westfallcorndog | AU: Welcome to the Jungle

The first thing one might notice, when transported rather suddenly into a jungle, is that it’s hot. Sweltering. Sauna-like, really, with thick and sticky air that clings to the flesh and mats hair against skin. Even the shade of the canopy doesn’t protect a person from it. It’s inescapable, like the buzzing of the swarming bugs, and the trolls.

Ah, right. The trolls. On Azeroth, you simply can’t enjoy a jungle without it being ruined by the trolls. In fact, there are a few a stone’s throw away right now, just across the camp. They were only barely out of the line of sight of the mirror propped up against a rough-barked palm tree, and any person peering through that mirror couldn’t be reprimanded for having missed them.

Now, though, when one of their spears sails through the air, they’re quite impossible not to notice. The weapon pierces through the thin mirror, shattering the glass, stopping only when its head is buried deeply within the palm. While the bouncing of the wooden shaft at eye level might be distracting, a person might be better-served to watch the troll that threw it.

One simple, cloth tent — and the scattered remains of three others — lie between the blue-skinned, long-nosed, boar-tusked troll and its wobbling weapon. Boxes and chests of goods have been thrown around the camp, and a long rifle has been discarded beside the burning fire. None of it catches the eye of the troll — easily the height of a man and a half — who points a thick, blue finger just past the newest arrival on the scene. He shouts something in his cryptic language, looks to the ground around him, finds another spear, and throws it with all his might.

It sails with practiced skill, long and fast, and it jets right past the first. There’s a squirt of blood and a bestial shriek, and seconds later a red-scaled raptor collapses to the ground, instantly dispatched by a spear through the eye.

The troll claps, and his friends behind him hoot and holler. Proud of his work, the troll smiles around his long tusks. “Lil’ hu-mon!” he calls out, then beckons with his gangly arms. “Ya almost was ate!” His company laugh.

“C’mere, now, get on over here!”

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

How long can he stay? Viatorus hesitates and turns back to the tent.

"I... I have to travel through dreams. Someone needs to be sleeping for me return..." He sighs and returns his attention to Harrowheart. "But I can't leave her here alone. I know she has you, but... Life is dangerous. I have to make sure she gets to a mirror safely. I'll stay until then."

He offers a pained, but hopeful smile. "Do you think you can find something for her to eat? If I tell her it's alright to eat here, she'll eat, and I can't have her going hungry."

Harrowheart's lone eye shines with a happiness that he reflexively fights from his mangled face. A night and a day, while such a short time, is so much more than he could have hoped for.

He nods at Viatorus' request and without another word he turns to disappear into the dense foliage. One way or another he'll find her something.

In a few short moments the sounds of his boots clomping through the underbrush have vanished. The bugs still call, and a trio of tree frogs join them, but other than this hum of the jungle night, all is silent.

For a time, anyway.

There's a rustling nearby -- the sound of footsteps. But it's far too early for Harrowheart to be returning, and those steps are far too light.

What emerges from the treeline isn't a glowing-eyed corpse, but a long-nosed, long-eared, long-limbed person in scant clothing. It smiles around its boar-like tusks. From the darkness, another like it appears at its side.

With only the smoothest of tones the troll asks the mage, "You here to rescue de little girl from dat scary ting?"

They've both changed so much, but still they fall back into their friendship as if nothing ever happened. As if the scars and trauma and loneliness never existed. It's good to see Harrowheart's smile, mangled though it is.

Viatorus watches the glow of Harrowheart's eyes until they become obscured by the thick foliage. Then, alone again, he looks around. He's never been in a jungle before. Not a real one, that is. His attention, however, comes back to the tent. It's as he's examining it, wondering how to fix it further when footsteps catch his attention.

He really wasn't expecting to see anything or anyone else, and it shows. The glowing orb beside him makes his wide eyes shine. It takes him a second to gather himself and realise he should reply. But, in traditional Durant form, it's with another question.

"What scary thing?"

The troll's laughter masks the whisper of leaves as his companion recedes into the underbrush.

"You didn't see it? Den ya just missed it! Tall and nasty, dangerous, probably tinkin' about eatin' dat little girl I saw."

The keeps his eyes on Viatorus and gestures to him from shoes to hair. "And who might you be? A friend o' dat little Explorer's League party we run into yesterday? Lookin' for dem, maybe? Can lead ya to 'em, if ya want..."

Meanwhile, under cover of darkness and obscured by the scrub, the other troll has crept to the far side of the tent. Quietly as it can manage it slips its gangly arms under the tarp and starts to feel around for Lynn.

Harrowheart. It's talking about Harrowheart. Were they tracking him? Hiding from him? If Viatorus didn't know any better he might have hidden from someone like Harrowheart, and tried to warn strangers of him. The optimistic little thought dances through his mind, but a learned wariness holds him still.

His attention falls back into the present and he offers a tentative smile. "An explorer... Yes. Yes, I'm an explorer, but it's alright. I'm not lost."

In the tent, a dormant Lynn is unaware of being sought out. She's oblivious to the searching hand and the unfamiliar motions in the tent around her. That is, until something grabs her ankle and she stirs. It takes her a solid few seconds to come around, but once she realises what's wrong she opens her mouth and screams.

"Lynn!" Viatorus spins on the spot and dashes to his daughter's rescue. Whatever the strange creature wants to talk about is thrown out of his thoughts.

The girl's scream sets everything in motion. The troll in the tent scrambles to grab her by the ankles, and with one rough tug pulls her out of the protection of the tent and into the sticky jungle air. It fights against her struggles until it thinks it has a good hold on her, then tosses her over its shoulder and springs up to full height.

Viatorus has the speed of a fearful father, but the troll he'd been talking to has the benefit of long legs. It bounds after him and reaches out to snatch him up by the arm. If he's lucky, maybe he'll get two meals out of this.

It's only when the troll grabs his arm, sending him stumbling to a stop, that he remembers the other creature. Reflexively, he spins around, thrusting out his palm and a sleep spell, before trying to yank himself away. He needs to go after her.

"Lynn!" He shouts, and opts not to share the same language as their attackers. "Faites une lumière!"

Through a pause in her screaming Lynn realises she recognises that voice, and desperately calls back, "Pappa!" The instruction that comes through the forest next forces her to stop panicking and start thinking. She brings her hands together and concentrates, slowly sniffling and whimpering less as she makes a little flame that she shapes into a ball of pale light that grows and grows...

There's no time for the troll at the campsite to defend himself from Viatorus' spell. The instant the magic hits him his hands go slack around the mage's arm. Seconds later his body topples. The unbroken impact of his chest and face against the ground isn't enough to rouse him, and he remains in the dirt where he fell.

The brute carrying Lynn, meanwhile, isn't perturbed by a magical light that isn't causing it any pain. It continues to run, leaping over scrub and logs, agile in its element and unconcerned with the discomfort of the human on its shoulder.

AU: Welcome to the Jungle

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject