You are about to hear the tale of a hero who doesn't realize he's a hero, but maybe that will change...
As a young man he was a dreamer, not an idle child, but a child who was interested in his surroundings. He would spend his days in the woods surrounding his home just wandering and exploring. I should point out one thing before I continue further, he was a rather large lad due to his heritage. You see, the life of a barbarian is not an easy one, but he never complained.
He lived happily with his mother, Jasmine, and his father, Algor, who along with his sister, Dreela, made do with what the land provided them. As far back as he can remember his uncles, Flint Fireheart, Tor Logcleaver, and Faren Bonecrusher, have always lived with their families in the same circle of trees as he did. It was a large circle with trees surrounding the four cabins, which in turn circled the fire pit where he would listen to stories of different battles being told by his father and uncles.
You see, they had to break away from their nomadic tribe when his grandfather had fallen ill some time before his birth. After developing a fondness for the area, they decided to stay. Where they lived was called the frontier, but after so may years of travel with the tribe this was the lap of luxury. They lived a short distance from Hulore, a small frontier settlement.
What about zun you say? Let's just say that they decided long ago to let the barbarian family alone and spend their time more usefully than catching axes and broadswords with their bodies.
It was on his first trip to Hulore that our young friend fot his name and changed his destiny. While waiting outside the fur trader's cabin taking in this magestic city, he suddenly felt a jolt that sent him tumbling to the ground. As he fell, he saw two young boys about fourteen had decided that they would make an example of this backwoods trash. One thing they didn't notice was the gleam that sprang into the young man's eye when he got up. They soon learned better. As they fought and rolled around, a young ranger noticed the two to one odds and ran to help. Upon seeing one bully run away and the other looking for an escape, he decided to wait. The young man had managed to flip the last bully on to his stomach and was now sitting on his back.
When the first bully's father came running out of a nearby building with his son following, Withendail Moonshae decided it was time to give the little ox a hand. He intercepted the shop keeper s he was about to hit the young man, who was just now geting up and looking around once again intent on his surroundings. After a short explanation, the shop keeper apologizes and leaves.
"Well, young Ox, I expected to have to save your hide back there," said With.
A huge grin covered the young man's face when he looked up," I just didn't want to hurt them and get in trouble."
From that day forward the two became friends. The young ranger watched as the young man, he decided to call Ox, grew into a man.