The Beggers Story

Chapter 1

Down and Out

My name is Jaden Robbins. Once I had been a merchant, with fine cloths and a large house with servants and a wife with children. One could say i had it all, depending on how you look at it. There was a war in Bregalad, Orcs were invading and the Humans and Elves that lived there were defending their cities, towns and homes. It was within Bregalad, a city named Ninole, that i had made for myself and my family a home, and it was here that the Orcs took everything from me. 

I remember the day oh so clear now, I was in the fields trying to unload some farming tools with a potential customer, in that day anyone that was breathing was a potential customer, we were having a polite conversation about my goods when there came of scent of burning wood on the breeze. At first i dismissed it, someone burning something nearby maybe, but then screams and howls could be heard, as we both turned toward the sounds an Orc of great size appeared out of the trees. He was large with green skin, he had some type of leather armor that covered parts of his body, he carried a long spear with a jagged wicked looking  end. I drew my belt knife by instinct, the farmer i was talking too was now wielding his hoe as a weapon instead of a tool for weeding his crops. The beast took a step towards us swinging his spear down and charging forward. Now I feel I must interrupt this account to tell you i have no military training, all i have ever known is buying and selling, i learned from my father who learned from his father, so suffice it to say I had no real chance here and am still amazed i made it out alive. Where was I, oh yes, the beast charged us with his wicked spear, not wanting to die I rolled out of the way, meaning I fell over trying to get out of the way. The farmer on the other hand seemed more sure footed then I, he seemed to be able to hold his own, meaning he had not died yet and was still holding his hoe in a defensive stance. With my danger in hand and feeling as if I could conquer the world I charged the Orc who simply slapped me away with a force that left me dazed, my head swimming and pounding the last thing I remember was the farmer trying to defend himself from that awful spear.

I awoke, not knowing how long I had been down, there was a moistness to the side of my head and it was hard to think straight. Looking around I could not see the Orc or the farmer, as i staggered to my feet I marginally missed a large pool of blood. I could only guess that the farmer had lost.  Bleary eyed and bleeding I made my way to what used to be my home, or what was left of it, as I got close it was evident that it had been burning for quite some time. Yelling as loud as I can I called for my wife, my children, but all fell on deaf ears. I must have passed out, the next thing I remember is coming too in the dark, cold and alone. The house, the shell that used to be a house was no longer burning. Trying to sift through the ash I found nothing to tell me of the fate of my wife and children. 

After that it all become a blur as I stagger, drunkenly, from town to  town in a vain chance that I might drink away the pain. Begging for money seemed like such a lowly thing to do, till it become my only income, but this story isn't about how I wallowed in self pity, no it is about the adventure of a lifetime. It all started on a very rainy day.