Solaris

Solaris was born and raised in a small military outpost guarding over a quiet valley, that has been peaceful for ages. His father was the commanding officer of the local militia, who ruled the men with an iron fist and insited on training the young boy as early as possible. His mother however held a protecting hand over the child and kept him from going into the yard, whenever the swordfighters were practicing.

At the age of 4 however, Solaris already had become as bullheaded as his father and climbed out of windows or up the walls, just to escape his mother. This behavior was further worsend whenever the soldiers would sit down with the entertaining little kid and tell him stories about the good ol' times. More then once, Solaris was caught sneaking out the main gate to 'hunt down all the dragons', as were his words.

His mother finally gave in, when the now 8 year old boy had made his own bow from spare wood and hempen rope. In the following years, Solaris was trained by his father's men and learned to fight with a bow and arrows or swords alike. By the age of 13 his father proudly claimed, he now was the best archer in the company, but nobody dared challenge this. Only one years later, his father made another bold claim, announcing Solaris the best soldier within hundred leagues. Again, nobody was testing the truth of it, but Solaris felt that he wasn't the darling little boy anyone.

When he was 16, the soldiers finally decided, it was time for his first real fight. Having fought in duels before, Solaris felt confident about beating atleast some of them, but quickly discovered, that the rules of combant change dramatically when exchanging blunted weapons for real swords. Despite being hit multiple time and crying in pain from open wounds on legs and arms, the men would not take mercy on him. They threatend him for his life and struck him down as often as he could stand up.

When Solaris' father heard about this incident, he screamed out in blind rage. Not at his men, as Solaris would have thought, but at him! Lying injured on his bed, he was being called a coward, a wimp and worse by his own father. Not fighting back in his first duell seemed to be the most terrible thing he could have ever done. But when Solaris finally recovered and stepped out of his chamber again, he discovered, that there was an even greater insult to his father: Not wanting to try again.

Ever since this day, Solaris has been expelled from home, wandering the world on his own. Not only in search for the next job and the next reward, but ultimately seeking his father's approval. And although time has made him a man, he is still a little child in this one regard: He stubbornly refuses to join the military and just give in.