Russell

 Like any self-respecting Sprite I grew up in the forest. My parents hoped I would use my Spriteish powers for good, and were trying to teach me to be an elementalist... or maybe it was a sage. I'm not really sure. I rarely paid them any attention. I couldn't see how I was supposed to sit and decide who was right and who was wrong. Never made any sense. "The way of the light shall be apparent when you can see beyond the darkness." Pure rubbish. So, after the couple of hours of torture.. I mean lessons each day I would sneak off. I went to a secret society of fighters, hoping to join their guild, their cause. The fool I was. I didn't realise they had no cause. They simply were. It made no nevermind to them about light or darkness. That kind of thing was better left to the Gods.. whomever they happen to be. The things I could have learned if I had realized that.

 This group accepted me as best as a group such as that can accept a wide-eyed, young, green Sprite kid, doped-up on too many stories of a valiant hero riding to set someone free to die a poor man.. uh.. sorry. That slipped out... anyway..

 I wore what all their trainees did, a simple black uniform, the only insignia was a patch with a dagger and my name. There I learned of the shadows. How to hide in them, and more importantly, how to wait in them. It seems only fair to say that I did cheat in these classes. They were taught mostly by some good (if not too terribly bright) Celts. Being able to shrink to a mostly invisible mote of dust does have its perks. It was here I first learned to wield those most wonderful of weapons, the daggers.

 Say what you like, the dagger is by far the most versatile of weapon. Ever try shaving with a sword? an axe? a mace? I rather doubt it. How about eating (Celts excluded)? Ever see anyone carve a steak with an axe, or a sword? As a side note, I'd like to say I've seen a couple of Celts try. It isn't pretty.

 Anyway... back to my tale of me (favorite subject)...

 I began to wear my trainee uniforms all the time. (I had more than one.) I'll not go into my parents reactions to that. Lets leave it at they were less than thrilled. I didn't see why... I rather liked the color. It was two years, maybe more, that a group of Sprites and Celts, led by my parents, attacked my group of comrades. To say my parents were upset would be an understatement... especially when they found me fighting against them. MY comrades would have won the day, except a group of Felan fighters came by, and attacked us all.

 It was a sad day for me. The group I had hoped, dreamed, of joining was gone. Everyone was slain, except for a group a trainees. Myself included. Three Sprites, out of all of us, only three Sprites made it. Too badly injured to fight, they caught us easily. Poor Mary and Pippin... they got eaten that first night. however I discovered something rather odd that night. In fear of my own death... (I don't think I would make a dinner -or even a midnight snack for that matter) I tied two of the Felans tails together in a square knot. The reaction was... startling, happily so. The two Felans went nuts. They were hissing, scratching, biting, clawing anything that came with in reach. Themselves, other Felans, corpses, the cage I was in, everything. By the time the Felans had calmed those two down, and untied their tails (that is a really neat thing to do by the way. I highly suggest it. Though... my disposition towards Felans might be a little colored.) I noticed two things, one: the cage I was in was damaged enough to allow me to escape, and two: I had recovered enough to mote, so the cage didn't matter. In a blink of an eye, I was the size of dust, visible to only other Sprites, and they were all corpses so I didn't think they were going to tell.

 I'll not dwell on my travels as it was mostly me resting, and flying while moted. It was very peaceful... I think if I wasn't so preoccupied with healing, I would have been bored out of my skull.

 After a week or so, I saw light of a city in the distance. I flew toward it as if I was seeing the entrance to heaven -if there was a heaven anyways. I landed on a street, and tried to get my bearings. I needed to find a new home. As I was looking a merchant motioned me over quickly. I was very grateful to this merchant, he gave the best advise I could possibly have gotten at that point. Get the heck out of New Felani. He suggested I go to Barneyton. Wherever that was. He ushered me out of town so fast I did not get the chance to ask him... and based upon the looks I got from those guards, I figured on finding the way myself.

 It was anther long pointless journey. Being healed by this point I was very bored. I found my way by a strange site. Well, strange for me. It was a mountain, spewing fire and smoke. Oh sure, I had heard of volcanos, but I had never seen one. Wouldn't that be a site? A volcano right in the middle of the Sprite-village where I grew up? Sorry, my sour disposition no doubt.

 I headed toward that volcano, it served as my beacon, I homed in on it. Little did I know, that same volcano would serve as a beacon of home to me, a place to heal, a place to rest, a place of friends - at least for a time.

 When I made it to this mountain, I did notice an entrance, but with guards before it, I didn't feel like pressing my luck. Seeing the town south of the mountain I headed there. It was while I was wondering around on one of the main streets I noticed a very nice path. Dimly lit, and lots of places to hide. Death walked in this place... it was the first street name I bothered to check. Slum Alley. It fit, I liked it.

 I wandered that way until I ran into a guard (literally, he glared at me, though I think that is his normal expression.) He suggested that if I wanted to become an assassin I should first learn what an assassin is at the academy. Well, I was about to tell him what he could do with his advise, until I saw he was armed with a wicked looking hook, and I was unarmed, and unarmored.

 Well, to shorten the story a little, I went and found this academy. There I can say I learned for the first time how to be an assassin. I found a temple to rest at, the big purple dinosaur there caused me fits though. Not fear, nor was I intimidated by it... indeed, it rather helped me healing and the like... but I just couldn't figure out what kind of wierdo could create such a silly abomination. I'm pretty sure I wasn't alone in this feeling as there were others that simply killed it for no reason. But, as it caused me no harm, I ignored as best as one can ignore a towering purple thing, that could break out into song.

 It was a few years later, after I had learned enough to make myself somewhat useful, I joined a clan. With the mountain that had guided me to this town, serving again as a beacon, I fought, I died, and I fought some more. It was a sad day for me when I realised that I could no longer call that mountain home. But, my clan, Firestorm, was not where I needed to be. Upon watching the world around me, with keener eye than I had, I noticed a group that was filled with kindred spirits. So I moved to my new home, No mountain guides me now... I now follow a warm southerly wind, and am much happier to do so. Though as of late I have trouble finding even this wind... it as if a great void has found me, and only occasionally, and not for very long, can I escape this void, and journey in this land. I still have much to discover, and still have to see if I can survive the natural selection of this harsh land. But that is anther story.

 Thank you for listening, I shall apologise now for grammer and spelling in this. Maybe I should have listened a little more to my parents in their two hour torture (there's that sour disposition again) sessions.