Ride Addorndotr {Addorn Dor} – Pre Level 1
Ride was a pretty young lass living with her family on the edge of the rats nest part of town. Technically of “middle class” and standing, they were so close to the desolate people and the thuggery and crime that they were treated and believed they were themselves poor.
Ride was mostly a gentle child, but due to the environment and the crime she was used to, her gentleness was quickly overwhelmed.
At the age of six, she watched her father die from some disease and could see the light of his life fade – no on else seamed to notice that however. It was just her mother and her left now.
Two years later, just after her eighth birthday, a dog was hit by a speeding coach and as it began to die she ‘saw’ the life force flow towards her, and felt a surge of energy flow through her body. As the coach driver climbed down his seat to inspect damage to his coach, she felt the surge of power leave her in an echoing scream that sounded like someone dying – she thought she was the one screaming.
The coach driver fell to the ground, lifeless.
Ride ran home, hiding there for three whole days until her mother could stand it no longer and sent her to the market. No one seamed to care or talk about the events that had happened, but Ride knew it was her. Somehow she knew, and she wanted to feel that rush of power again…
That very day she got her wish. While walking home from the market, a basket of fresh bread and some cheese on her arm, she heard a cry for help and turned to look down a L-shaped alley way between a collection of old shacks. There she saw two thugs beating and stabbing a young man, one of the thugs was ugly, with grey-green skin like he had ork blood. She let out a cry at the shock horror she saw before her as the young victim fell to the floor. She watched as his blood spilled from his stomach and his life-energy began to falter.
Ride then thought, and her thoughts turned to whispers as the thugs turned to look upon her with evil eyes: “Do not worry friend, your life will not be wasted.” she dropped the basket and felt herself opening up to the energy she could see swirling about the dying man, his life force flew into her with such force that she almost fell backwards, but the energy itself kept her up, made her feel strong and powerful – stronger than even the dog’s did three days ago.
The human thug tugged at the other, muttering: “Her eyes… her eyes are bleeding”. He didn’t have a chance to scream and fell dead, blood spilling from his nose, ears and mouth. The half-ork, seeing the sudden death of his mate and the blood in Ride’s eyes, whispered a prayer to some distant god, and turned to flee the alley. Ride was not done though, the power was still within her and he screamed in pain as their minds connected and the pain he dealt was visited back on him twice over. He staggered, and then fell. Crawling towards the exit, down the “long” side of the alley.
Ride was enjoying this. Too much she thought to herself, but the feelings and the power was more than her conscience could handle. She pulled forth the life of the human thug, and again through a tremendous, powerful mind thrust into the ork. The force hit him so hard, his brains spilled from his ears and mouth, his eyes popping out and filling with blood. He lay there, dead. His life force was already gone.
A moment passed, Ride picked up the basket and turned, leaving the alley and continuing on her way home. The energies kept her on a high until she reached her door, waning then, she felt almost exhausted. She said nothing to her mother, simply handed her the basket and the pocket full of copper bits, before heading to her cot. She collapsed, sleeping through the rest of the afternoon with a smile upon her face.
Late that night, when her mother was asleep, Ride awoke. She felt hungry almost, hungering for that sensation once more – the need to taste death. That night she did something foolish. Quietly she got up, still wearing her day clothes, she took her mothers hooded cloak, and unbolted the door. Silently she left her home into the night, the darkness welcoming her as if she belonged. She closed the door behind her and vanished down the road, turning right at the end of her street to head into the ramshackle, desolate stillness that was the Rats Nest.
A part of her felt scared. Another felt curious, and yet another, the part she listened to, felt stronger than ever before. She walked briskly down the road, turning a corner here, another there. She could feel it, the death than hung about this place was intoxicating. Like a child let loose in a candy store, she felt overwhelmed. And then, she stopped, widening her eyes in the darkness, and listening carefully. A cough was all it took, she turned about like a stalking cat and ran across the street quickly. There he was, an old beggar, a clay jug of mead still in his hand as he lay there. Waiting to die.
He looked at her with red-eyes, and whispered: “Death… you come at last.”
To that, she replied: “You have waited so long…”
She picked up the clay jug, and slammed it hard against his head, the clay splintering and shattering, a gash filled with blood that seeped down his head. He fell over, and she watched. Almost there she thought, as she raised a hand to his throat and squeezed. He gurgled a bit, almost tried to struggle and then stopped. She breathed him in. Despite the stench and the mead and stale ale, she savoured his soul , his energy, and felt alive once more, but not yet sated. She wanted more.
That night she fed and didn’t stop until the first rays of sun peeked across the sky. More than a dozen homeless people, or the occasional thug or fool venturing the night alone was destroyed. She discovered that night that she could focus her energy without the life-blood of others. She realised her power got stronger the more she consumed, but yet she could use it without the need to kill. Killing though was exciting. And she revelled in it.
Despite these discoveries, nights like this were far and few between. More often than not Ride would stay home to help her mother. Her mother who was growing ill as well. She knew it then, that within a few more years she would be alone in the world.