A young orphan Arranor just turned 15 it had been three years since he had been forced to leave the orphanage he grew up in. They couldn't afford to feed him any longer and was time he started on his own since no one would take him, He started doing small jobs anything to see if he had a knack for it. Arranor tried to deliver parcels but was never fluent enough and always left the receiver as if he'd been dirtied, tried helping the baker but just wasted materials, the blacksmith was no different and couldn't record orders well enough. The only thing Arranor seemed to be any good at was fighting but he had always been fighting, fighting just to live so he decided why should it change maybe he could be one of the great fighters he'd heard his town talk about. Said to have a lifespan multiple times that of a normal man go wherever he wanted and do as he pleased. With that thought in mind Arranor left to the outskirts where a small mercenary hut was set up and started to follow one of the older men there named Erik.
Even though it seemed that Erik despised him at first, he never verbally told him to get lost and eventually started doing small favors for the man such as doing his laundry and cooking food for the man he lived like this for the next three months when thing finally started to change, A morning Arranor would never forget. Erik had usually left first thing in the morning to go out on missions but this morning Arranor found him sitting outside fiddling with two daggers about the length of his forearm handle and all, soon as he'd stepped out of the tent that he'd come to call home Erik had thrown one of the daggers at his feet and said if you're going to follow me you might as learn well not to die.
Arranor spent the entire morning leaning on how to use knives in combat and actual footwork so as not to get tripped up and enclose on the target. For the time being you need use daggers and when you're strong enough you can start with a sword, but you'll need to do missions to get some money for one, I bought the dagger and will teach you, the rest is on you Erik had told him. And so, another nine months passed learning how to wield the dagger and defend himself. it was at this time Erik had started to take him on smaller missions posted by the town such as gathering materials and traveling with towns people still dangerous for Arranor as such he was still too young to do anything for the guild you had to be rank three to do anything for the guild but the boy had yet to reach rank one which Erik was finding weird most people reach rank one within half a year of training. it's not something you have to train for it's just your body's vitality reaching a certain threshold that's why Erik had tried to see if pushing his limits might help him reach that point.
Unfortunately for Arranor he continued on for another year when Erik broke the news to him that something must be wrong with his blood, he'd been with him for two years now and he'd yet to reach rank one and advised him to try again to find another path as he was doomed for failure and would never advance. Arranor unable to bear the news refused to believe it and stormed back into the tent. Erik followed him in and told him to consider what he had said and said goodbye he had a mission issued by the guild that he needed to address with two other mercenary's and that it make take a few days. Arranor didn't reply until after he left and asked him to be safe.
Almost two weeks later after persistent nagging and badgering did someone else go check on what had happened with Erik and the others he'd left with. it wasn't until another three days that new was finally brought to Arranor that Erik and his party had completed their mission but had passed away doing so. It left Arranor absolutely devastated the first person to truly accept him as him and gave genuine care towards him was gone. The guild had payed their respects and gave Arranor Eriks pay for the mission 8 silver coins enough to live half a year if frugal. Arranor didn't care about the money and just wished for Erik to still be alive the guild master looked at him with sadness and said one last thing his dagger was still in good condition we would like for you to have it as well and then left Arranor in the tent on the outskirts of the town about 3 leagues from the mercenary guild a two hour walk if strolling along.
So for the next year Arranor just tried to live as frugal as possible but still ended up running out of money the tent filled with holes couldn't keep him warm anymore left with a leather breast plate and Eriks now rusted dagger he was on the brink of starvation stealing scraps from wherever just to stay alive Eriks reminder still haunting him that he would never advance as he hadn't even reached rank 1 upon turning 15 but in the past year he'd tried once again to go out and learn to do anything other than fight but it seemed that it was to far ingrained into his nature he couldn't pick up a single other skill and so began the starvation. The guild had also started to grow in this small town Alekson no longer did the town put up small missions that they wished to be done they were now all handled by the guild so Arranor now had no way to make any money he had skill just not the power to do anything big. But he couldn't take it anymore he had to choose to risk his life on a mission or starve until he had no energy to fight anyways.
With that solemn thought Arranor started his walk to the guild to see whether or not he would indeed starve or if the guild master might have a small mission for him to complete. as he walked there, he noticed the ever-growing stares they had gotten worse recently the worse off he was. Didn't seem like any of them had any shame as most were in likely scenarios so he just picked up his pace and continued about a hour later he made it to the guild and asked if he could see the guild master a good friend of Eriks but a stranger to him he didn't even know if he would see him.
after what seemed to be an entire afternoon Arranor finally got to meet with Jaysen as he remembered his name he bowed deeply and asked please anything you have may i go on a mission I need to survive and the only thing I know how to do is swing my dagger and might till my last breathe there's nothing else for me please anything will do I know it's dangerous but anything is better than starving out there until I can't even do that. Jaysen seeing his resolve couldn't help but be moved he knew of the boys dilemma from Erik it was why he never asked him to come this way but at the same time he knew he had skill training with that rough bastard, alrighty Jaysen said but it's the lowest of missions and you'll have to travel since none are nearby anymore but one of the shamans here wants ten sets of adult goblin teeth a grade 1 mission with four others worth fifty copper i know it's not much but it should fill you and get a night of warmth.
With not much choice left Arranor accepted the mission and started to get ready for the upcoming mission he would embark on.