The second day of my new life so far is kind of awful if I'm being honest. We've walked for hours and all we have to show for it is that apparently Wug can and will eat just about anything. I learned this after his stomach growled and he threw my fur sack into his mouth and yelping after the second blade from the rabbit got caught in his teeth. After taking a good half hour pulling the mangled metal out I realized that my new friend needs to be smarter if we're gonna survive considering that right now he's basically a walking boulder.
"Wug where did you live before the fight last night?" I ask him curiously as we stop for a rest. Wug's eyes harden a little bit as he sighs and plops himself down directly onto the ground, making the small log I'm sitting on jump into the air.
"Wug live with family. Family strong, mighty in forest. Wug not fight snakey thing at night, Wug Momma and Poppa fight but tell Wug run, run fast no look back. Wug look back though...Poppa already gone...arm and body not together any more. Wug throw rock at snakey thing...Not enough it make Momma dead too...it chase me.....hit Wug one time and Wug could fly....Then Wug meet Fur Fur." Wug says slowly, small tears falling from his eyes as his thick fingers slap at his face to clear them. Wug starts taking heaving breaths as he seems to remember the death of his family as well as his nightmare attack of the Naga King that he previously encountered. After hearing his story I realize just how insanely lucky the poor thing was to not die to that monster. Once Wug starts to calm down I start thinking and finally make a list o0f what we actually need to do.
"Wug I know its hard but can you remember where you used to live?" I ask gently as the ogre takes several minutes to look around us and think, his eyes finally brightening as he nods and stands up quickly. As he stands up his head and shoulders shatter a branch that was sitting above him to pieces, the wood dust and splinters raining down on us both.
"Wug think so. Wug Poppa tell Wug if lost follow punchies!" Wug says as he points toward a large rock in the distance with a huge crater in the center of it. We start following a large trail of rocks, trees, and cliffs that have similar craters in them until we come to an area where we can hear laughter and the sounds of growling. I tell Wug to stay where he is as i sneak into the brush and move forward until coming upon a small clearing that leads to a cave. As I watch there are several dog creatures that are standing upright and fighting as several small lizard creatures tear at two corpses in front of the cave. I watch as several more dog men come out of the cave carrying pieces of furs as well as random weapons in their arms, one is even attempting to pull a club twice its size behind it. Watching them i decide to inspect them to see what exactly we're up against.
(Gnoll Scavenger Level 2)
A scavenger of a gnoll clan. Cowardly creatures gnolls usually hunt in packs and move as a tribe. Very cunning a gnoll usually uses its wits as well as wild instincts to show cruelness and sadism towards its prey.
(Wyrmling Slave Level 1)
Wyrmlings that have been bred in captivity to be used as servants and cannon fodder. Wyrmlings are small lizard like creatures with very little intelligence. Most can follow simple commands and are trained like pets.
After counting 7 gnolls and 4 wyrmlings I make my way back to where I left Wug and begin telling him what I saw and asking him if he knows anything about the gnolls. Once I describe what they look like a look of anger appears on his face and his hands clench as he takes a deep breath.
"Puppy men always steal food and shinies Wug find. Once puppy men try hurting Wug but Momma threw Puppy man into mountain. Since then they leave alone unless we not there." He says as he begins looking around before walking towards a sapling nearby and uprooting it. I watch as he swings the young tree a few times before nodding then looking at me.
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"Wug ready hurt puppy men! Wug follow Fur Fur into fight! We beat up Puppy men and take Wug's cave!" he says excitedly as i turn pale and start trying to pull his advancing form backwards.
"Wug wait! WAIT! STOP" I start yelling at him under my breath as he moves me several feet with each step, Finally stopping and looking at me curiously. I motion for him to stay as I try to catch my breath. Finally after a couple of minutes I stop heaving and can talk in actually sentences so i start drawing a picture in the dirt.
"Ok first off big guy my names Noortain or just Noor not Fur Fur ok? Now these are where the puppy men are. There are only two of us and lots of them. Plus I've never actually fought before so I don't know what to do." I say as Wug's eyes open wide before he nods and squats down in front of me.
"Kay Noor....no fight before. Me never see thing like you so Wug not know how fight but Noor tiny, fast, more smart than Wug. Wug see small choppy stick last night. Sharp! Very good at stabby and choppy. Wug think Noor stay behind Wug. Wug has big body can protect Noor!" Wug says slowly as he slaps his fist into his open palm and smiles before starting to turn back towards where the gnolls are.
"Wug wait. That gives me an idea!" I say as I lay out the plan to him and he starts nodding his head with a giant smile while clapping his hands. Once i finish Wug nods several times before we start to sneak our way towards the cave again. Once we get within several meters Wug bellows at the top of his lungs and charges straight towards the group of gnolls that are standing around and fighting with each other. The gnolls jump up and begin cackling in surprise as Wug slams into a group of three and throw them all behind him before swinging towards a fourth that dodged the charge.
I nod as I run behind Wug and swing my axe down onto one of the gnolls that are dazed in front of me, the blade piercing through its upper jaw and entering underneath its eye killing it. As I pull the axe out I throw up on the body after hearing the squelch of the blade being released from the gnolls head, spitting the taste of yuck out of my mouth as i look towards the other two gnolls that are starting to get back up. I rush towards the closest one and swing the axe from my shoulder as hard as i can, my body spinning in a circle as the blade hits it in the stomach and gets stuck, the axeblade coming off after the dry sap finally crumbles.
The third gnoll is approaching me with a cracked mace, all the spikes are either dull with age or broken off completely but its actually made of dull metal and the gnoll is moving forward like it knows what its doing with the weapon. I use my axe handle to jab towards the gnoll with the sharpened end but the gnoll grabs this wood and yanks it forward with one hand while swing the mace in an underhanded blow with the other. I spit blood as i fly backwards several feet groaning as I hear the gnoll cackle before I feel a white hot pain in my shoulder, when I open my eyes i see my shoddy axe handle sticking out of me. The gnoll is smiling viscously as it walks in front of me and grabs the handle, twisting it several times, listening to me scream and cackling in joy at my pain. All of a sudden I hear a whistling sound and as I open my eyes again I see a blur hit the gnoll and send it flying several meters before hitting a large rock and landing. I laugh lightly before wincing as i realize the blur was the corpse of a gnoll, and looking towards where Wug is I see him fighting the other 3 gnolls with wild swings of the sapling. All of a sudden a dark shadow covers the end of a sapling and the end speeds up hitting a gnoll that was jumping towards Wug in the side, the creature entire ribcage crumpling as its body fly's off to the side.
"Shit that must have been his brutal swing. Wish I could get a skill like that." I mumble while grabbing hold of my axe handle and pulling it out while screaming in pain. Once it comes out with a wet popping sound I start breathing deeply while trying to sit up but all of a sudden a weak cackling is heard nearby and i grimace while cold sweat rolls down my back. The gnoll is limping towards me, blood is coming from the corner of its mouth and one of its arms is definitely broken but the creatures eyes radiate pure venom as it uses its mace as a walking stick and makes its way in my direction. After realizing its so hurt i force myself up and grab my handle in the middle as i stumble my way into a clumsy charge at the gnoll. As we finally meet my handles point enters the gnolls stomach as the mace hits me in my already bleeding shoulder, everything turns black as i topple overtop the gnoll and everything stops.