Fantasy Warhammer: The Dragonliche

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz rolled his eyes, clearly still not enjoying the situation much. But a small smile was present and noticeable on his face. Khazu was right, there wasn't much use being mopey about this, lest he wanted to be more annoyed then he already was.

"Ehhh then if that's the case, let's get over and done with." He added. "We'll be gone before Birkman can blink an eye."

 

[Da Doofus]

“That’s the spirit.” The Dwarf reached up and patted Lorenz’s arm. The muscled arm was almost enough to knock the human over.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz wasn’t prepared for the unproportional amount of force the small dwarf packed as he patted his arm, the impact enough to cause him to stumble slightly. To be completely honest, he never expected this dwarf, who was at least a good few feet shorter then him to pack such a punch, but there seemed to be a lot of things he didn’t expect happening these past few days.

Then again, it wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy that aspect. It was nice to not know what would happen. There was that excitement of the unknown that had never been present before now, and having it was such an amazing feeling that he didn’t know he was starving till now. Even if that unknown brought him to cleaning out shit in a fucking stable, this was still better then that boring old life he used to live.

Lorenz smile only grew wider then as he gained control again from the previous impact. “I’ll lose that spirit if ya knock my damn arm off.” Lorenz teased, before opening the stable door and holding it open for Khazu. “Ladies first.”

 

[Da Doofus]

“Ladies are always first when they’re with Khazu Ironbrow.” The Dwarf boasted before stepping inside.
He reached the rack of rakes and shovels and took a sniff.
“Boga! Smells like gobbo shite!”

 

[Chai_T3a]

“ACK!” Lorenz helped. His nose quickly crinkling, forcing the young man to head right back outside of the stable.

“Are the livestock dead?” Lorenz said, coughing from the almost choking smell. “Or is that just you?”

 

[Da Doofus]

“Oi. That’s too far, manling.” Khazu tossed a shovel outside to Lorenz’s feet. “Don’t compare a Dawi to a Grobi in the same sentence.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

"Sorry man." Lorenz said, raising his hands in defeat. "Just poking a bita fun is all."

He picked up the shovel, pinching his nose shut as he went into the stables. The smell still lingered strongly even with the extra measure, and Lorenz eventually decided that it might just be better to stop caring about it. "So then, where we starting first."

 

[Da Doofus]

“You get the ones on the right . . . I on the left.” Khazu directed before going into the first empty stable.
“Sling any shite on me, and there’ll be an entire page in the Dammaz Kron of that Grudge.” He threatened. “Otherwise, have at it, manling.” He added with a much more cheerful tone before driving the spade into a noticeably large manure pile.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz heard about that book. Wasn't it some kind of document where the dwarfs kept all their grudges? If Khazu was mentioning that, then he'd meant some serious shit with that threat. Probably be a good idea to be extra careful.

"Pffft, as if I'd do that to ya." Lorenz jokingly said, but clearly there was a bit of fear in his voice. "Eh, lets make it a race to eh? Who can get this shit outta here faster. Sound good?"

 

[Da Doofus]

“Ehhh . . .” The Dwarf shrugged. “Not too interested, to be honest.”
Another shovel full of manure was hurled into a nearby wheelbarrow as the two worked.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz wiped his brow as the grueling work, mixed with the foul smell began to get to him. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since they'd just started, but during that time, they'd found a good rhythm with the shoveling. Thing's were finally beginning to look less like a torture chamber from hell. Still, the amount of time it was taking bored Lorenz to absolute death.

"Got a good story?" Lorenz asked, pitching the shovel in the ground and leaning on it. "Ya look like the type to have soma those down your sleeve."

 

[Da Doofus]

“Oh aye. I may be young for a Dawi, but I’ve been here and there. Seen some things in the World’s Edge Mountains not many have.” He grinned. “You know this one time . . .”

The Dwarf went on to spin a tale of a small Dwarfen hold having suffered attacks from a pack of Trolls. Khazu was with a group of other Dwarf warriors with axes and rifles in tow, being led by a veteran soldier. A Longbeard named Gortim Marakite.
The journey took them past the hold of Karak Azul and in the shadow of Karak Eight Peaks. There, they found the Trolls were actually under the control of a Goblin shaman and his horde of Night Goblins.
Khazu expressed in detail how bloody the following battle was. Explaining vividly how he tossed one of the minute Greenskins into the open maw of one of the Trolls to be devoured in a bloody, pulpy mess between the beast’s rotting teeth.
The Shaman blasted away with his magics, but ‘wazzok sorcery are no match for Dawi steel’, and Gortim himself crushed the Shaman’s skull beneath his boot.
The group returned home reeking if spewed Troll bile and Goblin entrails, but returned home as heroes.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz listened in attentively as the sound of Khazu's booming voice filled the stable, and for once since he stepped foot in the stable, the foul smell began to bother him less. Having something else to focus on definitely made the whole situation much better. Even as he continued shoveling, his attention never shifted to far away from Khazu's story.

As for the story itself, Lorenz had never expected it to be so thrilling. As much as the thought of being in such a gory battle made him squeamish. Where else would someone tell the tale of battles against goblin shamans and trekking to Karak Eight Peaks? Hell he was so unfamiliar with that place that he wouldn't even be able to tell it on a map. That did bring up one other question though.

"Crazy.... Biggest fight I got inta was with my brother's." Lorenz added as he filled up another wheelbarrow with shit. "Makes me wonder though, how'd Mr. Hero end up dead drunk inna town filled with Halflings?"

 

[Da Doofus]

“Not really a story I’d like to tell right now, manling.” Khazu’s prior pride dissipated instantly.

 

[Chai_T3a]

"Oh...uh....aye." As Lorenz looked over at the now dejected Khazu, he quickly realized that he'd struck a nerve. Dammit, that wasn't what he was going for when he asked the question, now he had a sad dwarf that he'd have to deal with. For the next few moments, Lorenz would continue to scoop shit into the wheelbarrow. He wasn't entirely sure how he could produce words out of his mouth that sounded anything like comfort, he'd rarely had to do that kind of stuff before.

"Ey...I mean...if things've been bad, then your long overdue something good right? Its coming."

 

[Da Doofus]

“We’ll see.” The Dwarf shrugged.
A few minutes passed of naught but scraping of spades into hay and dirt mixed with feces to provide sounds within the barn.
Finally, the Dwarf stopped.

“My stuff is still in my room.” He said. “Grimnir’s beard, it better still be there.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

As Khazu brought that up, Lorenz realized that he’d left everything back at the inn as well. Shit. He’d never asked for a room before he got drunk. All his stuff had been on his person! And he didn’t have any of it when he woke up this morning!

That was definitely not good, not good at all. Chances were that whatever he’d left there was gone already. Less someone had been nice enough to save it for him.

“What a coincidence.” Lorenz said, laughing at his own stupidity. “Left my shit there too. Hopefully scar face s’keeping safe for us.”

 

[Da Doofus]

“You talkin about that Brettonian sellsword? Pah.” Khazu sneered. “Wouldn’t put it past him to pawn it all off as a bonus payment from Birkman.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz could hardly believe that. Whoever that bouncer was from last night, he remembered enough to know that the guy had some kind of honour and morals. He didn’t like bragging or anything, but he thought he was a pretty good judge of character.

“No need for the negativity?” Lorenz added, sticking the shovel into the ground as he grabbed the 2 handles of the wheelbarrow. Prepared to take the shit out. “I’m sure he won’t be that much of a little shit to do that. Not when that stuff belongs to someone as strong as you.”

 

[Da Doofus]

“You manlings can be a slippery bunch.” He grumbled under his breath. “Wouldn’t put it past him, like I said.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz only yawned as he continued the back breaking work. “You believe what ya want. But I’ll believe what I want too. And I haven’t been wrong in a while.”

 

[Da Doofus]

“Hmph.” The Dwarf grumbled and continued the labor assigned to the two.

The work carried throughout the day, and the two would come to be returned to the Moot capital’s jailhouse.
Night came, and the dark moon Morrsleib hung lower than the natural moon, Mannsleib. A good sign, as the green moon’s position in the sky would often be seen as omens for mortals below.

Still, the light of Mannsleib shone through the bars of their cell and colored the hay sprinkled floor with white-blue in contrast to the orange hue of the sleeping guard’s candle atop his desk. Near it were the keys to the cell and every door in the building.

Khazu was sitting on his bunk staring at the moon, his mind deep in thought.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz was absolutely spent after the long day of work. Tired to the point where the uncomfortable and small cot he was laying in felt almost like heaven. Keyword almost, back when he was working, his mind was too occupied to think about anything but the work, but now with the comfort of the cot, his mind began to wander. Finally, the reality of his situation began to set in. The longer he was in his cell, the bigger risk he ran of exposing himself and his magic. Not to mention he still had no clue what had happened to his stuff. For all, he knew he could end up becoming stranded here in Eicheschatten with absolutely nothing. As much as he believed that wouldn't be the case, he needed to see his stuff in order to at least feel safe. He held out his bandaged hand, staring at it as he clenched and unclenched his fist. If he really was stranded here, with such little understanding of the magic he yielded, he was pretty much certain that would be the death of him.

If only he could escape from this damned cell. He pushed himself upwards to sit on the bed. Eyes locking on with the sleeping guard. That stupid halfling with his stupid desk on the other side of the stupid ass room. Why couldn't he just move it closer? Maybe then he'd actually have a chance of getting out.

He groaned, slamming back down on the cot. He wasn't going to be getting out of here anytime soon. Sides, even if he had a chance, Khazu seemed too focussed on paying back his debt to help. And he'd doubt he could get out without the help of a few spells. Spells which would get him killed. As much as he hated it, his best chance was to just stick it out, and hope everything works out for him in the end.

Meanwhile, maybe a bit of a conversation wouldn't be that bad.

"Ey Khazu." Lorenz mumbled. "Ya came from a dwarven town righto?" He asked. "Tell me about it."

 

[Da Doofus]

The Dwarf stretched and turned his gaze to the young Reiklander with a soft stroke of his braided beard.
“Not a town, manling.” He began. “A mighty Dwarf Hold; built into one of the many peaks of the World’s Edge Mountains.
Karak Drazh, it once was and will be again.

I have few memories of it, as I was only a lad when it fell.” He spat on the ground.
“Kruting Greenskin filth.

What I do remember though is vast halls and warm hearth.
Haven’t been in a hold of any sort for a while, so memories are all I got, umgi.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Lorenz nodded, listening intently to what the dwarf had to say. He'd never seen a dwarf hold in his life, only a few words here and there from passing travellers singalled him of there existent. Even then, those travellers came far and few in between. Even with as little information that Khazu had, Lorenz was still invested in what the dwarf told him.

"Sounds rough." Lorenz commented. "You'll get it back one day. I trust ya there."