Through the Eyes of Others: An Orc Quest
- Thread starter Artificial Girl
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
- Location
- Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Tell Syen to stay with Murz while you have your talk with Kikul.
12. Hard Lessons
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hrm. You jerk your head towards Murz.
"Syen. Stay with Murz while I 'ave a chat with Kikul here. AN' don't go wanderin' off!" You scowl. Or try to. You suspect it's not very convincing because Syen just gives a nod and one of her small, nervous smiles that have started to crop up over the last few days.
"I won't." Murz grins and adds, "I'll keep th' whelp out o' trouble. Don't worry." That settled, you nod at both of them, then move off with Kikul towards the fire she's indicated. She's an impressive orc, something you realize a bit more strongly as the two of you settle into the firelight next to each other. Not only is she a larger breed, she's got the scars to show that she's seen and done her fair share of scrapping. No surprise that she's the one running this outfit, then. She reaches out and picks up a waterskin which she takes a chug from before offering it to you. Once you have hold it, you can smell that it is not, in fact, water but the strong, raw tasting liquor so common among your people. You take a swig and feel the alcohol sear down your throat, though you manage not to cough. It's been a while since you had anything this strong--you take a second swig before handing it back. Kikul nods.
"So. Murz obviously thinks well o' yer or he'd not have brought you back 'ere. But I wanna make sure that you'll fit with us 'fore I say yay or nay on lettin' you stay with us," she starts, leaning forward to rest her hands on her knees. The flickering firelight casts long shadows on her that make her feel even larger in the dark and you can't help the nervous little tic that runs through you. She's intimidating!
"First, I don't mind your little tark but there might be a couple o' others who ain't gonna take kindly to 'er. If'n you have to scrap with 'em that's your business but I don't want anyone getting killed over a stupid tark whelp, understand?" You nod sharply. Getting killed over her seems like a bad idea to you, too though you feel reasonably confident that you'd get the upper hand. Still, avoiding that kind of thing wouldn't be a bad idea all in all.
"Second, where're your people from? Originally I mean. I don't care what the hell hole you climbed out of recently." Okay, that's easy enough to answer, you figure.
"Gar. I was born in Gundzagh. Worked there too when I were a nipper, doing minin' and such." She nods. It's a familiar story. Many of the younger orcs in your age bracket were born in those massive underground warrens where you had to work as soon as you were capable and keep working or fighting until you stopped being useful.
"We got some Gundzagh folks with us. I'm from Ertzagh myself." She nods at that. Kikul seems to feel that your story thus far pans out, which you find intensely relieving.
"Third, what can you do? What kind o' skills can we rely on yer for?" Something you can talk about with no issues! You lean forward yourself as you speak.
"I can fight o' course. What orc can't?" Not many orcs are not capable of fighting. It is somethign the Dark Lord wanted in your people and pressed it on them. It helped that orc culture was already a bit of a struggle sometimes, with rough-housing and physical discipline fairly common. It was simple enough to shove a spear and shield into someone's hands and make them direct that energy at His enemies.
"An' I can hunt, fish, an' track. I know a bit about growin' food but it ain't somethin' I'm too good at. I was trained as a blacksmith an' I can turn out whatever ya need if you got th' tools." Kikul nods at that.
"We got a blacksmith but I'm sure he wouldn't mind havin' a bit o' help--not that you'd be under him or nothin' o' course. We're all equal here--I'm only th' leader on account of people want me to be. His name's Azhagg Ashleg--he's missin' one, ya see--an' he's a crusty old bugger but if'n you know your way 'round a forge I'm sure he'd be grateful." You nod. Working with other smiths wasn't ideal for you but you figure if she says it'll be okay it will be. It's her band after all.
"Finally, like I said, we're all equal here. Sure there's some scrappin' and suchlike but we ain't like His army no more and we ain't some band o' raiders where everyone is pickin' on someone smaller. That's the number one rule o' this group an' if you don't like it then yer welcome t' go on yer way wit' no hard feelings either way. Everyone pulls their weight, everyone gets ter eat. That's th' way it is. We meet 'bout once a week or so to make big decisions. Otherwise, don't go killin' nobody, nor stealin' from your mates. A scrap is t'be expected but once it's done, it's done. Here we all work together, you got me?" She's remarkably earnest about what she's saying. It makes sense though. It might be the only way to hold such a group together--though the image of the group meeting to talk about decisions is an amusing one as you imagine a couple dozen orcs all yelling at each other about things. You snort quietly, smile, then nod.
"Sounds fair ter me... I'm willin' to travel with yer for a while an' see if we fit in okay. Won't hurt none anyways if yer goin' the same way we are. South, aye?" Kikul nods in response to your question and is about to answer when there's a sudden uptick of yelling and whooping from further into the camp. You jerk to your feet and Kikul rises with you.
"Better go see what's goin' on," she mutters and stalks off with you in tow. As you come to the center of the cough circle of tents, there are a few orcs standing around, Murz among them whilst in the center of the ring Syen (now divested of her pack) is scrapping with a young orc boy about her age or a little younger, the two of them rolling about in the dust yelling, punching and kicking. There's a shock of worry that runs through you and you speed up, outpacing Kikul as you run to Murz's side.
"Th' bugger is happenin' here?" You bellow in his ear and the poor guy jumps a little, his whole attention focused on cheering for Syen, apparently. He blinks at you, seeming taken aback.
"It's just a little scrap, eh? Th' boy said somethin' to her and she said somethin' back and next thing I know they're goin' at it. It's normal for kids that age, ain't it?" He chuckles as he looks back at the squalling young'ns. Syen seems to be getting some blows in but she's obviously not used to fighting and is taking more than she's giving out. There's some blood trickling from her nose, a sign that the fight may not be going well for her. You frown, brow furrowing and you can feel your hands clenching into tight fists, nails digging against your skin. A hot rush of anger is starting to build inside of you now...
[ ] Give both of them a cuff around the ears for making trouble.
[ ] Beat the hell out of that kid that's messing with Syen. You lay a hand on her again and I'll wring your bloody neck ya snot!
[ ] Beat the hell out of Syen for causing you trouble. We're new here you stupid little tark!
[ ] Beat the hell out of Murz for letting Syen get into a fight. You were supposed to watch her you stupid snaga brained idjit.
[ ] Let them fight. Young'ns should get in a few scraps to teach them to toughen up.
A/N: Snaga is an orc term meaning "slave" or "servant."
"Syen. Stay with Murz while I 'ave a chat with Kikul here. AN' don't go wanderin' off!" You scowl. Or try to. You suspect it's not very convincing because Syen just gives a nod and one of her small, nervous smiles that have started to crop up over the last few days.
"I won't." Murz grins and adds, "I'll keep th' whelp out o' trouble. Don't worry." That settled, you nod at both of them, then move off with Kikul towards the fire she's indicated. She's an impressive orc, something you realize a bit more strongly as the two of you settle into the firelight next to each other. Not only is she a larger breed, she's got the scars to show that she's seen and done her fair share of scrapping. No surprise that she's the one running this outfit, then. She reaches out and picks up a waterskin which she takes a chug from before offering it to you. Once you have hold it, you can smell that it is not, in fact, water but the strong, raw tasting liquor so common among your people. You take a swig and feel the alcohol sear down your throat, though you manage not to cough. It's been a while since you had anything this strong--you take a second swig before handing it back. Kikul nods.
"So. Murz obviously thinks well o' yer or he'd not have brought you back 'ere. But I wanna make sure that you'll fit with us 'fore I say yay or nay on lettin' you stay with us," she starts, leaning forward to rest her hands on her knees. The flickering firelight casts long shadows on her that make her feel even larger in the dark and you can't help the nervous little tic that runs through you. She's intimidating!
"First, I don't mind your little tark but there might be a couple o' others who ain't gonna take kindly to 'er. If'n you have to scrap with 'em that's your business but I don't want anyone getting killed over a stupid tark whelp, understand?" You nod sharply. Getting killed over her seems like a bad idea to you, too though you feel reasonably confident that you'd get the upper hand. Still, avoiding that kind of thing wouldn't be a bad idea all in all.
"Second, where're your people from? Originally I mean. I don't care what the hell hole you climbed out of recently." Okay, that's easy enough to answer, you figure.
"Gar. I was born in Gundzagh. Worked there too when I were a nipper, doing minin' and such." She nods. It's a familiar story. Many of the younger orcs in your age bracket were born in those massive underground warrens where you had to work as soon as you were capable and keep working or fighting until you stopped being useful.
"We got some Gundzagh folks with us. I'm from Ertzagh myself." She nods at that. Kikul seems to feel that your story thus far pans out, which you find intensely relieving.
"Third, what can you do? What kind o' skills can we rely on yer for?" Something you can talk about with no issues! You lean forward yourself as you speak.
"I can fight o' course. What orc can't?" Not many orcs are not capable of fighting. It is somethign the Dark Lord wanted in your people and pressed it on them. It helped that orc culture was already a bit of a struggle sometimes, with rough-housing and physical discipline fairly common. It was simple enough to shove a spear and shield into someone's hands and make them direct that energy at His enemies.
"An' I can hunt, fish, an' track. I know a bit about growin' food but it ain't somethin' I'm too good at. I was trained as a blacksmith an' I can turn out whatever ya need if you got th' tools." Kikul nods at that.
"We got a blacksmith but I'm sure he wouldn't mind havin' a bit o' help--not that you'd be under him or nothin' o' course. We're all equal here--I'm only th' leader on account of people want me to be. His name's Azhagg Ashleg--he's missin' one, ya see--an' he's a crusty old bugger but if'n you know your way 'round a forge I'm sure he'd be grateful." You nod. Working with other smiths wasn't ideal for you but you figure if she says it'll be okay it will be. It's her band after all.
"Finally, like I said, we're all equal here. Sure there's some scrappin' and suchlike but we ain't like His army no more and we ain't some band o' raiders where everyone is pickin' on someone smaller. That's the number one rule o' this group an' if you don't like it then yer welcome t' go on yer way wit' no hard feelings either way. Everyone pulls their weight, everyone gets ter eat. That's th' way it is. We meet 'bout once a week or so to make big decisions. Otherwise, don't go killin' nobody, nor stealin' from your mates. A scrap is t'be expected but once it's done, it's done. Here we all work together, you got me?" She's remarkably earnest about what she's saying. It makes sense though. It might be the only way to hold such a group together--though the image of the group meeting to talk about decisions is an amusing one as you imagine a couple dozen orcs all yelling at each other about things. You snort quietly, smile, then nod.
"Sounds fair ter me... I'm willin' to travel with yer for a while an' see if we fit in okay. Won't hurt none anyways if yer goin' the same way we are. South, aye?" Kikul nods in response to your question and is about to answer when there's a sudden uptick of yelling and whooping from further into the camp. You jerk to your feet and Kikul rises with you.
"Better go see what's goin' on," she mutters and stalks off with you in tow. As you come to the center of the cough circle of tents, there are a few orcs standing around, Murz among them whilst in the center of the ring Syen (now divested of her pack) is scrapping with a young orc boy about her age or a little younger, the two of them rolling about in the dust yelling, punching and kicking. There's a shock of worry that runs through you and you speed up, outpacing Kikul as you run to Murz's side.
"Th' bugger is happenin' here?" You bellow in his ear and the poor guy jumps a little, his whole attention focused on cheering for Syen, apparently. He blinks at you, seeming taken aback.
"It's just a little scrap, eh? Th' boy said somethin' to her and she said somethin' back and next thing I know they're goin' at it. It's normal for kids that age, ain't it?" He chuckles as he looks back at the squalling young'ns. Syen seems to be getting some blows in but she's obviously not used to fighting and is taking more than she's giving out. There's some blood trickling from her nose, a sign that the fight may not be going well for her. You frown, brow furrowing and you can feel your hands clenching into tight fists, nails digging against your skin. A hot rush of anger is starting to build inside of you now...
[ ] Give both of them a cuff around the ears for making trouble.
[ ] Beat the hell out of that kid that's messing with Syen. You lay a hand on her again and I'll wring your bloody neck ya snot!
[ ] Beat the hell out of Syen for causing you trouble. We're new here you stupid little tark!
[ ] Beat the hell out of Murz for letting Syen get into a fight. You were supposed to watch her you stupid snaga brained idjit.
[ ] Let them fight. Young'ns should get in a few scraps to teach them to toughen up.
A/N: Snaga is an orc term meaning "slave" or "servant."
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Beat the hell out of Murz for letting Syen get into a fight. You were supposed to watch her you stupid snaga brained idjit.
One job.
One job.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Let them fight. Young'ns should get in a few scraps to teach them to toughen up.
-[X] Shout helpful advice to Syen. Tips, and suchlike.
-[X] Shout helpful advice to Syen. Tips, and suchlike.
Great Greedy Guts
Ceterum censeo Vigilam esse delendam.
[X] Let them fight. Young'ns should get in a few scraps to teach them to toughen up.
-[X] Shout helpful advice to Syen. Tips, and suchlike.
I kinda wanna give them both a cuff upside the head, but that'll maybe make more trouble with the kid's family if'n he has one, even if he might've started things. This is harder to object to, and also makes it clear Syen has someone who will intervene to some degree on her behalf.
-[X] Shout helpful advice to Syen. Tips, and suchlike.
I kinda wanna give them both a cuff upside the head, but that'll maybe make more trouble with the kid's family if'n he has one, even if he might've started things. This is harder to object to, and also makes it clear Syen has someone who will intervene to some degree on her behalf.
- Location
- Leeds
[Q] This fight just became a free for all.
Oh so tempting.
[X] Beat the hell out of Murz for letting Syen get into a fight. You were supposed to watch her you stupid snaga brained idjit.
Oh so tempting.
[X] Beat the hell out of Murz for letting Syen get into a fight. You were supposed to watch her you stupid snaga brained idjit.
- Location
- Leeds
My suggestion would be either edit the other vote or just revote.
Kinruush
Who?
- Location
- USA
Nah, I mean on the previous vote. Bit too late for that.
[X] Beat the hell out of Murz for letting Syen get into a fight. You were supposed to watch her you stupid snaga brained idjit.
Khona Moshr
Pink Flamingo Cabal Healer(they/them)
- Location
- Alabama
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Let them fight. Young'ns should get in a few scraps to teach them to toughen up.
-[X] Shout helpful advice to Syen. Tips, and suchlike.
-[X] Shout helpful advice to Syen. Tips, and suchlike.
Ultramandalore
Errant Quester
- Location
- just south of Parts Unknown
[X] Give both of them a cuff around the ears for making trouble.
