03. Reflections
Outside the dwelling, Bal’Aur stood over the water basin, washing the last of the grime from his body.
The night air gently swept across him, cooling him. A lit torch rested nearby, providing enough light for him to see his reflection in the water basin stare back. Despite being a half-breed of human and orc, the orc side dominated his visage and build. Yet despite that, he was still seen as a half breed by his orc clan whilst humans and other races saw him as an orc and all the judgmentally associated with that. Bal’Aur was sure that fulfilling The Proving would confirm his place as a true orc. The day had been interesting, the half orc bemused. They had tracked the monster attacking the farmer’s sheep. His axe had bit deep into the monster a number of times that would normally fell a mortal man with ease. But it the combined effort of him and the other three strangers to defeat it. One of the strangers, the man known as Gilles, had uttered a god-curse upon it and the creature was finally felled. But as the monster’s body lay dying, convulsing into its true form, Bal’Aur felt little pride in the victory, for it had been just a boy in his first steps of being a man. Whatever corruption had twisted the boy’s body into that thing was not yet known but Bal’Aur felt the compulsion to find out and stop it from affecting anybody else. No person deserved such a fate. The half-orc was taken out of his thoughts when he heard the door of the dwelling creak open and Mirabel appeared. Bal’Aur looked up at her - she too was a half-breed orc and connected to the Aur clan, though she more resembled the race of her human father. Both her father and orc mother were both well-built and this was passed on to Mirabel, but despite her strong physique she retained the key female “attributes” that pure blood orc women were secretly jealous of. For a moment, Bal’Aur could nearly understand why in some cases orcs may found humans attractive.
“Bal’Aur,” she interrupted his thoughts, “I’m glad to see you back safe and sound.”
She handed him a thick rag which he took to dry his face. He grunted his thanks. In a moment of silence between them, he thought about telling her what had happened earlier today.
Mirabel spoke first, “You know how my father left for Smolder Mine a few days ago?” Bel’Aur simply nodded and she continued, “He was meant to return this morning and after he did not, I got worried. Thankfully he did return just a few hours ago but he is not well.”
Mirabel started to pace back and forth nervously, “He was delirious, mumbling incoherently. I managed to get him to bed and called for Mrs. Eren for help. She managed to give him something to calm him down.”
“Is he good now?” Bal’Aur asked, putting back his shirt on.
“Better, yes. However he has not yet woken from his induced slumber. Mrs Eren said he was under the effects of a poison. Her medicine has fought off the worst and she believes he will wake up sometime in the coming days.”
Mirabel still looked very worried, “Mrs Eren said it would help to understand what had poisoned him. We found a nasty bite wound on his leg but we both had no idea what it could have been.”
Bal’Aur could easily read her face of what she was asking. “You’d like me to travel to the Mines and see if I could find out a bit more.”
Mirabel nodded, somewhat bashfully, “I know you have your own things going on right now, Bal’Aur, but if you could spare some time, it would mean a lot to my Father... and me.”
The night air gently swept across him, cooling him. A lit torch rested nearby, providing enough light for him to see his reflection in the water basin stare back. Despite being a half-breed of human and orc, the orc side dominated his visage and build. Yet despite that, he was still seen as a half breed by his orc clan whilst humans and other races saw him as an orc and all the judgmentally associated with that. Bal’Aur was sure that fulfilling The Proving would confirm his place as a true orc. The day had been interesting, the half orc bemused. They had tracked the monster attacking the farmer’s sheep. His axe had bit deep into the monster a number of times that would normally fell a mortal man with ease. But it the combined effort of him and the other three strangers to defeat it. One of the strangers, the man known as Gilles, had uttered a god-curse upon it and the creature was finally felled. But as the monster’s body lay dying, convulsing into its true form, Bal’Aur felt little pride in the victory, for it had been just a boy in his first steps of being a man. Whatever corruption had twisted the boy’s body into that thing was not yet known but Bal’Aur felt the compulsion to find out and stop it from affecting anybody else. No person deserved such a fate. The half-orc was taken out of his thoughts when he heard the door of the dwelling creak open and Mirabel appeared. Bal’Aur looked up at her - she too was a half-breed orc and connected to the Aur clan, though she more resembled the race of her human father. Both her father and orc mother were both well-built and this was passed on to Mirabel, but despite her strong physique she retained the key female “attributes” that pure blood orc women were secretly jealous of. For a moment, Bal’Aur could nearly understand why in some cases orcs may found humans attractive.
“Bal’Aur,” she interrupted his thoughts, “I’m glad to see you back safe and sound.”
She handed him a thick rag which he took to dry his face. He grunted his thanks. In a moment of silence between them, he thought about telling her what had happened earlier today.
Mirabel spoke first, “You know how my father left for Smolder Mine a few days ago?” Bel’Aur simply nodded and she continued, “He was meant to return this morning and after he did not, I got worried. Thankfully he did return just a few hours ago but he is not well.”
Mirabel started to pace back and forth nervously, “He was delirious, mumbling incoherently. I managed to get him to bed and called for Mrs. Eren for help. She managed to give him something to calm him down.”
“Is he good now?” Bal’Aur asked, putting back his shirt on.
“Better, yes. However he has not yet woken from his induced slumber. Mrs Eren said he was under the effects of a poison. Her medicine has fought off the worst and she believes he will wake up sometime in the coming days.”
Mirabel still looked very worried, “Mrs Eren said it would help to understand what had poisoned him. We found a nasty bite wound on his leg but we both had no idea what it could have been.”
Bal’Aur could easily read her face of what she was asking. “You’d like me to travel to the Mines and see if I could find out a bit more.”
Mirabel nodded, somewhat bashfully, “I know you have your own things going on right now, Bal’Aur, but if you could spare some time, it would mean a lot to my Father... and me.”
Date
Sune 2nd, 5249AC
Sune 2nd, 5249AC
Mirabel Kovac
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