After the fall harvest had all been put up, Soric's father
would work on repairing farm equipment for himself, and the other
locals. Every once in a while, an old warrior friend of his
father's, Nevis, would wander through and stay for a night while
his equipment was being repaired. Nevis would sit in the barn and
tell Soric stories, while Soric's dad worked on various swords and
pieces of armor. Soric would listen with wide-eyed wonderment at
tales of fire-breathing dragons, and giant ogres.
When Soric got a little older, he asked his dad how he knew
Nevis. Where did they meet? Why was he always coming by? Soric's
dad told him that they used to fight together. He told Soric that
once a dragon had almost killed him and that's how he met Soric's
mother. He fell in love with the beautiful young girl that tended
to his wounds night and day. When he was better, he just couldn't
bare to leave her and go back into battle. They were married and
the King had given them this small parcel of land as a gift for his
loyalty and bravery.
When Soric reached the age of manhood, he asked Nevis to
teach him to be a great warrior too. He yearned to slay dragons and
defend his homeland against evils. Soric's father tried talking him
out of it, knowing how dangerous that kind of life is. But Soric
was determined, and Nevis offered to take him to the Temple of the
White Lotus so he could learn from the teachers and masters
there.
Soric studied hard under the teachers and masters at the
Temple. He learned to concentrate on his inner strength, to rely on
himself, and to move faster than lightning when he needed to. When
Soric was ready to return home, the masters of the Temple gave him
a special metal to take to his father. They told him to have his
father forge a sword out of the metal, and it would give him
special strength, but he should never forget the strength
within.
He traveled
to far and distant lands, fighting the evil that was spreading.
Goblins, Orcs, Trolls, and all kinds of undead creatures that were
under the control of some evil being. Through all the battles,
Soric never forgot what his teachers had taught him. Relying on his
inner strength and goodness, he defeated many a foe without ever
being hurt. One day and urgent call came from the Duke of Malathar.
A dragon was roaming Soric's homeland and destroying everything
within sight! All the great warriors were needed, as this dragon
seemed unstoppable. Worried about his parent's, Soric left
immediately.
It wasn't
hard to find the dragon, just follow the scorched land. There he
was, towering above Soric. Soric drew his sword and the dragon let
out an awful scream of rage and tried to sear Soric with his gassy
flames. The battle was fierce, Soric's sword bouncing off the tough
dragon hide, balls of flame barely missing it's mark. As his sword
found the dragon's soft underbelly, the dragon bellowed with pain
and anger, his talons ripping at Soric. As the dragon drew his last
breath, Soric stumbled back a few steps and collapsed on the
ground, exhausted and bleeding freely.
Soric lay gasping for
breath, the pain almost unbearable. The dragon's talon had ripped a
deep jagged wound from his shoulder to the top of his britches. As
he lay there in a pool of his own blood squinting at the sun, a
beautiful lady appears. She utters some strange words in a low soft
voice, while moving her hands above the gaping wound. Soric feels a
burning and pulling, as if someone is pulling his flesh back
together. The woman stands and utters a few more words, then
reaches down to give Soric a hand and urges him to stand. Soric
takes her hand and stands, amazed. He blinks in awe and the woman,
"Who are you?" The pretty woman replies, "I am Kiri, and I have
spared your life. You must come with me and help me for you are now
an immortal. Don't fear, your deeds will never be forgotten, you
saved this land. Well done, Soric, well done."