The Half Breed

The Dragon's Head Tavern and Inn, Vorland, the continent of Posiil, 1439 ATC

It was a grey afternoon in the land of Vorland, and snow fell from the skies lightly, stacking up to several inches upon the ground. Through the frozen forest alongside the road was a warmly lit tavern, still and silent. However... Inside the tavern. ''Errya!'' A loud smash was heard followed by a thud. Rather than using the basement which had been converted to a training room months earlier, the head bartender had decided to bring up the training dummies to the bar floor. The man mumbled to himself quickly jumping to his feet and disappearing in a puff of thick red smoke, reappearing in front of another training dummy in an instant, grabbing one of it's wooden arms and snapping it from the elbow, and then delievering a brutal reverse roundhouse kick to it's head. Which was covered in an iron helmet. He howled in pain and fell to the ground.

The sandy haired barmaid was situated beside the bar and she was enjoying the silence and her tea until a sudden smash filled the air. She sniffed the air several times before placing her free hand upon the countertop several times, deeming it okay and placing her tea down upon it. She then reached for her staff, and to her disbelief it wasn't there.

"Are you really going to do that in here?" Brea asked.

"I mean why not? It's pretty much dead and I could use some exercise. And a distraction from... Ya know."

"Kira. I know, Ven. She still hasn't been back here since." Brea said with another sigh.

The snow was not Bazoom's favorite kind of weather to trudge around in, but she couldn't control the climate like a wizard or one of those magic types, so grinning to bear it was the best course of action. Didn't help to conceal her activities either, with her hands around an elf's throat, keeping him pinned against a tree while he thrashed around and tried to fish for his dagger. The half-orc was a powerhouse, a brick wall with tusks that would need more than a lanky man to knock her over. When he started swinging a blade around though, his chances of survival went from nil to slim.

"Rrgh!" She growled, now bashing his head against the tree he was pinned against. Once. Twice. Three times. Many more after that, until his movements ceased, and the bark was chipped away enough to reveal some ruby red plasma from the obvious wound in the back of his head. She grunted, letting him go so he could collapse into the snow before her.

"I tolds ya'! Don' steal from me, but you ain't eva' listen!"

Yelling at a possibly deceased body on the ground didn't look good if someone were to look from the outside. "Damn it..." She swore, shaking her hands out and starting to walk away, before looking back at the blonde-haired knife ear bandit.

"Tshh... I need a drink.." She kept walking, intent on that tavern they were both heading towards before their altercation broke out. Wasn't far, just a few minutes up the beat-in snowy path before she let herself in the front doors. The front porch was slick with some ice and even more white stuff, so getting inside was priority one, before she became a green popsicle.

''Rrgh!'' He jumped up again, the mark on the back of his hand flashed greenish white and one of the dummies was blasted with a powerful gust of wind, tearing it's burlap and tearing off some of the crude metal armor Venser had placed on it. It hit the wall with a hard thud, the bits and pieces of armor clattering against the floor.

''Tsk! Ah!'' The handsome bearded man was swearing under his breath and hopping on one foot. ''Good enough... Just should get some drinks, hot chocolate, knitting. Mhm!'' Several weapons were stacked messily on one of the tables, he gripped a random iron warhammer in a green aura and flung it behind him, sending it flying over the balcony and downstairs.

"Oh wait boss don't!"

Brea stood there awkwardly as multiple crashes and words could be heard before she quietly returned to her spot beside the bar, letting out a sigh and rubbing her temples. "And the shadow tendrils easily repair it... I know. I think I'm going to go take a break in my room." She said walking off.

Bazoom was looking around to see what was good. It seemed mostly quiet except for a scuffle going on upstairs. The wooden floors creaked loudly, enough to where she could hear it down here. "Eh?" Might be good to watch. Just as she was starting to walk however, a crude looking warhammer came flying in her direction from the source of said scuffle.

"EY!" She called out, catching the hammer by it's grip and shaking her arm out, the kinetic force rattling her a bit. "Eugh, you's gettin' it real good.." She stomped up the wood board stairs, creaking and stressed under her combined weight of toned muscle and gear that clanked when she really got moving. Once upstairs, she pointed using the hammer to those present.

"Ey, you throwin' shit! Almos' took my 'ead off!"

''Sorry! Sorry!'' He winced and hopped over to the bar accidently knocking over the woman's tea. ''So sorry!'' He clapped his hands twice to summon a shadowy silhoutte version of himself, complete with the messy yet stylish hair, entertainer's tunic, and belt with many items hanging from it. The man put his bright red boot down and hobbled over to the table full of weapons from a wide variety and was about to shout a third sorry, before he saw the woman that came up the stairs. He opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing and closed it, looking to the half-orc.

He extended his left hand and trapped a simple Pryldahnian gladius in a green aurax pulling it into his hand and backing up, his eyes scanning over the greentusk that had just walked in. Though, unlike all the others he had slain in the past, she was much more humanoid and actually kind of hot, and hadn't attacked him yet. And seemed much more intelligent.

The greenskin looked enraged. Never a good thing to do when you're in an awkward space to move around in. Tables and counters didn't slow them down much. "Nnng.." She snarled, looking down at the hammer in her hand. Then up to the human who was hobbling about. Issuing sorries and conjuring up... Whoa. He one of them magical ones?

"Ehh..." Not something she saw often. Put caution out there whenever she saw things get poofed from thin air. "Fuhget it... I need a drink." Bazoom muttered, before crushing the warhammer down onto one of the rails that overlooked the eating room, leaving it stuck there in the wood.

''Oh wow ummm. Right. Good I don't want to get into an actual fight either right now. Have we met before? I've only met a greentusk woman like yourself once... And she said hey you're a good hooman and then a place got wrecked... Maybe I was just drunk because we don't see your kind this far out here." Ven said as he followed the greenskin. ''So, whatever on the house. Take any of those weapons if you'd like. Dunno if any of them are suited for what I'm going to kill...''

The sandy haired barmaid sipped at her tea, curling up in her room with a warm blanket and a good book as she tried to relax.

"Bleh, I don' need weapons. I gots em. And I'm a half orc." Bazoom jutted a thumb to her back. "Huh... I fink I's rememberin' it.." She scratched her head again, before making her way toward the bar to get a drink finally. "Heh. Sounds like summin' I'd say... And do. I guess y'aint too bad if I let ya live." She crossed her arms over her chest while staring him down. "Don' throw a hammer at me again doe. Not givin' ya buncha' chances."

• El had been still standing at the top of the steps. She had given a greeting but she noticed the other patrons were tied up in their own things. She sighed and she turned . walking elegantly towards the service counter she had every intention of fixing herself a drink. Of course it was then that lu and kuro entered and el giggled a little * my lu and kuro* she smiled *

He disappeared in a puff of thick red smoke and reappeared the bar, grabbing several tankards and slamming them down on the bar. ''''So lemme guess, mead? Rum? Bourbon? Grapefruit beer?"

Bazoom grunted loudly, finding a stool to sit in and get comfy for a moment. "Rum, an' lemme get a bed fer the night. Like hell I'm sleepin' out der again..." She hated going out there. Not like back home. It bit at you, freezing skin and killing you slowly. Not like the sun, just gotta drink water and stuff.

'''Yesterday I was at another tavern trying the cider... I think... Or was I wandering around a warehouse? Or were me and her drinking together, having a little R and R and then destorying that tavern and then plundering it with her friends?'' He tried to recall if they had actually met before, but he was sure he would have remembered such an encounter. Drunk or high regardless. "I do remember a New Years party a little over a week ago and visiting an old friend..."

Bazoom was getting comfier in her stool, hearing it cry out in distress while it supported her combined weight. "Mmm..." She flexed her arms out, rolling her shoulders, and generally getting more limber. "Uh." Seemed like the humie was spaced out for a moment, before he snapped back to reality. "Yest'eday? I was walkin' in knee high snow. Hate dat shit..."

"Right. Sounds like you need some booze in you!'' He said pushing several tankards forward. ''And a room for the night as well.'' He cleared his throat and rapped his knuckled on the bar again, clearly deep in thought. ''... And... Hold on.'' He ran his hands up and down his body, patting himself down and began to fumble around in the many pouches of his belt, all before he got to serving and telling her the story of his duel and his other adventures in the previous year.

"... Considerin' what you's tellin' me, yer a tuff ole' boy. Tuff enuff not ta' sweat if shit's goin' down." A positive trait in her mind. That's the kind of people she preferred being around. Even if they can't fight for shit, being durable as well tempered steel meant a lot. "Ehhh yeh, room sounds reeeeal nice.."

''I am a tough ol' boy, I've been a mercenary for several years and I know theres a lot running around in the world but... I dunno. Adventuring, selling my sword all that just comes natural I suppose.'' He picked up one of the many tankards of assorted liquors he placed before the greenskin and took a heavy swig, wincing a bit.

"Mhm. Straight bourbon. Ahhh... Mfph wow I need some water!"

Bazoom took one of the tankards and began drinking it. Deciding she'd waited long enough. She was hasty, with tongue flicking out to lick the lining, and mead spilling down onto her cleavage. Staining her skin with heady alcohol while she guzzled down the sweet, sweet nectar. One down, another to go. Rinse and repeat, albeit more messy as she shotgunned booze that you really shouldn't be shotgunning. Second tankard down, she wiped her mouth off with her arm, before shaking her head out.

"Whoof... damn. Das a good way ta' warm up..."

'''Yes... Yes it is.'' The bearded bartender said with a smile clinking his tankard with the greenskin's, taking yet another heavy swig of mead, despite it not being his personal preference of drink.

Time may have begun to blur as she drank more, toasting with the bartender sometimes to make sure he wasn't just a drunken haze in her mind. "Mm.. been a lotta days since I drink like dis. Das too long, y'know? I needsa get home. Ain't a place fer summin' like me." She shook her head again to hopefully get her thoughts all in order. Already hard enough for an orc, worse when they're drinking. "Wheresa' boat around here?"

''You come off a boat? Wh- Hic! What boat? Far to the east or... Where do you come from? And what was your name again?'' He asked clapping his hands together again, calling for a shadow version of himself to bring some mulled wine. ''Oh!'' With his free hand he fished several crinkled papers from his pockets and set the mess down on the bar.

"Not like, a home home. Jus' back in da' badlands where is nice an' warm. Mebbe click in wiff a group, a town. We ain't too liked, but deys like our booze and metal. Sure I can fit in ifn' I don' choke an' kill humies." She nodded, looking down a the bar that was now covered in crinkled papers and stuff. "Uh..."

''Speaking of choking and killing...'' He uncrinkled some of them and showed her a few contracts he had torn off some notice board. ''Wanna help me out with some some bandits hold up for the winter? Stealing food from a nearby town?"

Bazoom looked down at the uncrinkled papers now, squinting to read through her haze. "Duh..." Reading was slow, but she wasn't as dumb as some of the others. "I get paid, neh? Cause if I get paid, you's bet I can do it." Bandits and... Goblins and other orcs. "Well. Not like I got nuffin' else ta' do 'round here..."

''We both get paid and you get to do what you do best.'' The man said with a smug smile. He himself was in his mid thirties, his rich dark hair that had tousled griminess which promised finesse. He had strong arched brows and eyelashes so thick it demanded confidence, strength. Attack eyebrows! A prominent jaw curved gracefully around and the strength of his neck showed in the twining cords of muscle that shaped his entire body. He nodded his head and gestured to the contract. ''You can take silver for this... And you can read directions right?"

The half-orc shook her head while she struggled to keep eyes on the bartender. Wasn't it strange a guy was serving her drinks instead of a blonde wench who was begging to get licked out? "I uh. Maybe?" She shrugged, before taking the paper for herself, looking closer at the illustrations, and then folding it to stuff between her tits for safekeeping. Might need it when claiming their reward. "I bet ya know, dontcha'?"

''Hm, yeah maybe I'll sit this one out since I'm trying to quit the whole running off to bounty hunt thing..." The handsome bearded man commented watching her stuff the contract between her tits. ''Perfect place to keep it! Gonna need it when we're through clearing them out.'' He grabbed his own tankard and moved around the bar, plopping himself down beside the she-orc. He let out a sigh and raised it to his lips. Before the metal touched his lips he set it down. ''If we're going to be adventuring together then we should know each other names. I'm Venser.''

The green skinned half orc babe smiled slightly. For the first time since she walked into this tavern. "Bazoom. Just Bazoom, nuffin' fancy." She didn't carry her last name anymore. Dropped that when she started hoofing it across the world. She took another sip of her booze, licking her lips slowly. "Mh. Nice ta' meetcha, Venser. Again. Accordin' ta' you."

''Probably mistaking you for another orc...'' He looked beside him to Bazoom and raised his hand above his head, and then hers, to compare their heights. ''I believe the other one was shorter than me... But never the less, nice to meetcha too Bazoom.''

"Funny you meetin' 'nother orc round here. Ain't a place hang round, y'know?" She jutted a finger at the damn snow outside. "Yeh well. I gots my da's genes I guess. He was big as a mountain. Built like one too. Like me." The big muscular woman rolled an arm out to flex, and curl it back to accentuate the raw powerhouse strength she possessed.

"Huah!"

Funny she knew what genes were. Or the fact she hadn't acknowledged the fact that there was such thing as a ''short orc''. He nodded his head in affirmation and patted her arm when she flexed it. '

''You must have been the finest warrior of your clan.'' Venser squeezed it a few times.

The half breed flexed harder when he squeezed the slab of muscle. "Ha HA. I did knock sum 'eads around. Plus I gots my gurls on my back, see?" She shrugged her shoulder. Both hammers rattle in her gear. "Being half orc dey threw me out doe. Gotsa' kickstart my own thing. Ain't finna be a chief wife er summin'."

Venser let go of her arm and then wrapped his arm around her. ''Start your own thing. Going on an adventure... Several of them is a great place to start! Earning all the silver and all the mead we can! An ocean of mead!''

Felt tugged in his direction when he roped around her like that, her stool creaking even more. "Ehh, das true. S'what I'm doin'. Still young, fulla' muscle and anger, and drink likes a fish." She nodded, before rolling her ruby red hues. "Ocean a' mead is a goal... Maybe I'll sell it all and make loadsa' money. Then retire. Wears them frilly dresses and bump shoulders with pompy people."

The bearded bartender laughed. ''You in a dress? You kill me.'' His emerald eyes that looked like they were plucked from the skull of a snake look over her. ''Not exactly a chainmail bikini but... How about the same armor you have on now... Just with the strongest metal coin can get you.''

"Tsh. Betchu'd liked chainmail kini's." She grinned, before punching his shoulder. Not meaning to be injury-worthy, but her strength knew no bounds. "Dat'd be nice doe... Reeeeeal shiny shit. Get the gurls polished and sharp'd. Big stompa's dat could crush a skull. Whew..."

''And you know what a kini is! Ah ha ha!'' He punched her shoulder back, his ached slightly as he shifted in his seat to pick up his tankard of grapefruit beer. The handsome bearded man chugged the entire tankard before pushing it off to the side to start on another one. He glanced to the empty ones on his side. He had only finished one, and there were about ten more to get done between the two of them. He frowned, but his usual smile reappeared after a few moments.

''Yeah that'd be nice...'' The bearded bartender turned in his seat to face the tall, muscular woman. ''You know, taverns are traditional place for the adventurers to meet. So you could totally join me and we'll start our own party, and I have private room here. So to speak.''

"Yeh I do! I seen em'! Just can' find a good one ta' hold mah other gurls back..." Bazoom gave her chest a little shake. The top she wore now was constricted to her plates, needing the resistance to keep her chest held back from spilling free.

"Weeeell yeah. Taverns er' good places ta' meet people, if dats yer thing.... team up den? Even got yer own privvy room? Shiiit."

''Stick with me and I'll find you a good enough kini for your girls...'' He said grabbing another tankard. ''Let's finish all of this and I'll show you my privvy room.''

"Ha. Gonna show me all yer fancy stuff?" The half-orc mused, smacking an empty tankard aside to drink another one. Eventually just holding one in each hand so she can dual-wield drinks. A very ambidextrous orc for sure. "Geugh..." It didn't take long for the meads to start clearing out. Empties littering the counter, and on the ground around her.

"Phew... puttin' em back likes I'm a youngin' again..."

Several drinks later... The barrel of mead that the shadow tendrils had brought up from the basement was empty and all of the tankards he had neatly stacked behind the bar had been used, and now littered the counter.

''Yer shexy. Hic! Yer shexyiness levels are...'' Again, he raised his hands up to compare their heights but now he raised his hand as high as it could go. The front of his crimson and turqouise tunic had been stained with the mead after spilling so much on himself. ''Ehhhh...'' With his free hand he picked up yet another tankard, it wobbled as he tried to pick it up. ''Whoop!'' His hand slipped and he spilt the honey colored liquid all over Bazoom's chest.

The half orc orc, though used to drinking like a fish, was admittedly more than a little tipsy. Drunk even as she had drank most of the barrel herself. "Huah... pffft, shut up humie. I ain' dat sexy." She rolled her eyes, though more than she should have, because she swayed into him a bit to pump him, which only made the spilled mead worse right on her cleavage. Slicking her green skin in the worst way. "Ah shiiiit... again. Gods I'mma pig.." She was too drunk to even be mad at him for spilling precious nectar. "Guuuh... sticky... Broken bones heal stronger... I hope yours are strong humie. Alright... Yeah let's go!"