The orc nomad and his female companion. (Open)

[Gavruk]

It's always fresh outside. At least that's what Gavruk, the mighty orc thought. And his friendly female companion who's always there by his side to guide him through tough times makes things all the better. He is currently walking on a path with his three donkeys strapped to him while the beautiful Shawna is leading the way...

Maybe they'll meet someone today... Maybe...

[DaGlobster]

Varian scowled under his hood as he walked down the road. "Hate the day. Hate it. No stars out." He muttered to himself, but then he looked up. "But, the sun is a star. The biggest star? No, the closest." He continued, and shook his head chuckling. He idly rubbed his gloved hands together, sill feeling the cuts on them. He had offered some of his blood to appease Dagon as he arrived at the islands, and he had come across no trouble since he arrived.

And so he walked on.

[Gavruk]

As Gavruk and Shawna were walking, the encountered a man...

Oooh, a potential ally, they both thought.

Shawna waved her hand towards the stranger.

"You, mister!" she shouted, her voice melodic even though she wasn't even trying.

"You, come here!" shouted Gavruk.

[DaGlobster]

Varian stopped, and leveled his gaze at the two down the road from him. maybe I should have cut my other hand as well he pondered. The woman looked friendly enough, but the way the orc addressed him threw him off. He pushed up his smoked spectacles, which hid his eyes. He preemptively grabbed one of his gloves, preparing to take it off if needed. "I'd rather not." He said in a warning tone.

Suddenly, all the wind in the area died down.

[Gavruk]

"You come here or I'll chase and kill you!" threatened Gavruk.

Shawna urged her orc friend to calm down by soothing him with her hand. "I'll handle this," she said.

"Are you hungry?" she said to the man. "Travelling in these roads can get you hungry! My orc friend here knows how to hunt! And if you can't wait for that, we have beef jerky!"

Her tone was as friendly as possible, and there was a cute smile on her face. In truth, she thought the man to be a little strange... Something about him wasn't right...

[DaGlobster]

"One wants to kill me, the other wants to give me food..." Varian whispered to himself, and loosened up the glove on his hand. He had to admit, he was feeling a bit peckish, not having eaten for the past few weeks. Besides, if they tried to kill him, he was sure he could kill them both without a problem. "I suppose I've nothing better to do." He said, and pulled his gloves back on tightly.

The wind resumed.

Varian slowly started walking towards them. His eyes were focused not so much on the orc, but mostly on the woman. Definitely, peckish was the word to describe how he felt right now.

[Gavruk]

Shawna grabbed a cloth-full of meat from one of the donkey's saddlepacks and handed it to the man.

"Here," she said. "Now will you come sit with us for a moment? On the shade perhaps? The sun is fiery."

[DaGlobster]

Varian looked up at the sun when Shawna mentioned it, and chuckled slightly. "I must admit, it's alive as ever." He said, looking at Shawna. He weighed the cloth-full of meat in his hands, smiled. "Thank you for the food." He said, and his hands returned to his sides, the meat clutched in one of them. As he looked at Shawna, his mind started running. Perhaps he'd kill them anyways, as Dagon might require more sacrifices. Perhaps they were a sign from him, a couple of lone travelers ripe for the slaughter.

He motioned towards the nearby tree line and the shade it offered, and started walking towards it. He'd have to consult the stars when they came out.

[Gavruk]

Shawna sat down besides a tree, and so did mighty Gavruk.

"Please, sit down," Shawna said to the man. "We have a proposal to make."

She, indeed, have a proposal. And she's convinced that he'll accept it. It was, after all, a logical proposal.

[DaGlobster]

(sorry if I took a bit, was preoccupied and I forgot to log out)

"A proposal?" Varian repeated, unwrapping the meat from the cloth and bringing a piece up to his mouth. He smelled it, and smiled. Fresh, just the way he liked it.

Rather than take a bite out of it, a small, lightning quick tendril shot out from underneath his robe, snatched it up, and pulled it underneath. Varian remained looking at Shawna as a faint chewing sound came from his chest, underneath the robe. "Pray tell, stranger. What kind of proposal?"

[Gavruk]

(sorry if I took a bit, was preoccupied and I forgot to log out)

"A proposal?" Varian repeated, unwrapping the meat from the cloth and bringing a piece up to his mouth. He smelled it, and smiled. Fresh, just the way he liked it.

Rather than take a bite out of it, a small, lightning quick tendril shot out from underneath his robe, snatched it up, and pulled it underneath. Varian remained looking at Shawna as a faint chewing sound came from his chest, underneath the robe. "Pray tell, stranger. What kind of proposal?"

"Me and my friend here are wanderers," said Shawna. "We are adventurers! Although I lead him with most things, we pretty much do what he wants... And he wants more companions for his journey."

Shawna smiled.

"We're looking for adventurers capable of combat. Someone powerful. In exchange for companionship, we will feed you with all the meat you can eat. Gavruk here is an excellent hunter, and he knows how to smoke meat."

[DaGlobster]

"I have no need for companionship." Varian said, and stopped eating to glance at the orc. "And what, you assume that because I like meat, you're going to pay me with it? I think you assume wrong, woman. In fact, I'm feeling a little offended. Am I? I Am!" He said, placing his hands on his knees as he sat cross-legged on the ground.

He had a insane smile on his lips. In his small outburst, his tinted spectacles had slid down his nose slightly, revealing his one normal eye and one bizarre eye, which was a black void that twinkled with distant stars.

[Gavruk]

Shawna got disappointed by the man. She really wanted another person in her party. But he didn't want to join. And now, she had to let Gavruk do the most practical thing: Kill the man and loot whatever item he had.

"You know what to do, Gavruk," she told him.

Gavruk stood up, unsheathed both his bronze axes, and prepared to fight.

[DaGlobster]

Varian glanced at the orc, then at Shawna, and his smile only deepened. He slowly stood up from where he was sitting, and slipped one of his gloves off, revealing the horrible anatomy he kept hidden underneath them. He flexed his black fingers for a bit, small eyes and mouths sprouting on his hand and forearms for a few moments before sinking back underneath the flesh. He reached up, took his spectacles off, and tossed them to the side, and removed his other glove.

The grass near him stood on end, and he held his hands at his side, awaiting the orc's first move. "It's best you surrender. You can't fight the unknown, orc." He hissed, and from under his robe his tail emerged, the mouth at the end of it baring its teeth.

[Gavruk]

Shawna realized the potential danger of the ensuing battle. She had to get out of the way. She knew how Gavruk could be, as she had seen first hand his battle prowess. She got behind him, trusting that his sheer strength and constitution will get them by. Shawna went right by their donkeys.

Gavruk assumed his fighting stance. As he was left handed, the left side of his body was cocked backwards, ready to swing. He began slowly marching towards the man until... he was now just a few feet away from him.

[DaGlobster]

"Very well. I see you're not the surrendering type. Neither are my brothers and sisters." He snarled. The large tree closest to the donkeys shuddered for a bit, before it grew a massive, toothy maw and uprooted itself, giving out a bellowing roar as its branches limbered themselves up to become woody tentacles and its roots hardened up and coiled together to become four thick legs. It snapped up one of the panicking donkeys in its jaw and started shaking it around, spraying its blood everywhere as its branch tentacles whipped around, intent on bludgeoning anything nearby.

At the same time as this, Varian thrust his arms forward, intent on blasting the orc away using invisible force.

[Gavruk]

Now! thought the orc. The man was foolish enough to get in close range with him. His swing was incredibly lethal and would surely kill any enemy should he hit. He swung his power-arm sideways with great speed and power, knowing for certain that unless this man has incredible reflexes, would never be able to dodge.

As he delivered the swing, however, he was thrown aback by the man's magic.

Meanwhile, Shawna was flabbergasted by the killed donkey and immediately pulled out the remaining donkeys out of the way. They had obviously lost one mount now...

[DaGlobster]

Despite his best effort to keep himself safe extending his arms to thirst magic at Gavruk left his arms exposed. As the orc flew backwards, his wild swing connected with one of his forearms. The axe sheared off the area just below his elbow, sending the severed forearm a few feet away. Varian took the moment to make a pained yelp as he grabbed at the newly formed stump, the black flesh screaming in unnatural agony. The flesh writhed, and small mouths opened up to scream. Tendrils of black flesh sprouted and waved about from the stump, small mouths snapping at the end of them.

Varian started laughing, and tentacles ripped out of back, covered in eyes and mouths. His severed forearm started bubbling up, slowly starting to expand into a beast of its own. "An axe? An AXE!?" He cackled.

All the while, the tree held the donkey in its jaws a few more moments, before dropping it. It snarled, before charging after Shawna. behind her, another tree started shuddering.

[Gavruk]

Shawna screamed. Gavruk heard it, and checked behind to see what's going on with her. To his horror, he saw that she was being attacked by sentient trees. He rushed to her help as Shawna tried to get out of the way. This time, she couldn't lead the donkeys to her side.

Gavruk roared and charged towards the nearest tree that was hostile towards his still-living donkeys.

[DaGlobster]

The tree that Gavruk charged at turned to face him, drool dripping from its jaws as it charged to meet him, releasing some ungodly sounding growls and snarls. The tree that was in the process of animating split down the middle, regealing an inside full of writhing gray flesh and teeth, and lunged forwards, snapping the head off of anther donkey with its jaws. It swallowed down, and pulled itself by its roots towards Shawna, priming its jaws for another snap.

Varian smiled when the orc was temporarily distracted by the trees, and took the opportunit to heal. The bubblimg mass of eyes, mouths, and appendages that was his forearm lept from the ground and back into his place, forming not into his lost hand, but into a giant mouth at the end of his arm. In his other hand, a ball of green fire appeared, and he slung it at Gavruk, intent on roasting one of the orc's legs.