Davelius Serpinas Rue of red stone. Son of Marekus Serpinas Rue of red stone, grandson of the great Lemure Serpinas Rue of red stone, friend and savior of the people. Directly descends from Serpinas Rue one of the founders of the city and the castle red stone. Born into one of the noblest of the noble families. A family highly loved by the people for their humility and down-to-earth appearance.
Davelius, like all his ancestors, found only peace when he was on his feet, always in motion, and always of finding between the common man wandering the street. The Rue family was known as a noble family who still loved its people. Although they were a proud noble family of the highest degree, they did not hesitate to greet all the people they met, no matter what class they were in. It was not abnormal to see a Rue bend down and gather a homeless 1'er child up and play with it and give it food and warm clothes.
Just as loved as they were by the people, just as hated were they by the other nobles. They never threw money around and never in expensive clothes were they to be found. Only their name marked them as noble. Although they were richer than almost any other noble, they often wore worn-out clothes and flat shoes. Never big houses they built. Most nobles enjoyed introducing new taxes and levies to milk the people for every penny, but time and time again a Rue got in the way.
As a founder, they had incredible power, if a Rue would not have a law enacted, it only required that they convince a few other nobles that it was best. An old trick that the Rue family often used was to turn the people against the nobles. The people loved them for it, for they communicated to them what the nobles tried to do, but the nobles hated them for it.
Often the nobles would hold parties, but only for other nobles. For these parties you would almost never find a Rue. Not because they did not enjoy partying, but the members of the Rue family had grown up on the street with the common man, so they had a party with them. The people always looked forward to when a Rue would party. Because then there was a real party.
To this noble lineage Davelius was born and like his ancestors he was loved by the people. As a firstborn, there were high expectations for him. After many years of counseling and friendship, his father had won the king's trust. Through this friendship, Davelius, as a child, had met a girl he would never forget. As graceful as a swan and as enchanting as a rose. Nothing could compare with this beautiful flower. Princess was her title and friends they became. Often they would play together as little ones and when Davelius turned 10 he was allowed to take the princess out into the city to see it. No bodyguard was needed, for the king knew that no one would touch his daughter as long as she was with a Rue. Their friendship grew and soon became more than friends.
On Davelius' 13th birthday, he was called to an audience with the king. No one knows exactly what was being talked about behind closed doors, but from there the princess and Davelius walked together. The fingers intertwine and two beautiful rings to be found on their hands. Promised each other they were now, and when they reached the age of 15 they would get married and the Rue family would be raised even higher than ever.
The rumor ran the young couple in advance and a party was held in the streets and alleys, the Rue family had a reason to party again. 3 days they partyed, the biggest party in man's memory. Even the feast at the king's coronation faded next to this spectacle that was held. Rich as poor bid in with all they could, no one cared how much it cost and no one would come to suffer hardship. Everyone knew that the noble of the street would probably make sure that everyone would cope with it. No fear was to find in their minds only happiness for the man of the people had found his girl and it was to be celebrated with manners.
A few weeks after this amazing celebration, tragedy hit the Rue family. Davelius' father Marekus had to join the troops to defend the city against an attack of monsters. In the heat of battle, Marekus made full use of his family's secret, and, like his ancestors, carried the people to victory, but it cost him his life. Like his father, a title was awarded to him after his death, and his name written on the stone of the heroes, which stands in the middle of the marketplace.
But no title could make up for the loss his wife and son felt. Davelius' mother fought hard, but the grief and deprivation became too much for her, and a deep depression took her. When Davelius turned 14, his mother disappeared, no one knows where she ended up. Some believe she took her own life and others wonder if she was removed by the other noble families in an attempt to remove an enemy. Since Davelius was not of legal age, he could not take his father's title as head of the Rue family.
Without a head, they lost everything the other noble families ripped them off. The king tried to save Davelius, but there was nothing he could do. Even Davelius' engagement to the princess was forcibly revoked as the princess could not marry a status loose street boy. From a proud noble 6s family to homeless and family loose street boy. What a terrible fall.
Had it only been a year more, he would have turned 15 and the ypper priest would have called out his dice, and he would have been able to defend his family in the council of the nobles, he would have had the princess by his side and the prospect of becoming king the day her father resigned. But here he is now, 15 years old and without any home. The only thing he had left was his family's secret and the friendships that made him one of the people. Even his name had been taken from him, the only thing left of the glorious Davelius Serpina's Rue was the short simple Dave.
“Well dad, some good advice for your son, now that he's standing here on his birthday and does not know what to do? ....... No good ideas? I thought so, you're sadly dead. ”Dave mumbled quietly as he stood looking at his father's name on the heroes' stones.
“I still have not found mother. I've been looking everywhere in town, so I do not think she's here anymore, so what do I do now? ”he asked as he grabbed his necklace, a cube hung in it. The symbol that you have had at least one of your dice called out. "Even with our secret, I can not find her" he mumbled as tears began to roll down his cheeks.
Out of the crowd that was always to be found in the marketplace, two girls came looking for Dave. "Hello Dave happy birthday, now you are finally of age" Begin the first of them. Her father had been one of the first to take Dave in when his family had disappeared.
“Hi Lisa, yes, but what good is it? Even you have better life prospects than me. ” Dave replied coldly as he wiped the tears away from his cheek.
"Hey hey no need to be a complete Dave downer, now that you're 15 you can start trying to fight your way up through the ranks again." Push in the other.
"Yes Benedict but I do not know how, no job I have the skills to fill can help me regain my family's rank" Dave replied again angrily.
"Couldn't you join the military and work your way up that road?" Lisa asked. Benedict knew right away that this was the wrong question to ask, everyone knew how much a Rue hated the rigid boring discipline that was in the military, even though they were skilled warriors, then everyone knew they hated it.
But it did not seem to go up for Lisa. Benedict was ready to step in if Dave got a flip, but in true style with his lineage he just fell down squatting so he could look little Lisa in the eye. “It's a good idea Lisa, the problem is just that I can not stand the military. Would much rather run around here on the street and play with all of you instead of being a boring adult and standing guard, you have seen how they stand and stare at the gate all day. ” Dave laughed, and tickled Lisa.
"Yes, I've seen them, they're just standing there staring." Lisa answered between her laughs.
"Could you not take and become a merchant, you know everything and everyone so you should probably be able to find out to get some goods cheaply and sell them at an overpriced price to the stupid nobles." Benedict asked as she clapped her hands to indicate the marketplace. "Yes, I could, but it often takes several generations to work their way up again, and I have not." Dave replied again with a faint voice and downcast look.
"If nothing else, my father has said that you are welcome to come and work for him in the smithy for some time until you find another opportunity." Lisa happily interjected. Dave stood for a while thinking about it. "You know what Lisa, I have nothing better to get, so why not, there I can earn some food, so I do not have to keep begging you." Dave replied as he took Lisa’s hand. "Show me the way my little friend," he exclaimed, starting to go in the direction he knew Lisa's father's smithy was.
To a stranger, it would look sweet how that young and well-built Dave, with muscles created by a life in motion, was pulled off the street by a small child they would shoot at by being 3-4 years old. Lisa maybe looked like one at 4 but was already rounded the 12. Her low stature is not due to illness or lack of food, her father earns well from supplying the military with weapons and armor. No, her low-rise building is due to the fact that she, like so many Red Stone residents, is not human. Lisa's great-great-grandfather, had moved from his hometown underground deep into dwarf territory and had moved here to the red stone to find happiness elsewhere.
The king had welcomed him and his family with open arms and given him a smithy for almost no money, as long as he promised that his family would continue to sell the legendary dwarfs made weapons and armor to his army. This agreement had given the Red Army military the boost it needed to gain the upper hand, so it was only in extreme cases that the city was in danger. Over time, more dwarves had moved to and before long the word spread that other breeds were welcome in red stone. To this day, there are some from all races who call redstone his home.
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“Hello calm down now Lisa, your father's smithy just around the corner, we must not risk making a spectacle out of it now. How did your father react the last time you came roaring? ”Dave asked when he was given a moment to breathe. Lisa stopped completely and quickly looked around to check that she had not already made too much of a mess, but there were not some who said anything everyone just smiled and greeted her and Dave.
"Dad got very angry and said I could have been hurt" She replied as she looked at her feet. "Well then, we can go in carefully and find out if he still wants to help me." Said Dave.
As always, it was scorching hot inside the smithy. If you looked around you would find weapons and shields of all kinds everywhere. On stands everywhere, armor and chain mail are ready for use. Up at the counter stood a bear of a man, large muscles that made him look like he could rip a person in two, and a face that could give even grown men nightmares if he wanted to, made a frightening impression. Or, it would, if one did not know he was standing on a ledge behind the counter.
When the man caught sight of Dave and Lisa, he jumped down from his elevation and walked quickly towards them. "Hi Dave good to see you what owes the honor, suppose you're not here just to follow my little princess safe home." Exclaimed the dwarf happy. "Good evening Mr. Ur'ga, no it was not just to follow your daughter home that I am here." Started Dave but was interrupted before he had anything more to say.
"How many times do I have to ask you to call me Thomas?" Lisa's father asked a little annoyingly.
“Many times yet, but right now it will not be. I'm actually coming to ask you something. ”Dave tried to say before he was interrupted again.
"Then ask, kid, do not think there is anything you can ask that I will not help you with, your family has always been good to mine, so you just ask" Thomas exclaimed with a big smile.
"I'm glad you say that. I came here today on my 15th birthday, to ask you master blacksmith Ur’ga if you are willing to take a street boy in and give him a job. I do not expect to be able to become your apprentice, but I know how to swing a mop and am willing to work hard to earn my salary. ” Said Dave with as much strength and pride he could at all push into his voice.
Thomas stood for a long time looking at Dave as he scratched his big red beard. After a few minutes, the nervous sweat began to trickle down Dave's back. He did not know where he stood, although Thomas seemed to like him it was something completely different to take and give him a job. It was always a risk to hire some of as low a rank as Dave, no matter where they came from.
Suddenly Thomas waved his arms and said with a big laugh. "Of course I can give you a job, you can start tomorrow by sweeping the back room, if you's good enough, then maybe I'll let you help me turn on the forge" Dave stood for a while and did not know if he dared rely on its own increase."Do you mean the master blacksmith Ur'ga?" Dave asked, completely shocked.
“Yes you can believe it, I can only offer you 5 copper a day, but in return a warm bed is included in the salary and will think that my dear wife will probably find out to give you some tasks in the house, so you can work for some food ”Thomas said grinning as tears began to slide down Dave's cheeks. It may well be that 5 copper was almost nothing, but with a bed and probably food as part of the salary, it was a fantastically good salary for a child off the street.
"If you really mean it, then I would like to have that job" Dave got the work out between his trembling lips. Thomas took and gave Dave a proper slap on the arm and laughed out loud.
"Of course I mean, can not imagine a better stinging boy than a Rue and you have always been there for my little princess that I would not be able to make myself say no to you." Said Thomas as he began to close the store down for the evening.
"You're coming home with us tonight" Thomas started, but interrupted himself with a deep hum that sounded like a sound a bear would have made when it was mad. The hum was due to Dave interrupting him, but Thomas would not hear about it.
“Do not try to wrap yourself around this one, no friend of mine should spend their birthday on the street so you can come home and find yourself at ease in your new room. Bum basta such will be it. ” Finished Thomas and locked the front door of the smithy. "Come on, let's show you the employees' entrance," Lisa shouted from inside the back room.
Without thinking about it, Dave followed her voice and found that a small door had been made in the back room, which led out to the street on the other side of the building. From here it was only a 2 minute walk before they were at the home of the Ur’ga family. Lisa’s mother welcomed him with open arms and welcomed him back, asking loosely how it had been since the last time he had spent the night.
It was not long before the talk in the little house came to light that Dave was now finally of age and that Thomas had agreed to hire him.
“5 copper!” cried Lisa's mother. “5 measly copper, what do you think of man, for 5 copper he can hardly buy a loaf of bread a day, since when have you become so greedy your old fool, it is the thanks you give him for all the hard work and all the sacrifices his family has made for this city that pays for you to have that beer belly. ” She almost screamed.
While Thomas just sat and laughed at her. “If you had let me finish talking, I would have also promised that in addition to the 5 copper, he would have a bed here to sleep in, and you could probably find out some little chores at home he could do to be allowed to eat with us ”
Suddenly her face changed from one that made even the bear Thomas look cute, to an angel's face that lit up with joy. "Why did not you just say that right away my beloved?" She spun into her husband's ear before turning to Dave. "Of course we can find a bed you can sleep in, and if you just lend a helping hand, do not go to bed hungry again" She laughed out loud as she hugged Dave.
That night was the best night Dave had experienced in a long time. The Ur’ga family did not hold back and before long the neighbors came to visit, to hear what was the cause of all that noise. When they discovered that the last Rue was holding his birthday, they immediately wanted to join. By the time the hour was over, the rumor had spread to the entire street. A big party was in no time piled on the legs in the middle of the street. People came with food of all kinds, and with the food came the beer and with the beer even higher mood and more noise. By evening, the whole town had heard of the party, and joined it.
When the sun rose the next day, everyone was groggy, but life went on. After a good hearty breakfast, Dave was well on his way to dusting off the back room when Thomas called on him. "Hi Dave, I have a supply of some shields to use at the gate on the other side of town, can you run down there with them?" Asked Thomas as he tied 5 shields together with a leather strap.
"Of course I can, some contact person I have to meet and have they paid or do I have to collect money for them?" Dave asked as he tied the shields to his back."You must meet with the sergeant at the gate, and they are paid, they go through the contract I have with the military." Thomas replied as he tightened the strap a little extra. "Ok I'm back in 15 minutes" Dave shouted as he strode down the street at a hell of a speed.
“It's great to see a Rue move through the city. It would have taken a normal letter bid 30 minutes to take that trip. and he says he can do it in 15 minutes with 5 shields tied on his back. ”Thomas mumbled to himself before entering the smithy again.
This was the only time Dave really felt free. Running at a pace that no one else would walk through the crowd until he reached the end of the street where a stall with a little extra hard wood had been used to build it. Two quick jumps and Dave was halfway up the side of the house. Two quick steps on the wall and his hand reached just the edge of the roof.
With an incredible acrobatics that should not be possible with 5 large shields on his back, he had swung himself up on the roof. Before he for a second his feet hit the roof, shot off again, towards the next roof.
Free from the hustle and bustle of the street, Dave closed his eyes. Up here on the roofs he needed no help. His ancestors had laid out a plan for the city. Ladders and systems were built all over the roofs. All the houses were easy to climb on once you were clear of the street and no houses left you without a road to walk. Like any other Rue, Dave had grown up running around these ladders. After so many years of training, Dave no longer needed to keep his eyes open when he ran up here.
After only a few minutes, Dave had crossed the entire city. As he now approached the city wall, he quickly found an alley he could fall into and walk quietly to the guards. There was always congestion at the city gates. Countless people always wandered in and out of the city. Wolfkin's who came to sell their wares and Elves on vacation. People from other cities came to see the beautiful red stone castle and others to seek happiness in the possibilities city.
As always, the queue was both in and out long, but Dave did not worry about it. Instead of standing in line, he began to slide in and out of the crowd, apologizing and mentioning that he was making a delivery to the guards.
"Hello Sergeant, I have your supply of shields for you here" Dave shouted as he approached the guards. The guard at the gate just laughed out loud and waved to Dave. “Hi Dave good to see you, but I have not been promoted yet. If you need to get hold of the sergeant, go in the door there and up the stairs, ”shouted the guard, who no doubt recognized Dave. "Thank you" was all Dave gave in greeting before he was inside the door and on his way up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs, Dave just checked his sweater and pants. Yep just as worn as they usually are, no need to change anything. A gentle knock on the door and then he just waits for an answer. He did not have to wait long before he was called in. Inside the office, a slightly older gentleman was sitting at a large table filling out papers.
"Here I have your new shields you ordered from blacksmith Ur'ga. Dave said cheerfully. "All right, put them over there," replied the old sergeant. While waving one hand against one wall.
"Certainly." Answer Dave happy. “It's good to see you young people doing something and making your own money. From your clothes, I would guess that you are a 1. ” Dave could not quite figure out if it was a question or not, but just chose to nod. "What is your name, kid?" Asked the sergeant when Dave was about to leave again.
"My name is Dave," he replied shortly. With a sergeant stopped his paperwork and looked board up at Dave. Dave. As an abbreviation for Davelius as in Davelius Serpinas Rue. ” Asked the old sergeant as he looked at Dave.
"Yes it's me, or was, now I'm just Dave" Dave replied cautiously. "I'm sorry, kid, it's nothing personal, but you've been wanted. So I'll have a hard time taking you to jail until the noble council has time to figure out what to do with you. ” He said slowly as he walked towards Dave. Before Dave could fully grasp what was happening, he was handcuffed. The first thing he came to ask was the simple "For what"
“The orders are to arrest you. You should have allegedly stolen and deceived several nobles and the princess. You are also accused of vandalizing several houses and calling for rebellion against the throne. "
Dave did not know what to do with himself. He could easily get out of handcuffs but what then he had to flee and live in constant fear that they would find him. With no other good ideas, Dave just gave up and let himself be led to his cell where he was supposed to be until a verdict was handed down on him. He knew he was fucked, the nobles hated him and his family and now he was in their grace.