The outer layer of the city , or the slums as Altros mother used to call them , held many make-shift huts once. Now most of them were either burned down or had returned to what they used to be. Sticks and straw.

But among the few that still stood the cackling laughter of Gnolls could be heard. Even if that hadnt been a direct hint they would have been there Altroses nose picked up their twisted scent of blood , sweat and alcohol. Something he closely tied to the beast headed creatures now.

At first he wondered why he was in the city in the first place , nothing but destruction and death lingered the once grand city. Soon he realized that he needed supplys to survive the journey to the city of mages his sister should be.

But after having clashed with 2 more Gnolls that either tried to ambush him or were ambushed he found nothing. No bags filled with supplies or random armor scraps were found on the soon greying out bodys after they fell pray to the sword he carried.

He remembered a few supply deposits or granarys in the vicinity of the slums but all of them had been destroyed by the initial raid or plundered by now.

This was the reason why he activly sought out more Gnolls. Where the new habitants were naturally there had to be food of some sort. The hut he was standing besides now had the only traces of the bloodmagic in a 50 yard radius.

But as if he had no reason to trust his own nose , Altros scouted out 100 yards in every direction. He found no other traces so finally he gathered his courage and stepped through the cloth flap at the wooden huts entrance.

Immediatly he was greeted by a crossbow bolt that left a little cut on his cheek. But somehow or another he remembered bolts hurting quite a bit more then this. His memory sure was fuzy after he awoke again but the faint traces that remained from the time he ran for his life told him that a cut like this from a tree branch hurt manyfold more times.

While he contemplated all this he had already raised his sword and moved towards the crossbow armed gnoll that was reloading.

Altros came to a halt from his rushing attempt as a axe dropped just inches away from his nose. The second of the gnolls had come to aid that was resting in the hut. Just as Altroses sword flared up in a green hue to eviscarate the oponent a mace closed in on his head.

Immediatly he jumped back just to see a bolt flying right towards his eye. Lifeless like a doll he dropped to the floor , just in time as he noticed the air pressure at the base of his hair.

He had no time to recover properly as he rolled to the side just seconds before the mace crashed into the floor where his head had been. As he rolled to the side , be it luck or calcualted , he went out of the cloth flap and now was finally in the open.

In no time he stood once again crouched at the side of the cloth flap. A manical laughter resounded as orders were passed out inside the hut. The axe swining Gnoll came out into the open and with a red hue his abdomen now held a fist sized hole.

Lifeless the hyena headed creature tumbled to the floor but much to Altros iritation it had no intention of blocking the remaining adversarys approach as it turned into gray particles and drifted off.

A bolt flew from the opening that went wide off its original mark as Altros jumped sideways. But as he was stuck on the floor once again the Mace wielding Gnoll closed in on him in the split second he needed to regain his composure.

He barely was in time to raise the crescent shaped sword to block of the attack , but the strength of his opponent was overwhelming. The violent impact shook both of Altroses arms and left behind a numbing pain that could lead to further problems.

Now the crossbowman stepped out of the flap and immediatly took aim. With no option left the elf rolled of to the side and disappeared behind a corner of the straw hut of recogniseable size.

Altros got up just in time to jump out of the maces reach and immediatly took of running , making sure to duck behind every corner as fast as he possibly could to avoid death by crossbow bolt.

After running for a good few minutes he finally felt rather safe as the stench of blood magic had declined. They were near but they had no idea where he was currently. Altros face began to itch so he dragged his palm across his face just to discover it being colored in the deepest black he had ever witnessed.

The smell of Iron was still there , but he couldnt believe this oily substance was the gnolls blood. He was disgusted in his own skin currently but not much he could do about the blood that covered him now.

As the Gnolls drew near the blood magic smell intensified and Altroses body tensed up visably while hiding around another corner. The stench became unbearable and he recognized it as his cue.

Another green hue enveloped his blade as he swung it beyond the corner just in time to hear the gargled last cries of the mace wielding gnoll. Immediatly after he braced himself for the bolt that came flying.

With his utmost effort he tried to roll back into the saving cover of the corner but he wasnt fast enough. As force propelled him even further away from the last salvation he only minimally registered the pain which seemed odd to him.

Considering this bolt was firmly attached to his left shoulder blade , directly from the front it had pierced all the way through his shoulder blade rendering his left side unusable.

You have received a maiming blow.

- 77 hits ( 100% extra damage to a vital spot. )

( 73 /150 HP ) The reminder feature will be disabled at lvl 10

There it was the mysterious blue script that hovvered in the air in-front of him. Like the other one he immitated the motion of swatting a fly and it disappeared. Just in time to see the next bolt racing towards him.

With a slight shift in balance the bolt uneventfully passed over his shoulder and he immediatly rushed towards his opponent. Unusable arm or not , 2 yards infront of the creature a red glow enveloped the blade and with a whistling sound the creatures abdomen was pierced clean through.

You have killed 2 lvl 3 and 1 lvl 4 Gnoll

Acquired 170 XP

380/500 XP until lvl 2

Again Altros was amazed as the bolt in his left side disappeared into gray mist as well as the 2 bodys. Even then what really made him gasp in surprise was that the function of his left arm returned in a manner of seconds.

After he had walked back to the hut , he was glad to finally have found a piece of half molded bread. He used his hands and rubbed of the starting mold to greedily devour it.

Even though he had no clue about it suddendly he felt how hungry he was as the first piece of bread fell down his throat. Besides this rather ... stale meal he begun to scour the area for more Gnolls to acquire food.

It took him 20 good minutes before the blood magical stench filled his nose once again , but this time he was careful of the huts interior. He grabbed a pebble from the roadside and flung it against the wall of the building.

The loud cackling grew even more intense as a rather large specimen poked its head out of the cloth flap. Altros managed a peek around the corner and aimed well with a new pebble.

With a loud thump it struck home and a slightly more angry cackle resounded. Immediatly this specimen started to stalk into his direction and Altros was relieved to see only it coming towards him.

Even though these shacks were made with stick they could carry the weight of snow in winter so Altros had no calms about heaving himself up on the roof to lie in wait for the new prey.

Just as it passed and looked around in a confused manner Altros jumped down while his sword glowed blue while he let it fly down from his shoulder.

Even though its left arm was dispatched with a spray of dark blood the beast was not yet turned into gray particles. Instead it grunted in pain but immediatly turned around and used his other hand to grab Altros by his long blue hair.

With a rough jerk Altros body was sprawled out on the earthen ground. Even though the surprise had knocked most of the air from his body he managed to roll away from the crashing boot that was aimed at his head.

Luckily for him he still gripped the sword and he managed to cover his sword in a green hue. As the sword meet resistance a loud wet ripping sound resounded as the sword entered the leg just above the knee.

The beast howled in pain , but much to Altros distress the sword was stuck in place. As it didnt budge and inch he couldnt attempt another sword art so he took the initiative and flung himself of the beasts chest.

As he placed his boots squarely on the rearing enemy he used all the force he could muster and bucked out like a mule. The momentum pushed the hundred of pounds heavier beast away from him and he managed to roll himself into a standing position.

Its movements had been impaired , not only by the missing limb but also by the sword still firmly attached to it. The continous blood flow from the wound also took its tool on it as Altros saw the pool of black liquid at its boots.

Nonetheless the beast came limping towards him intent on ending his life. As the beast tried to grapple at Altros he smoothly slipped out of harms way and kicked at the sword handle that was stuck in its leg.

Another wet ripping sound filled the air as it exited its body. With the nimble ability of the elfs Altros rolled over caught the blade and tried to activate another heavy slash with the preset motions.

Not enough Stamina to produce action.

He was shocked , but even though the strange blue script blocked his view once again the slashing motion was underway. Even without the added in boost in power and speed of the attack the beast was simply to weak to evade to counterattack.

The blade sank halfway down in its neck and just as it turned into gray particles the blade became free. Still the black liquid covered its edges like glue as the oily substance was the only reminder of the enemy he had just killed.

Killed a lvl 6 Warrior Gnoll.

Acquired 60 Xp

440/500 Xp until lvl 2

This mysterious Lvl 2 intrigued Altros so after a short moment to catch his breath he was once again at the hut where he lured the warrior gnoll out. Inside he found another one of the previous kind of Gnoll and dispatched him quickly.

Just as he thought he had searched everyplace in the straw hut a strange relfection of light caught Altros attention. Underneath a furrag that was used as a carpet of sorts a glimmer of steel showed through.

After Altros had lifted the rag and stared at it intentally the blue script appeared once again with the loud fanfare of trumpets.

Rusty Chainmail shirt (sleeveless)

Def+10

Weight : light

He looked at the heavy wollen shirt he was wearing stained with filth , blood and crusts he had no idea of which origin they belonged to and immediatl shoved the shirt over his head.

After flexing his shoulders and bending his limbs in different directions he noticed the shirt but it wouldnt impose on him in any way. Afterall it was just an ligiment of rings forged together to allow movement.

...............

Night rapidly approached as Altros scoured the area. He still had provisions to last him through the next day so he decided to find a remote area to get some sleep. Carefully he scouted the area close to the outer wall at the gate where he came through.

He wasn't surprised to find no lingering scent of the stench the gnolls left behind so he nimbly climbed over some rubble and entered a stone building. As he remiscend over this stone building he remembered it was a station for the towns-guard to rest in.

While scouring he found a ragged cilt that he dragged along , which now came in handy. He placed it on the floor and sat down upon it untiying the filthy rag he used as a bag and took out a piece of stale bread.

Silently his mind flashed with everything that has happend today and the events of the citys downfall.

A pain constricted his heart engulfing him in despair and he began to sob. Rage soon overtook all of his mind and he flung the stale bread away. Afterall he was just a brat. Immature and oblivious on how this cruel world really operated.

Protected by his family and smoothered at times. During the time he gave his sister away it was a short episode of frantic struggle but even then he was afraid. Now he was just afraid , lonely and frustrated.

He cursed the gods , the gnolls and his parents. His parents because they had left him alone. Then again for not teaching him how cruel the world is. Then he began to cry , tears streaming down his face at the helplessness he was suffering and the way he had blamed his parents.

Soon the fatigue took over his body and he slumped back down , not even strong enough to remain angry. Still sobbing and crying he fell asleep.

Noises woke him from the deep sleep he was engulfed in. At first he looked around suspecting to be in his room above the alchemy shop but soon the realization struck him.

Silently he wiped away the lines of salt running down his cheeks with his sleeve and picked up the sword. His senses were heightend at the prospect of danger so he crept out of the debris that covered the guard stations entrance.

The dark night skys were covered in clouds not letting any of the cold moon or starlight touch the earth , so he had close to no chance of seeing anything. But he was an elf. Sniffing the air like a hunting dog he caught a scent.

Like a rotting egg the stench filled his senses combined with blood magic , but there was something else. Like earth warmed from the early spring rays , just as the snow had melted. Exhilarating effects washed upon Altros mind.

Forgetting all caution due to the scent that seemed to draw him in he ran along the streets. He even failed to notice the sounds his boots were making. Heavy like rock his hard leather soles hit the cobble stone and made a clicking noise with every step.

The scent grew stronger and stronger , alas Altros rapidly increased his speed. Even though it was like he had been enthralled by a sirens song he managed to jump away , barely in time to dodge the arrow that flew at him.

He came to a halt as his knee landed on the cobble stones while his other was stretched out besides him , sword readied. Instead of the ugly visages of the beast faced Gnolls , there stood a girl.

Just as she knocked another arrow to the string the clouds overhead dispearsed and Altros took a closer look at her. Pointy ears reaching long behind her head , pristine skin that reminded him of the finest of alabaster vases and her facial features were so remarkably elegant that only the gods could have had their fingers in her creation.

She was dressed in a gray tunic and pants that were of a thin cheap material but even then she had a majestic air about her. The bow was crude and the arrows cheap but she still aimed at him.

As Altros was about to open his mouth the manical cackle reached across the plaza they were currently on. Her eyes grew wide in fear as beasts burst out of the huts on her right and left. Altros was about to help her as a extremly monstrous of the Gnolls emerged behind him.

He saw it out of the corner of his eye just in time to swing his body to his right to evade the 2h broad sword. The blade sunk into the cobble stone as sparks skittered about , Altros rose and was about to attack the beast that surely had to use tremendous effort to pull out the sword.

But his eyes grew wide as the beast simply lifted the sword and uprooted 10 or more cobblestones from the plastered street. He neither had any time be in awe of this beast as it immediatly performed a arc with the weapon which Altros blocked with his own sword.

Altros was flung back , but the impact had distributed well as he came to a slithering halt along the road. Nonetheless his ears rang from the metallic buzzing.

Another insane cackle sounded from the beast as he immediatly began to pursuit Altros. But Altros stood his ground , simply turning his body slightly and holding the blade straight towards his opponent.

Flickers like embers of a dying fire began to spark around the blade , which the beast had trouble noticing as Altros body covered the blade.

' Not yet ,come a little closer you gutterborn piece of flith ... ' Altros thought while the embers started glowing brighter and brighter.

With the next step the big beast came into range but immediatly lifted his nose in the air , he seemed to have sniffed the danger that was befalling him. But it was to late , with lightning like speed Altros body turned to reveal the red glowing blade.

His feet began to blur as the sword art carried him onward , leaving only the red after glow behind. As suddendly as it happend it also disappeared and now Altros had his sword embedded deeply in the beast chest.

The sick hatred filled light in its eyes died out and it turned into gray particles.

Killed a lvl 7 Gnoll Captain.

Acquired 100 Xp

40/2000 Xp until lvl 3

You have reached level 2.

Based on your actions you have gained 2 Strength , 1 Dexterity , 1 Wisdom and 1 Endurance.

Just as he swatted the blue script away once again a arrow whisped by his ear , much to close to comfort. He stared and saw 2 gnolls disappearing into gray dust and the girl already aiming at him with another arrow.

" You were a beta tester , huh? Doesn't matter tell me how you performed that magic and i'll let you live. " She almost hissed in his direction.

Altros was thinking of a way out of this situation , but sadly nothing came to mind. Just as he was about to explain to her how the blade arts worked another mad cackle interrupted them and 2 more Gnolls came rushing towards her.

Without any remorse Altros began to run away from the scene and soon arrived back at the guard station. His breath was ragged as he had run at full speed , not sure how long it would take the female to pick up his trail.

After taking a sip from the water-skin he had found in the city before he slumped down on the blanket and immediatly went back to sleep.

..............

He awoke as soon as the first rays of day hit his face and immediatly was awake. The chirping of birds from outside the city walls almost lulled him back to sleep but after a frantic shake of his head his mind cleared completly.

After a quick meal and packing his blanket into a neat bundle , which he left where it was , he headed out in search for his old home. This was the main reason why he went to the city in the first place.

He could have avoided the city and head directly west to the city of magic , to retrieve his sister , but as young as he was he wanted to see the place where he spent all of his life once more.

But there in lay the problem. As his mother and father were richer people , the house was located near the center of town. The place where most Gnolls should be.