Character History
The Rite of Trial was about to begin. Eldetthal was having trouble preparing for the trial and decided to consult his friends about the expidition since they were coming with him.
“How do you feel about the hunt?” Eld asks.
“Are you worried about a Glassbeak. We’ve done it before.” His friend's response was cold and uncaring.
He was right of course, Eldetthal had personally killed three Glassbeak before, but of course all three were either captured or an adult like his father was present. This time it would feel like he was alone despite having his two best friends with him.
Felaner and Garthus were bitter boys but they were the smelly as well. Both are two years older than Eldetthal. Garthus was much stronger than he was as he almost hit 6 and a half feet by now. Felaner was stick which is why he turns to traps to do his hunting. Having them there brought some comfort. Eld was accompanying them because all three had grown up together and the other adults suggested a group hunt so the hunt would a lot safer and probably successful. Eldetthal was a lot different from his friends though. Thal caused the two to get in a lot of trouble, but only because they didn't know how to get out of it on there own. Eld always knew though and that made them angry.
Grabbing his Lakan, Eldetthal went to meet the others where they agreed to start. It was an old tree Felaner had found with his father. It was a pretty big tree but it was the shape that made it irresistible. With enough curves and crevices to hide everyone on Riverfall, this was a perfect place to setup a fortress. Eldetthal arrived and believed he was early since he didn't see the others. Looking to the sky, he saw the sun and deduced it was midday already. Garthus strolls up with a very careless attitude towards the situation and Eldetthal could feel that he was over confident. Garthus was ignorant and was going to be carried through the challenge. Eldetthal asks, “And what was taking you so long?”
Garthus only replies with a grunt. Felaner comes in a minute or so later and give him a big slap on the back.
“You’re probably going to die.” Felaner laughs. Sarcastic as always. But it felt serious this time and that didn't sit well with Eldetthal. All the adults of the families were there and were praying they would succeed with flying colors. And with nothing more to say to the boys, they set off.
Just walking through the forest and trees felt peaceful to Eldetthal who was losing track of where exactly they were going. Garthus was in front, although to be honest, he should be in the back. The sun would be setting in a few bells when finally they found 'em. A small pack of three with an older Glassbeak as the alpha. He was old in the way of experience. The look of age did not appear on its body like it did other elder Glassbeak which made this one the perfect choice.
“That’s the one.” Felaner said.
“Which one?’ Garthus questioned.
Felaner rolls his eyes and Eldetthal spoke for the first time after setting off.
“I say we keep it simple and surround the Glassbeak and confuse it with our movements.” His eyes getting bigger in hopes that they would agree to his plan. When Eldetthal speaks it sounds like a big run on sentence where he tries to add as many 'ands' and 'buts' as possible. To keep from being interrupted perhaps?
Garthus’ face said it all, but he spoke any way, “How is that simple Eldetthal?”
Felaner wanted it his own way so he said, “We should set a trap and lure the stupid birds into it.”
“But you’re the only one who can make traps, therefore you’d be the only one getting any credit and we will end up having to find more or go on a new trip entirely. We need to stay together and fight because we all know how to fight are you afraid of getting hurt Felaner?”
Felaner replies while his pride was swelling, “Traps work for me so you can find another one if you insist on working together with Garthus.” Then he wonders a few paces away to start his trap in a small bush.
“Alright Garthus. Two should be enough to surround a Glassbeak as long as we stick..." He then turns to look at Garthus who suddenly disappeared. A brief look around and he sees that Garthus wondered off to swing a brand spanking new stick at a butterly....Together,” he finished with a big sigh. 'Guess i'm up' Thal thought. 'Hate to agree' Eld replied in his head. Thal quietly sneaks around to the other side of the small Glassbeak hoard. Seeing that two out of the three were small females, he might be able to scare them away and force the alpha male into a one on one fight. Jumping out of the bushes, he lets out a cry that felt faint and distant to himself but managed to do the trick. The female Glassbeak stumbled a few paces away behind the alpha male, who in turn, replied with his own battle cry.
Felaner yells, “Hey, the trap is not ready!”
Thal charged at the Glassbeak as did the Glassbeak charge at the Akalak. When they were about three feet from each other, they stopped with enough force that an Isurian blacksmith would be impressed. The smell of the glassbeak's breath was very dirty to put it as delicately as possible. Thal stood his ground and stared at the Glassbeak's awkward yellow eyes. It seemed like the sun was going to set before they Thal moved. With Lakan in hand, he charged. The Glassbeak charged as well. A roll to the left. Slice. A limp from the beast tells of a hit. A quick burst to catch up. A cry. Shlunk. The head of the glassbeak fell from its neck cleanly and spurting blood too. Thal picks up the head from the beak and holds it towards Felaner and Garthus. Garthus didn't even notice but Felaner's face showed how upset he was because he was this close to finishing his new trap he learned.
When they returned with the Glassbeak’s head, the adults reared and cheered that all three had passed the Rite of Trial. Some of the adults asked, “How was it killed?” Before the other two could say anything, Eldetthal stated that it was killed by a trap made by Felaner. They praised Felaner the most for being the killer but Felaner was enraged with hatred at Eldetthal's act of kindness. He felt as though Eldetthal had proven to Felaner alone that he was stronger, more intelligent and most of all in control.
Years have passed since that day. It ate him alive that everyone thought he was the strongest when clearly it was Eldetthal. He never spoke about it for that would turn the attention of everyone to Eldetthal. No. He needed to do something about Eldetthal who was hanging over him like a piece of meat that only he could see hanging from a tree. No one believes him and he only looks crazy for talking about it. This made him feel insignificant and because he was in the shadow of Eldetthal, he needed to kill or be killed. As it was several years ago, Felaner had enough time to plan an elaborate scheme as he decided some time ago that a life of exile for his friend was a much better way to bring him down. His dark brother has this thing about pride and honor and feels that Eldetthal ruined his life. But that is a different story we don’t have time for. Let’s skip to more important information. Eldetthal has been officially framed for murder at this point, more about how later. The person who found the body in his apartment was his father. The city was in shock or at least the people who recognized the name of the supposed killer. Felaner’s plan was very well thought out for no one would have known that the body was planted inside Eldetthal’s house.
The city of Riverfall has a simple yet proven means of resolving disputes and crimes. The accused will face the accuser in a battle for points or to the death. Since murder is the crime, death is the penalty and the accuser was not Felaner. It was Eldetthal father. His father had taught him 99% of what he knew about combat. He is to be killed by his own father for something he did to help a friend back during the rite of trial. Before being thrust into the Death Arena he was placed inside his home under house arrest where all he did was eat a couple bites and grab his gear.
The Gideon Combat Arena is where he and his father came when he was younger. They would switch places with the person they wanted to win and say what they would have done. “I would have sliced his leg open so I could see his femur then shove his face into it!” His father was always very descriptive and graphic. Those days are only a memory from a long time ago when people put family before the law. He was pushed so violently into the Arena, he fell face first into the sandstone that covered the bottom. After getting up and wandering for a few minutes his father entered the Arena as well. “It wasn’t me, father.”
“The proof is all here son. Confess you are wrong and die with some dignity. For me.”
“All the proof I need is watching this fight, somehow I did wrong by him and therefore I must pay for it. But if you attack me father” A long pause caused the crowd to hush and listen closely. “I will kill you.”
“You are no longer my son,” and with that he drew his Lakan.
A heavy blow from above to start made the Arena goers roar. Before long they were dancing left and right, Eldetthal keeping up with his ol’ man. After a few rounds of parry and thrust, Eldetthal turned and ran straight toward a wall. His father taught him how to climb the wall and flip onto the other side as to corner your opponent. As he reached the wall he put his foot on the wall and pushed as hard as he could. Catching his father off guard, it allowed for Eldetthal to bring his father to the ground. He was hoping for a choke hold but using a trick that Eldetthal felt was dirty, there was no way he was going to get a grip on him. Oil made him impossibly slippery. With that picture out of the idea, he would need to find a different way. His father taught him so many things and using anyone of those could mean death. So He has to make something up. This is when his Dark Brother decided to step in and play. His father looked disgusted as he saw the change roll into the eyes of his former son. With only a blink after inhabiting the body once more, the Dark Brother came in screaming bloody murder as that was his intent in the Arena. “you wanted to suppress this power I wield. You’re afraid of what I can do or even become.”
“As true as that could possibly be, I will kill you for what you did to my friend…”
Eldetthal's father pulled a few new tricks out which were impressive. One move he jumped into a clean front flip where he extended his legs Kicking Eldetthal in the chest. A Perfect hit. Barely touching the ground before he rose to his feet, he walked slowly over to Eldetthal who is almost writhing in pain from the blow.
“It’s over, you have no more tricks Eldetthal.”
“Yet another lie escapes your lips, how can you sleep at night?” Eldetthal spurts. He grabs a bottle full of clear liquid from his belt. Before his father could yell stop, Eldetthal had finished the potion. There was immediate change in behavior.
“What evil have you brought to this place Eldetthal?” he demanded.
With no answer Eldetthal stood so still most viewers thought he turned to stone. What felt abrupt to his father, Eldetthal looked straight at his father without moving a bone in his body besides his neck. Tilting his head slightly sideways he whispered a single word.
“Lorh.”
Thal lunged. Lorh swung his Lakan wide with a heavy hand. A kick landed. Lorh felt his stomach moving but clenched his weapon again. Left. Right. Desperate swings made connections with the air. A headbutt threw him back. Lorh was confused and fearful that the potion had truly brought evil to Riverfall. A fist finds it mark. Lorh spins and finds footing for a new assault. Right swing. A Low kick to trip. Listening and feeling he knew the move didn't work. Turns to swing at the neck but finds not even a torso. A silence. Blood flowing from the stomach. Lorh looked down at Thal's hand which gripped his Lakan which in turn lies embedded inside his gut. It's done. Lorh fell to his knees and looked in horror into the eyes of the child he bread and raised. Thal was unforgiving and watched his father's dying breath with a face of pleasure in victory and disappointment in his father for being so wrong.
“Lorh was wrong so he lost. I have nothing more to say about today.”
No one who normally spoke with Eldetthal spoke about him, but new people who met him would tell you he was a normal akalak with nothing more than a few words to carry out business transactions such as purchasing food, or keeping his home. He still lives at that same room he was accused in. some people ask what was in the bottle he drank that gave so much skill but Eldetthal would not answer. After a few years he grew and found friendship in travelers coming and going. One Svefra in particular was nice and inquired about a story he could tell for he was a storyteller. So Eldetthal told him a story with no names where a son killed his father.
"What was in the bottle?" he inquired like everyone else.
Eldetthal replied with a single word and grinned. "Water."
