Valiant and The Quest for Quell

My name is Valiant, “Val” for short, and I am completely on my own. No family, and my only friend has up and vanished on me. I guess I should go ahead and throw it out there: I am a Tiefling. Obviously, you can already guess that I have had a hard life. People are not known to be kind to Tieflings.  I was born a Tiefling in a little town up in the mountains of Antea, full of superstitious folk who don’t know cat’s ass from a fox's... My human mother, being bred in the ways of superstition and religious ideocracy, decided to do the most foolish thing of all: have me.   

That’s a little harsh. She had wanted a child badly, badly enough to make a deal with the devil, literally. Her bare womb cried out to be filled, filling her with a mad desperation. So desperate that she did not tell my stepfather of her consummation with whatever demon she had conjured.  To this day I still don’t know who my real father is and I am afraid that that secret will go to the grave. 

It was a small surprise when I arrived nine months later. The sarcastic tone should give you a clue. My stepfather probably exclaimed several expletives when I popped out. The short of it is that once the midwife had delivered me and fled down the mountain, my mother and stepfather got into a horrendous fight. Things were thrown, bruises ensued, and he left, leaving my mother bitter and vengeful. Most of this was taken out on me.  

As I grew older I discovered that I had an innate ability, one that I didn’t have to rely on someone else for: sorcery. Once I was old enough I left with only the clothes on my back and the fire raging in my heart.  I did not look back. 

When I made it a safe distance from the village, I disguised myself the best I could: covering my pipsqueak horns (just beginning to curl) with a floppy hat, tucked my tail into my belt, and put on a dark blue cloak, sewn with several pockets for scavenging. I always loved this cloak because it matched my wild blue hair. I thought I looked very lovely when in disguise. 

My first week in Stormgul I met Quell. She was living with the same ability that I had.  She led me to her mentor, Acheben, in a nearby town of Cisgale. Acheben didn’t care in the least what I was, just that I needed a home. Acheben raised us in the ways of the charlatan. He taught us how to cheat and swindle the good folk of Stormgul and for years I was the happiest I’d ever been.  But of course, being what I was, fate wouldn’t let me stay that way. A few years ago, Quell and I got into a fight. I can’t remember what it was about now, but I remember the blowout. Fire everywhere, tears streaming from both of our faces, hateful words that never should have been spoken. 

I fled, and I again was left on my own. Years passed, and I tried to make do. Living in shabby weekly rented apartments I spent my time falling in and out of love. I was fine simply surviving but everything changed when I had the dream. Quell, older and more beautiful, screaming. Screaming at me to come find her! Screaming for my help and crying that she was sorry. Everything around her was dark, all I could see was Quell; her long blonde hair twisting around her head like a demonic halo. I now know what I need to do.