The Lore Of Ihnak

Chapter 10:Friends against disappointment.

Friends are the most amazing people in your life after your family. They are the unpaid caretakers,counselors,companions and the critics you have in your life.Where would I be without them and their help.They shaped my life.

They were not all orcs.Friends come in all shapes and sizes and the people we consider as enemies were our friends as well.yeah in different races as well.

Orcs,trolls,goblins,hobgoblins,demons,nagas,reptilians,drakes and even humans,dwarves,elves,woses,gryphon,merfolk and gnolls as well.the list is going to be endless but I have been given a time limitation.

The following week I started my campaign to find willing people to aid me in this big tournament.My family turned me down

My sister’s first response was a slap and then a laugh’”We received you but after the tournament you might be in pieces.Too small to count”Very encouraging words of motivation.

My mom was like, ‘forget it you maybe a burden but we don’t want you to die.”

My dad roared with anger at me as I told him my plan to participate in the tournament,”over my dead body you are participating in that competition.We don’t want you getting into more trouble than you get into usually”his white fangs bared as he warned me of the consequences.it took me more work to convince my family than to train for a month before the tournament and get people to support me.

Sandy was more pumped up than me.yeah she had a higher energy level than me and went around convincing guys and even gals for my gig.

Did I forget to say she had a great convincing power?ofcourse I did.She was one of the fewer pretties in town.And also in our town women were less in number leaving most of the guys in town frustrated and angry like me.

Guys followed her as she went from home to her monastery and the market.She was small,petite and graceful with a decent figure.Maybe it was her simplicity and cuteness why people were attracted to her.

Even Gorko the butcher ogre gave her an extra piece of beef while to us he just roared and said,”Pieces only for the pletty Lady”

She even got to stand in the first of the queue as everyone gave her their place without argument as who would argue with this beauty.

She got her monastery mates and some guys reluctantly on my side.very well.

From putting the posters to training me and motivating me.She did it all.

“sandy how would I attract people to my group” I would ask curiously.

She kissed me on the cheek as she took the poster and began writing some words.

:you are tough,agile and manly”She retorted back with a flirty smile.

The smile got me a little naughty as I patted her on her behind.

“I am neither tough, agile nor manly sandy why use lie_’ A swoosh of arrow cut me short as I quickly dodged it.She fired it. ‘Not bad you are definitely agile sweetheart”She added with a snigger.

“what is on your mind ?”I shouted. She quickly hit me with a club and I screamed in pain.

“you are tough as well.See you could stand  after getting hit>Even trolls weep after this kind of a blow.”she was singing this out.

Was she drunk on gut ale or olchor?Has she smoked the ganja?I pulled her close and smelled her mouth.

Suddenly I fell with a thud on the ground.i noticed she tripped me.Now that was enough young lady.I started chasing her around the makeshift arena we built in the abandoned workshop.

“hahaha you have a manly anger as well” She shouted at the top of her lungs as I chased her around the place.what an annoying person she is and yet still a blessing to me.

Raghnak enters the place as he asks sarcastically,”Are we missing the fun?”

With him he brought my benchmate at makrah,Musih the snobby and ill tempered girl who would beat me up. And vinik the hobgoblin jerk who always ate my food.

Nimble and light feet also deadly with her use of whip.not to mention she was training to be a blade dancer.A deadly class of assassins indeed  or should I say indead to make up a pun.-Musih was a dangerous ally.

Small and agile this deadly goblin was a marksman with his sling.I didn’t know much of his abilities though.He remained discreet this jerk named Vinik whose name I frequently mispronounce.

“ihnak you were being a lazy ass your girlfriend Sandy told me”He kept his strong hands on my shoulders as he crushed me quite roughly.he was strong and a good teammate for the event.”You really need some help brother so I brought some friends along’

“Puny orc need troll Nahmak’s help.Nahmak help gladly”I heard loud claps announcing his arrival.Strong footsteps reverberated the hall or the remnants of a hall we were in.

If I wasn’t to die of ecstacy I was feeling right now I would die of getting crushed under the beams and ruins.He sure brought some hope in the team as he was the number one wrestler of the area. Even their troll lackey  gork was intimidated of our champion wrestler in ways one could  imagine.We really don’t want to imagine.

Sahguh arrived with a bunch of target mannequins and archery kit. He was the most sporting and the fastest runner in our group. He represented my Makrah and even my group during the expeditions.He literally had wings in his feet and gave a hard time to the people even demons and spirits who chased him and regretted.

Fast and quick witted. He impressed the gals even when I was just crushing on them.He has been practicing archery lately I heard.Lets see what he has in store.No matter how cool he is which he is more than me.He cannot be a better archer or intelligent than me.

He wasn’t alone He brought the annoying hobgoblin Amah who always played a prank on me.The last time he played one.prank on me I was taking out thorns out of my behind.i was afraid what was in store this time.He was the master of tricks,potions and hullabullo which got us out of trouble every time and during most of our quests he even beat some monsters by exposing their weaknesses.He was another feather in my cap and a usefull fellow indeed.

I was still waiting for more to come as my quantity was ridiculously below and behind my dear rivals the khasnah brothers.

My old friend Askor the ogre weaponsmith also came along as I promised him that I would let him eat half my lunch till the time I leave the Makrah.That motivated him.Food always has such an effect on this Hunk of meat.nor female ogresses nor gold.

Chunk of warthog flesh or sheep meat or crumpets always motivated him to do something for others,He had great principles though.The khasnah brothers and Shom the Orc and his gang did their best to pull him to his side by offering free food from their eateries and famrs but my principaled friend didn’t like their “generous offer”.

However he was he was a Generous friend who helped me whenever my sword broke down or my spear lost it’s sharpness after impaling several human,elves and other enemies.

While I was practicing my sword strikes a few days later.i was tired to the bone when I heard a scream and immediately dodged the direction where it came from.

Sharp and straight.To the point the daggers went.i held the tattoed hand.

“oppa I got you assassin whover you are”

I was about to recall when I found myself weighed down and found myself in a net tangled in disdain and agony.

“Nope we got you” as I saw two slender figures walk towards me.The one who is the younger one Saing- Mosmih was freeing me from her net as she could only untangle it while the older one Saing-Myuhi  was bouncing her knife on the tip of her finger. The fiery sisters came to my rescue.

As they picked me up,”Hey buddy we believe in you and like the initiative you took in representing our makrah” They said enthusiastically.Apparently it was sarcasm or maybe my inferiority complex filled mind could not distinguish between praise and  critic.

“I hate those brothers they are total jerks the younger one stole my panties and I wanna make sure he feels hurt when he puts on his.”I could feel the enthusiasm in the voice of the older one.

“yeah and I would hang them up the same way they do it to our friends”She was a charged one the younger one.

The fiery sisters completed my team.I couldn’t ask for more.Throw me the Khasnah brothers or the entire hell.i can face everyone with a smile.A slick orcish smile.

Come what may I am ready.

The khasnah brothers and their ace rival Shom  were using town criers and getting their stupid friends either by fear or by luring them.I suppose the former was used more in frequency

They both are different parties but when it comes to being assholes they were so similar.They both liked picking on the weak.I was their favourite target.They both made gangs of single virgin and sexually frustrated males.They had only one desire and they were thirsty for female affection.They both were bound to get jealous when the girl they both ran after and stalked from home to monastery and wherever she went was so close to me.

I liked how their behinds were set on fire when I walked with her and wrapped my arm around her waist when they play with their little meat sticks.They were just idlers with tons of father’s money and no brains.

They had no productive work in their lives except for stalking women and blocking their paths when they went to all female monasteries to learn healing.They are crying at town squares and putting posters all around the town to advertise their vacancy.I was putting posters along with my bestie Sandy as my friends were busy posting elsewhere and to gather some funds.

I encountered those jerks in the market as I was about to change my path they caught upto me and became the usual jerks again which they were.

“Ouch what was that for”I asked as Sgahlak tripped me.I am stupid enough to ask explanation from habitual bullies.Its a habit and I don’t know why I do it.

That tall chunk of flesh and fur and zero brain gave an almost expected reply

“In this hot sunny day I am feeling so dizzy I cant see runts properly and kept my feet on the road.you tripped your fault.”Sghalak was laughing loudly.Very loudly it pissed my loved one so bad.It is really scary when she is pissed.

She is more fiery than a magma golem and more fierce than a gnoll captain who just smelled blood.

The very next moment Sghalak was scrawled up on the floor while my bestie shouted,”ITS SO HOT I AM ANGRY AND SUDDENLY MY FEET ROSE UP IN THE AIR.ITS NOT MY FAULT THAT YOUR BALLS WERE IN THE WAY!!!I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY EYES>I DON’T NOTICE s**t EITHER!!” She pulled me up and walked off leaving behind scared and mostly scared spectators.She is indeed a femme fatale.I knew how to tolerate but she didn’t.I didn’t knew how to kick ass but she did.

Rom the runty orc tried to pick on me with is cronies the next day when I went to buy some ale for my friends.

 Ragnak followed and within a few minutes one guy was hanging upside down from a tree.

One’s head was in the goose by the butcher’s.One orc took fancy to put his head in the groundhole.Three goblins were flying away.

“I know I am a magician.Ihnak save your thanks and buy us some rotten gall drink from Ruku’s.Our practice is going so well and you don’t want to mess it up”He said in a normal voice and he placed his hand on my shoulder firmly.For me it was a feat and for Ragnak another day in the office.

I am highlighting Sandy more doesn’t mean that others doesn’t mean anythingThe other friends were having some or the other contribution.Each of these monsters shaped me along the way I travelled with them.many I didnt mention here but I would mention as I met them along my journey.their names are written on my heart with the pen of zhamanak the immortal.