1 Small Beginnings

There was a small town, not far from my family's manner. That was where I would go first. I did not carry much. A few meals worth of food and water, some coin to purchase some lodging, and of course, my brother's halberd. It would appear I may have to start at the bottom and work my way to the top once more.

Helshaf was a small town, nestled in the Grunin valley. It was quite the beautiful place when winter came, the land was fertile. There were ores that could be mined in the mountains. I couldn't do much beyond trudge continually on the road I had often ridden in carriages before. Why was the town so far?

Some rustling in the bushes alerted me to someone's pathetic attempt at stealth. I continued onwards, but studied my surroundings, hefting my halberd from my shoulder. After a moment I just stopped as a man stepped onto the road ahead of me. I could hear the person behind me doing the same.

He wore patched and faded clothes a bow and quiver were slung over his shoulder. He had a harsh, rugged look to him that suggested either a harsh life or banditry. In his calloused hands he held a rusting blade.

"Now there, just drop the weapon and hand over your coin and we'll be on our way." The man said quietly, his voice was rough, a bit rough but mostly firm.

"Gentlemen," I began softly. "I do not have an inclination to give in to baseless orders, however should you see the needs to right the wrongs you so want to create I will happily assist you in correcting those errors."

"Ah, look at this crap. A hero." He shook his head and adjusted his grip on his blade. "We'll make short work of you." He sneered.

"That is your mistake to make." I shifted my grip on the halberd. I was aware of my diminuative appearance. So as the first man lunged I jumped to the side, swinging the halberd with a surprising amount of force, the blade lodged deep in his shoulder.

He howled, dropping his blade and falling to the ground as I ripped the halberd away to deal with my other foe. I pivoting on the spot I brought the Haft of the blade up in time to block the next blow. The man's eyes filled with surprise, after all. Wasn't I some weak kid?

He tried to step away. But I wouldn't let that happen, I stepped forward and thrust the halberd forward, impaling him. With a quick motion I took the blade out as he collapsed on the ground. Blood began to stream from his mouth, a look of pure terror and hatred filled his eyes. A quick glance was enough to tell he was doomed, so I walked over to his comrade.

"No, spare me." His pleas were meet with a swift downward thrust, ending his life. A few seconds later his friend stopped moving as well.

Ding! You have killed 2 bandits, you've gained 9xp.

Ding! You have increased your skill in pole-arms by 1.

I waved my hand over the prompts and they disappeared. Who cared? They bothered everyone and never went away. I suppose the weak minded? It was a measure of strength. Maybe I should pay attention to them?

I pocketed the bandit's coins and left. After shoving the pit corpses to the side of the road, I did have some dignity left. I quickly came to the village, or what was left of it. Charred buildings remained, the smell of burnt wood and flesh still hung in the air.

There were a few people, thin and haggard shifting through the wreckage. Several who saw me shirked away with fearful gazes. Blood still coated the blade of my halberd.

I sighed, looking at the few people not scurrying away, as they were too weak to do so. I walked over and leaned the halberd against a charred timber. I walked over to a young boy, his face was gaunt, his leg pinned under a collapsed door frame. He peered up at me from the ground, streaks from dried tears told of the pain he had been suffering.

"Can you still feel your leg?" I asked quietly as I knelt beside him, placing my hand gently on his arm, brushing off some of the ash.

He nodded, I moved better to lift the door frame. "As soon as you can, move."

I began to pull upwards. Creaks and pops filled the air, a few embers that refused to die flared as air began to rush over them once more. The boy quickly crawled out from under the frame as the pressure pinning him relented.

I let go of the door frame and jumped back. I turned to the boy, looking at his leg. The skin was torn, blood slowly seeped out of the deep cuts on his left leg. I knelt next to the boy as I tore strips off my coarse shirt. "Let's fix this before it's too late, yeah?"

"Why are you helping me?" He said, his voice was weak, almost hoarse from a lack of water.

"You seem a somewhat honorable person, and in need of aid. Do I need another reason?" I replied.

He shook his head, apparently baffled by my response. After staunching the blood I stood back up. "Can you walk?" He began pushing himself to his feet, he struggled to push himself up. So I took some pity on him, ducking under his arm to allow him to better support himself.

"Do you have any family here?" The boy nodded slowly.

"Yes, my uncle, and my aunt, they live near the town's smithy." He answered.

Ding! You have been given a quest, help the boy find his aunt or uncle.

I gritted my teeth and waved my hand, causing the accursed thing to disappear. We shuffled over to where I had leaned my halberd so I could retrieve it, then made our way deeper into the town. We made something of an odd sight, a bruised and battered young man being helped by what looked to be at a glance, a raider.

I allowed him to navigate, as I did not know the paths and roads of his home. But still, we stopped frequently, so he could relive some of the pain in his leg. I could not carry him, for he was much larger than me, so we continued our slow advance. Ever so slowly we came to a small, plaza like area, some houses here had a charred wall left standing, a testament to the people who had built them.

"Auntie? Uncle?" He called hoarsely, moving with blind abandon towards a charred house, in much better condition than the rest, most of the walls still stood, although the roof had been burned away.

"Caleb?" A face darkened with soot peered from behind the door frame.

Her face brightened as she saw the young man. "Caleb, it is you!" She cried, tears began to roll down her face. She scrambled to rushing over to us. Stopping before us she grabbed her nephew, looking over him for any injury.

Ding! Quest complete, awarded 20xp. The small box appeared again, I gritted my teeth and waved my hand over the box until it disappeared.

"Oh Caleb are you all right? Did anything happen to you?" His aunt asked as she fussed over him.

"i'm fine aunt Kathy, thanks to my friend here. He really helped me out." He said, trying to escape her scrutinizing gaze.

"Thank you young man if there's something I can do to help you just you ask me. Little'ole Caleb here couldn't help you with almost any." Kathy stood and tried to appear dignified, as she spoke to me, yet I couldn't help but chuckle self-deprecatingly at their remarks.

They looked at me in confusion. "Was it something I my aunt said?" Caleb asked, furrowing his brow.

"No," I said quietly, "it's just that I'm a young lady."

Kathy glared at Caleb. "You've been treating her poorly, making a woman carry you!" She crossed her arms and seemed to be looking down at Caleb even though they were about the same height. "Shame on you. What would your mother say right now?"

Caleb's had turned beet red, he was doing his best to stand on his own, but I could feel the tremors in his leg. So I pulled him over to a collapsed wall and helped him sit down. "Can you not even walk on your own? What kind of man can you claim to be Caleb?" His aunt continued. A few people had gathered to see what the fuss was about.

Ding! I waved my hand, not even attempting to read the grey box.

Caleb's face was tomato red, he was staring at the ground, not saying a word, his aunt however...

"Caleb! Don't just stare at the ground! You'll just make your new friend think of you as a spineless dimwit!" Kathy shouted, her tirade far from finished.

"Kathy?" I placed my hand on her arm, "he was trapped under a collapsed house, I don't believe he could stand."

Kathy's attitude took an immediate turn. She calmed up. "Oh," she looked between us, "I must thank you for helping my nephew then." She have a small bow. She began to look me over, she tilted her head to the side.

"Dear, where's your family? I don't recognize you from these parts." She asked quietly.

"They... didn't survive the sundering." I tightened my grip on the halberd. My chest felt tighter, like a ball of iron had taken the place of my heart.

"Oh, dear." Kathy grabbed my hand and looked around. "We can't let a girl like you be all alone."

"My brother taught me how to fend for myself." I replied curtly.

"No, dear... I didn't mean it like that." She looked around, "where's that useless husband of mine gone too now?"

Kathy looked me in the eyes. "We can take you in dear."

I felt shocked, "you would... take me in?" I asked quietly, at a loss for words.

"Oh yes, it'd be you, my husband and I." She said quickly. "Once we repair the house we could decorate it again. You'd have your own room." She stopped and just smiled sweetly.

"What do you say dear?" Kathy asked, I could see the sincerity in her gaze. So many others had offered condolences or a room for a night after I'd helped them around their homes, but none had had sincere hope in their gazes. It was moving, that she trusted me so much after we had just met.

"It wouldn't be a bother for you?" I asked, my grip on the halberd lessened, I could feel a strange fluttering in my chest.

"Oh no, not at all dear." Kathy said reassuringly.

A gray prompt appeared before me, for once I didn't just wave my hand. It helped that I was the only one who could see it. Kathy has offered to adopt you, would you like to accept? Yes/No.

"Are you sure?" I asked Kathy.

"Of course I am." Kathy huffed, her voice softened, "I've always wanted a daughter you know." Her smile was like warm butter.

"What would I call you then?" I asked.

"Mother, aunt." She shrugged, "it wouldn't make a difference to me."

"Yes," I mentally hit the yes as well as I said it. "I'll be your daughter, aunt Kathy."

Ding! You have been adopted.

Kathy embraced me, "Oh, dear. We'll have such fun together." I embraced her as well, holding back the emotions that were flooding through me as a series of prompts flashed before me.

Ding! Congratulations, Kathy's affinity has risen to 85.

Ding! Kathy's loyalty has increased by +10, now 70.

Ding! Caleb's affinity has risen to 75.

Ding! Kathy's Special trait unlocked, +1% to quality of life.

Ding! Caleb's loyalty has increased by +5, now 65.

Ding! Quest completed, Gain the villager's trust. Gain 50xp.

Ding! Quest reward, platinum village creation token and greater resource bag.

Ding! villager loyalty increased by +2, now 62.

Ding! Would you like to turn on system notifications? Yes/No.

I selected yes, it sounded important. For a bit nothing happened.

System notification! Players will begin appearing in 10 days.

Huh? I ignored it for the time being and just enjoyed holding onto my aunt. After a bit we let go of each other. I smiled at Caleb, "I suppose that we are cousins now."

He ducked his head and played with his nails. "Sure, I guess so." He mumbled.

I nodded, suddenly rather full of energy. "Oh, I must go find that husband of mine!" Kathy said loudly as she looked around.

A man shoved his way through the crowd, "Kathy? Why do you need to find me?"

"We have a daughter!" She shouted happily, grabbing my shoulders.

The man stopped in his tracks, and stared at me. I was dressed in lose fitting trousers and hunting boots, my shirt had large strips torn from it and I held a halberd in my left hand.

"Oh. Well." he smiled, although it was a rather strained one.

"Hello uncle." I said quietly. His clothes were ragged and torn, soot stained his clothes, and a scruff had started to invade his cheeks. His eyes were a soft brown color, but they carried a hard reality to them, like he had seen the hardships of reality.

He sighed, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Well, I'm Josiah, what's your name?"

I smiled, "Elizabeth Almeria."