A lesson on parenthood!

Another one of my Maru Aborshate tales, the samurai is back, though he never really left. This features his adopted daughter, Zarrah, an escaped drow child.

Maru stands tall, as usual... He gently picks his daughter up as they disembark from the boat. She sighs and looks at him somewhat annoyed at his over-protectiveness. "Do you have to carry me everywhere?"she sighs as he asks him, her dark skin making her stick out from the rest of the crowd. Many people stare at the odd sight, a tall elven samurai carrying a young Drow girl and carrying her like she is his daughter. To him she is just that, to the others around them it is a strange sight to behold indeed.

Maru grins at her, a smile appearing on his scarred and ancient face. "Would you rather I lost you in the crowd?" he chuckles as he walks around Waterdeep for abit, picking up a few basic supplies for their trip around Faerun. Maru is extremely careful with his money spending as little as he has too and bargaining for each and every coin. Making sure he is never short of a good deal.

They stroll around for a good few hours as they turn many heads. For the old Samurai's gruff and foreign voice is something that few have ever heard. His lack of emotion when speaking to someone other than his daughter puts many on edge, guards stare at his weaponry unsure if it would be able to do much damage or not, before long his daughter turns to him whilst he carries her "Can we leave now? I don't like it here..." she looks more annoyed than frightened having a rather short temper.

As they stroll out of town a shadowy figure follows them, his hood up and covering his eyes as he follows at a safe distance the tattoo of a chainsmen upon the back of his left hand, a chain hangs from his waist as he follows them. He wears very smart attire despite his sinister and cruel intentions. Maru seems to know that the man is following the but cares not.

After a few hours of walking through the forest roads a few men stand before them all wearing chainsmen attire and Zarrah lets out an uncharacteristic squeal of fright. Maru places her down gently as he draws his No-Dachi in both hands staring at the two before him as the hooded figure approaches from behind them. Zarrah clutches her wand timidly this being her first fight to the death, she knows full well if her father and her fail...

Maru will die...

And she will become a slave... once again....

The hate burns deep inside Maru, his sword pointed at the nearest man's chest; an elf with short black hair. "You are a disgrace to your race. you will die first." The hooded one steps forward but Zarrah's hawk begins to attack it, swooping out of the air and into the man's face distracting him. To make matters worse for the hooded man, Zarrah twirls and strikes the man between the legs with her wand, before casting flare upon him causing him to fall to the ground writhing in pain. Maru picks her up and blindfolds her holding her close, not wanting her to see death yet again. He turns to the hooded one"Then you shall die."

Maru seems to completely ignore the third one as he clutches his sword in one hand and his daughter in the other staring into the elf's eyes "After you, I insist.." The elf lunges, he raises his sword to attempt to stab Maru in the arm he is using his sword for. Maru idly steps out of the way and trips him before driving the sword into the elf's skull allowing him to gargle in pain before stopping and laying still

The hooded one stands and steps forward with the left foot and pushing off with the right lunging through the air attempting to stab at Maru's chest. Maru blocks and kicks knocking him back a little, the third man lunges from behind Maru only to be met with a savage kick to the gut. As the hooded man lunges again he falls upon Maru's sword....

He slides down the blade and slowly to the hilt, his eyes wide and his face twisted into one of pain and fear. Maru headbuts him before turning to the final man. "Tell your friends Zarrah is free now. Understand?" he removes the blade from the mans stomach, all manner of gore and body parts spill upon the floor as Maru kicks the man onto the ground before leaving.

He Smiles at Zarrah "So where shall we have our first adventure?" he removes her blindfold once he is sure she can't see the corpses.

Author's Note

Again! Strange colours! I don't understand either!