someone is coming, we need ta’ get outta here!” A girl yells before she turns the corner to flee, followed by the rest. Jace looks at the Cas, kneels and begins to speak softly.
“You will never be anything. How can someone who doesn’t know what they are accomplish anything?” He paused to wait for the response he knew wasn’t coming.
“Want to know how I know this is true? When you took the aptitude test, the mage’s observing thought you’d be destined for greatness. How can you amount to anything if you won’t even defend yourself?”
‘Jace is right’ Cas thought, as his bitter words stung with an air of truth. A grunt escapes Jace’s mouth as he rises to his feet. “See? You won’t stick up for yourself when it counts.” With a shake of his head in disappointment, Jace turns and walks away.
This was a norm for Cas. He didn’t know who his parents where. Most of the other kids did not either. This was a common background for e a few who lived in the same orphanage as him. It was common for a few who lived at the same orphanage as him.
While most knew their heritage, or easily discerned is as they matured, Cas did not. He was a true mystery: From afar he appeared human, but not up close. The first sign were Pointy ears akin to Elfs but curled backwards like fishhooks. His teeth where sharp, pointy and interlocked with each other. With a complexion of greyish-green and hair a wash of salt and pepper, he shared no common appearance with any known race. Most notable were his eyes. The iris’s swirled in different colors and at different paces, depending on his mood. His pupils where like staring into the void; an abyss with no end in sight.
This wasn’t the first time Cas had been treated like this; likely not the last time either. It took him a while to regain his composure. Hunger had set in. A sigh escaped him as he thought about his last meal. A day ago? Maybe two? Either way, the hunger was real. It got rough when he turned 15. All kids at the orphanage were to go out and work and earn their meals. This wasn’t a challenge for most, but him, getting an adult to speak to him was a challenge itself. So he began walking.
His destination was the center of town, the market. Most people didn’t acknowledge his existence or treated him poorly. For a town where more than half of the population was some sort of a mixed race, he never could understand why they treated him so poorly. Fear of the unknown was the cause, no one had ever seen eyes like his and they were truly unnerving for most. This went over his head of course, no one had ever explained that to him.
He decided to approach a Lizardfolk lady he had success with last week. She wasn’t edgy like most others were towards him, her heart had a soft spot for the orphan. He tried to put on his best puppy dog eyes and spoke up,
"Excuse me Miss Lisshtssz, do you h-have anything you m-might need help with?"
She jumped and flailed her arms in surprise, not noticing him until he spoke. Damn. it was the odd one again...It took her a few seconds to calm herself.
“Casssss, was it?” she hissed and cautiously eyed him, “Alwaysss approach my people from the front, we are quite easily startled. Assss for the work, I am sorry dear, but itssss slow this time of year, and the other kidsss took my deliveriesss out...” She was staring at him, but her eyes grew sympathetic to his plight; She was an orphan once too and knew all too well the struggles he was up against, to an extent. She knew how most of the town treated him. It was odd for a place full of mixed races to treat someone as unique as him the way they do. But his eyes. No one had ever seen eyes like him.
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Jace… He thought. This wouldn’t be the first time they chased him early in the morning, but now it was making sense. They had a purpose more than to make fun of him, reality began to set in. it was eat, or don’t eat. Survival of the fittest. Right now, Cas didn’t feel fit. But he did feel hunger, and it was starting to hurt.
He smiled empathically, eyes shifting to teal as they swirled and said “That’s okay Miss Lisshtssz. I am sorry for startling you.” Without thinking his eyes went down in shame and disappointment, when he noticed it. A potion bottle had fallen from her stand. Miss Lisshtssz was a popular Alchemist in the village, because she was the only one. She alone was the only source of potions inside the village, unless you wanted to pay an arm and a leg from a traveling merchant.
He knew they were valuable, if he pocketed it, he could feed himself for the entire cold season, but there were two reasons he couldn’t. First, no one would buy it from him. They would question him how he got it. He also knew that theft carried a heavy punishment: A hand, or more, depending on the value of what’s stolen. Second, it was not right. He was no pillar of morality; he had stolen food before when he was desperate. But he knew if he kept it, this wouldn’t be out of necessity, but greed. Miss Lisshtssz was the nicest person to him in town, next to Sister Tisa who ran the Orphanage. He could not bear the thought of betraying one of the few people who would even talk to him.
Snatching it up, he set it on her stall. He smiled meekly at her and turned to try his luck with some of the less friendly merchants in the market square. His stomach rumbled loud enough for Lisshtssz to hear.
“WAIT!”
It was louder than she intended and drew the attention of Cas and a few passing her stand.
“Come here dear” She said calmly. He approached her slowly, as she was rummaging through one of the sacks she kept under her stall. His eyes opened wide. She was pulling out a WHOLE loaf of bread! Then she handed it to him. Now his eyes were almost budging from the sockets and began to swirl fast as its hue shifted to a light green.
“Thank you, but can I really accept this?” He questioned her. No one had ever out right given him something for nothing. It was always a system of work to eat. Smiling back, she replied
“Oh, itssss quite alright. That potion is highly valuable. If it was one of the other runtssss who treat you poorly, they would have cuffed it without a thought. Your honesty is appreciated, Cassssss. Take it, that should feed you for a few daysssss, I imagine.”
He was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. A quick thanks, and he was off. He got a whole loaf of bread! A few days he thought? He could probably stretch this out for 4 days if he was careful! Ripping a small corner off it and stuffing it in his mouth, he continued to walk down a street he was not familiar with, oblivious to the fact he was being watched. He ripped another small chunk off and began to chew again, when he heard a feint sound. Something was flying? It sounded like something was moving through the air fast. It sounded almost Familiar.
THUMP. Again. This time is was harder than the last. He was not running away this time, and the ice ball knocked him over. As he tumbled the large remaining portion of the bread fell to the ground. He felt the back of his head, it was wet. He brought his hand to his front and saw it: Blood. Not red, but grey. Another reason to hate him he thought as he writhed in pain, holding his head, hoping the pain would stop soon.
He heard footsteps, and soon saw feet. Someone walked over to his loaf of bread and picked it up. Jace was the face he saw as he looked up.
“You won’t be needing this, thief. You’re lucky I don’t report you to the guards. But I’m feeling generous. I will keep this bread, as a bribe for my silence.” The words came flatly out of his mouth, no inflection, it was not positive, nor negative. It just was.
“I-I-I did not steal it!” he protested as he tried to stand. UGGH was the next sound that escaped his mouth as a foot met his stomach again.
“Stay down if you know what’s good for you, thief.” Again, no inflection in his voice. Normally when Jace picked on him, his pitch was higher and throatier, but not now. It was different, and terrifying for Cas. He didn’t move. He was scared. And hurt. He looked up at Jace with pleading eyes but made no effort to move or attempt to stand up again. Jace just shook his head and frowned.
“Another reason why you will never be anything. You’re a coward and a thief now. Thanks for the food.” Was the last thing he herd as Jace walked away, dusting off the dirt on the bread he had taken. Cas collapsed on the ground. Why? Why him? Why was fate so cruel to him? Maybe Jace was right. Maybe he should just go wander off into the wilds, or maybe even the dungeon near town. No one would miss him.
10 minutes pass, and he finally sits up. “I hate this world. This town, and these people. Why me? Why was I even born?” He muttered to himself, lost in thought. Then it happened.
“You ask the wrong questions. Why ask why, when how is a better choice in self-reflection.”
It came from a human, no less. He saw humans before, but they were captives of war; turned slaves. He was in shock, and terrified. A human? Here? He was wearing a robe which looked fancier than any he saw before; the Sword dangling from his waste had a platinum scabbard adorned with jewels and precious stones. He was so hypnotized by the beautiful armament he didn’t notice the man take a knee and extend his hand out to the boy.
He scooched backwards on all 4 quickly than rose his arms to cover and protect his face.
” P-p-p-please don’t hurt me” he plead. This was the end. The humans made it to the Dump, Laraough. It was the farthest village south of the continent. If humans made it here, there was no hope. Seconds pass. Then Minutes. After what seemed an eternity, nothing happened. He slowly lowered one of his arms to see what was happening. A smile. A Warm, inviting smile. The human did not move from his position. Still on one knee, hand extended. Then he opened his mouth.
“Hello Cas. I’m Rin, and I mean you no harm. It’s nice to finally meet you.” His smile only seems to beam brighter.