penjay

A short fun chapter to lead us into a steamy event (next chapter, muahaha). Couple things included within, possibly to be discussed in more detail later: mana stones, monster's threat levels, hopefully a bit of Gorzulothe's personality. Please enjoy!!

My pack was full of tusks from the orcs I could easily find amongst the rubble of the landslide. Searching through the rubble was a tedious task. I wanted to have all the tusks because more money and whatnot, but it worked out that I couldn’t find them all since my pack couldn’t carry anymore. It took even more work to dig out the orc knight’s mana stone, and I carefully wrapped it up in a cloth and stuffed it to the bottom of my pack.

The big-toe-sized gem of dense red mana was worth more than its weight in gold.

I also struggled to drag several thick slices of the meatiest part of the orc knight’s flank wrapped up in a large slice of its hide. Orc meat was fantastically delicious, like a premium ham, and orc hide made for tough and very durable leather.

The orc knight’s head, which I managed to chop off with my sword and dagger, I placed atop the pile. It was my prize and my proof that I defeated it.

…

“Kyaaaaa!”

I trudged my way back into town toward the town head’s house, mostly in the dark since my fight with the orc knight had lasted most of the day. Facing downward from the effort to lug the load I was carrying, I did not realize a crowd was fast gathering around me with torches in hand.

Was I about to get lynched?

Halfway through brandishing my sword, which to my regret was still stained with orc blood, a demanding voice called out to the crowd. Great, just the person I was looking for: the town head.

“Calm down everyone,” he said.

Slowly the murmurs quieted enough for everyone to hear. How surprising that the townsfolk actually listened to him.

“Sir, why have you come here in that appearance? We are not welcoming to brigands.”

Like in my previous conversation with him, he was an annoyingly bigheaded oaf of a dude, but I realized from his question that I was stained with dried mud and blood. Yeah, I probably looked pretty scary. I was also in my hero shapeshift. Come on ‘good looks’ work for me here; even if I was filthy, people should still trust the handsome face.

“Please excuse my sudden appearance,” I spoke while forcing my voice to a level and sickly nice tone. My teeth still shone attractively white right? I smiled. “I have important information to report to this town’s leader. It is part of the reason why I look the way I do right now.”

“I see. There are no things I keep hidden from the town. What you have to say may be heard by all peoples here.”

Was that some form of magnanimity? Ridiculous. Did this guy think he’s some benevolent king or something? He’s the head, probably self-appointed since no one else would want to do it, of a small farming town.

Well, I didn’t mind terrifying everyone in town. Much.

“Understood,” I answered easing my load of orc meat, tusks, and head off my shoulders. I stood to my full height, back straightened. “I warn you, you may not want to hear this if you have sensitive ears.”

…

“Kyaaaaa!”

Surely, she was the same woman to scream from earlier. Several faces, paled from fear and relief at my story, were illuminated under the torches in front of the town head’s house.

The crowd stood in a half circle around my baggage and me as I recounted the battle that occurred ‘as I was traveling through the forest on my way to the capital.’

“…and the giant orc rose out of the rubble of the landslide and charged my way. After a back and forth battle, details here I will omit, I was finally able to defeat it. I have proof. Gruesome though it is, this is the orc knight’s head.”

Murmurs went through the crowd as I displayed the bloody head. There was one eye butchered, tusks broken, and serrated flesh hanging below the chin where I sawed the head from the orc’s body. Sufficed to say, it was a disgusting and intriguing sight to see.

“How many orcs did you say there were again?” the town head asked quietly so only I would hear.

“At least fifty.”

“Dear Gods.”

“The battle was not far from here at all: up north in the forest. I tracked my route here on a map. You can send people up there to confirm.”

“No need. No need.” We basically whispered to each other now as the crowd discussed the happenings among themselves.

“And you brought orc meat?”

“The finest ham around. I couldn’t resist carrying some despite the weight.”

The town head nodded in agreement. Somehow, after listening to my achievement, his attitude was a lot more tolerable.

“What was your name again?” he asked.

“Call me Loth.”

He scratched his fingers along his chin for a moment in thought, then put one hand on my shoulder and gestured toward the crowd.

“Listen up everyone,” he called out, “Lothe has vanquished an evil threat that has been looming over our town. We shall remember this day as a day for celebration. Let us eat and sing our praise to this accomplishment. Our hero, Sir Lothe!”

“““Cheers!”””

“And Lothe has brought us spoils from his battle. High orc meat!”

Wait a minute.

“Innkeeper Ifanna, get your cook out here. Winesman Gale, bring out our best drinks. Tonight, we feast. Cheers!”

“””Cheers!”””

My meat!!!

[~900wds]