Aratus Hai

Now Playing: MMORPG Fiction
Topic: Double Aught and Beyond



The three figures sat at the little table in the back of the main room of the small tavern they’d chosen in an out-of-the-way little village called Glastonbury. The inn was busy, and no one took note of them – no one ever did. People glanced at them occasionally; for it was rare indeed to see an Inconnu, an Avalonian and a Half-Ogre supping together – but the glances were swift and quickly forgotten. Albion was a place where people cherished normalcy, and none of these three quite fit with that perception.

“So, tis agreed then?” The Avalonian, Tabibi by name, posed the question in the common tongue of the land, yet still infused with the scholarly accent of his people. “We have come together on this auspicious night to create a place for those of us who have no place in Albion. We, with magiks flowing gently through our ensanguined corporeal viscera, we who are looked upon as nuisances to be used then discarded like offal for a field, we become brothers in arms, kindred souls wih ties that bind greater than blood itself. Is this, large one, thine proposal?”

“Uh.” Kak scratched his head, confused. “Kak no unnerstan wot yer says. Kak jes wan frunds ter bashum heads wit. None udder peoples wan’ Kak wit’ em, so’s kak tinks him make own frunds. Eet treets nowe?” Kak clapped his large hands, with a grin splitting his face. “Mebbe eet guard fingurs? Kak like guard fingurs!” His clapping grew louder, the vibrations causing a minor earthquake, sending mugs from behind the bar tumbling to the floor.

The little blue man sighed, his eyes a deep black. “Methinkssss that ooooour large commmmpanionnn may be a bit oooover exxxxuberent,” Guruthos said with a frown. “I do nnnot likessss ssssuch exxxxuberencccce. Ssssstill, I, tooo, have sssseen disssscriminattion againsssst my kinnnd. I wold jusssst asss sssoon kill a humannn asss look at one. They havvve causssed me nottthing but pain. Yet, Arwan sssays we mussst abiddee by them – for now. Aye, I am agreed”

A smaller half ogre came up to the table. “Kak, ye large git, are ye done yet? I brought ye to my guild’s bar so ye’d have a place to talk, but yer causin a bit o discomfiture with the locals. Try to keep thy hands … a bit less busy.” He walked off, shaking his head.

Tabibi chuckled wryly. “I think we can see who’s blood has it’s Avalonian ancestry circulating more freely. Verily, let us seal this with a drink. I propose the name Aratus Hai, meaning Folk of the Outside, Outcast Peoples, or Outlaw Folk. We art truly outside of the human sphere of influence. We shall protect those of our clan with vigor, grace and fierceness. What sayest thee both?”

Kak picked his nose, smiling and nodding. Guruthos looked at the ogre, shaking his head with disgust. “Bah. If it must be ddone, it musssst be ddone. I pledddge mine waepponsss and those off my kind.”

With that, they toasted, and withdrew into the night.

***

Kak likin’ bash. Whin Kak seein’ summun commin’, Kak like yell “SMASHUM! EETUM!! YUMMEE TREETS!!!” It funnee whin sees wot pipples does. Unless dey’s bigger’n Kak, den it not funnee. It hurtee.

Kak no hurtee manee pipples, but Kak shore likes bashin tingys. Kak’s Da, Kakk, says bashun be wot Ogre’s dun does bestus. Kak dunno aboot ogre’s, but Kak shore knows Kak likes it.

Kak’s brudder do not like it as much as Kak. Him more like Mama, small, thin Mama. Him talk like humie likes ter talke, usin’ BIG words dat Kak no unnerstan. Big words make Kak feel small, an’ Kak not dat small, nossir. Kak Big.

Did Kak say Kak likes ter SMASH an BASH?

Styll, whin Kak left hoyme, left Da an Mama, Kak tink dat manee frunds be out dere fir Kak ter play wit. Kak no tink so good – at leest dat wot brudder allays say. Wot kak fin is pipples – humies, mostlee – makin’ fun uf Kak. Dem tease Kak, poke Kak, take Kak’s monee. Oh, shore, whin dey need sumun ter bash, dey calls Kak. Now, Kak likes hellpin folkseies…still, tho’ Kak ain’t smert, Kak ein’t Dum. Na too Dum, anyhoo.

Finalee, Kak tinks him make own frunds. Make own place fur pipples lyke Kak ter come ter. We kin play lyke wun big Happee Fambily. Dat wot Mama allays says, wun Big Happee Fambily. Mam’s purty an makes good fud. Mmm. Fud. Kak hongry now. Kak tummby’s romblin’.

Anneeways, Kak tink him make good frunds. Dat whin him meets twoe udder pipples wot tink der sayme way lyke Kak. Dey tink it am is be a good idear. One littlee funnee bloo man dat talks like ssssssssss dis an ssssssssssss dat, him was bein’ pickled on by a big groop of pipples whin Kak find him. Him tryinter wip der pipples ter keep em away, but dey jes kep gittin closer. So Kak jumps in an says de good joke at th top of Kak’s lungs - yells “SMASHUM! EETUM!! YUMMEE TREETS!!!” – an Kak den laff an laff whin all dem pipples started tryppin an runnin’ an cryin’. Soon, bloo man were alone wit Kak, an him says tankee an tells Kak tha’ th crowd were jes after him cos him orerated fishy wines inna bar an dey says fur him ter leeve cos them not want anneee bloo men around cos bloo men are dead wursdhippin guys an den th’ bloo man says dat whin him tried ter leeve dey all dercided ter kill th bloo man.

Whew. Sometimes Kak gits too excited. Anyhoo, de bloo man is angry an says we’ll meet again an him left fast fast. Dat whin Kak noticed dat de crowd commed back, an had big pointy tings.

Kak not amember much after dat.


***

When the Little Inconu brought in this Ghastly, Bloodied Beaste, I firstly thought that this must be a Fygment of mine imagination, as there is no possible Way that such a Small man could carry suche a Load. Mine second Thought was that perhaps That Which Is Holy mighte be Testing me.

It was Kak, mine Cousin. The poor Lad was always getting Himselfe into the most Dire of Predicaments, coming to me with alle sorts of Wycked scrapes, bruises, and other Woundes. Once, he was Presented to me with a small Axe head whiche had been Lodged between his Scapulae. The moste Preposterous part of this was that it had been Lodged in this precarious location for over a fortnight.

Still, this tyme was Different. The Half Ogre Cousin of mine was on the edfe of Lyfe itself, and he was oozing his Lyfe’s Bloode from a thousand places. When I started Towardes the unfortunate soul, I founde the tip of a whip holding me at Bay.

“Iff you comme one sstep closer, you ssshal sssurely die, Avalonian!” This Lyttle Blue Inconnu meante it, it was in his very Stature and Soul. “Kak tellsss me to commme here, but I do nottt know youuu from a ttttrollop. He sssaved my lifffe, andd I ssshall let no hhharm befall him!” The whip lashed out once againe, this tyme Striking mine cheeke. Knowing I had Prescious Lyttle Tyme, I called forth a quyck Glamour, Blynding and Paralyzing Kak’s protector for a moment. Heedless of the warm bloode on my cheeke, I Sprang for the, pulling all of the Knowledge I had Acquired and put forth a Torrent of the deepest Healing Spelles I could muster. All Energy flowed frome mine Body, Mind, and Soul to aid my kith, my kin, and I Prayed that it was Not Too Layte.

Collapsing on the Floor, withe Lyttle left in me, I saw my Cousins’ breathing ease, the Bloodey Foam arounde his Mouthe lessen, his Woundes knit. A torrent of Blue felle Between Kak and I, with anger and Torment flowing from the mouthe of the Innconu in what may have been the Moste Vile of curses in his tongue. A small Black Blade appeared in his hand, and he looked as if he were ready to plunge it Deep in my Throat.


***

There's a lot more to this, but I'll spare you - for now. earthwulf