-Abraham Fenring-

[Shoi 173]

"One of strength and power is now one of weakness and submission."

-Abraham's Testament-

An explosion of red energy, and flame suddenly erupt in the darkness. The red energy and flame illuminate the darkness and a hushed voice resonates into the soul "One of strength and power...is now one of weakness and submission."

The 4 year old halfling awakes in fear and breathes rapidly while sitting up in bed. The halfling looks around and sees the sun slowly seep through the windows of the orphanage, illuminating the room and exposing the rest of the sleeping children. The Halfling hears talking coming from the room behind the door out of the sleeping quarters. The sheets are thrown off of the bed as the halfling springs up and creeps to the door to get a better listen.

The voices grow louder, a well spoken man is heard "My wife Elrene is cursed with infertility but that does not mean that I will have this little pest running around our manor!"

The orphanage caretaker's female voice is heard "Mr. Fenring the other children are asleep at this time, come back in the evening."

The male voice known as Mr. Fenring was heard again but this time it was angry "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I AM TO LEAVE TO MY MANOR ON THE SALVIAN COUNTRYSIDE IN AN HOUR, WAKE UP THE DAMNED KIDS!"

The caretaker's voice was timid and was heard again "...sor..ry mr. Fenring...I will awake the kids."

The halfling knew the caretaker was about to come to the door so he tried to quickly scurry back to bed but he was too slow, the door behind him opened just as he was about to reach his bed.

Elrene's eyes widened and she smiled wide as she saw the halfling her voice was in awe "Awww...Allistar look at that cute little boy!"

The man known as Allistar now or "Mr. Fenring" looked at the halfling "You there, turn around."

The halfling turned around and faced Allistar with timid eyes. The Carekeeper looked to the halfling and kneeled down to his height then looked up to Allistar and Elrene "Poor little guy, he was left here on our doorstep four years ago with a note that simply said to take care of him well, *sighs the poor guy is so much smaller than the other kids his age, maybe just give it time and he'll grow...but none of the couples that came here wanted a runt."

Allistar knelt down to the Halfling's eye level and stared him right in his emerald eyes then took out a small gold coin with the engraved lettering "Abraham Fenring" strewn across it. Allistar sighed and put his hand out with the coin for the halfling to grab it "It was my grandfather's coin, Abraham Fenring...*deep sigh* my grandfather was the last member of the Fenring family to actually bring it dignity and purpose, he died in Aegis when the warriors went into Draucherim to fight...he was caught in the heart with an arrow while he was leaving the portal, my father told me that his last request was for his kin to end in a way even more honorable and courageous than his own...none since have fufilled that."

Elrene patted Allistar on the back "Allistar...honey your grandfather would be proud of you."

Allistar shed a tear as the halfling slowly took the coin from his hand and examined it, Allistar patted the halfling on the head "You will be the one to end in an honorable and courageous way...because you will bear my grandfather's name....I name thy...Abraham Fenring." Allistar hugged the newly named Abraham tightly and then rose to his feet as Elrene and the caretaker looked on in happiness.

The Caretaker looked to Allistar with greed in her eyes "2000 mina sir."

Allistar wrote up a quick mina note for 2000 and handed it to the Caretaker. Elrene, Allistar, and Abraham left the orphanage and took their carriage back to the Fenring Manor.

Allistar and Elrene took great care of Abraham, Allistar taught Abraham how to act and raised him human. None of the parents knew that Abraham was a halfling until they enrolled him in a very top of the line school when he was about 10 years of age. Allistar and Elrene noticed quickly that Abraham was smaller than the other kids. This pained Allistar because he had plans for Abraham to live the life of a warrior like his grandfather and not the life of a tax collector like himself. Allistar was deeply dissapointed that Abraham was so small and the stress built up so much within him as the years passed and Abraham still didn't match up to the kid's his age. By age 13 Abraham had only grown an inch. Abraham noticed the fake smiles from his mother and how his father never had any time to spend with him.

Abraham knew in his heart that something was wrong...and he was also deeply ashamed of himself for not being up to par with the other children's size.

One night while Abraham was asleep Allistar and Elrene were in their bedroom getting ready for bed and Allistar's stress overtook him, Allistar picked up a vase and hurled it at the wall that seperated their room from Abraham's room. The vase shattered into a million tiny pieces. Abraham was awake the whole time and his Predictions were true...his parents hated him for his size. A tear fell down Abraham's cheek as he heard Allistar yell in the other room through the thin walls "MY SON IS A RUNT! I KNEW I SHOULD OF NEVER ADOPTED HIM! I FAILED MY GRANDFATHER AND I FAILED MYSELF!" Allistar was in a rage and Elrene tried to calm him but he back hand smacked Elrene in her eye sending her plummeting to the red wool carpet.

Elrene cried hysterically while looking up at Allistar from the floor "YOU BASTARD!"

Allistar looked into Elrene's eyes with bloodlust and approached her "IT'S ALL YOUR * FAULT! YOUR INFERTILITY IS NOT ONLY A CURSE TO YOU BUT TO ME ALSO! YOU DAMNED *!" Allistar proceeded to back hand smack Elrene in the face as she screamed. Eltrene lay crying and covering her abused face while Allistar rose up slowly and got into bed. While Abraham was laying down in his bed he bursted into tears and tried to keep his cries silent...and that was probably the only thing he'd ever be good at...never letting anyone hear him cry.

The same hushing voice from the dream long ago whispered into Abraham's ear while he was silently crying "You are unloved."

Abraham only cried more until he fell to sleep. The next day the family acted like as if nothing happened, Elrene's right eye was bruised and swollen and Allistar silently sipped his morning tea. Allistar looked over to Abraham as he welked downstairs into the family room and faked a smile "Morning Abe, sleep well?"

Abraham felt utter disgust and sadness when he saw Allistar's fake smile, he was disgusted at how his father could just yell about regretting ever adopting him and then the next morning acting like everything was fine. Abraham walked over to the window and looked out into the Salvian expanse, wheat fields, homesteads, and the salvian city gates far off in the distance. Elrene mustered up all of the will she had left and tapped on the table to get Abraham's attention "Uhm...sweetie, your father hired a trainer for Close combat lessons, first session will begin at 10 so eat your breakfast."

Abraham was suprised and he looked back to his mother, noticing the huge bruise on her right eye he chose to not mention it "Mother... what about classes today?"

Allistar casually got up from his seat and approached Abraham, putting a hand on his shoulder. Abraham tensed up at the touch of his aggressive father's hand on his shoulder. Allistar sighed "Abe, you already excel in your studies, this is just a little side thing." Allistar smiled and gave Abraham one last pat on the shoulder then pulled his hand away "Well, eat up!"

Abraham sat down at the table while contemplating what the session would be like. Then Abraham started to eat his breakfast. Abraham started the lessons, day by day, training with his master in the arts of close quarters bare knuckle fighting. The training went on for monthes, Allistar was starting to regain hope in in Abraham. Abraham was 15 years old, he has been training for 2 years now and it is his first official match with a Salvian 15 year old.

Abraham walked into the center of the gravel pit, the much taller Salvian boy towered above him and laughed when he saw that he would be facing. The match started and Abraham pathetically tried to reach the boy's face but it was to no avail. The boy laughed and then kneed him straight in the jaw knocking Abraham out. Allistar's heart was heavy, Allistar fell to the floor...the stress was too much to bear. Allistar was taken to the local Apothecary where he rested and was taken care of. Allistar was in his bed and when Abraham walked up to the bed with a bruise on his jaw Allistar looked away in shame and muttered "...Why...is he so...little." The Apothecary that was treating Allistar heard this.

The Apothecary looked over to his assistant "Take the boy into the other room...identify his...height problem."

The assistant guided Elrene and Abraham into the other room where the assistant examined Abraham, checking his mouth, eyes, ears, and his feet. Once the assistant saw Abraham's ridiculously hairy feet she sighed and said "...He's a halfling."

Abraham didn't know what it meant, he thought it was some birth defect. Elrene nodded and went back into Allistar's room. Once Allistar found out, he and his wife chose to not tell Abraham what a halfling was, instead Allistar gave up on Abraham being the one to die in a courageous way so he started to raise him into being what he was...a Salvian tax collector. Years of Abraham's parents forcing him to shave his feet hair and to learn the ways of a tax collector all just piled up and turned Abraham into basically a tiny human. Abraham was 20 years old.

On Abraham's first night of being a tax collector he went to a man's home because he wasn't paying taxes and then the man said "A halfling!?" laughed at Abraham and brutally beat him down and left him bloodied on the door step.

Abraham staggered to his feet and crept along the Salvian road with the stars shining bright above him, Abraham made it to his small home near the Fenring manor and he contemplated what the man said....that word, "Halfling."

Abraham contemplated seeking out these "halflings". Abraham then decides that even if the man was a lunatic and made up the word then it would still save him from the shame of being brutally beaten, and having to live the reat of his life as a tax collector. So he travelled to the cloud temple and he took the small boat to the vale where he found his new home.

Abraham's story is to be written from here, who knows what can happen. Abraham has yet to learn about the halfling culture and to assimilate to halfling culture. It'll take time. Abraham is 20 years old and still conflicted on whether it was wrong to leave his step parents or right.

(This will be updated as I rp)