Rain and Drought by Cirth

Chapter 1

Uldor's first kill.

Ratings and warnings vary by chapter.

Warning for mature themes and profanity.

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He is twelve when he first takes a life.

The blood-streaked dagger slips from his hand and he falls painfully to his knees, drawing deep, shuddering breaths. Above, the sky is clear, and the afternoon sun beats down on his back. The stench of death hangs in the air, raw and fetid. His mother is safe; the only evidence of the assault is the torn sleeve of her dress. The Orc lies with its belly on the ground, its yellow eyes half-lidded.

His mother gets to her knees, trembling, and says something. He can barely hear her voice; it seems to be coming from the end of a tunnel. "Uldor?" she says. "Uldor!"

I killed someone, he thinks, his heart in his throat. He is drenched in sweat. I killed someone.

When his mother tries to touch him, he clamps his hands over his ears and screams and screams.