Role

Chapter 3

He slammed the door down with all his might, the thunderous noise could
be heard over the grumbling of the volcano. His mother and father stood
by the back door before a large mass that lay half covered. He rushed at
his father to demand an explanation but as he did so his mother stepped
in the way, taking half the length of the pike in her side and bringing her
club down squarely on the bridge of his nose. The lights sparkled for a
brief moment then blackness suffocated him.

When he woke he was tied to his old bed, his mother poorly bandaged, his
father looking like death rode his back.
'What in belly-fire you think you do?' his father growled at him but he
did not speak. His father was about to punch him when his mother spoke,
to explain what had happened.

Instead of letting the body of his brother return to the mountain fires to
be reformed into a less wild being they took his body to their dwelling to
get rid of him from there. Bad enough, thought Nighden, but more was to
come.

'The body, the giant you saw being executed was not your brother but
someone we cared less about. Your brotherstill lives. Her head hung
low as she went on 'He is free from the mountain, living as a wilder near
the base of the mountains.' Nighden could and would not believe what he
was hearing and screamed at them to let him go but they did not. The
pride they had, was for a son that was a wilder and not him. He was
supposed to be the one they were proud of, Nighden the royal guards.

He visibly sagged as the words of his parents washed over him, he went
numb and fell asleep, bound like a beast in his own dwelling. At least it
explained why the executed giant was cowardly and weak at facing death,
it was not his brother.

Nighden was compliant for the next few days and made out that he was
alright with what they had done and that he could be trusted to be
released. So they did release him and nodded at them both before
leaving the dwelling and heading back to his post. For days he wrestled
with the thoughts in his head and it ached like it did after his mother
cranialed him. He would not stand the pain anymore and reported the
incident to his superiors and was told to carry out a direct and plain order.
To arrest his parents and if they resisted, and he was sure they would, kill
them.

His mother was a great warrior and his father was a beast with the axe so
he needed more than his trusted halberd if he was to do this. He sought
a greater power than just his strength, he approached the guildhall of the
Anti-paladins and demanded them to teach him the bloodlust that he
would need.

Two nights later..

It happened like a story being read to him, it did not seem wholly real but
at the end of that night he was a kin slayer, his parents were dead, their
treachery dealt with and his mind at ease again. Nighden was raised to
personal guard duty for the Lady Rah and would do so for many years.