Krieger

Chapter 1 (backstory)

My name is Arran Thorn and I protect the city of Scranton. You probably have never heard of it, but that's ok, no one has. It's a place people go when they have nothing left in their life and that's why I'm here now.

I had a wonderful childhood at the beginning. Everything was perfect and as it should be. I had a mom and a dad that loved me and cared for my needs. Back then, they would do anything for me.

One night something changed. My parents lost their jobs and we were kicked out of our house. That night my parents left me on the side of the road, saying they couldn't care for me anymore. For weeks after that day I slept in the streets or in abandoned houses. My 11th birthday passed a week after they left. I almost didn't even know until I passed a newspaper stand with the date written at the top of the paper. I had no friends to help me or anyone that even knew that I existed. I no longer went to school for that matter. I knew everything I needed anyways, and if I went to school that would only make it worse.

It was on a morning that I met a man named John Haverd, who goes by Canbarno in the streets. He had dark brown hair and tan skin. His eyes were dark as night but had a feeling of hope in them.

He taught me how to use knives and his bow to protect myself. He became like a dad to me and took care of me. He went out late at night and came back with food for us. It felt different to have someone care so much about me and take care of me after so long.

He told me that three years ago his wife and son were murdered. The killer stole all his money and when John came home after working, all he found were the bodies and spray painted on the broken glass window was the phrase "killers win"

John told me that from that moment on he has been looking to find and get revenge on whoever did this.

Every night once the sun was all the way down he would leave our camp, which was on top of the Sunflower estate building, and interrogate people to find his wife and son's killer. He would come back scratched and bruised up, but would always put on a smile for me and hand me a box of food and tell me to eat.

On one day he told me that I was getting to become a good fighter and that I was now allowed to come with him on his trips to the city.

He gave me my own street name to call me by when we were out. He called me "Krieger". He never told me what it meant, but said it fit just right.

We climbed down the fire escape ladder to the alley behind the Sunflower estate building. He handed me two knives and  a bow and quivers and said "let's go Krieger"

We ran up and down alleys becoming shadows in the night. We must have been running for an hour when John stopped in front of a abandoned and boarded up building. He told me to wait outside and watch for anyone coming. He then proceeded to sneak in through the crack in the door.

I stood there examining the area around me like I was taught. I noticed bullet holes and arrows covering the walls that were left of the building. I stood for thirty minutes keeping watch before I heard screaming.

I quickly put a arrow in my bow and searched to make sure no one was there. I saw nothing.

The screaming continued and I tried to make out the word that was being screamed.

..."Canbarno...you son of a bitch"

I started to worry about what was happening to John. I heard another voice and it sounded like John.

..."I am all out of money! I can't pay you back. PLEASE just give me one more week!"

I started to look around. Maybe I could go in there and help. I heard a screaming voice again and it was that same guy mad at John...

"Like hell imma give you more time!" "Your ass doesn't deserve more time!" "If you don't give me the money you owe right now I will shoot off your mother fucking head!"

Silence went on for about a minute before I saw John running out the crack in the door screaming "RUN KRIEGER! RUN MY BOY!"

They man that was mad at john ran right after us and pulled out a gun and I saw it happen before it even started.

"GET DOWN CANBARNO!" I screamed at John.

It was too late. The gun fired and hit it's target. John fell over and his head was now spilling blood all over the alley. I kept running and hid behind a trash can. The man did not find me that night and left an hour or so later, but I did not move. All I could thing about was that John was dead but I was alive.

The next morning I left the city. I went back to our camp on top of the sunflower estate building and grabbed enough stuff to last me a while and started my journey far away from this town. I took the bow that John gave me that had "Krieger" written at the base of the handle. I grabbed my knives and some food and left the city and did not look back.

That next day I turned 15. I made a vow to myself and John that I would protect the next city I went to until I could not any more. That is how I became who I am now.