This choice: "We caught dis strange merchant sneakin' around." • Go Back... "We caught dis strange merchant sneakin' around," the drunk orc mumbled.
Bralga smirked, figuring she could use some entertainment. "Bring him here."
Standing up from her throne and stretching out her back, Bralga took up her battle-axe and propped it up on the table in front of her, resting her hands on the head of the double-sided cleaver. She loved to make a good first impression by brandishing this fire-hardened meteor iron weapon in front of her captives. Some of the celebrating orcs took notice of the movement and quieted down to watch as an oily, irritated voice became audible from outside.
"-and if you scuff these boots I'll have your head, you brutes! I'm due in the capital any day now and if- OUCH!"
The tent flaps parted as two orcs strode in, gripping the shoulders of a man rubbing a sore spot on his upper arm and throwing him at Bralga's feet. He was dressed exotically but elegantly in a thick black fur, with a heavy rucksack on his back and a conical hat hiding the top of his head. As the man looked up towards her, Bralga's hand instinctively went for the handle of her weapon at the sight of his visage before she realized the man was wearing a white mask, with two inky dots for eyes and a long thin line curved into a smile. His gaze seemed to drift upwards, past her sturdy hips and rippling abdominal muscles and heading upwards as he got to his feet.
"Aha, pardon me, I didn't mean to intrude, I just was intrigued by the size of your lovely...tents," the merchant said, his gaze lingering on Bralga's heaving bosom before he drew fully upright, which for him was still hunched over slightly, tapping his fingertips together. "See I was just heading west to-"
"Who are you?"
The man jumped at the sudden demand. "Er...Kyō." Kyō Naginata."
"And what made you think you could just intrude on the lands of Clan Head-Crusha?" Bralga said, a chorus of boisterous laughter erupting behind her. Kyō Naginata, cowed as the orcish woman towered over him, drummed his fingers together faster and faster as he searched for the words to say. "What's he got on em?" Bralga called out over the head of the poor merchant.
"Just a buncha silks an stuff..." the orc called back.
"Take 'em," Bralga called out lazily in response. "Then send this mewling weakling packing!" She lifted her goblet up to her clan and prompted a rousing celebratory cheer at the bullying of this merchant.
"N-now wait just a moment, you can get silks anywhere, why me!?!" Mr. Naginata protested.
"Consider it one of those payments you give to your own great warriors...whatsit called...taxes!"
"Perhaps I could trade for them back?" the merchant said frantically. "I'm...a collector you see..."
"You don't have anything else Clan Head-Crusha wants," Bralga laughed as she turned to head back to her throne. "Go back home and crawl into your comfortable bed."
"Are you certain? You do seem rather...unfulfilled..."
Bralga froze, turning back sharply to the merchant. The men nearby had wandered back into their revelries, so it was much like they two of them were alone.
"What do you know of how I 'seem', merchant?" Bralga spat back.
"Oh, nothing, nothing," Mr. Naginata said, steepling his fingers. "I just know quite a few warriors like yourself from back in the day. Great warriors, so good in fact that they grew...rather bored."
"I'm not bored!" Bralga insisted. "I...I am the greatest warrior in all the Dustbowl, there is nothing I cannot do!"
"Ahh, my friends said the same thing to me once, more or less," Mr. Naginata mused. "But then again, I had to wonder...what was the point of being the greatest warrior when there was nothing worth fighting?"
Bralga glowered at the merchant as he opened his fur cloak, reaching inside to rummage around. For some reason, in this light, she couldn't see any part of him underneath that outer cloak. How odd.
"Perhaps in exchange for my cargo..." Mr. Naginata said, holding something out to her. "I can give you this? I think it might solve your problems." Bralga took the gift in both hands, turning it over once, then twice. It shouldn't have been all that impressive to her and yet, there was something...
"Lurga, Jingor!" Bralga shouted to the two guards that brought him in. "Return this man to his caravan, take nothing from him and escort him to the edge of our lands." The two burly orcs looked shocked and confused, but one angry look from Bralga sent them packing.
"Oh thank you, blessings upon you, Bralga Head-Crusha!" Mr. Naginata cried out happily as he backed out of the tent after them. "You will not regret your choice today, milady! After all, Mr. Naginata always sells quality!"
Taking a deep bow as he made his exit, Bralga wondered for a moment how the strange man knew her name. Perhaps she was famed outside of the Dustbowl, she thought proudly. Returning to her throne as the party continued on, she looked over her new prize with interest...  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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