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FOR THE MASTER AND THE DARK
It is said that it is darkest before the dawn. Noric Lyonstongue was born in those dark hours. He came into the world quietly without much trouble, born a bastard child to an absent noble father and a mother who was a common whore in the cheapest parts of Waterdeep. His father, Quentin Lyonstongue was a man of noble descent who had lived in the City his entire life. He was married to a beautiful wisp of a woman named Koren. He loved her dearly, yet he also loved to love other women. Quentin had two vices in his life; money and women and he had an ample supply of both. When he discovered that his favorite whore was with child he sent a paltry amount of money so she could stop whoring long enough to bear the child, but he did little else. He couldn't have Koren learning about his whore or her bastard.
After Noric was born life went on with he and his mother. She returned to her whore ways to make money to support herself and Noric and they never saw Quentin. Noric got used to different men coming and going and sharing his mothers bed, it all seemed normal to him. There were even a few times when money was tight that his mother shared her bed with a woman or two. Noric never gave it a thought, that was how women made money. At least that is what he thought. Time went by and Noric was soon forgotten by his noble father. Almost.
When Noric was three years old a different man came to see his mother one night. This man was not like the rest, he smelled different. It reminded Noric of the times his mother would take him to the meat market to buy fresh cuts of meat. The man was tall with long dark hair and fingernails that looked like he took great care in shaping them to small points. Most noticeable to Noric was his eyes, they were the color of silver.
Noric's mother led the man back to her room. Only a few moments later the man returned. Noric thought, "He didn't spend as much time with mother as the other men." Silver Eyes came over to where Noric sat at the table and placed a small bottle of a green liquid in front of him.
"Make sure your mother drinks this, I'll need her fresh when I come calling again little man." said Silver Eyes quietly.
"No." replied Noric
"No? You mean to disobey me?" the man asked somewhat irritated.
Noric looked up from the green bottle directly into those silver eyes. They now seemed like molten pools of silver, giving Noric a queer feeling.
"No, I meant don't call me little man, I am the man of this house and I only answer to my mother." Noric said gaining a bit more confidence.
Silver Eyes laughed. It was a deep laugh, funny and terrible all at the same time. Noric couldn't decide which was worse, the laugh or his eyes.
"Yes I suppose you are the man of this house." the man said after he stopped laughing. "So allow me to rephrase, Would you good sir, please be so kind as to ensure your mother drinks this?" he asked.
Noric thought and replied. "If she wishes to drink it, yes." he paused and looked into those silver eyes again. "Who are you anyway, you haven't left a silver here on the table like the other men do when they leave."
The man Noric called Silver Eyes smiles slightly, dug into a coin purse and laid a gold piece on the table. "I am the only one your mother ever need do business with again, the two of you may call me Master."
Noric stared at the gold piece a while for he had never seen one before. When he looked up he realized the man was gone. This puzzled Noric, he didn't recall the creaky door of the house being opened.
Time went on with Silver Eyes visiting his mother every few weeks, he always left a gold piece for them and soon Noric and his mother were able to afford a larger, cleaner home away from the slums he had lived in for almost five years now. On one of Silver Eyes visit he left a gift for Noric, a small dagger. It was very sharp and in Noric's hand it looked like a sword.
"Does the dagger have a name?" he asked. His mother had told Noric stories of great Knights that rode off into battle with swords that had fantastic names, so he was naturally curious for a boy of five.
Silver Eyes thought a moment and replied. "It is called The Dark, and it will keep you safe from any who may harm you."
As Silver Eyes turned away, Noric's mother said. "Noric you must thank the Master for his gift."
"Thank you Master, it is indeed a fine blade." he said and left for his room to study "The Dark" in more detail.
She turned to her Master and knelt before him. "Thank you for taking care of me and Noric for so long."
Silver Eyes gently pulled her to her feet. "I have come to be fond of you Scarlett, and your son. So long as you can continue with our arrangement and instruct your son in the ways I have instructed you then you shall have nothing to fear."
"I will do as you command Master, always" she replied. "I will teach my son the ways you have taught me. He will one day be a grown man and will need to be strong."
Silver Eyes nodded and turned. "He will be, he will be very strong. Let the blood offering be something he gives freely, and not be afraid of it."
Later that night while Noric slept, Scarlett thought of how her life had changed since she had given of her blood so freely and had adopted the ways of the Blood God. She smiled and sipped a bit of wine and thought of what Noric would be like when he was grown. "He has all he needs to get him started on his path of power. He now has the Master, and the Dark."