Chapter 44: 44. Less Than a Week

The Townguard field did more than just serve to warn the townsfolk of intruders. The individual alarms could also be used to send repeating light signals to the pillar in the town square. Brunner's message was delivered where traffic was the most frequent, but there was also the schedule, to make sure at least one pair of eyes kept checking it.

It was less than a week since the ant warrior raid. Oscar quickly went back to the orchard to pick up Kalle, who had felt almost fully recovered the day after he leveled, and the original fellowship went to join the group of Salcretians that were not afraid of a fight and thus headed to back up Brunner's negotiations.

When they all arrived in a mob what met them was a group of far fewer individuals, yet they were evidently outweighed by quite the amount.

It was an Ogre clan, dragging a massive cart behind them, piled high with all kinds of items, primarily gleaming furs and armor. At the front of the wood- and bone construct was a pole with the clan icon. Livia thought it looked like a pyramid with floors, like the Chichen Itza. Strange, I don't remember Ogres building any pyramids from the books.

[Those are Island Ogres.]

The other thing they saw on arrival was Brunner in a full throated screaming match with what seemed to be the head Ogre.

"200 Silver for that shit potion, are you mad? With no discount for buying ten?" The Ogre chief had already reiterated the prize just as loudely, and he didn't look inclined to do it again. Instead he was eyeing the latest arrivals. It took Brunner another few seconds to notice them however. "I had heard the rumors but you island Ogres really are an even worse breed," The words were meant to be an insult but it caused no more than chuckles. The man was small, but strong. Ogres respected that.

"Oh good, you're here. I was just talking to our new friends," Brunner fearlessly turned his back on the giant two-headed brute, it might be foolhardy but both sides knew a break was needed to fill the newcomers in, and being reckless was something an island Ogre could appreciate evidently.

"They want to sell us gear, potions and what not. But they're charging even more than Ogres usually would. And apparently there's no room for negotiations, I doubt that changed," Brunner meant with their arrival, the Ogres were lazing about and chuckling, clearly relaxed, but they stayed in a tight group.

"Thas' right, our tings be high quality and do not tink we cannot see the smoke," The chief spoke slowly, and methodically in a bass voice that no normal human could replicate. "We know when our tings be needed,"

The townsfolk had been burning ant warriors for days at this point, despite their size the creatures were only fit for eating during starvation. And it was true that the battle had gone well, but three people, two of which were above level 20 had still been killed in the struggle, and many more had gotten limbs snipped. Farmer Redd for example, had been a pillar of the defense force for coming on four decades, but with his leg snapped off at the knee by the ant's giant mandibles, he was now reduced to waiting back in Salcret in case there was a retreat and the battle reached the civilians there. Even Harold's Spell could only help close the wound, and the local healer was equally restricted.

The words might have sounded like a threat, but it was merely a fact, the threat was in the size and obvious martial inclination of the Ogres present. Male as female, although the much smaller females were rarely seen in warrior companies, Livia felt certain she could spot at least one. Unless the smaller one was just young. And dressed in drag.

"If you don't like to pay sir, then we culd always have some friendly competitions for it, the tings for the loots,"

Brunner laughed in response and walked up with his arms crossed. What the Ogre chief meant was basically that they could let the Ogres walk up invidually to rob the townsfolk, and if they were able to stop them then they could have the Ogres things too. Duels over possessions, a classic Ogre rite. "I'm afraid we will have to decline Orfargaz," He got close enough that the chief had to lean over to look him in the eye. "Unless you mean all of your things, for all of ours, in a duel just you and me?" His twin hatchets gleamed by his side, and the way Brunner had been acting fearless even before the townsfolk arrived made it clear how such a competition would go. Despite the Ogres size and many full-time warriors, none of them could claim to be over level 40, such Ogres did not tread the outback looking for victims and deals like this. They stayed home and were treated as kings.

The chief eventually took a step back and broke the tension with a booming laugh. "Frontier Human's not afraid, I can see as much, that is good. That is power." Another Ogre walked up to whisper something in their own tongues, but the chief waved him off irritably. "If you don't want the tings then there is no further bizniz to attend, we say adieu." The giant Ogre ended the slow speech with a child-like wave, and all the Ogres behind him followed suit.

Livia almost broke down laughing then and there from the release of tension.

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