Flame Wizard Laran Nisarin

[Cerberus]

Laran awoke, bruised and beaten.

And tied down to a large piece of wood.

He blinked his eyes open as a gruff voice spat at him. "Ya think ya could get away with it, eh?" A hardtoed boot jabbed into Laran's side. "You and your fancy hat. Didnae think we'd find ya, eh?" Another kick.

Laran groaned as he tried to speak, but groaning was all he could muster. Flittering his eyes open, he looked upwards at the blue sky, then over to the man who was kicking him. Captain Rashak, he said his name was, when Laran had paid him for passage across the sea.

"Well!? Demon?!" Another shock to his ribs caused Laren to cough up blood, turning onto his side.

Demon... his entire life he had feared that word. His mother had been taken in a raid some twenty or so years ago, and had the worst done to her. She bore a demon-child, who looked all human, save for the horns on his head, and the scales that ran down his back. So long as Laran wore a shirt and a hat, he looked like any other human.

Unfortunately, while standing on deck with the ship, a fight with one of the hands had torn off the widebrimmed helm he usually wore to hide his bentback horns, and the crew reacted swiftly to the demon-man.

Laran coughed again, and groaned something unintelligible.

"Bah, he's not gonna say nothin'. Throw 'im over, boss!" said another of the crew, most likely the one Laran had fought with.

"Aye, that we be doin'." Laran felt himself being lifted up off the deck floor.

I come brother... said a voice in his head. Then several more voices. We come. Images of a wild pack of dogs flittered in his mind, breathing fire, with glowing red eyes.

Laran only heard the bloodcurdling screams at first. Falling to the deck with a back-breaking *thud*, Laran turned to his side, and sure enough, a gateway was closing off the bow of the ship, and all around him, helldogs leapt at men's throats, barely able to get their hands up before they snapped into flesh and bone.

One helldog in particular approached Laran, and silently ripped the cords that bound him. The dog spoke to him in his mind. Firefang, we've come to help you.

Firefang. That was the word Laran's human mind put to the image the helldogs had of him. The helldogs did not speak in words, as humans did, but by thoughts and images and scents. Laran's name was closer to Two-Legged He Who Holds A Shiny Metal That Shines With Burning Fire and Calls Fire From the Sky... but that wasn't quite it either. The soft breeze of air followed by a stream of fire-laced air accompanied it, as did the feeling of fire licking on ones skin. It was a complicated, beautiful language.

Laran opened his mind to the helldogs, showing images of what had been done to him, the pain he had known on this ship. The helldogs knew of the hardships of Firefang's life, and it saddened them as the pain went on. Helldogs pit themselves against all humans, for they could never understand the hardships of the Underdepths, the honor and pride of staying together in pack. Only Firefang came close, and he had the gift to speak directly to them. That was enough. Firefang was part of the pack.

Thank you, Faerth. Faerth was the Old Tongue for "Pactbringer," but again, the image was more like One Who Stood and United the Packs From Ancestor's Bane to Ride With Two-Leggeds Once More. The images and scents flew between their minds quickly.

Of course brother. We feel your pain. You should give up hope, and come to roam the firey wilderness with us.

Laran cringed at the mention of the Underdepths. Fear. Pain. My death comes quickly there. Less hope there than here.

The helldog seemed to consider Laran for a moment, then turned away from him with the thought equivalent of a human's nod. Standing, Laran faced the small group of men who were huddled against the side of the ship.

"If you all want to live, I will be set ashore." Laran motioned to the dead bodies that made up the other half of the crew, and the helldogs growling and drooling and snapping. "Am I understood?"

Laran crossed his hands. It shouldn't have come to this. If they hadn't tried to kill him, this would not have happened.

This is not my fault. I cannot be held responsible for their deaths. They left me no choice.

Voices answered back. Kill or be killed. Live or die. It is the rule. But you, Firefang, the pack is at your back.

Laran sighed. I just want to live in peace...