1 Forgotten

Most kids in this world have it rough, some more so than others. My parents and village perished from a monster attack. I was two at the time. A large demon ape saved me from the jaws of a dire wolf. Why? I couldn't answer you on that. For some reason, this demon ape thought that I for whatever reason deserved to live. He raised me from a young age. This demon ape was special. He taught me how to walk and talk. You see this demon ape could speak. He taught me everything that he could about humans, he explained that one day he wouldn't be able to stay with me. I never understood until this day. As I held my adoptive father's bloody body in my arms.

"My child don't be sad, everyone dies. I'm a monster who lived a very long time. I am shocked it didn't happen sooner. I raised you, now it's time for you to return to your kind. Go and live your life, my son. I'm sorry that I can't go with you." Those were my father's last words. to me.

The demon ape who raised me died, not cursing the world, but with a smile on his leathery face. I buried my face in his fur and cried. He was the only father I had ever known. The dire wolves that had killed him died by my bare hands that night. My father told me that normal humans wear clothes. He taught me how to make a simple outfit. I walked through the woods I had called home for most of my life. Carrying what little stuff I had. One dire wolf bone knife, a handmade blanket from my past, and a necklace my father had made me. The walk was long, passing over a few rivers until I got to the edge of the woods. I could see a burnt-out village that had begun to get overgrown. I walked through the empty shell of the buildings that remained. Nothing was there that was worth saving. I figured this was the village I had been born in. The old cart trails had been overgrown with weeds. I followed the path out of the village and continued through a large open field. The sun was beating down on me with clear blue skies. My sweat dripped off my face as I kept walking. Here and there beasts like the dire wolf would try their luck against me only to fail. I had collected a nice, few sets of pelts and bones to make my stuff with. I walked well into the night before lights in the distance, the flickering of torches, told me that I was close to a village. Several of the villagers had just started to get up to get around for their days. I shifted the pelts to my other arm and kept walking. A guard at the front of the village snapped to attention when he saw me, a tall teen covered in blood, carrying a large stack of pelts in one arm.

"Halt! Stop right where you are! Right now!" The man hollered.

He drew his sword and got into a fighting stance. I looked at the man with irritation. Another guard came running with his sword drawn.

"Why are you covered in blood?" The new guard asked.

"I met with a few dire wolves, had to kill them," I replied growing more impatient with the men.

"How could just one person, a teen at that kill a dire wolf alone? And you're saying you killed several?! Impossible!" The first guard yelled.

"A group of dire wolves killed my father that's the only reason I even left my home to come to this village. Now stop pointing those swords at me, or don't blame me for hurting you." I growled, throwing down the stack of hides.

The guards looked at the large stack of hides that now lay at my feet.

"The god's Jerry there's got to be about ten or fifteen hides there. What if he really did kill them? Do you think we could even have a hope of winning?" The second guard said, his face turning white.

I took a step closer to them, cracking my neck and knuckles with each step.

"Young man please wait, we mean no harm. You must understand our position, it's early in the morning, and you show up covered in dried blood from head to toe. It was hard not to be suspicious of you. We have issues with bandits in these parts." An older well-dressed man came rushing to step between me and the cowering guards.

"Why not just ask instead of threatening me? I don't even have a weapon drawn and I could still take them down." I said glaring at the old man.

The old man took an instinctive step back. His eyes widened. I realized how I was acting and stepped back.

"I'm sorry, I have been forced from my home and know very little about how normal humans do things. I'm used to dealing with demon beasts. My father saved me when that village back there was destroyed. He raised me like his own and those damned wolves took them from me. Now I'm forced to live amongst my own kind. That was my father's wishes." I said to the old man.

"You're own kind?" The old man asked confused.

"Humans. My father was a demon ape." I replied.

"Ah ok, well some things are now becoming very clear. Your village was slaughtered sixteen years ago. A demon beast surge completely overwhelmed them. The guilds all tried to help but it was too late. I remember those of the mages who said that they saw a demon ape fleeing into the woods back then. That must have been you kid. Do you have a name?" The old man asked, relaxing now that he understood the situation.

"No. Not that I know off." I replied.

"Well, I think we can come up with something that fits. Come with me, young man." The old man said with a warm smile.