Role

Chapter 11

I walked through the halls that so many before me had. And I walked down the
stairs to a place where the ground was covered in blood and sweat. I met
creatures seemingly bred for nothing more than for me to learn my craft. It
felt cruel. Right away I thought I needed to get what came from here and move
quickly away.

I headed to the land of the kobolds and found the same to be true.
Disinterested creatures with no harm meant to the world save keeping to their
own and striving to survive. When I struck one, as my brother had suggested I
learn striking from amongst them, they all rallied to take me down. They were
unsuccessful but I felt no joy in their demise. They fell and had done me no
harm, nor so far as I could see had they done any innocent harm. This was not
mercy, this was cruelty.

On that day I made my first vow to myself, to strike none save the darkest
heart and only when Mercy could not save them. I prayed for the wisdom to know
when both were true, lest I falter from the path I had chosen.