Monday

March 6th, 2003 A.R. (After Remus)

City of Bastion

The day started off just like any other, Dom's parents would leave him with the old crone next door and head into the mine only to return that evening so they could eat their evening meal and go over his lessons for the next day while they were gone. That night they didn't show up and Dom was worriedly pacing the kitchen of Alice's home. "have you heard any news? was there a cave in? are my parents alright?" he rapid fired these question's at Alice as she sat in her rocking chair looking extremally distraught.

Alice sat there in silence for what seemed to Dominick as forever before sighing and waving him over with her hand, it shaking with the effort. "Sit down Dominick, I have some sad news to impart" Alice stated as Dominick sat on his heels with avid attention.

"There was an accident at the mine today, one of the new shafts collapsed after the [Miner] team breached a new vein of Dark Iron. Your parents were on that team..." Alice paused before pushing forward with the news that would change Dominick's life forever. "They didn't make it, I know this as fact because the magical contract I had with them to watch over you faded away this afternoon."

A look of absolute horror and loss appeared on Dom's face as sat there unable to believe it. "They're dead??! But i just saw them this morning!" He yelled as his voice went into hysterics and tears started falling down his face as he rushed forward to hold Alice, his tears soaking the front of her tunic as she just held him. Attempting to comfort him as best she could, she rubbed his back and just let his tears fall. The night wasn't over and there was worse news to impart upon the boy that she hoped he wouldn't hate her for, but it had to be done.

"Dominick my boy, there is one more thing i must tell you so please listen ok?" Dominick stilled in her lap but refused to look up and just held on, his body still quivering from silent tear's. " Your parent's money was my main source of income, so without them I will have to move into my son's house and he doesn't have room for yet another mouth much less two....your going to have to go live at The Orphanage for the Lost in the temple district ok?" Alice paused as she waited for a response of any kind but all she heard was silence as Dominick sat back and just looked at her in betrayal. Streak's down his face where tear's had fallen, he looked at her for but a moment longer before stumbling to his feet and out her door heading Pallos knows where. She got to her feet slowly, age having taken the dexterity of youth from her as went to the door and looked outside but Dominick was no where to be found. Turning in for the night, she came to the determination to inform the local [Guard] in the morning so that they could get Dom to The Orphanage.

I was gasping for air too much to cry as i sprinted through the slums headed for The Dark Iron mine entrance...Alice had to be wrong! There was no way my parents were dead and it had to be a mistake, they were just late getting home and i could find out at the main office. As the sun was hanging just over the nearby mountains I finally made it to the work yard and took a moment to gasp and pull in air. My body not yet having the Vitality or Stamina to treat that run like it was nothing, it took a few minutes to recover before I could head over to the small building across the way, a light still on flickering in the window. As I approached, the door burst open and a girl about my age wearing a dirty grey tunic rushed out. Wailing in grief she rushed past me, i doubt she even noticed I was there as she disappeared down the main road into the dusk. Taking a moment to stiffen my upper lip as my father would say, I walked into the office and looked over to see a rather fat man trying to sit behind a desk too small for his frame going over paperwork and muttering to himself as he filled out forms.

"Sir is it true! was there a cave in today?" I asked, my voice still quavering from earlier as I tried to pull myself together and act strong like dad would have wanted. The Fat man looked up from his paperwork staring into Dom's eyes, his eyes bleary from a long day of filling out forms and death certificates and just sighed at the skinny kid in front of him. "Yes son and the whole team was lost.. did you have a parent that works here?" he asked tiredly, leaning back causing his chair to creak under his weight.

Dominick nodded as he moved forward to place his hands on the edge of the desk looking up at the man, fear and determination both apparent in his face "yes both my mother and father were part of the exploration team." "Names?" Asked the main behind the desk, leaning forward to pick up the list of the deceased as he waited for the boy who looked hardly over 6 stood before him in a dirty woolen tunic with feet bare and a tear streaked face full of hope. " Lily was mom's name and dad's was Conner, our last name is Hargrave's." Dominick stated as he continued to stand firm, knees locked in terror of the answer to his question as the man took went over the list closely before nodding and setting it down to look Dominick in the face with a grave frown settling in.

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"Your father was a [Dark Iron Miner-Metal: Lv 73] and your mother was a [Gloomstalker Scout-Dark lv: 81] according to my paperwork they were both at the head of the expedition. They were the first to breach into a new chamber we were hoping to find filled with a Dark Iron vein and instead found a swarm of [Oozes] that quickly overwhelmed the party, there were no survivors." The fat man looked down at Dom with false pity, instead thinking of the lost revenue and the whole team he would need to replace. Having given the child his answer, he turned back to his paperwork as a dismissal, not uttering another word.

Dominick's world was shattered, his parents deaths confirmed and soon his home taken right out from underfoot. He couldn't go back to Alice, and he couldn't go home....there was too many memories he didn't want to feel right now. So instead Dom slowly wandered the main streets in a daze, hardly caring where he was going as night settled upon Bastion.

Several hours later exhausted and dead inside, Dominick found a wall to lean against and collapsed into a fitful sleep. Jolting awake with the sun on his face and something kicking his foot Dominick rubbed his eyes clear before looking around for whatever was kicking him. It because quite obvious as he first found his foot and noticed the metal greave in front of it, following that up left Dom looking into the face of one of the city guards who was frowning down at him in annoyance. Noticing him come to his senses the [Guard] reached down and hauled Dominick up to his feet and set him down before starting his interrogation. "Identify yourself and then explain to me why you are sleeping on the street boy, we don't allow vagrants here you know" Giving Dom a hard look as he waited for whatever Cockamimey excuse the boy would come up with.

Dominick blanched as his face paled before he looked around to see if he could find an escape, but one of the first things he spotted was the Guards partner not far away watching him closely for just such a reason. Besides without his system active yet Dom stood no chance against the trained guards. Looking back to the one who had asked him the questions he sniffed and tried to not let any tears show before responding. " Dominick sir and I found out last night that my parents died in the Mining cave in, I'm going to lose my home as well and have nowhere to go." after answering his question he clenched his jaw and tried to imitate the guards stance holding back tears refusing to let others see weakness. It's what his dad would have wanted he thought, waiting for the guard to make up his mind and let him go. Looking down on the boy the guard sighed and reached out placing a hand on his shoulder getting a firm but gentle grip. " well as sad as that is too hear, we cant have you sleeping on the streets. So my partner and I are going to escort you to The Orphanage for the Lost understood? Make this easy on yourself and just come along alright." Dominick entertained trying to break free, but decided against it. His reasoning having nothing to do with the firm grip on his shoulder at all. Not one bit.

An hours walk later at a speed safe for him, Dom gets his first look at what is going to be his home until his system unlocks. Made of Solid stone with bars across all three stories of windows, it had plenty alike with a prison he guessed having never seen one. It did not look friendly or inviting at all, nor did the [Governess] standing in her starched black dress from neck to ankle. She appeared to have a frown that would rival his mothers when he had nicked a pie last summer. The [Guard] marched him right up to her and held him firm as he explained Dominick's story to her in the briefest of statements. "Names Dominick, his parents died in the Mining cave in yesterday. I found him sleeping against a wall in the market district. Appears to be no living relatives, so he's yours now."

Looking down at him with great scrutiny, Dom straightened his spine and stared back as his father's mantra went through his mind once again. "Never show weakness Dominick, that's when the scavenger's will attack" Apparently the [Governess] saw what she needed to as she nodded to the guard and just turned to walk inside the main foyer gesturing for Dominick to follow. "Come along Dominick, we will get you sorted and then have you meet your new house-mates."

Reluctantly Dominick shuffled after her and once inside, the main door shut behind him heralding the beginning of a new phase of his life.

[Name: Dominick]

[Race: Human]

[Age: 6]

[Time remaining on System Locks: 17,520:36:11]

[*ding! Due to the great efforts of [Hero] Herculix, you get a +1 bonus to all stats!

You also get a passive 2% increase to all exp gain!]