Nexus Biographies

While Yuri was still a young King, a gentle warrior by the name of Tae-Hyun, travelled from the shores of Tamna to seek his destiny in the Tri-Kingdoms. He had packed upon his back all his wordly possessions, a few weapons, and a small suit of armor his father had fashioned for him. Upon his arrival, his heart was shattered. Upon the docks in Hausson, the poor horded begging new arrivals for gold, goods, or even a parcel of food. The warrior looking upon them, his heart bleed with desperation.

He stopped upon a barrel of fish, and untied his satchel. A blind man sat by, the younger boys stealing the few copper pieces that lay within his lap. The young man walked over to the blind man, and handed him one of the gauntlets.

"Sir, I cannot help you see, nor can I provide for you, but please take this gauntlet and barter it for food and water." Tae-Hyun said. The old man smiled up at him, his teeth long since gone. He swept aside a few stray silver hairs that had escaped the braided hair upon his back.

"I shall not forget this." The man said, and began to run his hands over the gauntlet. "Fine craftsmanship, did you craft it yourself?"

"No Sir, my father was a fine blacksmith back in Tamna, and before I embarked on my own, he made me a suit of armor out of steel. To protect me, should I need it." Tae-Hyun replied. The old man nodded, his willowy fingers, finding each fitting of the gauntlet. "Would you like for me to help you to exchange it, so you are not deceived by a mean spirited merchant?"

The old man smiled and placed his hand upon a staff that lay by. The copper pieces left in his lap trickled down and clanked upon the planks on the dock; the young boys scurrying to pick each up.

"What about those copper pieces?"

The old man just shook his head, "They think I don't know, that they steal from me each day. However I do, but I understand why. They try to help and provide for their mothers who are busy laboring to keep a mouthful of food in their mouths."

Tae-Hyun followed the old man, each step he made he tapped his cane on the boards, slowly making his way back to the mainlands. They walked down the bustling dirt streets, children darting past them, screaming in delight. They eventually came to a very quiet alley, and the old man turned down it.

"This cannot be safe Sir, why do you go this way?" Tae-Hyun inquired. The old man laughed, a thick hearty peaceful laugh.

"I have lived here in Hausson all of my life. Most of it blinded by the pirates who raided. I was a young lad, and thought I could take on the world. I watched their meetings in the pubs with awe. I was caught outside the window, and for spying upon them, they gouged my eyes. So that they may never betray the men my eyes saw. If I fear the dark alley ways, the thieves will just move to the main streets." The man continued to walk, his cane ever tapping.

"Sir, this is a dead end, where.." Tae-Hyun's words were cut off by laughter behind him.

"So you followed the old man, to help him? He's quite an easy pick for the few things he collects on the docks." A voice echoed down the small alleyway.

"I want no trouble, I was just helping the old man," Tae-Hyun tried not to stumble over his words, his heart racing in his chest.

"Then I suggest you find a weapon lad," The voice echoed again. The old man stood there, running his fingers over the gauntlet that Tae-Hyun had given him. He began to laugh, that throaty, ancient laugh.

"How about we play a game instead?" The old man suggested. Tae-Hyun turned in surprise, his heart beat echoing in his ears. He wondered if the other man could hear it. "You shall take your best item, and place it against mine." The old man still continuing to toy with the steel glove. "Then, we shall let the gods decide which shall live, and which shall die."

"This is some form of trickery! " The voice boomed again from down the alley. "You have nothing but that steel glove, it surely cannot beat what I have collected all day." The old man's laugh, echoed off the buildings nearby.

"We shall see, what the gods decide," the man at that threw the glove into the air, it tumbled fair and high. The sun caught it in it's rays, as it twisted, the steel began to flake off, a brillance shining beneath it Tae-Hyun had never seen before. The voice that once boomed faltered.

"This is some form of magic, this cannot be!" He took a eloquently engraved knife and tossed it into the air. "There my best from today, surely your gods know an expensive dagger when they see one." As the knife twisted in the air, the wind began to take it. In that dark little alley way, with small rays of sun, the dagger began to twist and coil, the handle engulfing the blade as it took life from it's shape. As it landed, the dagger turned serpent turned towards the booming voice. Before he had a chance to run, the serpent struck and sank it's fangs into the booming voice's body.

The old man began to laugh, as the glove clattered onto the ground. He slowly walked to body of the man, laying there, the venom pulsing taking away his breath.

"You see, the gods know of virtue and honor. This man gave to me something he treasured to feed my poor soul. He gave it with his heart. Your dagger was taken in greed, and so the gods knew it was evil. So it transformed to it's true form, a poisonous viper. Greed shall poison us all, while gifts from the heart, shall reward us." The old man turned to Tae-Hyun and smiled at him. "Keep this, and may it guide you to uphold your honor." He tossed the glove to Tae-Hyun. As Tae-Hyun tried to catch it, the sun glared of it, blinding him temporarily. When it slipped out of the sun's glare, Tae-Hyun glanced around. The old man was nowhere to be seen. However, his laughter followed the alleyway, as did the tapping of his cane.