1.1.1 Chapter Seven
Jea rose early the next morning and picked up a horse for Ambermist. Then she readied Lifeblood, Furret, and the new horse, Firefly. Laguna came down to the stables as she was finishing up.
"Morning… Uh, thanks for grooming my horse." Laguna smiled at her.
Shrugging, she finished cinching the saddle. "No problem," she replied, dusting off her hands. "Furret's a good horse."
When she finished, they went in for breakfast, meeting Ambermist in the common room.
After breakfast, they set out. Traveling northeast along the road, the group chatted. The first two days went by without a single problem. They third day, however, they had an unusual encounter.
About noon, they halted their horses at a shout from behind. A lone figure was running up to them. It was a humanoid figure, male, with shaggy brown hair. As he got closer, they realized that his skin had a greenish cast to it, and his incredibly ugly face had a jutting orc-like jaw and brow ridges. —Ah…—Jea thought,—a half-orc. But what's the other half? It's not a human half…—
He was probably the most unusual person any of them had ever seen. Ambermist groaned, recognizing the half-orc. She'd picked his pockets two days before they left town.
The half-orc stumped up to her. Holding out his hand, he grunted, "My money. Give back, thief."
Ambermist thought about feigning shock, but got a better idea. She reached into her cloak like she was looking for the money. Secretly she was taking the coin purse she'd stolen from him (it was empty—she spent the money.), and put a few dozen gold pieces in it. Pulling it out, she handed it to him in resignation.
"Here."
Eyeing her, he sat down and began to attempt to count the money. A few minutes later, after all had realized he couldn't count higher than ten, he asked for help. Laguna just looked at him, but Jea, amused, slid off her horse and counted the money for him.
"You've got 30gp here."
The half orc said, "It match this number?" He pulled out a rumpled piece of parchment and handed it to the ranger. She looked at it.
"No. This says 90gp. You have thirty—you need more."
He glared at Ambermist. "Give money or I kill." He brandished a two handed broadsword threateningly.
Ambermist squeaked nervously. She didn't want to give up all her money. "I…don't have it. I…spent it."
He shrugged. "Then I kill."
The paladin was about to interfere, but Jea jumped in. "I have a solution. You—orc, hang on a second." She looked at the elf. "You don't have his money. Fine. He wants to kill you. I have only one problem with that. He kills you, Laguna here will have to act all noble and kill orc-boy here. They'll wind up killing each other and I'll be a loner with three corpses on my hands. Don't think so.
"I have a better idea." She turned to the half-orc. "Come with us. We're on a quest and there's sure to be treasure. We'll take the rest of what she owes you out of her share."
"WHAT!?" Ambermist cried.
"You heard me. If you want to live, shut up."
The half-orc stared. "Me get to kill stuff?"
"Yup."
His face lit up. "Okay." He pointed to himself. "I Yarū Dumbugg."
The others introduced themselves and they set out again. Just before it began to get dark, they were stopped again. Close to thirty bandits stepped out of the trees, surrounding them on all sides.
The bandit's leader looked at them. "All right, folks. Listen up. Give up the money, the horses, and the girls and we'll let you live." The bandits leered lewdly at the women.
Laguna glared at them angrily, ready to retort. Out of the corner o his eye, he saw Jea reaching into her pack for something. She caught his eye as she flicked something out of her bag at the same time she finished casting her spell.
A large hand of stone appeared above the heads of the bandits in front of them, hovering for about three seconds before smashing down with incredible force.
Upon the sound of the fist hitting the ground, Wolf leapt at another group of bandits. Laguna took the hint and attacked the leader just as Ambermist brandished twin broadswords behind him. Dumbugg grinned wickedly as he and Ambermist attacked the rear bandits.
The fight was short but ugly. In the end, the bandits lay dead all over the road.
Dumbugg, now happy that he'd gotten to kill stuff, kicked one of the bodies in contempt. Ambermist rifled through the corpses, pocketing the coins and gems she found. Laguna wiped his sword off, using a bandit's tunic, and sheathed it, shaking his head as he eyeballed the piles of goo that were the bandits hit by the stone fist.
Jea and Wolf merely waited for everyone to get moving again.
* * * * * *
A/N: For those of you who were wondering, Dumbugg is Half-Orc, Half-High Elf, and Ambermist is ¾ Drow and ¼ Gray Elf. Laguna, of course, is human, and Jea is just
Half-Elf. Anymore questions, just email me at hayaitoran@yahoo.com
Thanks and have a great day!
Jea
Jea rose early the next morning and picked up a horse for Ambermist. Then she readied Lifeblood, Furret, and the new horse, Firefly. Laguna came down to the stables as she was finishing up.
"Morning… Uh, thanks for grooming my horse." Laguna smiled at her.
Shrugging, she finished cinching the saddle. "No problem," she replied, dusting off her hands. "Furret's a good horse."
When she finished, they went in for breakfast, meeting Ambermist in the common room.
After breakfast, they set out. Traveling northeast along the road, the group chatted. The first two days went by without a single problem. They third day, however, they had an unusual encounter.
About noon, they halted their horses at a shout from behind. A lone figure was running up to them. It was a humanoid figure, male, with shaggy brown hair. As he got closer, they realized that his skin had a greenish cast to it, and his incredibly ugly face had a jutting orc-like jaw and brow ridges. —Ah…—Jea thought,—a half-orc. But what's the other half? It's not a human half…—
He was probably the most unusual person any of them had ever seen. Ambermist groaned, recognizing the half-orc. She'd picked his pockets two days before they left town.
The half-orc stumped up to her. Holding out his hand, he grunted, "My money. Give back, thief."
Ambermist thought about feigning shock, but got a better idea. She reached into her cloak like she was looking for the money. Secretly she was taking the coin purse she'd stolen from him (it was empty—she spent the money.), and put a few dozen gold pieces in it. Pulling it out, she handed it to him in resignation.
"Here."
Eyeing her, he sat down and began to attempt to count the money. A few minutes later, after all had realized he couldn't count higher than ten, he asked for help. Laguna just looked at him, but Jea, amused, slid off her horse and counted the money for him.
"You've got 30gp here."
The half orc said, "It match this number?" He pulled out a rumpled piece of parchment and handed it to the ranger. She looked at it.
"No. This says 90gp. You have thirty—you need more."
He glared at Ambermist. "Give money or I kill." He brandished a two handed broadsword threateningly.
Ambermist squeaked nervously. She didn't want to give up all her money. "I…don't have it. I…spent it."
He shrugged. "Then I kill."
The paladin was about to interfere, but Jea jumped in. "I have a solution. You—orc, hang on a second." She looked at the elf. "You don't have his money. Fine. He wants to kill you. I have only one problem with that. He kills you, Laguna here will have to act all noble and kill orc-boy here. They'll wind up killing each other and I'll be a loner with three corpses on my hands. Don't think so.
"I have a better idea." She turned to the half-orc. "Come with us. We're on a quest and there's sure to be treasure. We'll take the rest of what she owes you out of her share."
"WHAT!?" Ambermist cried.
"You heard me. If you want to live, shut up."
The half-orc stared. "Me get to kill stuff?"
"Yup."
His face lit up. "Okay." He pointed to himself. "I Yarū Dumbugg."
The others introduced themselves and they set out again. Just before it began to get dark, they were stopped again. Close to thirty bandits stepped out of the trees, surrounding them on all sides.
The bandit's leader looked at them. "All right, folks. Listen up. Give up the money, the horses, and the girls and we'll let you live." The bandits leered lewdly at the women.
Laguna glared at them angrily, ready to retort. Out of the corner o his eye, he saw Jea reaching into her pack for something. She caught his eye as she flicked something out of her bag at the same time she finished casting her spell.
A large hand of stone appeared above the heads of the bandits in front of them, hovering for about three seconds before smashing down with incredible force.
Upon the sound of the fist hitting the ground, Wolf leapt at another group of bandits. Laguna took the hint and attacked the leader just as Ambermist brandished twin broadswords behind him. Dumbugg grinned wickedly as he and Ambermist attacked the rear bandits.
The fight was short but ugly. In the end, the bandits lay dead all over the road.
Dumbugg, now happy that he'd gotten to kill stuff, kicked one of the bodies in contempt. Ambermist rifled through the corpses, pocketing the coins and gems she found. Laguna wiped his sword off, using a bandit's tunic, and sheathed it, shaking his head as he eyeballed the piles of goo that were the bandits hit by the stone fist.
Jea and Wolf merely waited for everyone to get moving again.
* * * * * *
A/N: For those of you who were wondering, Dumbugg is Half-Orc, Half-High Elf, and Ambermist is ¾ Drow and ¼ Gray Elf. Laguna, of course, is human, and Jea is just
Half-Elf. Anymore questions, just email me at hayaitoran@yahoo.com
Thanks and have a great day!
Jea