|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Sharin: Tyger Shamin
It is sead that a strange moon shown down on the day I was born. It is also sead that the stars were in strange alignment. I think they just made that up, in the hopes of forceing me into the role of there choising. But my cousin path was not what they wished. It was not to protect them from the evil spirits that they beleave have taken over the world.
The commune was founded some time ago by Father Matthews and his followere based on the beleafe that the world has entered a time of darkness. The thought of Father Matthews still sends shivers down my spine. According to the doctrin of the commune the rapid decay of the world comes from the recent incursion of majic, the greatest of all evils. In the doctrination of the community all things even remotely asociated with magic must be destroyed and as such are baned (they need to check out there religiouse parafanalia). The use of majic is a criminal offense in the commune, and while murder is considered excusable under certain cercumstances such as when done in self defense, and only careies a death penalty if it was planed, the use of magic for any reason is always punished by death and the death is never easy. Also, in this indoctrination all being who posses magiv and are not normal creatures, for only normal animals and people are creatures of god, are demonic creations sent by the devil to torment the true and good followere of the god of all creation (dont ask, I've never undertood how if its all gods creation there can be creature that are not of god, and I got flogged when I asked) and should be destroyed in as excrutiating a way posible. Threw all of the the tyger was always there. He was my first teacher, and it was he that helped me and Jonathan get out of that place alive.
I remember when I was six years old. There was this big to-do over an injured elf who had made his way to the commune after being shot. The reverend had several people from the commune take him to the infirmary were they "treated" his wound and saw that he was feed and given water. I was there at the time after having fallen while climbing a ladder. When they were swewing him up they removed the bullit and replaced it with a capsil. Incased in the capsil was the venom of one of the spiders brought along for the zoological desplay (there is an extensive zoo countaining all sorts of animals there) A brown recluse I beleave it is called. I watched him die. It was then that I learned to truly fear the fauther.
The only thing that kept me going was Johnathan. Johnathan too was difrint and we both knew that we were, in many ways, alike. Particularly in our affinities with the world around us. Johnathan was the only one I ever truste, and I that he truste. Johnathan could heal things. While I hunted. I have always been a good hunter and the two of us would go out camping away from the community with the usual suplies. Once away from the sight of the others he would set up camp while I would go hunt. This was the only way we could ever get meat. When we were in our teens, about 15 I think, he started to change. His vision, which had always been good got better. He bagan to see things when it was dark and began to react to silver a bit. But it wasn't until he started to look like an elf that either of us understood what was happening, and by then it was too late.
It seems that Father Matthews saw what was happening befor eather of us. The exclusive teachings that he had included the signs of someone changing into a magical being and he was ready. While we were planning our escape every one was called to a special meeting(we did not have time to gather the supplies that we needed to make our way out of the desert that serouneded the oasis that the commune was on). It was at this meeting that he singled Jonathan out, bringing him to the frount. Matthews had planed a very excrutuating death for Jonathan via a combination of facters. As he tied Jonathan down he began to explain how this exicution was going to work. The quick and easy death via the venom of the brown recluse was not to be expected by one who had been fed and clothed in the community. No for Jonathan they would go to extreems. They were going to open his abdomin so as to enable the removal of his intestines. Additionaly they were going to leave food and water within view,just to torment him. Mathews was going to continue but I never let him finnish his description. As they began to tie jonathan I began my own preperations, they never knew what hit them. Even if the attack hadn't hurt them (we weren't sticking around to check) the pure shock of being attacked by magic from one of the group was enugh to allow us our get away.
We traviled in the desert for several days. Our only water came from the meat we ate and a few scatered cacti. It was barley enough to keep us alive. On what I think may have been the fith or sixth day we stumbled on an oasis. It was a savior to us. I dont think we would have lived much longer had we not come acrost it. We stopped there feeling that we were finally free and safe. Thinking the place to be safe and deserted (the mambers of the commune would never go very far into the desert after anything. We were out of range by then) we decided to stay there. The oasis was going to be our home. We weren't even sure that there was anything other then desert. We had hurd about towns with parks and seen pictures of such (the elf who suffered from the comunities hospitality when I was six could make pictures and sceans play in the air) we could not be sure that there was anything other then desert in the world.
After about our secound or third week in the desert we found out the hard way that it wasn't such a safe place after all. It turns out is wasn't as deserted as we thought. In the middle of the night the primary users of the place returned to it. They came silently and grabed us in out sleep. They used some sort of gas on us to keep us asleep while they did this. When I woke up I was in a strange tent with a man who while definantly human seemed to be somewhat more as well. His aura looked more like mine and Jonathans than anyones at the commune had. I was bound by something I couldn't see or realy even feal, I just couldnt move. Jonanthan was no were to be seen and while I havent seen him sence then I beleave him to be alive some place and hope to find him some day.
The man wore brightly colored clothing and was busy working on something. When I tried to move he turned aroundand smiled (that smile sent a shiver down my spine for it was so much like Mathews) and he sead to me "I see my lovely little tiger is awake". I did not understand what he ment by that and he aparently saw my confusion (I was not taught about shamans, initiates and such at the commune) for he eventually explained. It became very clear very fast that this man was far stronger then I and planed to keep it that way (not to mention me, for a personal toy). I, however, had a different plan.
The first week was as bad as living in hell, but I eventually learned to shut it out. It was during this time that that I found out that this group traded in slaves. All sorts of slaves. It might have been my fate to be sold or, as was more likely, killed (it is hard to control a wizard or a shaman, particulaly one who is fight oreanted) had it not been for the fact that Ventre thought the challenge would be fun.
It was not combat, but subterfuge that saw my escape however. I spent the times when Ventre was out learning from his papers and texts and was eventualy able to slip him a micky so to speek. I was unable to find Jonathan, though I did learn that he had been sold already. No one knew were and I have never been left to mingle outside with any of the other captives. As such I had no idea were we had traviled or which direction we had been traviling in. Leaving the camp in the dark I was able to make it to the city .
