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"...Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. No...actually, its worse then that. Forgive me father for I am a sin.
I guess I should stress that I am not a great follower of ROWAN. I try, but its hard when your very being is against you. Maybe I should start at the beginning, since that is really what I am talking about. My father was a demon. He was part of an attack years ago on a small village, and he raped my mother. She gave birth to me 3 months later, but couldn't bear to kill me. I am not sure why, but I guess my human appearance was enough to gain her love. No...not love. Mercy. She gave me up to an orphanage in a nearby city shortly after. Only I didn't know this at the time. I thought I was a normal kid. It was hard work living at the orphanage there, but I didn't complain. I even made friends and felt normal. I might have thought I was a normal child if I didn't transform....You see when I was twelve I got in a fight. Most of the kids in town looked down on the orphans and they would pick on the smaller kids. That wasn't me, but it was my friends. I couldn't stand to see my friends get hurt, so I attacked the bullies. I leaped on the largest kid, and swung like mad. I was furious, and that's when I changed. In front of everyone. My eyes began to burn bright red, and my skin hardened. Horns begin to form on my forehead. Half horns actually, as if they had been cut off. Spikes grow out of my elbows, and my nails grow sharper. My teeth sharpened too, and..well I don't want to upset you, but I think you understand what I am saying. Everyone ran. The bullies...and my friends. The kids told their parents, but no one believed them. It seemed unreal. But proof was mere years away. Over the next few years I realized I would change any time I was put in an overly emotional situation, and I avoided them. Which was easy since everyone left me alone. Sometime in my fifteenth year my father came back for me. He woke me at night and I found that I couldn't scream for help. I could make no noise. He told me how I had come in being. He told me about my mother and how he watched from afar, and how he now wanted to take me with him. I tried to run, but he grabbed me, and hauled me outside. We were spotted by a town guard who seeing the demon summoned the alarm. The entire town guard descended but they were horribly out-matched and my father slaughtered them. My father reveled in the fight, never letting go of me. He used me almost as a shield deflecting blows from blades. Not enough to kill me, but enough to scar me badly. After the fight my father carried me into the woods and healed my wounds. He stopped the bleeding, but left the scars. He was amused to scar my human face, hoping it would force me to embrace my demon heritage. As he continued to drag me through the woods we can across a wandering soldier who had been hunting my father for a while or so I assumed. My father tossed me aside and leapt into battle. I had my chance to run, but instead I stayed and watched. It was as if I was watching my human side face my demon side. The two lashed out at each other, and their skills seemed evenly matched. The fight did not last all that long, but it felt like an eternity. Finally the knight got a good slash in on my father, and he fell. The knight approached me and offered his hand to hell me up, but behind him my father in a last effort stabbed the knight in the back of the head. They both died there in the woods. It seemed appropriate, as it left me feeling not human, but not demon. I realized I could not go back to town. I would have to explain what had happened and I couldn't bear that. Instead I took the knights provisions and his sword and headed out. Eventually I reached Dragonfall. I was young, but strong and large. So I began taking work as an escort. I quickly became a favorite hire. I didn't need as much sleep as most people. I found I could skip sleep for a few nights before I showed any ill effects, though I tried not to overdo it. I didn't want to draw attention to how I was different. Though I sometimes prefered not to sleep, as I often have nightmares....Also in my experience in escorting I discovered that temperatures didn't seem to effect me. I never found myself cold, or hot, no matter what the season or temperature. I don't know how extreme I can handle, but I see no reason to test it. The other escorts taught me how to use my sword with more skill, and I showed a real affinity to battle. I guess that shouldn't have surprised me. The other men started recommending me for other guard duties, and more dangerous tasks. I found myself getting a lot of jobs, and being very successful. The only jobs I seem to fail to get are the ones where I would appear high profile. I suppose my grim demeanor and scarred face force me to stay behind the scenes. Still despite my recent success I can not find happiness. I still find myself getting excited in battle, enjoying it a little too much, and my heart races. I fear its only a matter of time before my demon side takes over in another fight. And when that does happen I fear I will enjoy it too much....forgive me father...." " Son...perhaps this is a less a problem of a physical nature and more of a mental problem..I know a mage that could....uh...son....he left? Dear Rowan, while I do not believe the tale I just heard, I hope the young man finds himself always on the path of goodness and valor." |