Author's note: Sorry for the long wait since the last chapter; I've been rather busy. Anyhow, here's the latest installment - if the demon and warg action isn't your thing, you may not enjoy this one that much, but I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out and I hope you like it!
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Chapter 15 - Dayna
The orc village was a flurry of activity upon Dayna's awakening. Orcs jogged to and fro, gathering supplies and weaponry, while Grotag and Kami directed the proceedings with bellows and curt gestures. The greenskin siblings seemed to be in a black mood, and when the elf approached them to say her farewells, she quickly found out why. With much cursing, Grotag explained that the elven thief, Pointer, had somehow managed to escape during the night. With the village preparing to march, only a few orcs were available to comb the nearby jungle for his trail and the new chief had little hope of finding the lean rogue before he made good his flight.
The news didn't bother Dayna that much, but she noticed Mila, who had joined the conversing group, stifle a small, wry grin. Nevertheless, the mage offered her commiserations to Grotag and Kami before leaving the orcs to their preparations and making her way out of the village and a short way into the jungle to summon the nightmare Aelsetur. By the time she found a suitable clearing for the summoning, far enough away from the village such that the appearance of a demon the size of Aelsetur would not cause concern to the tribe, Dayna was sweating, despite the relative cool of the early morning air. She knew the equine-featured demon would demand payment in return for carrying her back to Drasich, and her stomach turned somersaults while her quim juiced itself in anticipation.
"Boss," drawled Gomp from beside the young mage, "I can smell your cunt sauce from here."
"Shut up," snapped Dayna.
Valiantly struggling to maintain her composure, Dayna placed the figurine on the ground before her and pushed her will out to it.
Nothing happened.
Once more, Dayna gathered her will and forced it towards the artifact, but, again, the result was naught. "Shit!" groaned the sorcerer. "Why won't it work?" Her stomach knotted with worry. Perhaps the artifact had been single use. The elf swore loudly again.
"What's wrong?" said a voice from behind her. It was the orc Mila. The greenskin was garbed in a chain shirt with the baldric holding her large sword slung over one shoulder. She had a collection of equipment, tack, harness and what looked like a strange saddle tucked under one muscled arm.
Feeling a blush of embarrassment climbing up her neck, Dayna turned to face the orc woman. "The artifact I was going to use doesn't seem to be working."
"What do you mean?" said Mila as she dropped her burden and wandered over and looked at the small statue resting on the dirt.
"It's a magical steed," explained Dayna. Gomp guffawed behind her. "I think it's out of charges, though."
"Can't you just snap your fingers and teleport or something?"
"It doesn't work like that," sighed the wizard. "It takes about the same amount of energy to teleport myself that distance as would to walk it, and if my calculations were even a tiny bit off, I'd probably end up stuck in a wall or buried in the ground."
"Huh," exclaimed the orc. "Didn't realise it was so finicky."
"Yep," said Dayna, slumping to the ground in disappointment. "I guess I'll be walking with the tribe." A month or more to get back to the university seemed like an eternity - the elf could not keep the worry from her voice as she realised the head-start Kalliya would have.
"Well, I don't have a magic horse or anything, but I may be able to help," consoled Mila before raising her fingers to her lips and whistling loudly.
Dayna was just about to ask her what she was talking about when she heard a rustling in the jungle underbrush that steadily grew in volume. Suddenly, a huge, wolf-like creature came bounding out of the foliage. The fearsome beast leaped over the seated sorcerer to collide with a thud against the orc. Dayna scrambled to her feet quickly, readying a spell in her mind, but as she spun to face the creature she was greeted by the sight of Mila on her back, the immense canine pinning her against the jungle ground. Instead of ripping into her with its teeth, however, the behemoth was slobbering all over her face with a huge pink tongue, tail wagging furiously.
Mila was laughing from her position underneath the giant wolf. "Yes, it's good to see you too, old boy," the orc managed to say between chuckles. Scrunching her face and turning her head to avoid the worst of the tongue lashing she was getting, Mila introduced Dayna to her warg. "Dayna, I'd like you to meet Alagar. Alagar, this is Dayna."
Dayna stood there, mouth gaping, as the warg ceased his enthusiastic greeting and turned to face her. With a slow movement, the huge beast stepped over to the mage until his muzzle was inches from her face and sniffed deeply before sitting back on his haunches and inclining his head.
"He'll understand what you say," explained Mila, picking herself up off the leaf litter, "so try not to make fun of the mangy furball."
"Uh, pleased to meet you," said Dayna to the intelligent canine.
Mila continued, "Seeing as you're not exactly a hefty gal, I think he should be able to carry us both a bit faster than we could walk to Drasich. I'm not sure he can carry your imp as well, though."
"That's alright," shrugged Dayna. "I know a spell that can send him to a pocket dimension for the time being."
"Awww, c'mon boss!" complained the wee demon. "It's fucking boring in there!"