Chapter One: Destiny

Hmm, Random Kindess

"Man does not simply exist, but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment."
                            -Viktor Frankl



                           6 Months Earlier....



THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!

          A heavy knock was apparent on the door of the inn's sleeping quarter's. Movement stirred underneath the linen sheets of the bed. A man with black, wind tossed hair rose his head from under the covers. He quickly did a scan of the room. It was the same as he'd left it yesterday. Reaching his hand under the pillow, he withdrew his dagger from it's sheath. Cautiously, he slid out from underneath the covers. His foot steps were light across the wooden floor. His muscles rippled underneath his tanned skinned from the tension. He reached out for the door handle. Taking a quick breath, he turned the knob. His first instinct was to take the dagger to whoever's it was behind the door throat. But when he saw who it was, he sighed and shook his head.

"Hi Reks!!" she said jollily. A short girl that looked about nineteen bounced up and down in the door way. She smiled widely at Reks. A brown piece of parchment was held tightly in her little hands.

Reks leaned against the door frame, watching her for a second. The dagger was held loosely between his fingers, as he had eased his  grip on it. "What exactly is it you want, Sharyl?" He said, slightly annoyed.

"I've got your next job for you"

          Sharyl held up the piece of parchment to Reks's face. He took it slowly from her. Reks read it over three times, memorizing the information. His next target was a human male said to have committed many robberies, forgeries, heist and other crimes in his life time. From the information, Reks assumed that the target was crafty. It was nothing a little brute force couldn't handle

"Your hunting a very skilled thief named Lodrick Clamas. Informants say that he's gunna hit the Black Water Tavern in a couple hours." Sharyl began. "He's described as wearing a black cloth shirt, and brown leather pants." She paused for a second to roll up the parchment, then put it in Reks's hand. "Kill him, and the money is yours." Sharyl chuckled a bit with that last part. She gave Reks a smile, then bounced out the doorway and down the stairs.
         
          Reks had a puzzled look on his face as he stared after her. She was always happy and joyful like she had no care in the world. But whenever it came to bounties, a different side of her came out. Reks shrugged, closing the door. Now he needed to prepare. The first thing he did was retrieve his dagger sheath from underneath his pillow. He put the dagger with his other equipment, then straightened up the room. After that, he took a wash basin full of water from the night before from the side of his bed. He cleaned his face, then washed his hair. Reks quickly dried off, then pulled on his clothing. First he slipped on his leggings, then pulled on the black, sleeveless tunic he wore. He picked up the light iron greaves, fastened them, then quickly slipped on his gauntlets. As he rose off the bed, he grabbed his long sword and dagger belting, placing the first on his back and the second on his waist.
          Reks quickly descended down the stairs. As he reached the last step, he noticed the room was alive with activity. It was the late afternoon, and many of the patrons in the Inn had begun to drink. The music was lively, and many people were up dancing. Sighing, Reks regretted the job choice he had chosen. As a bounty hunter, he was separated from the rest of the world. The only company he really had was Sharyl, but she was just his informant, and barely even stayed long enough to have a real conversation with him. Making his way toward the door, he was sure to avoid the barmaids that were near the back tables. They would have slowed him down, as they kept making attempts to get his attention for days.
          Reks exited the crowded room after a few minutes of navigation. Now he felt free. The open air was his scene. He began his walk toward the other side of town. He wasn't in much of a hurry, as he knew he'd catch the thief eventually. For now, he was taking in the scenery of the town. Many people went about their business, working and taking care of children. He chuckled as two children began to play tug of war over a wooden toy. Sometimes Reks wished he could just take a break and be a normal person. But he knew that would never happen. It seemed destiny had other plans for him
           As Reks continued toward the Black Water Inn, he noticed a bit of commotion in the alleyway next to the produce stall. Two men were sneering at someone leaning on the alley wall. One of the men kicked the person in the ribs, then threatened to kill him if he didn't give him some money. Reks sighed. "People are naturally greedy," he thought. The man lay crumpled on the floor. He was breathing slowly, and blood smeared the bruises on his face. He shook his head, using all his will power to defy his tormentor. The man laughed.

"You've got some guts, kid." He said. "But that was your last move." The man pulled out a curved knife from his belt. He held it menacingly over the boy. As he rose it up to strike, the person on the floor lowered his head, prepared to die.
 
           With a quick dash, Reks leaped into the alleyway, making a dash for the knife. His right hand shoot up, grabbing the mans wrist and twisting it, causing him to drop the knife. With a quick follow up, Reks kneed him in the stomach, then grabbed his shirt and threw him into his companion. Both men tumbled out of the alley, ending up next to each other. The warrior picked up the fallen knife and jammed it in the spot where the two men's shirts overlapped, pinning them to the ground. Satisfied that they were taken out, Reks proceeded to the person on the alley wall.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he lifted the man from the floor. The victim opened his mouth to speak, but a wave of coughing hit him. Blood dripped down from between his teeth. Reks gritted his teeth. He didn't have time to take the man to an infirmary, but if he didn't, the man would most likely die. He decided to help the man, but he had to do it quick or he'd miss the opportunity to surprise the thief he was hunting.

           The warrior swept the man off his feet. It would make running easier if he carried the person. As he exited the alley way, Reks noticed that the two who had been harassing the man were gone. Probably went to lick their wounds, he thought. With the man in tow, the warrior sprinted down the road in the opposite direction to which he came. He rounded a corner, approaching the the infirmary that was not too far away. More and more people turned their heads, watching with wary eyes. Reks ignored them, and after a couple seconds, entered the small stone building. As he entered, a nurse gave him a smile, then looked at the beat up man in his arms. She turned, calling for help. Three emergency workers came rushing down the hall, rolling a gurney behind them. Reks gently rested the man on the Gurney, then nodded to the nurse. The nurse, along with the workers, carried the man down the hall. Reks turned toward the door. He'd come back when his work was finished. For now, he couldn't worry about the health of the man. His only focus was the thief he was chasing.

Author's Note

This is our first Glimpse of the Main character. I tried to give you guys a bit of his personality and the way he acts. Hope I painted a good picture so far. I'm a little uncertain if I used enough description also. Just Lemme know your thoughts.

Reviews

[karmic]

Sounds like a pretty good story so far. There were a few mistakes, but who doesn’t make those? I enjoy your main character’s personality. I would love to read the next chapter.

[Darruesh Eetraydes]

You described it well. I really liked it so keep up the good work