Karyk slammed his door behind him loudly, not caring how many neighbors might comment on it in the future, as he stepped into his home, his eyes aflame with anger. This was whale shyke, laying off good workers did nothing but hurt businesses. Poor times is when people needed to work the most. He flung his pack on his bed, kicked his chair across the room, really wanting to just destroy something. There in front of him was a decently made, pine table. It stuck out in the run down little shack as the finest piece of woodwork in here. It was a gift from his foreman when he earned his way onto the crew. The foreman built it himself, teaching Karyk as he went. Raegher was insightful, talented, and patient, but right now in Karyk's eyes, he was just management.
Karyk unrolled his axe bundle onto his bed, grabbed his hatchet and powerfully swung it downward into the sturdy table. The blade sunk deep in the wood with a loud thunk. Karyk yanked it free, and immediately rotated it into another downward swing, enjoying the cathartic actions. This time it sank deep and a loud crack was heard. Pulled free, he swung it again, and the table broke in half loudly, and that's all Karyk needed as he went into a frenzied rage, chopping at it over and over until it was barely more than kindling. He was still swinging angrily when his door opened, and yet he didn't even notice.
An angry woman's voice boomed in the house, one he'd not heard since he was a teenager, "Karyk Sorryn Southwind, you put that axe down now or so help me I'll tan that hide redder than when we caught you with Lacee Goldtrout." There in the doorway was an older, fiery haired woman with eyes of anger that would make Laviku think twice about splashing her with a wave. It was his mom. Karyk was frozen, all of his anger instantly gone, being thrown back to his youth so easily. He stood up straight, and put his hatchet into the axe roll and stood there, head hung, waiting to be admonished by the tiny woman. He expected her to grab him by the ear and pull him down to her level. He watched as she stormed over, arm pulled back as if ready to slap him.
But she wrapped him in a loving embrace. "I'm so sorry lovebug. I just heard what happened. Mama's here." Karyk melted in that hold, nothing more than a little kid who'd gotten in a fight. The hot, stinging tears flowed freely now, quietly, with some dignity, they fell into his mother red curls. Once they finally stopped, she pushed him onto the bed, sitting him down, while she grabbed his chair and parked it right in front of him. "Alright lovebug, tears are shed. No more. Time to move forward, yes?"
Karyk nodded, and immediately found himself thankful to have her as his mother. "Now just listen for a bit. But you need to leave Zeltiva." He was shocked, his eyes wide, and moved to protest, but a stern cock of his mother's head stopped him. He chose to not interrupt. "You need to leave this city behind. You're better than this town. You need to see the world lovebug. The good, the bad, and the ugly of it all. Right now, you're a cutter sloop in a small pond."
She leaned back, pulling the wineskin that always hung from her belt, and took a big swig, "Before I met your father, and before we settled down here, I traveled all over." She looked out the window, then continued, "I was born to a slave family in Sunberth, owned by a wealthy criminal family. When I was ten years old, all I knew was how to be someone's property, how vile men can be. My parents were broken people, they had no fight or spirit left in their eyes. They weren't even human any more, not where it counted. But that year, famine hit hard, much like it is now. But Sunberth isn't as nice as it is here. See, this family made their wealth from stealing food from caravans and ships, and selling to people, for the most part. When the food ran out, the town went into chaos, they attempted to storm the family's home. But as with the proper wealthy in Sunberth, they had built sturdy walls and paid and kept fed their guards, so nothing came of it. At first."
"But it was a siege, in a sense. They never let anyone in or out. And it didn't take long for the privileged family to burn through all of their food. Eventually the guards abandoned their posts, still the siege held. They had no need to storm the place. Poor people always know hunger, the rich don't. So they knew it was only a matter of time. But there was a source of food left. The owning family ate my mother first, for she was a plump woman. My dad didn't even cry, get angry, fight back. When hunger struck again, they ate him too. And eventually, they came for me too. Thankfully those years working in the kitchens made me skilled with a knife, and I killed them both, bathed in their blood. I finally felt alive, human for the first time in my life. I was now free. I opened the doors to the compound, and a few members came in, so desiring for food, they didn't even notice the blood drenched street rat. I slipped on out, vowing to never let anyone take away my freedom again."
"I was taken in by a gang, for everyone in Sunberth is part of a gang in some way or another. As I grew older, I knew I needed to get out. But my gang had just recently delved into the slave trade as well. With the help of a few friends, we usurped the gang, freed the slaves, and left town for Syliras, where slavery was illegal and food is plentiful. It was the promised land. What we didn't take into account was how dangerous the journey there would be for a bunch of unprepared refugees. By the time I came across the first Knight on the Kabrin Road, it was just me, starving and barely walking."
"I was a teenager at that point, taken in by a Knight family. That's where I first met your father and his sister, though it would be years later until we came together. They taught me of the gods, taught me how to fight and be strong, the values of a good family, and to always protect your loved ones tooth and nail. They taught me how to survive. And once I was of age, I left again. After having seen the stark difference between Syliras and Sunberth, I needed to see the rest of the world. And I did. I made many friends along the way, lost some, saved some. And when I felt it was time to settle down, I returned to Syliras, grabbed your father by the ear, and we moved to Zeltiva. And the rest is history."
She patted him on the knee, then pulled up her sleeve to show him a brand she had on her shoulder, "Never be a slave to anything. You're not a slave to the shipyard, Karyk. You're your own man, and my son. Go see the world. Find someone to love, and do it right. There's more to the world than this salt riddled town."
Karyk nodded, "But ma, if all of those people died traveling to Syliras, what hope is there for me? I nearly died the other day, and that was only a bell or two from the Pass. What about Natya and all the little ones?"
She nodded at him, "Well luckily for you, I've been keepin' my ear to the ground. An old friend just came into town, and he's settling down. He's got a cart, some oxen, and other supplies. Sell this dump, give some money to your sister, we'll make sure they get by, and go buy that stuff from him. He's over in the Old Quarter near the pass, you'll recognize him by his absolutely ridiculous hat. Just... Don't travel alone lovebug, it really is dangerous out there, more than you know. Get some friends or even strangers to go with you. Get to know them better. There's nothing more dear in this world than the relationships you build."
She stood up, looked down at the shards of wood from the table, bent over and picked one up, tossing it to him. "Never forget." And with that, she left. He looked down at the wood in his hands, seeing the words Raegher had carved.
'Welcome to the family'
He sighed. She was right. And he knew a few people who might want to come, and would be useful. But for now, he needed to get ready, motivated by having something to do. Some way of moving forward.
by Karyk on April 20th, 2017, 6:15 pm 
