Our tale begins in the dark city of T’arth N’avien, a once mighty city state surrounded by vast tracts of forest. Sadly it has seen better times as centuries of isolationism and infighting have only been worsened by the sudden invasion of other caverns containing races once thought extinct. In uncertain times such as these it does not pay to be a loner. A call has gone out to join the council guard as explorers of the other caverns and defenders of the city, some say that selected elites of the council guard training program may be chosen to explore the surface.
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This was not looking good. Just this morning Valen had been flush with his ill gotten gains from the night before, fleecing some idiot fish head of his coin in a game of cards and now that same fish head had found where he was staying and had turned it upside down with what appeared to be private guards of the Ixthal family. That could only mean one thing, unfortunately. The fish head was connected in a big way with one of the ruling houses of the council. “Time to get out of here” Valen thought to himself as he quickly ducked back around the corner and made his way back to the market with his breakfast of mystery meat wrapped in pastry clutched tightly in his hand. He had been toying with the idea of joining one of the local gangs but with fish head over there hot on his trail it was unlikely that any of the local hoodlums would be willing to draw the heat that taking him in would entail. As he darted through the early morning crowds he suddenly felt something coil around his arm, as he was unceremoniously yanked through the air and into a dark alleyway where he proceeded to sprawl face first in the dirt. As the first blush of panic set in he heard the low rumbling laughter of a munchkin and looked up to see Old One Eye staring down at him. “Well now, what have we here? Word has it you angered the wrong fish young Valen.”
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Valen relaxed a little as he stared up at One Eye. “Well, I wasn’t to know he couldn’t handle his liquor and was a sore loser on top of that was I?”
“Nay, that you could not” snorted One Eye as he helped Valen up with one hand. “Mayhap I knows a way to get you out of the hot water you landed yourself in...”
Valen narrowed his eyes. “What’s this help gonna cost me old man?”
“Always so suspicious ain’t ya Valen?” A trace of sadness showed in the old mans one remaining eye. “Let’s just say I owe yer sister a good turn fer making sure I didn’t lose more’n just an eye when those raiders hit the caravan.”
Valens’ elder sister Kathra had been a member of the guards years before and had been discharged some years prior for reasons Valen had never been made privy to. She spent the next two years trying to reach the bottom of every bottle she could find, till one morning she was just gone. Probably floating in a canal somewhere. Valen didn’t really care any more anyway. All he knew was that since then he had been on his own, surviving off his wits and the charity of the people in the slums, which was precious little as no one was well off down here.
Taking out a chunk of wood One Eye told Valen. “Take this to Commander V’kar and no one else, he may be able to take care of this for you, he owes me one from years back and still remembers yer sister from when we served together.”
As Valen reached for it One Eye quickly pulled it back out of reach and said “Now remember boy, this is a one time thing and the last thing I can do fer you and yer sister. You screw this up and theres nothing else I can do. Don’t waste this. People ain’t fond of you cursed fer a reason and if ye want to survive yer gonna have to do better’n this. Now git outta here right quick, straight to the guard house!”
Taking the token from One Eye and bitterly nodding his head Valen quietly mumbled “Thanks” Then he turned and ran as fast as he could from the alley, his dropped breakfast left behind to rot in the dirt.
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Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, planning a different POV for the next chapter before returning to Valens' POV.