Wanted, Dead or Alive: The Blood Red Rose

Joe Nightfall the Abused

     Long ago on an island off the coast of the Kingdom of Gilneas, A thin, pale child with black hair and purple eyes was born. His name was Joe Nightfall. His parents raised him as any child of nobility would be raised. From a young age he was vegetarian, he hated the thought of eating something that had been killed. He was also a pacifist. Both of these things led him to being greatly picked on in school. At age eight, a few months before his brother would be born, an event happened that changed his view on fighting.
     Joe Nightfall walked around during recess, reading his favorite book, one studying the ins and outs of sneaking around undetected. The book was snatched out of his hand and he was shoved back, he glasses falling off, he patted around on the ground searching for them. A tough and merciless voice spoke "Trying to learn to be invisible, huh knife-ears?" Joe winced, he'd know that voice anywhere, on top of his skinny shape, pale skin, and purple eyes, his half-elven nature had always made him a target. "Johnny can't you just leave me alone...I just want to read." Joe spoke in his soft voice. "Leave a purple-eyed freak like you alone? No! You'll wind up cursing someone." Joe found his glasses only to have them kicked away from him, and a swift kick to be delivered to his stomach. Joe groaned and fell on his side.
     Joe crawled to his glasses and put them on. Johnny grabbed Joe by the shirt and lifted him up, pinning him against a nearby tree, Joe could see now that his prized book had been carelessly tossed in the mud, and Johnny was with his usual friends. If Joe had been taught one thing by now, it's that not all humans were cruel, but some, like Johnny, were horrible to people like Joe whenever the chance arose. Johnny's cruel voice spoke "So knife-ears, what are ya gonna do? Just sit there and take it again?"
      Joe wanted nothing more than to roar and punch Johnny in his pathetic face. He was a Nightfall, part of a bloodline that was blessed by dragons and on equal standing with them, why should he have to take this monster's punishment. But a voice told Joe that if he fought back, that would be fighting, and that scared Joe more than anything. "Just gonna take it I guess. Fine, more fun for me." Johnny laughed and threw a punch at Joe.
     Years of torment at this boy's hands filled Joe's mind. He decided he wouldn't take it any longer. Joe's hands moved by themselves as he caught Johnny's punch and threw a punch of his own to Johnny's jaw. Johnny dropped Joe and stumbled aside, Joe pulled Johnny's fist in and pushed his leg out to trip Johnny. Johnny's nose hit the tree first, a sickening crunch was heard and Johnny fell to the floor. Joe looked down at Johnny, rolling on the floor and crying, terrified, but he had learned something. You can fight, and subdue people, but you don't need to kill them.
     At home that day Joe was confronted by his father, James, though James was just the name he took to fit in with the local humans, as he was one of the Quel'Dorei, a high elf. James' semi-authoritative but comforting voice spoke to Joe in a way that made the anxious halfling almost run and hug his father due to the experiences of the day, "My son, what happened at school today?". Joe timidly replied, rubbing his arm "I-...Johnny was bullying me again and-...I just-... couldn't take it anymore." James only nodded and opened his arms. The young Joe ran into his father's arms. Unable to hold it in anymore, he wept into his parent's shoulder.