the road to Glass

I was, as my name implies, born as a storm blew. More specifically a whirlwind blew around our home in the encampment, causing my family to believe that it was a harbinger of strange things to come for me.
 
They were not wrong, but my younger years were nothing out of the ordinary. My parents continued to work at the quarry that sustained our family, which grew when my younger brother, Lander, was born. My older brother, Sholn, managed to convince the old lord to let him become a messenger running between the encampment and the villages.
 
It wasn't long before he started bringing in stories from far away places and he even learned to play a lute. I remember with fondness listening to him talking about heroes of yore and listening to tales of bravery while he played music to the story.
 
One thing I don't remember with fondness was a few months after my 24th birthday when the old lord died and the new one took his place. He almost immediately decreed that the quarry should hasten its production, forcing Lander into service.
 
The entire encampment resented the change and it was only a matter of time until something would have to give.
 
One of the brightest moments of my life was when I remembered an old tale that Sholn had told me. A tale of a symbolic protest where the lords banner was removed, leaving only the kings banner. I believe it represented that we are all under the king and that the king had not decreed our lives to made miserable.
 
It was around this time that I noticed that my hair was growing ever faster, until it reached a prodigious rate. I didn't notice any other changes immediately, but I was distracted by the lord actually reminding his decree.
 
Lander was still forced to work at the quarry because mother could do it no longer, but he wanted to leave the encampment and move to somewhere where his ability to entertain a crowd with wonderful music could be put to better use. Which could potentially be earning more money as well.
 
I supported the idea to the point where I helped him … find a document that would release him from the quarries bond. It took a while though, and in that time I noticed a sort of well of power within me.
 
It was always present and I started trying to access it until I somehow created a light that attached to an object. I realised that I had access to magic and made an effort to learn more. After years of careful practice got to the point that I could cast a few spells with reasonable reliability.
 
I must admit that it was fun learning it, but at the same time I did not want to tell anyone because many in the camp were and still are a bit superstitious of me and it didn't help when a few years after Lander had left as a free man I got involved in a fight.
 
It began as a dispute between me and my neighbours that grow more heated with every passing minute. More and more people started weighing in until the first punch was thrown. It turned into a fistfight with me at the centre.
 
I don't fully remember what happened for I closed my eyes. I felt overwhelmed by a feeling of fear and anger. It felt like a storm inside of me. A storm which I tapped in hope it would solve my problems in the moment.
 
It rushed through me as if the storm wanted to get out and I let it do so. There was a loud noise, a rush of wind and the sound of fight subsided as thunder echoed. When I opened my eyes again I could see the carnage I had created.
 
The grass and people looked as if they had been pushed away from me with significant force. Those still standing were stunned and staring at me or those who had been pushed away and were lying on the ground with limbs pointing in unnatural directions or moaning as blood dripped out of their ears.
 
The silence was soul crushing. My neighbour looked at me from the ground holding his broken arm. I could see the hate and fear in his eyes. "I'm so sorry.", were the words I said to break the silence and the last words I said before running home.
 
An hour later I left the encampment, hoping that I would never have to hurt any of my friends again.
 
I met Sholn on the road and we had a conversation about what happened and what I should do now. He gave me the information that I needed to hear.
 
The city of glass had sent out a call for adventurers to end the storms that brought rain of glass shards to it. Maybe the storms there can show me why I have the storm in my soul.
 
It was the first time I travelled further than the nearest village. The world feels so much larger now. So many new experiences over the few weeks of travel, many of which are small, but collectively they've brightened my mood.
 
Once I got closer to the port town Shale, it felt as if I was going against the stream. There were many more people travelling away from the town with all their belongings. They told me that they were seeking a better life than what they had in the City of Glass, especially now that people are abandoning it.
 
Once in Shale I found an official who told me about the official job offering to find a solution to this predicament. The official seemed delighted and relieved.
 
Shortly thereafter I got a message from my employer, Jameson Marhorn, with the money for ship passage to the city. I took the very next ship to sail and am now enjoying the open sea.
 
Tomorrow we'll arrive at the city and once I've found a place to stay I'll head to the Windborne Observatory, where I am to meet other adventurers.