Fang's life was not a perfect one.
Created in a union between an elven woman, and an elven man, you would think he was normal. Unfortunately for Fang, his father had come down with a case of lycanthropy, and his son had inherited a few unique... traits.
Having left the village of his own free will, Fang's father had left long before his birth, for reasons unknown. When Fang finally came into this world, the people of his village began to suspect why. Something like this had happened before, and surely this wouldn't be the last, but most shifters born into elf villages were either discarded when born, or eventually meet a grim end out of prejudice. But Fang's mother was different. She knew, regardless of what he was, he was still her child, and for that sole fact, she showered him with affection.
Like all shifters, his body was human, but with a mix of animal mixed in. His eyes looked more like that of a feline's, his teeth sharp, his nose flat. His hair was slightly longer, his long sideburns mixed with his longer hair giving the illusion of a lion's mane. He was just as agile as any elf, perhaps more so due to his animal traits. And he always felt more comfortable sitting in a crouched position than standing up straight.
Growing up wasn't easy for him. Many of the children teased him, the adults looked down on him, sometimes he was outright referred to as an animal. His mother, Myra, saw he had potential though and always encouraged him. When it came time to train some of the younger elves for skills, Fang was the first in line. Though the combat instructor seemed skeptical, Myra pleaded with him to give Fang a chance to prove himself. From his early teen years, to the age of 18, he proved he had the know how, he had the skills, but he still had yet to experience his first real battle. Because of this, many of the hunters were skeptical to bring him along on their outings, yet still opting for the normal elven cadets, despite their lower marks.
Then came that fateful night...
Fang had awoken in the middle of the night, just as a loud battle horn was blown. He ran out, wearing a simple set of leather clothing, a large commotion had formed out front. The combat instructor, who also doubled as a military captain, was in the middle. "Men, ready yourselves! Our scouts have just received word a small band of orcs are heading our way. And they brought some dire wolves with them..." Many of the soldiers that had gathered, most of them Fang's fellow students, seemed a bit nervous, having never dealt with a threat like this. Fang, however, was always up for a challenge. "Sir!", he spoke up. "I am ready to fight by your side!" With that, many of the other trainees laughed softly, Fang glancing back at them. The captain rested his hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps a different time, lad..." Fang frowned, knowing exactly why he was being left behind. Forced to watch from over the fence, Fang watched as his comrades left to fend off the invaders. It seemed the orcs made good time, for they were practically on their door step by the time the elves left to intercept them. Fang watched on, as one by one, his comrades fell to the ground in pain. Unable to watch any further, Fang decided it was finally time to act...
It was a fierce battle, the orcs proving too much for the elven defenders. The captain was down on one knee, his hand clutching his shoulder were a large javelin pierced his shoulder. The orc leader, an especially large person, stepped forward, grinning sinisterly. Without uttering a single word, he raised his hammer, preparing to cave his head in, when he suddenly heard a feral cry.
Everyone who was still alive turned their head to see Fang literally leap off the top of the fence, coming down and taking out two of the smaller orcs with him. He had grabbed the first object he saw that he thought would be useful, that being a scythe, charged into battle. He weaved past the invaders, slashing and disabling them as he went by. His rhythm was interrupted as he carelessly missed an archer that was standing just a few feet from him, taking an arrow into his shoulder. Said archer sneered and gave a hearty laugh, motioning for his remaining comrades to surround him. Fang had felt pain like never before, reaching his hand up to collect some of the blood that was leaking from his wound. Whether it was his training as a barbarian, the shifter blood within him, or his short temper, what ensued was perhaps a combination of all three. He gritted his teeth as he started to shift into a more animalistic form, his flesh sprouting fur, his claws lengthening slightly, his eyes glazing over, turning almost a pure white. He became almost a true were lion now, letting out a feral roar. This startled the orcs, causing them to begin backing away, but it was far too late. Fang raised his scythe, then swung the blade wildly, dispatching the orcs one by one. He especially made sure to go for the archer that shot him earlier first, as a bit of payback.
Both the orc captain and Fang's instructor looked on in awe as Fang ravaged his foes, then turned to the final orc. He snarled, raising his hammer, which was originally meant for Fang's mentor, and rushed at the young shifter instead. Fang growled and leapt forward, and with one clean slice, severed the orc's head from his shoulders. Once the carnage was over, Fang finally came down from his rage, returning to his "normal" shape. He panted heavily, turning back to survey the damage, and noticing the surprised looks on the faces of those that were still alive. He looked back towards his captain, who was staring in disbelief,suddenly feeling like he may have done something wrong.
Once the bodies were dealt with, the remaining few returned to the village, everyone having gathered around to welcome them back. With the bloody scythe resting on his shoulder, Fang simply walked by everyone, heading back home to resume sleeping. Suddenly, an elf of his age, Kalen, reached out and grabbed his arm. "Not so fast, hybrid, it's about time you got what you deserved..." Fang gave him a worried look, the elf's cold gaze barely visible past his brown hair, which was matted with sweat. To his surprise, his arm was raised up, and Kalen began shouting "Three cheers for the 'Orc Slayer!", a genuine smile on his face. The village people were confused at first, but upon the other soldiers beginning their cheer, the townsfolk chimed in. Fang blinked in surprise, looking to the people, then to his mother, who simply offered him a congratulatory smile. Apparently, all it took to get noticed around here was to kill something.
Months passed, everyone starting to accept Fang now, having become a bit of a celebrity, a hero even. But he felt this wasn't enough. Now donning a set of blood red hide armor, he left, his now trademark scythe in tow, leaving to seek out something he had been wondering since he was a child:
Who, and where,was his father? And why did he leave?
Subject: Fang, Longtooth Shifter Barbarian 
12th June 2010, 6:00 pm
