Chapter 13: Chapter 13 : The Beast Appears
"What?", Lorthic asked Annabel as he was busy enjoying a piece of meat, that a particularly beautiful tribes girl had brought him. She was an adorable girl of around 18 years...probably.
"Nothing", Annabel said but kept looking at him as he enjoyed the meat.
"Delicious," said Lorthic as he finished the last bite, praising the meat while also complimenting the tribe girls roasting skills. The girl's face was quite red listening to Lorthic's praises, but that didn't stop her from smiling from ear to ear, proud of her work being praised.
"Would you like another piece, I can roast one for you in just a few minutes", The girl asked in anticipation.
"That sounds wonderful, but I will have to decline, I'm afraid I have eaten my fill for the night," Lorthic said.
"Ok, I understand", She said while hanging her head in disappointment.
"What's with that face?", Lorthic asked as he gently lifted the girl's head with his finger below her chin.
"You don't really like my food do you", The little tribe girl said with tears in her eyes.
"Nonsense, it's just that I can't take another bite, I promise", Lorthic said gently.
"Then...then can I make you something tomorrow", The girl asked hopefully.
"Of course", Lorthics words cheered the girl up before she ran off, but halfway throught she turned around and shouted, " I'm Viricia by the way", then ran off.
Lorthic merely smiled as he waved at her.
"You very friendly for a dead person", Annabel said sarcastically.
"What?", Lorthic asked confused
"Nothing", huffed Annabel as she stood up from her log seat and stormed off.
"What got into her?", Lorthic asked himself before an idea suddenly came to him.
'She's not jealous is she, that can't be, she was so afraid of me not so long ago, now she's jealous because a little girl brought me food.'
Lorthic rubbed his brows as he was trying to fight off the migraine he felt was going to come due to Annabel.
'I think I liked it more when she was still somewhat afraid of me, but now she likes me? I wonder what could have triggered this response?'
'Hey Lorthic, what's up?", Nevare suddenly plopped down next to him.
"Nothing much just got food from some lovestruck lass and got the cold shoulder from another jealous one", Lorthic said with a bitter smile, "Worst of all I can't understand what could have caused it".
"Hahahaha, you have two girls looking to catch your eye, and yet you are sulking because of it, whats wrong with you," Nevarre asked as he looked doubtfully at Lorthic.
"The problem is I am not interested in the kind of relationship they are expecting, well the girl called Viricia is expecting. Annabel is a bit different, I don't think she is looking for that kind of love, maybe familial love, and feels threatened by Viricia that might take my attention of her."
"That...that's very... how do I put it, how did you come up with something like that." Nevarre was confused.
"I studied their reaction and body language to gouge the emotions they were experiencing, though I can hardly say I am one hundred percent certain of my estimates since emotions and the like are not really my specialty, that falls more under an illusionists field, I should be around fifty percent accurate with my predictions".
"You know your sometimes very detached man", Nevarre said.
"Emotions are nice my friend, I cherish the few I have, but sometimes it is better not to have any"
"What makes you say that", Nevarre asked bewildered.
Lorthic stood up from his log seat, "It makes it easier to say goodbye when loved ones leave you, I have had to say goodbye to my mother and father, all my younger siblings have joined them, their children and grandchildren have joined them, the current descendants of my siblings are far and distant, I no longer recognize any of my brothers and sites traits in them, it feels as if they have completely departed from the world, sight... I apologize I did not mean to sour your mood, it is childish of me to brood over such things", lorthic said before walking off.
"Hey Lorthic", Nevarre called out causing Lorthic to turn around, "I do not know what you have experience, I do not know what you feel, but I can tell that you miss your family. That does not make you childish, nor does that make you look weak, it means even after so much time you have not lost who you are", Nevarre said.
Lorthic smiled, his eyes distant he could still see them his younger brother always wondering what he was doing, his twin sisters begging him to play with them, his mothers love and his fathers stern face yet kind eyes, "Thank you Nevarre, you don't have to worry about me.", Lorthic said as he smiled at the hunter, "I think emotions are sometimes in the way, but no matter what, I will never wish them to disappear, because once they do, there will be nothing left of me"
After Lorthic left Nevarre quietly sat down at the fire, whispering to himself, "When emotions disappear there is nothing left of me, heh... I'm stealing that.
...
Lorthic entered his room, Annabel was already in the bed sleeping or at least pretending to. 'We should be leaving soon, just be a bit patient child, I might not have much left of me, but my words still have weight and I do not promise anything I cannot give', Lorthic lied down on the bed and closed his eyes, embracing the darkness.
...
Lorthic opened his eyes to the screaming of tribesmen. He got up and looked outside the chief's house, the tribespeople was running around, some were getting their weapons, some were hiding the children.
"Wh-whats going on", asked a frightened Annabel, it would seem she just woke up and was frightened by the yelling.
"It would seem our guest decided to come earlier than expected", Lorthic said while reassuring her with a smile, "Don't worry nothing is going to happen as long as I am here"
"Mhh", Annabel nodded her head.
Walking out of the house Lorthis saw Braska standing in the middle of the village with the lesser undead orc next to him, he was holding onto a small scepter carved from bone, the control mechanism Lorthic had given him.
Nevarre stood next to Braksa with a spear in his hand while shouting orders.
"Get your assess moving, hunters grab your weapons and form a line, the rest hide the children and get behind the hunters, we will not let this abomination get close to our kids"
The rest of the tribe quickly got into line ready to fight, Lorthic saw Viricia standing behind the hunters with a spear in her hands, she seemed scared but she held tightly onto the spear ready to fight for her tribe.
"How brave", Lorthic quietly said as he saw the same determination in every tribe member's eyes.
'Well might as well join them, if I finish off this beast I will be able to take Annabel to her home earlier.'
Lorthic was about to go stand next to Braska when something came out from the tree line in the direction the sacrifices were usually placed.
It had the upper body of a normal man but its lower body was that of a scorpion, skittering into the light the tribespeople could again see the creature that had haunted their dreams for so long and the creatures that had taken so many of their loved ones.
"Where is the offering", the scorpion man opened its mouth and spoke, its voice was sounded like that of a normal person but none of the tribespeople was fooled.
"You won't get anything from us anymore you fucking hybrid cocksucker", Nevarre yelled out as he brandished his spear ready to fight.
"I agree, you have plagued our village for long enough today is the day you die," Braska said as he raised the scepter in his left hand while in his right hand he held some red powder.
The lesser undead orc raised what seemed to be a massive club made from a tree.
"Roar", With an unholy roar it charged the scorpion man, Nevarre quickly following it, ready to give it support. Braska on the other hand started chanting something as the red powder started glowing red.
"Foolish Humans, you dare challenge me, for this you will pay!!!"
The scorpion man yelled in anger as he charged at the Lesser undead his scorpion pincers opened, ready to rip it to pieces while his upper body started to chant a spell of its own, causing a strange form of dark energy to surround its human arms.
Lorthic stood back, he was ready to strike at any time but first, he wanted to see what his allies were capable of. But that didn't stop him from scanning the scorpion man.
<Sytem>
<Name: Unknown>
<Race: Girtablilu>
<Class: Mage>
<Level: 100>
<Rank: Warrior>
<Tier: Gold>
<Difficulty: Effortless>
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone