Lazzamore
WAAAAAAAAAA-
Hey guys! I started a blog! I'm hosting my writing projects there to build a portfolio and a following to hopefully help me get published later. Anyways, today my story is about my own characters in the D&D/Pathfinder Setting 'Midgard', which is made by Kobold Press.
If you want to help me out on this, leave some good ol' friendly Constructive Criticism. Or check out my site, helps it get bumped up on google, y'know?
It was evening, cold and rainy. Leonard Kretoni made no expression as he stared up into the falling rain. It smelled of chimney soot, a prevalent smell here in Zobeck. It was chimneys and soot as far as the eye can perceive. The young boy just stared blankly at the gods. Cowards, the lot of them. They stole his father. They now had the gall to hide behind rainclouds. He stood for what felt like years, his fists and teeth clenched tightly. His face blank.
Tears ran down the face of his half-sister Bellwise as she looked on, heart-broken. The undertaker just stood there. Leonard was immovable. He hadn't the guts to even try. At that point, the Kretoni's new life approached.
The Old Half-Orc leaned into his cane, a mean look in his blood-shot eyes, an expensive brandy clasped tightly in his free hand. His ragged white beard frames a pale green skin and small set of tusks protruding form the lower jaw. The Half-Orc and his body-guards approached Leonard.
"Show me your teeth, Boy." he rasped. Only the Kretoni siblings knew why he asked this; his open mouth revealed two half-orcish tusks, much like Sax's. It was a trait well concealed by the otherwise human family. "Thought as much." smirked Sax, taking another swig of brandy. "My name is Sax Buskuli, Leonard. I'm your great-uncle. You and your sister are going to go live with me."
"No." Leonard said in his deep yet young voice, not taking his eyes off the gods; They must be up there somewhere. They had to be. Sax just sighed, grabbing Leonard's arm.
Leonard sharply turned to Sax, a look of unchecked rage flared out of his face. Sax's steely eyes pierced Leonard's impetuous soul like knives. Sax squeezed with harsh strength and a scowl. At that Leonard backed down from the savage challenge he had issued.
Three years is a long time for wounds such as these to fester.
"Mister Buskuli, sir, you have a visitor." came Sax's secretary at the Arcane Collegium of Zobeck, who employed the old appraiser.
"Not now." he huffed in response. In his gloved hands was a golden chalice, a new addition to his personal collection. On his desk were papers to review, essays to grade, reports to read... Too much to do to have a visitor.
"Hmm, Mister Buskuli..." the secretary let himself in a bit "It is the local guard captain, Mister Ondraes? He is here with Mister Leonard Kretoni... Again."
Sax coughed and straightened. Anger filled his eyes, staring straight ahead. "Fine." he spat "Let them in."
Captain Ondraes was a reasonable, patient man. He didn't have very many prejudices, and to him honor was all encompassing... He stormed into the office, fists clenched "Are you aware" he shouted, "of the sort of activity this delinquent has been aparty to?! Buskuli, I could keep him in the box until he rots for this outrage! And if he was anyone elses responsibility..." Sax eyed behind the captain to see if Leonard was in the room. Sax interrupted at that "What did he do this time?"
Exasperated, the captain simply thrust his hands out. "What did he not do?! The boy is a thug. We caught him with stolen goods, a blasted Morningstar, and reasonable evidence of assault and robbery! Buskuli, with what I found, I could charge that boy with banditry, theft, assault of the guard, racketeering..."
The enraged captain jabbed Sax in his shoulder "Get the boy under control." growled Ondraes "He will be an adult next year, and if he continues this behavior then I will not hesitate to do what I ought. Do you understand?"
Sax was silent. "...I understand. I'll handle it. You can leave." the Half-Orc nearly hissed, as respectful as he could bring himself to be.
"See to it, Buskuli. I've been too lenient with him for your household." and Ondraes charged out. The door stood open, revealing Leonard waiting outside. Sax motioned him in.
Sitting down behind the desk, Sax pulled out a flask of something strong. "Sit!" he said venomously to Leonard, gesturing to the chair on the other side.
There was a long silence. The old half-orc glared.
"I have an associate. His name is Eagungad. His boat is currently anchored in Jozht, north of here, last I heard. I'll write him today." Sax put matter-of-factly as he fished out a blank paper and grabbed a quill. "After you are escorted home, tell Bellwise to pack her things, and make sure you do the same. You two are spending the rest of the year with him. He owes me anyways."
"Why?" asked Leonard.
"Eagungad is an Orc. A full-blood, unlike you and me." Leonard looked unbelieving at this. Full Orcs are gone. They don't exist anymore, or atleast so he was told.
Sax continued "You lean on your Orc blood like a crutch." Sax sneered "You use it to be a coward, a thug. Your gonna see exactly what's in you, so you can cut out that stupid excuse for your behavior."
"What if I don't go?" Leonard asked, to which Sax simply stated "The alternative is you leave this office, and never come back here or the house again. Go see how far street life suits you. I dare you." Leonard made a dirty hand gesture.
Bellwise Kretoni took not too well to the news of her coming trip. "Uncle Sax, no! I have so much to do! Findir and I have preparation to make, a venue to select, a guest list to prepare..." She would whine. Sax Buskuli would have no other outcome, and was firm on his ultimatum. By the month's end, the Kretonis were on the long road to Jozht, accompanied by Collegium guardsmen sent by Sax.
The day they reached the gates of the modest city was dark. No rain, not yet today, just brooding angry storm clouds. These days lately saw much of this weather. Still the summer air was hot and muggy, though at least Jozht is cooler then Zobeck, being much more northerly.
Jozht's bay was full of huge, foreign merchant trading vessels, save for only one at this time: A tiny mercenary vessel, with but one mast and the words "Honey-Don't" scrawled across it. Bellwise stepped aboard first, an action met by a loud startled grunt, as by the bow of the Honey-Don't once slept one who must be Eagungad.
The slate-skinned Orc was huge. Eight feet or taller! For moments the Orc looked over the party in a strange haze; bloodshot eyes with golden Irises that took up an unnaturally large portion of them, with widened - almost panicked - pupils. His Long, translucent beard and his armored coat were both matted by constant drool, which flowed by the opening his protruding Orc Tusks allowed. He reached for a weapon; A long handled silvery blade with a slight, exotic wave.
Grasping the weapon, the Orc spoke in a resounding trumpet-like voice. "Who is you?! Wha'd'ya want?!"
Bellwise blinked "Oh- I'm sorry, It's us, Bellwise and Leonard Kretoni? Don't mind the guard they were just to be sure we..." but at this time Sax's guards had already gone "...Uh, We were sent to spend the year?"
Eagungad was silent, and loosened his grip on the weapon. "You got the wrong boat. Nobody told me I got guests or anything." he finally said to Bellwise.
"...Then there was a mistake! Uncle Sax wrote to you about us a month ago!"
"Sax? You mean, Buskuli? ...Give me a moment..." Eagugand walked over into his ships cabin, and began sorting through envelopes and papers in a disorderly pile. "Well, me be darned. Here is it." he exclaimed to himself, as he opened and read a letter from deep within the pile. "...Okay! You stay! Umm..." He looked about the cabin. It had one bed, an entrance to the ships supply deck, a sofa, some locked boxes and a strangely unnerving black tower shield adorned with skulls, hanging on the wall as a trophy. In addition, it had a barred trapdoor in the middle of the floor that smelled of a butchery... The whole ship stunk like Leonard sometimes did in between baths - overpoweringly so.
By the time Bellwise was willing to ask what he was looking for, Eagungad produced an old bedroll out of one of the boxes, and brushed off the small sofa after deftly unrolling the bedroll next to it. "Which you want, Girl? Sofa or Roll?" Leonard, now beside flustered Bellwise, muttered something to himself. "I'll take the Roll." he said. Eagungad grew a pained expression. "I was letting Girl pick first... But, okay. You get Sofa, Girl."
The rest of the night was restless. Bellwise loathed having to sleep on the ill-kept sofa, which reeked of Orc and was no where near long enough to fit her. Leonard thought this was uproariously amusing.
The sun rose the next day, finally a bright morning. Bellwise achingly stood from the sofa, to see Leonard staring at the tower shield hung upon the wall. Leonard was brooding on something. One step to approach, and the Boat lurched to the side, nearly knocking Bellwise off her feet!
The Honey-Don't was no longer in the port at all: Outside the cabin was endless ocean, and Eagungad with a fishing pole leaning over the railing.
"Mister Eagungad! Where are we??" she asked, Eagungad shushed her "Fishing trip. Don't scare fish." he retorted.
Stepping onto the deck, Bellwise was freed of the odor of Orc and subsequently assaulted by the stench of captured ocean fish in a barrel. Horrified, Bellwise simply shuddered and said "For how long?"
"Hm... lunch? Probably?" Bellwise did not fancy the idea of being stuck on the boat for hours, considering the sun had just rose.
"I had breakfast for you too, Girl. Leonard eat already." Bellwise was feeling motion sick, but managed the energy to roll her eyes. Of course Leonard is 'Leonard' and she's only 'Girl'. Her meal was, unsurprisingly at this rate, old trail mix.
Leonard couldn't stop staring at the shield. Something about it... beckoned to him. As though it was made for him. The door-shaped shield was nearly his height and made of dark steel, with reliefs of screaming human skulls protruded from the surface of the front in haphazard decoration. The Shield had a terrible Aura: Eagungad could not feel it, and it made Bellwise visibly uncomfortable. Leonard was only intrigued.
Leonard almost touched it, once or twice. Finally, Eagungad spoke from standing a bit too close behind Leonard, startling the boy. "I got that from a runelord, y'know. One of his little minions, me an' a buddy I knew beat it up, and I got that. Never liked them big shields, but it looks pretty up there, don't it?"
Leonard was hesitant to except the tale. "A runelord?" he said with condescension Eagungad didn't seem to notice "Yep."
Leonard turned away "Whatever you say. Runelords aren't real to anyone else, Orc." but as Leonard walked out of the cabin, Eagungad shouted "Wait a bit, come here!"
Eagungad had removed the glove on his right hand, and showed Leonard his palm. A symbol was etched into his hand, not unlike a tattoo, only this seemed to somehow be lit by it's own power, like a feint glow. The symbol was one Leonard had only seen once, in one of the few studies Uncle Sax gave him he payed attention to; It was a Rune of old, part of a magic language lost to time... "Loki ga-"
"Mister Eagungad!!" interupted Bellwise from the bow. Eagungad realized he had forgotten to keep control of the boat, and looking behind Leonard saw the fast approaching docks downwind.
Eagungad charged out of the cabin, and circled back to the rear of the ship. "BRAIL UP, GIRL! NOW, NOW!!" he cried in panic. Bellwise stood confused. Eagungad threw his arm forward, pointing at the ship's one mast "BRAIL UP- Ugh! Uh- Pully- Lever! Turn the lever!!" he exclaimed, seconds from dropping the anchor into the water. People began shouting and running from the encroaching pier. Bellwise turned the lever attached to the ship's mast as fast as she could in her panic. The sails unfurled further, moving the ship even faster! "NO! OTHER WAY!" Screamed Eagungad, as the anchor dropped into the water and ground into the shallowing sea floor.
The bow of the Honey-Don't was lifted into the air. Bellwise was thrown forward as the boat came to a sudden stop, smashing her forehead into the deck.
With a mighty splash and tidal wave, the ship normalised and ground to a halt as Eagungad and Leonard twisted the lever opposite to furl the sails. Leonard had sustained minor bruises in the cabin, and Eagungad from the walls and railing, but the two were more worried about Bellwise, who was blinded by the blood from her head wound.
On the docks Bellwise fell to her knees, vomiting old trail mix, when she realized she was looking at another pair of boots.
The tall, handsome yet unkempt human before her bore a strangely dangerous expression. He was somehow... too loose, smiling too widely. His longsword was dull in color, and slightly stained. Bellwise, for a moment, was unsure how to greet the approaching stranger.
"AHOY CAPTAIN!" He practically screamed at Eagungad, still tying up the boat.
"Huh?" startled the Orc
"Hum, why, let us observe... I'm looking at Teeth, smelling an Odor, and reading Orcish on the weapon... Oooh, laddies, it's three for three!!" the man shuffled his feet excitedly. Bellwise didn't realise the foreign word on Eagungad's weapon might have been orcish. Eagungad was visibly worried now, "Who is you?!" he shouted.
The man laughed. Guffaws of sheer, unwarranted joy. And then it snapped to sternness; "Mister 'Hambullfen Pike' to you, Eagungad!" Eagungad did not like that this 'Pike' already knew his name, a reaction that brought Pike so many guffaws that his body quivered.
Bellwise nearly leaped of start when she aw the second guest; behind her was an expensively dressed Gnome, decked in jewelry, gold and fine silk suit with clownish white skin and flaming violet hair that had to be dyed. On top of it all, his wide brimmed pointy hat was as tall as the strange little monster who wore it. It was clear he had not dwelt in the Wormwood, or the devil's twelve cities, for a little while now. How the frail, three-foot-tall creature survived outside of those accursed woods remains a mystery: Gnomes were not supposed to be able to leave home safely. "Introduce me!" came his shrill, unnatural rasp.
"FINE." groaned pike, much to the sudden stranger's ire. "Meet the glorious, impecible, esteemed Lord of Two-Hills." he gestured at the gnome, who smiled an awful gapped smile, a perfect likeness of any mothers most vivid picture of a perverted villain. "...And you may call me Maywyrd." The gnome said. He was greasy, sweaty and something about him made Bellwise queazy, possibly the overuse of what smelled like flowery perfumes.
"What do you want already? Tell me now!" Eagungad roared, about to lose patience with the - frankly quite strange - visitors.
"My lineage, the Maywyrd estate, is a long line of - erm - 'Scholarly pursuers of all knowledges'. Have you yet heard of the fabulous 'Word that can Change the World', Eagungad?" Maywyrd said with a hand flourish.
"Hum... No, what is it?"
"It's a rune, Darling, and you know a good bit about those, so I'm told." Maywyrd smiled again. Eagungad looked nervous. Maywyrd continued "It's a rune that can do anything."
"Money, power, anything! Anything at all!" chimed in Pike, eliciting a feeble kick from Maywyrd.
"The Rune grants one wish before returning to it's home. All well and good, acceptable behavior, but only for those you aren't in the know... You see, I know where it goes. I can get us there!"
"Uh- 'Us'?? Excuse me and mister Eagungad..." Bellwise said, boarding the boat and taking Eagungad to the side "Should I call for help?"
"Huh? No. Why?" Eagungad retorted
"Why? These people are crazy! One of them is armed, Eagungad, what else would we do?"
"Listen and take the job. Get paid, I thinks. I give you and Leonard some money too. This pretty standard stuff." said Eagungad. Bellwise laughed in outrage, but Eagungad had already walked away back to Maywyrd and his story.
Eagungad returned to Maywyrd tapping his foot impatiently. "Finally!" he squealed "Do you want to hear what we are paying?"
"Why do you need help, first?" said Eagungad.
"It is... A bit of a journey, getting there." hesitated Maywyrd, at which point Mr. Pike laughed. "More! Lad, the blasted Shadow Realm's more then a bit!"
Eagungad laughed as well, not realizing they were serious until a beat later. "...What? Why I be able to do that?!"
"Come now, Gaddy! I heard the Stories! You know a bit about other planes of existence!" said Maywyrd. their was silence. "five-hundred gold may change your mind!" he lured.
Bellwise was relieved; Now surely it was more fairy-tale then even Eagungad would fall for.
"Make it be seven-hundred." said Eagungad, narrowing his eyes.
"It will be six." retorted the Gnome.
"I do six and fifty, and I take my guests." Eagungad countered, Maywyrd simply nodded "Then it's a deal."
Bellwise was displeased. She almost left, taking Leonard back to Uncle Sax, whom might've even taken them back early. Probably not, the stubborn old coot, but might if he only knew what they were dealing with! "Blasted, stupid Orcs..." Bellwise muttered as the Honey-Don't left the harbor, bringing on another bout of sea sickness.
If you want to help me out on this, leave some good ol' friendly Constructive Criticism. Or check out my site, helps it get bumped up on google, y'know?
The Word that can Change the World, Part 1
By Mitchell Phelps, AKA Lazzamore
By Mitchell Phelps, AKA Lazzamore
It was evening, cold and rainy. Leonard Kretoni made no expression as he stared up into the falling rain. It smelled of chimney soot, a prevalent smell here in Zobeck. It was chimneys and soot as far as the eye can perceive. The young boy just stared blankly at the gods. Cowards, the lot of them. They stole his father. They now had the gall to hide behind rainclouds. He stood for what felt like years, his fists and teeth clenched tightly. His face blank.
Tears ran down the face of his half-sister Bellwise as she looked on, heart-broken. The undertaker just stood there. Leonard was immovable. He hadn't the guts to even try. At that point, the Kretoni's new life approached.
The Old Half-Orc leaned into his cane, a mean look in his blood-shot eyes, an expensive brandy clasped tightly in his free hand. His ragged white beard frames a pale green skin and small set of tusks protruding form the lower jaw. The Half-Orc and his body-guards approached Leonard.
"Show me your teeth, Boy." he rasped. Only the Kretoni siblings knew why he asked this; his open mouth revealed two half-orcish tusks, much like Sax's. It was a trait well concealed by the otherwise human family. "Thought as much." smirked Sax, taking another swig of brandy. "My name is Sax Buskuli, Leonard. I'm your great-uncle. You and your sister are going to go live with me."
"No." Leonard said in his deep yet young voice, not taking his eyes off the gods; They must be up there somewhere. They had to be. Sax just sighed, grabbing Leonard's arm.
Leonard sharply turned to Sax, a look of unchecked rage flared out of his face. Sax's steely eyes pierced Leonard's impetuous soul like knives. Sax squeezed with harsh strength and a scowl. At that Leonard backed down from the savage challenge he had issued.
Three years is a long time for wounds such as these to fester.
"Mister Buskuli, sir, you have a visitor." came Sax's secretary at the Arcane Collegium of Zobeck, who employed the old appraiser.
"Not now." he huffed in response. In his gloved hands was a golden chalice, a new addition to his personal collection. On his desk were papers to review, essays to grade, reports to read... Too much to do to have a visitor.
"Hmm, Mister Buskuli..." the secretary let himself in a bit "It is the local guard captain, Mister Ondraes? He is here with Mister Leonard Kretoni... Again."
Sax coughed and straightened. Anger filled his eyes, staring straight ahead. "Fine." he spat "Let them in."
Captain Ondraes was a reasonable, patient man. He didn't have very many prejudices, and to him honor was all encompassing... He stormed into the office, fists clenched "Are you aware" he shouted, "of the sort of activity this delinquent has been aparty to?! Buskuli, I could keep him in the box until he rots for this outrage! And if he was anyone elses responsibility..." Sax eyed behind the captain to see if Leonard was in the room. Sax interrupted at that "What did he do this time?"
Exasperated, the captain simply thrust his hands out. "What did he not do?! The boy is a thug. We caught him with stolen goods, a blasted Morningstar, and reasonable evidence of assault and robbery! Buskuli, with what I found, I could charge that boy with banditry, theft, assault of the guard, racketeering..."
The enraged captain jabbed Sax in his shoulder "Get the boy under control." growled Ondraes "He will be an adult next year, and if he continues this behavior then I will not hesitate to do what I ought. Do you understand?"
Sax was silent. "...I understand. I'll handle it. You can leave." the Half-Orc nearly hissed, as respectful as he could bring himself to be.
"See to it, Buskuli. I've been too lenient with him for your household." and Ondraes charged out. The door stood open, revealing Leonard waiting outside. Sax motioned him in.
Sitting down behind the desk, Sax pulled out a flask of something strong. "Sit!" he said venomously to Leonard, gesturing to the chair on the other side.
There was a long silence. The old half-orc glared.
"I have an associate. His name is Eagungad. His boat is currently anchored in Jozht, north of here, last I heard. I'll write him today." Sax put matter-of-factly as he fished out a blank paper and grabbed a quill. "After you are escorted home, tell Bellwise to pack her things, and make sure you do the same. You two are spending the rest of the year with him. He owes me anyways."
"Why?" asked Leonard.
"Eagungad is an Orc. A full-blood, unlike you and me." Leonard looked unbelieving at this. Full Orcs are gone. They don't exist anymore, or atleast so he was told.
Sax continued "You lean on your Orc blood like a crutch." Sax sneered "You use it to be a coward, a thug. Your gonna see exactly what's in you, so you can cut out that stupid excuse for your behavior."
"What if I don't go?" Leonard asked, to which Sax simply stated "The alternative is you leave this office, and never come back here or the house again. Go see how far street life suits you. I dare you." Leonard made a dirty hand gesture.
Bellwise Kretoni took not too well to the news of her coming trip. "Uncle Sax, no! I have so much to do! Findir and I have preparation to make, a venue to select, a guest list to prepare..." She would whine. Sax Buskuli would have no other outcome, and was firm on his ultimatum. By the month's end, the Kretonis were on the long road to Jozht, accompanied by Collegium guardsmen sent by Sax.
The day they reached the gates of the modest city was dark. No rain, not yet today, just brooding angry storm clouds. These days lately saw much of this weather. Still the summer air was hot and muggy, though at least Jozht is cooler then Zobeck, being much more northerly.
Jozht's bay was full of huge, foreign merchant trading vessels, save for only one at this time: A tiny mercenary vessel, with but one mast and the words "Honey-Don't" scrawled across it. Bellwise stepped aboard first, an action met by a loud startled grunt, as by the bow of the Honey-Don't once slept one who must be Eagungad.
The slate-skinned Orc was huge. Eight feet or taller! For moments the Orc looked over the party in a strange haze; bloodshot eyes with golden Irises that took up an unnaturally large portion of them, with widened - almost panicked - pupils. His Long, translucent beard and his armored coat were both matted by constant drool, which flowed by the opening his protruding Orc Tusks allowed. He reached for a weapon; A long handled silvery blade with a slight, exotic wave.
Grasping the weapon, the Orc spoke in a resounding trumpet-like voice. "Who is you?! Wha'd'ya want?!"
Bellwise blinked "Oh- I'm sorry, It's us, Bellwise and Leonard Kretoni? Don't mind the guard they were just to be sure we..." but at this time Sax's guards had already gone "...Uh, We were sent to spend the year?"
Eagungad was silent, and loosened his grip on the weapon. "You got the wrong boat. Nobody told me I got guests or anything." he finally said to Bellwise.
"...Then there was a mistake! Uncle Sax wrote to you about us a month ago!"
"Sax? You mean, Buskuli? ...Give me a moment..." Eagugand walked over into his ships cabin, and began sorting through envelopes and papers in a disorderly pile. "Well, me be darned. Here is it." he exclaimed to himself, as he opened and read a letter from deep within the pile. "...Okay! You stay! Umm..." He looked about the cabin. It had one bed, an entrance to the ships supply deck, a sofa, some locked boxes and a strangely unnerving black tower shield adorned with skulls, hanging on the wall as a trophy. In addition, it had a barred trapdoor in the middle of the floor that smelled of a butchery... The whole ship stunk like Leonard sometimes did in between baths - overpoweringly so.
By the time Bellwise was willing to ask what he was looking for, Eagungad produced an old bedroll out of one of the boxes, and brushed off the small sofa after deftly unrolling the bedroll next to it. "Which you want, Girl? Sofa or Roll?" Leonard, now beside flustered Bellwise, muttered something to himself. "I'll take the Roll." he said. Eagungad grew a pained expression. "I was letting Girl pick first... But, okay. You get Sofa, Girl."
The rest of the night was restless. Bellwise loathed having to sleep on the ill-kept sofa, which reeked of Orc and was no where near long enough to fit her. Leonard thought this was uproariously amusing.
The sun rose the next day, finally a bright morning. Bellwise achingly stood from the sofa, to see Leonard staring at the tower shield hung upon the wall. Leonard was brooding on something. One step to approach, and the Boat lurched to the side, nearly knocking Bellwise off her feet!
The Honey-Don't was no longer in the port at all: Outside the cabin was endless ocean, and Eagungad with a fishing pole leaning over the railing.
"Mister Eagungad! Where are we??" she asked, Eagungad shushed her "Fishing trip. Don't scare fish." he retorted.
Stepping onto the deck, Bellwise was freed of the odor of Orc and subsequently assaulted by the stench of captured ocean fish in a barrel. Horrified, Bellwise simply shuddered and said "For how long?"
"Hm... lunch? Probably?" Bellwise did not fancy the idea of being stuck on the boat for hours, considering the sun had just rose.
"I had breakfast for you too, Girl. Leonard eat already." Bellwise was feeling motion sick, but managed the energy to roll her eyes. Of course Leonard is 'Leonard' and she's only 'Girl'. Her meal was, unsurprisingly at this rate, old trail mix.
Leonard couldn't stop staring at the shield. Something about it... beckoned to him. As though it was made for him. The door-shaped shield was nearly his height and made of dark steel, with reliefs of screaming human skulls protruded from the surface of the front in haphazard decoration. The Shield had a terrible Aura: Eagungad could not feel it, and it made Bellwise visibly uncomfortable. Leonard was only intrigued.
Leonard almost touched it, once or twice. Finally, Eagungad spoke from standing a bit too close behind Leonard, startling the boy. "I got that from a runelord, y'know. One of his little minions, me an' a buddy I knew beat it up, and I got that. Never liked them big shields, but it looks pretty up there, don't it?"
Leonard was hesitant to except the tale. "A runelord?" he said with condescension Eagungad didn't seem to notice "Yep."
Leonard turned away "Whatever you say. Runelords aren't real to anyone else, Orc." but as Leonard walked out of the cabin, Eagungad shouted "Wait a bit, come here!"
Eagungad had removed the glove on his right hand, and showed Leonard his palm. A symbol was etched into his hand, not unlike a tattoo, only this seemed to somehow be lit by it's own power, like a feint glow. The symbol was one Leonard had only seen once, in one of the few studies Uncle Sax gave him he payed attention to; It was a Rune of old, part of a magic language lost to time... "Loki ga-"
"Mister Eagungad!!" interupted Bellwise from the bow. Eagungad realized he had forgotten to keep control of the boat, and looking behind Leonard saw the fast approaching docks downwind.
Eagungad charged out of the cabin, and circled back to the rear of the ship. "BRAIL UP, GIRL! NOW, NOW!!" he cried in panic. Bellwise stood confused. Eagungad threw his arm forward, pointing at the ship's one mast "BRAIL UP- Ugh! Uh- Pully- Lever! Turn the lever!!" he exclaimed, seconds from dropping the anchor into the water. People began shouting and running from the encroaching pier. Bellwise turned the lever attached to the ship's mast as fast as she could in her panic. The sails unfurled further, moving the ship even faster! "NO! OTHER WAY!" Screamed Eagungad, as the anchor dropped into the water and ground into the shallowing sea floor.
The bow of the Honey-Don't was lifted into the air. Bellwise was thrown forward as the boat came to a sudden stop, smashing her forehead into the deck.
With a mighty splash and tidal wave, the ship normalised and ground to a halt as Eagungad and Leonard twisted the lever opposite to furl the sails. Leonard had sustained minor bruises in the cabin, and Eagungad from the walls and railing, but the two were more worried about Bellwise, who was blinded by the blood from her head wound.
On the docks Bellwise fell to her knees, vomiting old trail mix, when she realized she was looking at another pair of boots.
The tall, handsome yet unkempt human before her bore a strangely dangerous expression. He was somehow... too loose, smiling too widely. His longsword was dull in color, and slightly stained. Bellwise, for a moment, was unsure how to greet the approaching stranger.
"AHOY CAPTAIN!" He practically screamed at Eagungad, still tying up the boat.
"Huh?" startled the Orc
"Hum, why, let us observe... I'm looking at Teeth, smelling an Odor, and reading Orcish on the weapon... Oooh, laddies, it's three for three!!" the man shuffled his feet excitedly. Bellwise didn't realise the foreign word on Eagungad's weapon might have been orcish. Eagungad was visibly worried now, "Who is you?!" he shouted.
The man laughed. Guffaws of sheer, unwarranted joy. And then it snapped to sternness; "Mister 'Hambullfen Pike' to you, Eagungad!" Eagungad did not like that this 'Pike' already knew his name, a reaction that brought Pike so many guffaws that his body quivered.
Bellwise nearly leaped of start when she aw the second guest; behind her was an expensively dressed Gnome, decked in jewelry, gold and fine silk suit with clownish white skin and flaming violet hair that had to be dyed. On top of it all, his wide brimmed pointy hat was as tall as the strange little monster who wore it. It was clear he had not dwelt in the Wormwood, or the devil's twelve cities, for a little while now. How the frail, three-foot-tall creature survived outside of those accursed woods remains a mystery: Gnomes were not supposed to be able to leave home safely. "Introduce me!" came his shrill, unnatural rasp.
"FINE." groaned pike, much to the sudden stranger's ire. "Meet the glorious, impecible, esteemed Lord of Two-Hills." he gestured at the gnome, who smiled an awful gapped smile, a perfect likeness of any mothers most vivid picture of a perverted villain. "...And you may call me Maywyrd." The gnome said. He was greasy, sweaty and something about him made Bellwise queazy, possibly the overuse of what smelled like flowery perfumes.
"What do you want already? Tell me now!" Eagungad roared, about to lose patience with the - frankly quite strange - visitors.
"My lineage, the Maywyrd estate, is a long line of - erm - 'Scholarly pursuers of all knowledges'. Have you yet heard of the fabulous 'Word that can Change the World', Eagungad?" Maywyrd said with a hand flourish.
"Hum... No, what is it?"
"It's a rune, Darling, and you know a good bit about those, so I'm told." Maywyrd smiled again. Eagungad looked nervous. Maywyrd continued "It's a rune that can do anything."
"Money, power, anything! Anything at all!" chimed in Pike, eliciting a feeble kick from Maywyrd.
"The Rune grants one wish before returning to it's home. All well and good, acceptable behavior, but only for those you aren't in the know... You see, I know where it goes. I can get us there!"
"Uh- 'Us'?? Excuse me and mister Eagungad..." Bellwise said, boarding the boat and taking Eagungad to the side "Should I call for help?"
"Huh? No. Why?" Eagungad retorted
"Why? These people are crazy! One of them is armed, Eagungad, what else would we do?"
"Listen and take the job. Get paid, I thinks. I give you and Leonard some money too. This pretty standard stuff." said Eagungad. Bellwise laughed in outrage, but Eagungad had already walked away back to Maywyrd and his story.
Eagungad returned to Maywyrd tapping his foot impatiently. "Finally!" he squealed "Do you want to hear what we are paying?"
"Why do you need help, first?" said Eagungad.
"It is... A bit of a journey, getting there." hesitated Maywyrd, at which point Mr. Pike laughed. "More! Lad, the blasted Shadow Realm's more then a bit!"
Eagungad laughed as well, not realizing they were serious until a beat later. "...What? Why I be able to do that?!"
"Come now, Gaddy! I heard the Stories! You know a bit about other planes of existence!" said Maywyrd. their was silence. "five-hundred gold may change your mind!" he lured.
Bellwise was relieved; Now surely it was more fairy-tale then even Eagungad would fall for.
"Make it be seven-hundred." said Eagungad, narrowing his eyes.
"It will be six." retorted the Gnome.
"I do six and fifty, and I take my guests." Eagungad countered, Maywyrd simply nodded "Then it's a deal."
Bellwise was displeased. She almost left, taking Leonard back to Uncle Sax, whom might've even taken them back early. Probably not, the stubborn old coot, but might if he only knew what they were dealing with! "Blasted, stupid Orcs..." Bellwise muttered as the Honey-Don't left the harbor, bringing on another bout of sea sickness.