A new adventure begins....

[DarkDreamer]

// This story is written at the pre-approval of myself and Aurora Blackmoore, while originally reflecting two future characters, I will primarily be focusing on only "1" of the two characters to leave her to write the other characters story.//


It had been two weeks since their father told them what he was planning to do, barely a tenday since mom believed he had gone and done it. They did not wish to believe it, and Ryko certainly did not wish to be on this wretched ship, headed to Waterdeep to stay with the Millers. He hated the movement and even more so hated the fish dinners. There was only one thing that filled his heart more, the hatred for his Father. How could he leave them like that? How could he turn his back on his family again? Didn't they...didn't HE matter to him? Apparently not.

His eyes wandered the coastline as they neared Waterdeep, his heart sinking as he saw them. A lovely young woman and her husband and their older son, waiting on the docks for them. They were hard to miss as they held the sign reading Blackmoore. Not only had their father abandoned them, their own mother shipped them off too. Though honestly she seemed far from mentally stable herself some nights, he could hear her crying though she tried to hide it. The keeper would come over for him and his sister soon, to ensure the Millers got their new charges, as well as the bag of gold their mother had sent along to help pay for their upkeep. Little did they know, Ryko had no intention of staying with the Millers. He wanted no part of another lie, that family cared or mattered. Family is what had caused his misery, and he no longer saw a point in it.

The docking happened fairly swiftly, the crew more then able as their keeper gathered them up. They were marched first down the plank as the cargo and trade supplies would take a few hours to fully unload and they wanted the kids out of their responsibility as soon as possible. Once off the plank the Millers approached casually, a warm smile on the womans face and a nod from the mans to the keeper taking a letter and a bag of coin from the man before he nudged Ryko and Aeriel to their new guardians and headed back to the ship.

The woman brought herself to eye level of the youths, identifying herself as Maria Miller, the man as her husband Dennis Miller and thier son Daniel Miller. They would be caring for them now as if their own children, which silently made Ryko roll his eyes in contempt, yet he plastered on a friendly smile for the woman, it only had to last until tonight anyways. Tonight, he would be gone from this foul city and he would make his way back to his mother. She would answer for sending him off. One way or another.

[DarkDreamer]

The house was very nice, if somewhat modest. A four bedroom house. A room for each of the kids, and the adults. The rooms were nicely decorated and for Aeriel there were several dolls that she might play with and enjoy, as well as a doll house for her, teddy bears lining the bed. For Ryko's room there were boats, toy swords, even a mock set of armor that he might pretend to be a Knight. He smiled when he was shown them, though once they had left him to get settled, he scoffed in annoyance. Such toys were for babies and small children, not for older boys like himself.

The house was decorated nicely, a set of armor hanging on the stand where Mr Miller had left it until he would return to his duties on the Watch. The real armor caught his attention, yet he knew in his heart he could not take such. He would not become some petty thief. Waiting until evening he quietly ate his dinner, thankful for the poultry rather then more fish again. After cleaning up and heading to his room for the evening, he sat and waited, listening until the Millers were sound asleep.

Getting up he slipped from his room stopping in Aeriel's room and kissed her cheek, he loved his sister, but he truly could not remain. Seeing her sleep distressed he sat on her bed and began humming their mothers lullaby, running a hand through her hair till she settled once more, and made his way from her room, gathering a hidden travel bag containing some of the coin their mother had sent for them, some food for the road, some clothing and a small dagger. Hefting it up he opened the door, sparing a glance back towards his sisters room with a slow deep breath, he slipped out and closed the door softly before winding his way out of Waterdeep. No boat here would take him to Arelith after all, he would need to find another port town, or a wizard and perhaps work off the cost of such.

[DarkDreamer]

Travel was hard on the youth, he wasn't really accustomed to such long walks. His legs burned as he walked, was it really morning already? He was cold, he was hungry and he ached. He wanted to curl up on the side of the road and just close his eyes for a little while, but that was dangerous. Mother had told him about bandits, thieves and slavers that would love to kidnap and sell a young boy. He kept on the path keeping his pace until he stumbled, sore and too tired he was forced to rest. Luck was not meant to be on his side.

The caravan pulled up slowly, the driver not believing his dumb luck at finding a youth alone out here, short of raiding caravans, children were well protected from him, yet here on the very road he was heading on, a young boy slept on the side of the road. Stopping a ways away so as not to wake the youth and quietly got down. Gathering some shackles and ropes silently, he stepped over to the boy, slipping on the shackles, and as the locks clicked into place, the boys eyes shot open with a start immediately trying to wrestle free from the much larger man.

A quick kick to the groin caught the larger man off guard, taking the wind from his sails momentarily. Not long enough though to get out of the way of the fist that slammed into the youths gut, then to the side of his head taking the youth from his feet, and consciousness. He awoke with a start in the back of the caravan, in a small cage sized for a medium dog. His hands and feet were both shackled down to prevent him moving, and a tight collar sat at his neck with another small sign underneath it, marking a number. Almost fifty thousand, his heart sunk as he realized he had gotten himself into exactly what his mother warned him about, well, if there was any good to be found in this, he didn't have to walk anymore.

[DarkDreamer]

The travel was slow, long and drifted between hot and cold, sun and rain. How he wished to be back home with his mother. He ached being kept in such a cramped cage, unable to get up and move around, the food and drinks came once a day, usually in the evening. The meal was barely more then water, and some light stew and if he had behaved well, some bread to go with it. Hours turned into days, days into weeks, and the weeks turned into a month as the temperature in the caravan notedly started getting hotter and hotter during the day. The man stopping once to strip him of his warmer garments only to dress him into a loincloth suited to the heat. At least the water now came twice a day. Once in the afternoon, and once in the evening.

The city of Calimport came into view, the blistering heat making it look like one could see the waves of heat, the smell wasn't much better at the entry gate. The smells of the homeless and sweating guards of the gate could be smelled from more then fifty feet away. They moved through the city at a steady pace moving far from the poorer districts of the city, up to the wealthier and admittedly, better smelling of the districts. Handing his horses off to a stable hand, he reached into the back of the caravan unlocking the cage, grabbed the youth by the hair and dragged him out to his feet, the shackles making him stumble as he struggled to gain footing and was soon pushed towards a large building.

Inside there were men and women of all ages and sizes, some clearly extremely wealthy, others looking to be dock hands, and others still looking as if they had never been to such a place before. The boy was soon shuffled up onto a stage by several others, mostly older people. Most of them baring scars of the trade from long exposure. He though was unmarked, young and able, a rare trait in the market. Many showed interest. Listening to the bidding for people was an annoyance, their voices shouting over one another. Eventually though, it was his turn. He was pushed center stage and left for all to gawk at, the price already listed the bidding started fast, fifty thousand, fifty five, sixty, seventy, eighty five, one hundred thousand.

The closing bid was settled at a hundred thousand, an older man stepping forward, dropping a bag on the nearby desk and snapping a leash onto the collar. A deed handed to him for the youth before he was pulled off, gently at first, then a bit more viciously as he struggled a bit against it. Dragging him to a very large estate the boy looked on with a mix of curiosity and dread, what would this new master want with him? What would be forced upon the youth? and how in the realms would he ever escape?

[DarkDreamer]

His Master was not infact the man that bought him, but a very heavy set man who did not look to be pleased with the purchase, demanding to know why in the hells he had brought him a child instead of an able worker. Ryko's could feel his blood boil at the insult, he was no "Boy", though he was quickly cut off by the one that bought him to state that he saw potential in the youth. The man let out a grunt and after three attempts managed to wriggle his heavy bottom from his luxury throne. He slowly approached grabbing the boy by the neck and hefting him up. Simple threats of death if he didn't serve, brutal punishments, then he made the mistake, a very fatal one. He looked at Ryko and mockingly stated he would never see his beloved mommy and daddy again.

Ryko felt his blood boiling, filling with rage, hatred and pain, he wanted this man dead, he wanted him to die horribly and in agony, before he knew what had happened, the man was on fire, everything around them them was on fire, the shackles on his skin melting away under the heat as he stood there watching it all burn, his anger knowing no limits, he stood there as the house burned down around him, leaving him standing in the smoldering ruins, both men very much having burned to death as the boy turned walking away from the ashes.

Wandering out far into the desert, his anger played out and the adrenaline having finally worn off, he collapsed unconscious into the sand, unaware of what had happened, where he was or why. When he woke he found himself bumping along another caravan, though one without chains. As he looked around he saw a woman smiling calmly to him. Encouraging him to relax as she fed him some water and broth, before re-bandaging the various burns on his wrists, neck and ankles. Feeling safe for the time being, even if unsure of exactly what had transpired or how he came to be in the caravan, he again passed out, allowing sleep to overtake him once more.

[DarkDreamer]

It was a long travel, one that took weeks and left him in back of the caravan. The woman had no intention of letting him get up just yet. He didn't quite remember what had drained him so badly, but it had taken nearly a week alone to just sit up. She wanted him to remain resting until they reached their destination. He tried to stay relaxed but laying for so long was very dull. The woman sensing his distress began telling him stories. Mostly old legends and tall tales, but they were better then focusing on the great and powerful nothing.

They soon arrived in Athkatla, the capital of Amn. When he was finally let up and out, he glanced around this marvel of a city, a party seemed to be going on as if celebrating something, yet it seemed trivial at best. Some business deal gone right. He was soon ushered into a building, noting that his keepers here wore new attire, the man in high silks with a platinum pin. The woman wore an elegant gown with a black pearl necklace, as well as the platinum pin, both of theirs in the form of a dragon over an egg. Not that he pretended to understand the importance of the change of attire, only that he found it a bit too much. As if they had to impress someone.

They pushed him into a room, speaking softly and demanded to know what his skills were or his future goals, was he training as a warrior? a rogue? a priest? a wizard? He didn't know, all he knew was that he wanted to get back to Arelith, which brought a scoff from the woman. He would stay here as their son, hold the family name and become a fine merchant just like them. He wanted no part of this, he wanted to keep going. He was no orphan after all. So like the Millers, he played along. Nodding and smiling as if he thought it was a marvelous idea. He was good at pretending.

They spent the day fussing and fawning over him, discussing his future, his attire that they would shop for in the morning, and what he would be trained in. By the time dinner came, he was exhausted but had high hopes to his escape. Setting out that night, he almost hesitated. He would have enjoyed the rich life for sure, but it would be a lie, like everything else he had run away from. He found the shipyard soon enough and managed to sneak aboard, hiding in the crates until they had long set to sea.

[DarkDreamer]

He had forgotten how much he hated boats, the difference was this time he was a stow away, not a welcomed passenger, and he definitely didn't have a means of paying for his travel. The had been out at sea for a day when the crew found him. Their first thought was to throw him overboard and see if he could swim back to shore. The captain though, not truly a cruel man would hear none of it. If he could not pay in coin, then he would pay for it in work or blood. Not keen on pain, he agreed to be set to work. The work was indeed hard, a cabin boy of his age with no experience had a lot to learn. Mopping the deck around the crew was strenuous work, especially as the mop was twice his size. Meals were portioned to him based on his work as well. This was not an enjoyable trip.

Boats are such slow vessels compared to on land, and the ship was headed to Luskan, a rather distant port from where they were. It was taking them months to travel and while he was growing stronger, so too were the tasks growing harder. It seemed the more they knew he could do, the more they wanted him to do. When they ported for a short stop in Callidyrr in the Moonshae Isles, they locked him below deck to prevent him leaving. They remained docked for three days with him trapped below and refused to release him. When they finally did let him out, he could only barely make out the isle in the distance. He let out a low sigh as he went back to the mopping and sail tending. He had become quite gifted at sewing, since they made him do all the mending, both for their breeches and for the sails.

It had been four months since they set out, and Luskan was only just coming into view. It was cold, damp and didn't look overly friendly. Here he was forced to help them unload the cargo and trade supplies before he was finally shoved off and told to beat it. Glad to be off the boat, he had no real idea where he was or what he was gonna do with himself now. Looking up at the pouring rain, he decided that it would simply be finding shelter for the time being. Heading into the nearest inn, he parked himself by the small fire and tried to get warm, muttering to himself a simple "Happy Birthday Ryko" Before passing out by the fire from exhaustion.

[DarkDreamer]

He awoke to a sharp punt to his side, a pained grunt escaping him as he looked up at the rather burly bouncer who did not care much for loiterers that weren't buying. He ordered a show of coin, or to get out. The youth sighed getting himself up off the floor, praying that at least the rain had stopped. Luck was with him in this, for it had. Stepping out into the streets he looked back to the docks, they were his passage back to Arelith, and now he even had some training as a Cabin Boy. Not his favorite job in the whole world, yet it would be something more then where he was now.

After speaking to several Captains who did little more then laugh him off the ship, he found one who would consider it in the coming spring, but he would require some ten thousand gold in upfront payment. When asked how he could acquire this, he was told to find a job in town, other then that, it wasn't the Captains problem. He nodded heading off the ship, though memorizing the boat for later use. It was late summer now, the Captain wouldn't even consider leaving for Arelith till next spring now.

Heading back into town he searched around for signs of work, he didn't want to be on a boat again till he had to. Ten thousand was a lot of coin to earn up at his age, and find anyone willing to hire him without experience. Days passed with little work showing itself, he was hungry, cold and sleeping in side alleys when his luck finally showed signs of changing. One of the local inn keepers had thrown out their recent help for stealing from patrons and needed a new and trustworthy face to manage rooms. Seeing the boy starving and in need, he offered him an exchange, the gold he needed for his boat, and food and shelter until spring, but if he stole anything, he would get nothing. The offer was risky, he stood to lose everything if the man was dishonest, but what did he really have to lose? He couldn't afford to turn down the offer.

The hours were long, tiring and often far more work then he alone could manage, yet he never voiced a complaint. He needed the work and the food was delicious. He had a warm bed to sleep in and sometimes the customers tipped which he was allowed to keep. With the small coin he could keep, he bought some warmer clothes, and travelling supplies for the coming spring, he would need them after all when the time came to set sail once more.

[DarkDreamer]

If fall was hard, winter was a nightmare. The snow being tracked in, the mud all over the place, pushy people and often low tips. Worse were the drunks that would hold up in the rooms for days at a time since sailing out of Luskan right now was impossible. The sailors were often rude, pushy and there was more then once they were outright aggressive. More so when drunk. His boss usually got involved when they were aggressive. Reminding them that if they hit the youth again, they would be blacklisted from the inn which would calm them down fairly quickly.

The spring weather could not come fast enough for the youth. The breaking of the ice was awaited with baited breath as he looked every morning for the ice to be melted enough for the ship to break through. When it finally did come he vaulted down the stairs to collect his pay. The owner offering him more if he might stay on and work here much longer, but he had to refuse. He had to go find his mother, and his own answers.

When he arrived the Captain was very surprised to see him, more so to see he actually had the required coin, but he shrugged being a man of his word and placed an order for the supplies to put out. Warning the boy though that the rest of his trip would be through work to pay for the rest.The boy simply nodded, having understood that this would be the case. He was shown to a room to make himself comfortable in, it wasn't his inn room, and the meals wouldn't be nearly as good, but he was on his way to Arelith in a few hours. How could he ask for more?

[DarkDreamer]

The trip started off so well, bright sunshine, warm breeze and the sailors seemed in a great mood after offering a tribute to Umberlee. He didn't understand that ideal but let them have their say. That night though a storm kicked up like he had never seen. It didn't take long for the crew to accuse him of upsetting Umberlee by not making tribute to the goddess and blaming him for the drastically bad weather. The storm tossing the ship to and fro as he struggled to stay standing, the Captain calming the crew and ordering them back to their stations as he pushed the youth below deck lest he fall overboard.

The sailing was rough, though the work kept him busy and it wasn't nearly as hard as the last trip. At least they also had some better food then just fish. He took to the work quite efficiently and made the Captain more then a little happy with his work. They sailed for months, stopping in random ports along the route. The Captain provided the boy some minor coin for some small trinkets and such should he wish it, since he was doing far more then the agreed work for his upkeep. He wished the boy would reconsider his goals to see to that cursed isle, yet the boy would not be persuaded.

The last leg of the journey, he could nearly see the isle when a shout came from the Crows Nest, a call of Pirates, the Captain knew of course that Cordor would send out its fleets to protect them, yet they would be a while yet, even if they only now scrambled to their ship. The fight was quickly taken, exchanging cannon fire before the pirate ship rammed the trade ship and they began boarding. The boy stared wide eyed in horror as men died around him, holding their guts in, or trying to stop the blood from their slashed throats. A feeble and terrified whimper escaped him as the crew turned on the youth.

He felt the blade against his neck as the Pirate Captain examined him, he was young and fit, perhaps a new addition to his blood thirsty crew. He could feel the boy shaking under his grip which only caused him and his men to laugh. They knew the Cordorian Navy would soon be out, they could see them just clearing the docks when he went to pull the boy to his ship. Ryko's eyes closed in fear, though that strange feeling came back again. That rush of heat that made his whole body feel hot. The Captain let out a startled yelp as the boys hands caught fire and grabbed at him, stabbing him viciously though missing the vitals and shoved him off the ship before calling his men back to their ship, the Navy was far too close now and if they remained, they would be caught. Cordor after all, was far too powerful a force to challenge, even for his crew.

The Navy rushed the ship, seeing the pirates sail off with their tails between their legs, the chanting of "Cordor rules the seas" could be heard as they cheered. They docked the floundering ship tending the crew quickly and ensuring nothing but some supplies were missing. The only question that came from their Captain before he blacked out was "Where's Ryko?". The crew searched for the youth, but found no sight of him, fearing the worst, the crew fell silent. Had he been taken by the vicious pirates...or was he lost to the deep never to be seen or heard from again? Honestly...they prayed for the latter, and that the boys suffering would be over peacefully.

[DarkDreamer]

To be continued in game....