1-Our Protagonist Starts Here

1



While everyone filed out of the carriage, one little thing remained.

The little thing had seemingly whispered to itself the entire journey. This rightly prompted strange looks from the other passengers. And that only made him more nervous.

The whole journey the little thing clutched a package in one hand and a wooden staff in the other.

Only on occasion did he get tireless, release his hold on his two precious treasures and produce a mess of cogs and screws that he fiddled with. This routine was maintained even when everyone else had left the carriage and the little creature had given a pretty penny for the privilege.



As everyone setup camp a child, the youngest of a score of siblings, wondered over to the little thing.

The boy craned his head, "What is that?" the boy asked looking at the mess cogs in the little things dexterous hands.

The little thing looked up from it's work and regarded the boy for a second while the child stepped up and into the carriage.

"It's a firestarter." The little thing replied amused at the child's curiosity.

"I like fires, they're fun to stare at and warm and I like the noise," the boy started, the flood gates has been opened.

"You mean the crackle?" The little thing asked and gave the boy a smile as the child nodded in agreement. "I like fire too," the little thing said.

"My names Charles, after the king, my mum says." The boy said.

"Is that so," the little thing began, "well, my names Namfimble Garrick-Sah. My father named me after his mother." The little thing said.

The child laughed at that, "You're lying, that's not your name. That's too funny to be a real name." The boy exclaimed.

"And your name is too boring Charles," The little creature grinned, "Now you better pop off before your mother comes calling for you."



The boy made his way to the exit at the back of the carriage, placing a hand on the seats on either side of him, swinging his legs out from underneath him.



Namfimble smiled at that. But the boy stopped in his tracks before descending out of the carriage. "Do you know..." the boy began in a curious tone, "...what my favourite thing about fire is?"



The boy turned to face Namfimble and Namfimble gave him a shrug.



From outside the carriage a tormented scream pierced through the tarp and the boys face twisted into a horrid grimace, "The pain it inflicts."



2



Nearer to the freshly setup campfire, a tall and exquisite thing scanned his surroundings. If not for the inhuman sheen to his flowing platinum hair or the green hue about his otherwise fair completion, you would probably call this creature human.

The creature stood by the campfire, undisturbed by the busy travelers around him. He stood draped in fine silk clothes, intentionally worn to display his tight define muscles.

That is until the creature finally sees something he likes. The creature approached his prey without thought, without making a sound.

And as for the woman in question. The creature had eyed her before. As he approached he recalled that she was the eldest daughter of a family who paid very dearly for their transport. This much was clear from her patch work clothing and the impoverish amount of luggage she and her family had with them. Still, the creature didn't mind a diamond in the rough. What mattered was the smooth skin beneath, which the creature studied obsessively as he approached.

He stood right up behind her, close enough to smell her. She was alone, fixing up a tent for her siblings.

He tapped her shoulder with his index finger and the poor girl jumped out of fright.

She looked back at him and met his eyes and before she knew up from down her hand was in his. His pink lips hugged her knuckle, "Rolen Näilo, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Rolen was quick to lead the girl aside, she was a supple thing, with a rounded face. He sat her down by the fire and produced a tinted bottle and two glasses.

That's when Rolen heard a muffled noise, then the sound of a blade sliding through bone.

He pulled himself from the girl whispering an "excuse me," much to her disappointment.



Rolen whistled for the attention of a couple of hired hands, gesturing in the direction of the noise as the captain hurried to him.



"What did you see?" The Captain asked, the captains eyes were wide up, his mouth tightly bound.

"You're down a man." Rolen explained plainly, the captain was such an ugly man. Rolen pointed again, the captain gave a grave nod and the hired hands produced daggers from their belts. Four of them headed down towards the edge of the camp.

The captain looked as if he would press Rolen further, but the screaming interrupted him.



3



A stout creature sat down by the fire. She sat completely oblivious to those around as she tended to her great-axe.



The weapon was larger than she was and reflected the red of the fire in a dazzling display of her dedication to it.



That's when a man approached, the captain of the traveling company. A grim looking fellow with an aged face and an uneven beard.

"How old are you?" He asked, still standing over her.

"That's not very polite. Apologize." She replied as she gripped her axe.

The captain seemed disarmed and sat down beside her, "I apologize, its just, I used to know someone who looked just like you..." The Captain started, but shook his head at the idea.



At this the stout thing looked more intently at the captain, "Regis?" She asked and the captain looked stunned at her.



"Officer Loderr? How can..." The captain started but the stout creature stopped him.



"You realise I'm a dwarf right," She said amused, "we don't grow old as fast as you humans."



"But...twenty years?" Captain Regis exclaimed, largely to himself.



"Enough of that." The stout thing barked at him and he nodded meekly with a, "Yes Mam."



"Stop that too, the war is over," she barked at him, then grew softer, "you can call me Sannl, better yet, call me San." She ended with a reassuring smile.



With that the two began to reminisce, much to the surprise of those around them.



However this exchange didn't last long before the captain noticed on of his passengers making a fuss. He looked grimly at San, "I have a bad feeling, can I count on your aid?"



San replied, worried, "always friend."



"Good," the captain said and stood up and approached the passenger.



San followed after him leaving her armour by the fire and keeping her great-axe tightly in her hands.



As San approached the hired hands ran ahead. San came up behind the two men but before reaching them the hired hands started screaming.



Her casual walk developed into a full paced sprint towards the screams as she dashed past Captain Regis and the odd stranger beside him.



Before she reached the edge of the camp however, one of the carriages bursted into flames stirring the horses into a frenzy as everyone fled.



Remembering the hired hands, San continues running forward and lept over the bushes. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly and she spotted several sets of blood stains and trails of raked dirt. The bodies had been taken but she couldn't make heads or tails of why or where they we're taken to.



As San considered wondering into the woods at night someone barges into her. She tried to grab the individual but they we're too small and only just evaded her grasp, "was that a little boy."



She turned to see three more figures approach. The first was a little thing, had it not been for it's overtly pronounced noise and bright eyes, she would have thought it was another child. The little thing was covered in ashes and was breathing frantically. Behind him was the captain and another man, perhaps the boys father.



"You let him escape, you stupid fool." Namfimble called out between heavy breathes.



Captain Regis and the boys father first regarded San's solemn expression and then out into the darkness.