Kisai

Forgive me of my past, I am just a child

 

Ash grew with no recollection of the day her mother died. She did not even recall ever having a human mother, or being in the outside world. A world with light, bright light that was ever so different from the dark, candle lit walls of the dungeon she called home. With the rats and her parents Nazul and Ras'nif, she felt at home.

Her day always started the same: scrubbing the walls of each cell, being mindful of those asleep inside it, and giving each rat a good bath before crawling under the passageway into the secret halls under the city. There she washed the tunnel ways, humming a lullaby, unbeknownst to the origin or having the slightest memory as to where it came from.

Her black hair had grown long over the years, reaching past her shoulders, nearing her stomach. She was to be fifteen that month, growing like a weed; she was nearly as tall as her father Ras'nif and just as thin. She adopted Nazul's kind heart and voice, smiling and loving those who were in the dungeon with them, only the bars separating them from their guests.

Her blue eyes had grown pale, nearly white. They adjusted well to the darkness, though Ash had little trouble seeing anything at all. With a secret flick of her wrist she could summon a small, yet bright ball of fire in her palm if needed. This of course, was hidden away from her adopted parents, for fear they would scold her for being different.

It did not take her long to figure out she was special, for she did not see any other Orcs in the castle dungeon cast spells or create elements out of thin air. Her face resembled neither of her parent's faces. Hers looked foreign, as if something had gone wrong through the birth, it seemed, almost human. Her tusks had grown in nicely, jutting out just as those around her, poking out, small, yet still there. Her face was soft, gentle, nice, unlike her brethren whose faces were weary and worn out.

One day, she had the nerve to ask her mother as to why she was so different, but neither her mother nor her father would answer. It would always be the same answer. She was too young to understand, and to ask when she was older.

She never liked the answer much, but she respected her parents and left it to rest until the new year.

Evergreen was settling into the lands, melting frost and snow from the trees and grass every new day. The Scaleskin sat vigil every night to honor their lost brother upon the castle walls, his armor clean and hung as a warning to those who betray the King and his laws.

Bellum had become quiet over the years, merchants moving out to other kingdoms to sell their good for better coin. Others left in overhearing of the Flumine's plan to attack. Those who did stay were loyal to the kingdom, and would fight with their lives if ever such plans were to be executed.

Though no news had reached Ash, and she carried on with her happy life and routine day after day. Though on occasional days she would find herself lost in conversations with the rats, using a raw communication spell she developed herself. The rats all loved her, for she cared for them often, feeding them as if they were her own pets.

One in particular, whom she named Rau'shin, kept by her side and helped her daily with the dungeon chores. His black fur blended well within the walls each day, as he slept in the crooks and crannies beside Ash each nightfall.

The twitch of his tail, of each whisker, she felt in the air, as if the two were bound to one another. She could feel it in her scales, which had hardened like the stone walls that surrounded her each day.

Nazul entered through the old wooden door as her lover followed behind her, grumbling about his broken broom as he tossed the sticks into the wood pile. He continued his grumbling as he passed by Ash, giving her a pat on the head as he did every day they returned from their duties.

Giving her mother a glance, she smiled softly, hugging her and exchanging a kiss to her cheek. Her mother looked worn, tired from a hard days work. It never rang in Ash's mind where her mother and father left every day to work. It was always through the same door, up the same steps she scrubbed at night. Though curiosity never peaked her interest to move through the door atop the stairs, other guests had told of stories of humans behind the door.

Humans. Mages to be exact. Others like her. She always wondered about her origin. How she came to be. Was she just a Halfling? Someone's mistake they threw down the stairs to live in the darkness?

She shook the thoughts from her head every day. No. She had parents here who loved her, for her. Orcs who looked after her ever since she was small.

Ever since the fire.

The only memory as a child she had. Fire. Burning hot and bright. Though it did not burn her. Did not make a single mark. And the loving embrace of arms snuggled tight around her, protecting her. And then the fire was gone.

Fire. It seemed to be the only element she shared a bond with. The stubborn element obeyed her naturally, giving way to light in the darkest of nights. Putting light in her heart, it opened doors to curiosity and new places in the dark.

Nazul stroked her daughter's hair while making dinner of potatoes and leeks. The smell wavered through the dark room, and Ash purred, her tummy growling in protest of an empty stomach.

Their guests behind the steel bars rose from their bed, faces pressed against the bars as they inhaled the scent, mouths drooling onto the floor as their tummies growled in unison. They're bodies weak and bone thin, wide palms encrusted with dirt and dust. The mix of Orcs and humans were few. Some were petty thieves. Others were homeless. All were loved the same by the Orc servants and Ash.

"Ash, come stir the pot while I fetch some beans." Nazul passed the spoon to her daughter, kissing her forehead before leaving to the back of the dungeon where the pantry was.

Ash beamed as she stirred away, humming the lullaby again, watching the flames flicker at the bottom of the pot; how they hungrily ate at the copper, licking at the base. The pot was barely becoming a boil.

Tummy growling in protest once again, Ash stroked it, staring at the flames as they called to her. Asking for power. Asking to consume the pot. Begging for her to tap into its energy and share some of her own.

It wouldn't be a bother if I helped cooked lunch faster.

Moving her hands in the shape of a glyph, she stroked the flames as they ate up her energy, growing hotter, nearly devouring the sides of the pot as the water inside began to boil more rapidly, bubbling over the sides as it reached outward, licking at the rock walls.

It grew into a bonfire, in a rage, out of control, unable to hold its new found energy in as it grabbed at Ash's hands, begging for more. But Ash pulled away, falling back onto her backside as she inched away from the fire, eyes wide in fear as she ran towards the back of the dungeon, yelling out to her mother.

She wormed through the pantry tunnel, moving over rocks and stumbling over broken bricks as she grasped her mother's arm. Shaking she held on tightly, startling the Orc as she dropped a bag of beans.

"Ash, what has gotten into you? Why aren't you stirring the pot?"

"Fire...it got out of control... it won't stop mother." Ash shook more, swallowing hard as she fought back tears.

"The fire?!" Nazul rushed by her daughter, dropping the beans where she stood as she climbed wearily over the passageway, Ash close behind her.

The fire had started to grow ever more, catching fire to anything around it as the hay in the corner of the room, nearest the stove lit up. The prisoners ducked down under their beds, mumbling and rambling about the end.

The rats scrambled down the passageway, stumbling over one another as they made their getaway. Rau'shin climbed his way into Ash's pocket, squeaking at her as his beady eyes grew in terror and he begun to breathe fast.

Nazul gasped at the sight of the fire, removing the pot from the stove as she desperately tried to sweep dirt onto the coals to smother it. But the fire grew angrier, bursting in her face, knocking the Orc back as she stumbled into the wooden chairs, breaking a few from the fall.

Rushing to her side, Ash held tightly onto her mother's arm, frantically looking about the room for a solution. Sweat rolled down her face as the room's temperature rose quickly, and the room itself was slowly eaten up by the fire she had created.

Frozen in her spot, she looked pleadingly towards her father as he made his way inside, rushing over to the cells as he unlocked each one, guiding the prisoners towards the passageways in a single file. Afterwards, once they were safe in the passageways, he rushed into the dungeon, grabbing onto Ash's arm as he pulled her and her mother out of the way of the flames as smoke begun to bellow into the room.

They coughed as the ceiling and walls starting to collapse, making it through the passageway and into the tunnels. Once inside they clung to one another, putting Ash between them as they protected her, holding her close.

Ras'nif used his strength to hold back the walls as they rumbled, bricks falling into the waters one by one. The rats squeaked and stayed alongside Ash and her family as one by one crawled onto her back and shoulders to avoid the deep pools of water inside the tunnel ways.

The heat slowly diminished as the entrance was blocked off behind them, rocks tumbling down, covering the doorway.

Nazul struggled to stay awake, wheezing as she coughed, stroking her lover and her daughter as her feet dragged and she collapsed onto the cold stone floor. She breathed heavily, coughing, shaking.

"Mother!" Ash knelt down; fighting to get her mother up, but she did not have the strength. "Mother please, you have to get up!"

Biting his lip, Ras'nif pulled Nazul into his arms, carrying her as he let go of Ash, moving by her slowly as he shook, trying with all his strength to carry his lover to safety. Looking back, he barked at Ash.

"Come child. Now!"

Nodding quickly, Ash followed her father as they moved her mother to a safe nook in the wall, sitting down beside her as the ceiling and walls stopped moving. The world spun around in Ash's head. Her energy felt drained. She stroked each rat as they scurried off her and into the safety of some loose bricks in the walls.

Rau'shin kept warm in her pocket, squeaking as he begun to calm down.

Both Nazul and Ras'nif looked at their daughter, eyeing the shaking teenage Orc as she pet Rau'shin, guiding him to the water in her palms for a drink.

"Ash. What happened in there? Why did the flames burn over like that? I entrusted you with watching over the pot. It was not even near boiling when I left." Nazul cupped her daughters face, looking into her eyes as she spoke.

Ash could not meet her gaze, looking away at the furthest wall.

"Child, answer me."

She met her mother's gaze, tearing up.

"The fire. It called to me. It wanted more. More energy. To live like us."

The Orcs exchanged a glance, taking a deep breath.

Ash looked between them, shaking more, "What is going on? Why can I hear the fire talk and feel the ground below me grumble? How can I feel the air, and taste its sugary sweet flavor on my tongue?"

Both parents looked upon the confused child, taking a deep breath as they stroked her face, "Honey we think it's time we told you about the real you."