The tale of the ogre and the blue medicine

There is someone for everyone

At least that’s what they say

But that true love of yours

Is sometimes hard to find

The men were cheerful as they rode along the narrow mountain road, the hillside echoed of their laughter and it was rather obvious that they had seen some action, and not of the peaceful kind. All three of them carried weapons and they rode huge destriers and to any eye who saw them it was apparent that these were warriors. The road came down from the mountains close to a small town and the three had been called to the place because of a huge problem. The area had been swarming with orcs and many farmers had lost everything they had because of the frequent raids. The winter had been a hard one and some thought that it was the cause why the orcs suddenly had become so bold. There couldn’t be much to feed on high in the mountains.

But now that problem had been solved, thanks to the help of the weapons masters and some assembled local soldiers. Those orcs that weren’t dead had fled and would probably never dare to place their feet near the valleys again. The battle had been a hard one indeed, but the victory had never been in question, the weapons masters would always succeed with their goals. The men talked while their horses trampled through the snow, their spirits were high after the fighting and they felt like they had to blow off some steam.

Hawk petted his huge brown stallion on the neck, grinned and turned towards Rheynek. “I have never seen an orc fly before but it sure did”

Rheynek grinned too but looked a bit more serious. “Yes, he did. But gravity was too tough for him anyhow. And I fear that Starwind has gone lame because of that kick, I feel her limping a bit. I guess she’s stretched a tendon or something»

Hawk made a grimace. “We’ll reach the village tonight, the inn has a good stable and a couple of days rest will do us all well. She’ll be fine, don’t worry! And what an aim she had too, I have never seen that many teeth in the air at the same time!»

Raigh laughed hard, he was clinging to his saddlehorn and trying not to lose his breath completely ”I say Rheynek. That mare of yours is truly a fighter!”

Rheynek smiled and ran his fingers through Starwinds silky mane. “She thought I was in trouble and did what she could, as did all of us. It was a good fight guys, a really good fight!”

Hawk touched the hilt of his sword almost lovingly. “Aye, I have missed that thrill, but I’m glad it’s over with. The farms are safe again and peace is returned. And the people were grateful, we’ll have quite a tale to tell when we get home!”

Raigh nodded. “I just hope that Jirhg is ready to leave that cousin of his. He is after all supposed to join us. The roads are not safe for a man who travels alone, not here in the mountains.”

Hawk made a wry smile. “Anyone trying to rob that man will have the surprise of a lifetime but then again, even an alchemist can die from an arrow through the chest. He is safer with us yes, is it far now?”

Raigh shook his head and reined Nightblade, the mighty black stallion still had plenty of strength left and wanted to gallop down the slopes but that would be far too risky the slippery roads considered. “ It’s just down this valley and across the river, maybe half an hour now. I wonder why he wanted to pay that relative a visit but I guess it’s none of our business. All I care about is that he is ready to leave and travel light. I don’t dare thinking about what his luggage might contain.“

The other two nodded and a shudder went through them both simultaneously. The weird scarred man sometimes came up with experiments that ended in either complete disaster or things that would make disasters. And it was usually hard to tell the two versions apart.

An hour later they had arrived at the small fortified farm, a brick wall surrounded the buildings and the place seemed like an outpost of some kind. Raigh wondered what people there could do for a living, there weren’t that many types of crops that would grow at that altitude.

Jirhg was ready but the small wagon he used had to be checked so his relative offered to show the three men around while things got ready. Raigh accepted, he found the structure of the site interesting. It was quite obvious that the people who built this place had made it with protection in mind. He found Jirhgs relative to be likeable, a man somewhere in his fifties with a well groomed beard and graying hair that had been carefully braided. He wore good clothes and seemed to be a very well educated person and he entertained them with small stories from the farms colorful history.

They had visited the stables when Raigh suddenly saw something that puzzled him, a huge bed of some sort had been built in a shed placed between the stable and the barn and he looked at their host with curiosity in his eyes. The man made a weird smile, lifted his arms. “A guest I might say. He’s been here for a couple of years now, does the really hard work around here.»

Rheynek too looked confused. “ Non human?”

Jirhgs relative nodded. “ Yes, a Mhigrat, a sort of ogre. He is big and ugly but completely harmless. Quite helpful and we have grown rather fond of him although he isn’t known for being exactly smart. Rather the opposite I’d say.”

Raigh looked around, he saw some over sized clothes and some huge boots the size of water barrels. “ How did an ogre end up here?»

The man lifted his shoulders. “ By chance, some hunters found him on the western side of the black mountains, almost dead. He had been out hunting for a short while and when he returned to his tribe they were all dead”

Hawk frowned, there was something suspicious in his pitch black eyes. “Dead? Who would attack an ogre village?”

Jighs relative smiled a sad smile, looked down.

«No enemy they could fight off. Ogres might be big and strong but even they can’t fight the Dalarian plague. It probably went through the whole bunch of them during a few shorts days. Terrible disease, it has even been known to kill elves, and that says a lot»

He shuddered and looked down.

Raigh shuddered too, he remembered a few rather horrifying stories about that particular plague. Jirhgs relative continued. “Anyhow, Bhalaz has been here ever since and he is a member of our small community, but I can’t say that his presence here is without complications.”

Hawk lifted one eyebrow and turned his attention toward the man again. “ Really? How so? Is he dangerous in any way?”

The man shook his head violently.” No, absolutely not! It is really tragic and almost comical but after all he is alone in this world. We know of no other ogres of his kind anywhere and maybe the Gods were cruel when they saved his life on that mountain.”

Raigh frowned. “I can’t see anything comical about this..”

The man nodded, made a weird smile. “ Well, neither do I really but there are some people who thinks his behavior is funny. We don’t really”

Rheynek looked at him, the hunters yellow eyes seemed to make him nervous. “ Behavior?»

The man nodded and licked his lips, seemed a bit embarrassed “Ah, yes. You know, he is alone? No females left? And springtime is springtime, the juices are flowing in everything and in him too. Very primitive these creatures, they follow their primal urges without much thought behind it”

Raigh swallowed, he felt a need to blush but controlled himself. “So what is it really that he do?“

The man grinned, there was something akin to pity in his eyes.

“Well, he never hurts anyone if that’s what you think, he is just.. ah.. making people feel uncomfortable, and embarrassed. He needs a mate too like all living beings and so he tries to make an impression to the females he fancies here and when that doesn’t work he becomes frustrated and breaks a few rules of decency.”

Raigh looked at the man with more questions in his eyes and he looked down and shrugged. “It’s only in springtime it’s a problem so we can live with it since he is so kind and peaceful otherwise. But he has scared a few of the women here yes.“

Rheynek cleared his throat. “So he is trying to get the attention of the local women? In a way that isn’t appropriate?“

Jirhgs relative nodded eagerly. “ You can say that again sir. He is showing himself, ah, his nether regions to be more precise. And he has been caught.. ah.. playing.. with himself?”

The man held his fist in front of his crotch and made some tell tale movements that made all three of the warriors blush slightly.

Raigh bit his lower lip not to laugh and Hawk kept a stone face, he was able to maintain his cools no matter what. He stared at the man. “Is he bothering all the women here?»

Their host shook his head again, he was quite red and looked really uncomfortable with the topic. “ No, I suspect that he doesn’t even recognize most of the women here as females. It’s just the few that somewhat resembles the ogres idea of beauty that is being targeted.»

Raigh had to smile, even if the story in deed was a bit tragic. “And those are?”

The man made a strange grimace, crossed his arms in front of his chest and seemed to check that they were alone there. “Ah, the cook is one. The Blacksmiths wife another. And one of the cleaning ladies has also been an object of interest.»

Rheynek cringed, he had to look at the sky to avoid bursting with laughter. He had seen the blacksmiths wife when they arrived. She was a woman of monumental size who had been sitting by the well knitting on something that had to be a horse blanket or something. “I.. I think I saw one of the ladies you mentioned at the well when we arrived. She was knitting a blanket?”

Their host shook his head. “No, a sweater for the cook. Also a huge woman if you know what I mean? He likes them large you see, and they doesn’t need to be beauty queens either»

Hawk made a quick smile. “He’ll go for anything large then I guess, anything that reminds him of a female ogre.»

The man nodded eagerly. “Yes, exactly. As I would have said it myself. I pity the poor thing, all he really wants is to be loved by someone like himself but alas, I guess the chance of him ever encountering a female of his species is close to none. Really really sad but like I said earlier, it is only a real problem in springtime and these ladies has seen their fair share of menfolk before so he isn’t exactly ruining their virtue.“

Hawk had to cough to hide his smile and Raigh tried to seem calm and professional. “I must say that I admire what you are doing for the poor thing. Some would have kicked him out of their community for less than this.»

The man smiled but the sad glimpse in his eyes remained. He looked down. “Yes, I know. But he is useful here, he does his jobs well and never complains. And with an ogre inside our walls nobody is dumb enough to attack us either. We just hope he’ll one day find some happiness in spite of his tragedy.“

The three just nodded. They had been moved by the story but there was little they could do about it.

The stable master came to notify them that the wagon was ready and they left soon after. Jirhg was his usual energetic self and was bursting with ideas, they suspected that the journey home could be an interesting one. As they rode through the gate Raigh looked behind them and caught a glimpse of the ogre. He was indeed a big creature, perhaps eight feet in height and wide and bulky with short legs and hands the size of whole hams. He looked quite human in one way but then again not. The head was big and round with a protruding forehead that bulged above small eyes that lay deep within their sockets. His lower jaw was protruding too and he did indeed look less than intelligent. And Raigh saw the sadness within that otherwise rather frightening creature and knew that this really was a tragic destiny in deed.

Just before the sun sank underneath the horizon they arrived at the village, it was a rather big community made up by mostly traders and merchants and a lot of smiths too since the mountains contained a lot of good metals. The place was rather rich because of this and the main road to the north passed through the valley so there were a lot of people there at all times.

The local inn lay just inside of the village gates, it was huge too and very well known since it besides being an inn also served as a sort of health retreat. There were some hot springs in the area and the owner of the inn had built a bath house with water from those springs and it was said to heal a lot of ailments. Because of this and the road the inn was usually very crowded but the owner knew that the four would arrive and had rooms ready for them.

Raigh stared at the front as the stable boys came to take their horses to the stables, the place was luxurious and looked very inviting and he looked forward to some pampering now. The last weeks had been icy cold and he had not had a bath for several days.

He sighed and followed the other three indoors where the owner greeted them and acted like he thought they had saved the very world itself. He eagerly pronounced that everything would be on the house and they could get everything they wanted. They had an excellent cook and their wine cellar was famous too. Raigh blushed a bit and told that they first and foremost needed a bath and some clean clothes and then a good meal with some good mead. The two others agreed completely and the owner sprang into action and barked orders to the servants who came running like they had an army of monsters behind them. Before few minutes were passed the three found themselves placed in a bathtub each with hot water up to their ears and their filthy clothes had been taken away to be washed.

Raigh felt tired, almost half asleep but he had to stay awake long enough to eat at least. He had not eaten much the last days and even his great strength needed to be nurtured. He looked forward to some good meat and felt his mouth water just from the thought of it.

When the men had washed and gotten some clean outfits on they went to the great hall were food would be served. A table was ready for them and there had already been placed a lot of huge bowls and plates on it. And it smelled heavenly. Rheynek grabbed one bowl and lifted the lid off, it contained fried chicken and he sighed and looked as if he had seen a glimpse of heaven. “I have dreamed of this, I swear I have”

He dug in and the other two did not hesitate either.

A short time later they all sat there and felt like they were about to burst from all the food they had eaten. Even Hawk who had a fierce reputation as a major eater back at home had found his fill and sat back on the bench looking a bit uncomfortable. He clenched his belly and moaned. “I should not have eaten that last piece of venison, I fear I’m gonna burst if I move an inch!»

Rheynek grinned but he too looked a bit over eaten. “And this mead is strong boys, I think I am getting a bit drunk already.“

Raigh nodded. “We are tired and haven’t eaten much for many days so it is just normal. But the mead is indeed strong, and good to. Very good! “

He emptied his cup and looked at the empty jug like he mourned the fact that it was empty already.

The three remained there until Jirhg joined them, he always kept to himself and never bathed together with others and he ate alone too. The sight of his scarred face sometimes made people scared or disgusted and some thought he was a bad person because of his looks.

The men talked about the battle they had fought and they soon felt better and the atmosphere was a joyful one. The mead and the food had raised their spirits considerably and more people came to the hall and sat down for meals and some mead or wine. There was laughter and singing and Raigh and the others enjoyed themselves. The huge fireplace kept the room warm and cozy and some servants went around and made sure that all the candles were burning.

Raigh was talking about how much he missed Akisha and how he longed to get back home again when Rheynek caught his attention. He nodded towards the other end of the room. Raigh lifted his gaze from the cup and stared in the given direction. He immediately saw why Rheynek had reacted.

A young woman was moving between the tables and she was serving mead but it was rather obvious to the trained eye that she offered more than just beer. Her dress was a bit short and her blouse a bit too open and she moved around in a way that really showed her off to anyone interested. Rheynek sent Raigh a gaze filled with questions.

“I did not know that this place offered such services too!”

Raigh shook his head. “Well, it’s not official I’d guess. It would be illegal in this country. But if the girl does it of her own free will then there is nothing wrong in it, at least it isn’t illegal.”

Rheynek bit his lower lip and seemed confused and Raigh knew why. The hunters beloved Enez had grown up in the red light district of a rather infamous city and she had seen the less than glorious backside of prostitution. Rheynek always suspected that whores were forced into the business by some ruthless crook and wanted to help. Raigh smiled and petted him on the shoulder.

“Cheer up, nothings wrong here. I think that lady over there knows how to take care of herself!»

Rheynek nodded and looked embarrassed and Hawk poured him some more wine. The hall was soon rather crowded and the noise was enough to make one shout just to be heard.

A few hours passed and the men were contemplating going to bed when the lady they had noticed suddenly approached them, she looked a bit tense and her gaze wandered over the crowd like she was looking for someone. Raigh tensed up, they were all in solid relationships and would never even dream of touching another woman than their chosen mates and Jirhg did not even care that much for the fair sex. Raigh had always suspected that the man was gay and there was a lot of things that could indicate that it was some truth behind his suspicions.

The girl stopped by their table and Rheynek opened his mouth to tell her to move on to someone else who were interested but he shut up when he saw the expression in her eyes. There were some kind of anger burning in those pretty brown eyes and her fists were clenched very hard around her tray. Raigh got a suspicion and stared straight at her. “Is something wrong girl?”

She stared straight back at them and Raigh realized by her firm approach that she had to be a rather tough person.

“Yes, you are weapons masters right? And you have to help anyone who is in need?»

Raigh nodded and she sat down, tried to look as if she was chatting about something funny but there was fire in that gaze. Rheynek looked at her and there were some unasked questions within his eyes. “Are you in trouble girl? Or any of the other girls here?!”

She shook her head, nodded towards the entrance to the hall. “No, none of us is in trouble, but there is someone in need of your aid yes. They have told me that slavery is illegal yes?!»

Raigh got that special glimpse in his eyes and he was leaning forward over the table, he had forgotten all about partying and having fun now. “It is strictly illegal yes, the punishment is a severe one too. Is someone here keeping slaves?»

The girl threw her long brown hair back, looked like she was flirting with them but it was a charade. She was just masking her true intentions. “I’d say that someone is keeping slaves yes. There are three girls here like myself, we serve at the tables and sometimes we offer something more but that is our own decision. And we choose with who we do it and if we do it at all. The host here knows but he makes sure we are safe and he never get anything in return so he is no pimp if that is what you think. And all three of us can stop whenever we want to and just work as waitresses. But there is one within this house who hasn’t got that choice!»

Hawk stared at her and she had to look down, the dark flame within the dark elf’s eyes were terrifying to witness. He did not care if she felt his darker side cause he too was pissed off by the idea of someone being enslaved. “Who is she?”

The girl made a funny face for a second. “He, not she! It is a he!»

Raigh looked confused. “A man? Well then, who is he and why do you think he is a slave?”

The girl smiled but the smile was an ugly one ”I have been in this business for a few years, and I know when someone has to do things against their will and desires. And this poor fella is definitely being forced. Everybody can see that.»

Hawk cleared his throat. “ Tell us everything young lady, we need more information before we can do anything.»

She sighed and straightened her blouse, like she had gotten a compliment of something. “There is a lady who is living here right now. She’s been here for the last two months and she is taking hot baths, they say it may help her health. But I say that she should stop drinking, then things would sort themselves out soon enough. Anyhow, she’s a baroness from some coastal city, filthy rich and she’s got a filthy mind too I’d say.“

Raigh’s eyes got narrow, he suspected something vile already. “And?»

The girl smiled but there was nothing happy about the smile. “She’s got a servant, officially he is employed by her to entertain her with song and dance and play but at nighttime there is other activities he has to perform at. And we all pity the poor thing but there is nothing we can do. She never lets him speak with anyone and he is scared shitless!»

Rheynek made a grimace. “Are you sure he is being held here against his will”

She nodded vigorously. “Yes! He tried to ask for help once but that bitch interrupted him and she had him whipped that very evening, we could hear him scream! I do not know where she has found him or how she has managed to get control of him but he has to jump whenever she gives the order. Poor thing!”

Raigh raised one eyebrow. “Ah, isn’t this person a human being?”

She shook her head. “No, an elf of some kind I think. Beautiful like nothing I have ever seen before and very talented at singing and such. But I guess there are other talents that wretched hag of a woman enjoys more!»

Rheynek blushed and Hawk looked like he was about to draw his dagger there and then.

The girl nodded toward the entrance again. “She’ll be here soon, she gets here every evening and he has to sing and perform for the people. And she basks in the glory of this possession of hers.“

Jirhg had been sitting there without saying a word, his face hidden within his hood but Raigh could feel that he was thinking hard. The alchemist was leaning forward and there was something within his body language that told of eagerness. “So she never lets him speak to someone? Does she drink much? “

The girl nodded, looked like she didn’t really know what to think about the hooded man. “Yes, but she never gets drunk here, she only drinks the thin mead and you have to drink like five barrels to get drunk. It is very weak you see. When she’s alone she drinks like a camel I guess cause she stinks of old wine but she never lets anyone see it”

Raigh was trying to think, in order to help they had to speak with the person who needed their aid, otherwise they could not intervene. “She’s a baroness you said, is she married or something?”

The girl shook her head and placed the empty cups on her tray. Some other waitresses were running around and it seemed like a few of them knew of what she was talking about. “No, not married. Who would want to marry such a troll? And she is always being so haughty about her title but I’d rather call the smiths donkey your highness!»

Hawk grinned and was going to say something when the door went up and a person entered the room. Raigh and Hawk stared cause they hardly believed their eyes and Rheynek was swearing in some foreign language neither of them understood. The person was indeed an elf, with quite long pointy ears and very beautiful features. He was tall and slender and yet very masculine and well built and the most striking thing about him was his color. He was blue! His skin the color of a fine sapphire and his eyes and long flowing hair the same color just deeper and fuller. He wore a very tight pair of pants and some nice boots and he moved with the grace of a huge cat but they could see the fear in him very clearly. His eyes were glazed and a muscle in the corner of one eye was constantly twitching.

Hawk was growling, and he hid himself behind Raigh. Rheynek realized that he didn’t want to reveal himself to the blue elf at the other end of the room yet.

Behind the beautiful creature came the exact opposite, a huge woman who seemed to believe that she ruled the room. She too was rather tall but she could barely fit through the door, her face was round and red with several chins and she wore an expensive bejeweled net over her hair. Her clothes too were nice and told of wealth but to the men it seemed like someone had tried to make a warthog look pretty by dressing it up. The lady had never been pretty, they could clearly see that. Those small pigs eyes were just malicious and her fingers with lots of rings looked like stuffed hot dogs. She was so big they wondered if an ordinary wagon could hold this behemoth of a being.

The two made it to the center of the room, a huge chair was ready next to a small elegant table with a jar and an empty glass on it. The crowd fell silent, some looked at the woman and the elf but the majority of people tried to look as if they were thinking about something completely different. They did not enjoy this display of power since the inhabitants of the mountain kingdoms were renowned for their love of freedom. They would never keep slaves, the mere idea made them ill.

The woman gave the elf some kind of signal and the waitress nodded to the three men. “This is when it starts..”

The elf stood next to the chair and started to sing, it was some sort of ancient folk song and it was probably well fitting the environment had the circumstances been different. Now it sounded sad and out of place and the elf added a whole new dimension of longing to it.

Raigh knew the song, it was a ballad about a knight who has to leave for the war and fears that he’ll never see his true love again and the song was well known. He had heard it several times but never so well performed. The elf had a wonderful voice and he really put his heart into it too. And his tormentor sat there with a snug grin on her ugly face and enjoyed the admiration of the crowd as if it was her they admired.

Jirhg got up, he had a weird expression on his face. “Wait here and don’t do anything. I’ll be right back, just need to get something from my luggage.“

He left so fast that none of the others had time to say anything and Raigh suspected the worst. Jirhg could do the most incredible things if no one tried to control him and some of those things that he did was incredibly stupid too. Raigh felt like yelling at the small man and ordering him back but that would reveal them to the baroness.

The elf finished the song, and started on another one. This was a merry tune about a fisherman and a huge trout he is unable to catch no matter how hard he tries and normally there would be laughter but people were silent. The elfs clear voice made even this jolly tune sound melancholic. He was into the last verse where the fisherman falls into the river and tears a huge hole in his pants through which certain parts of his anatomy falls and proves to be the perfect bait when Jirhg returned.

Now he wore an expensive cape and some nice boots and he had hidden his disfigured face within the hood and Raigh had to cough to hide a manic laughter. Jirhg had attached a fake beard to his chin and it looked rather real but it probably smelled bad cause it had to be made from the old goats skin Jirhg used to clean his instruments on.

Jirhg appeared to be walking straight through the room aiming for the door, the course brought him right by the baroness in her chair and when he passed her by he stumbled in something on the floor and fell face first straight onto the table. The woman looked rather annoyed at first but Raigh could see that Jirhg calmed her down really fast. He knew how to charm women and he kissed her hand and seemed to praise her good taste and the lovely jewels she wore around her neck.

Jirhg left trough the main door and a few minutes later he returned again from another door, wearing the same clothes as he did when he first left. He sat down by the table and grinned, there was something almost vicious in his eyes. Rheynek drew a deep breath. “What did you do?»

Jirhg smiled again and he looked very pleased with himself. He stretched his hands out in front of him.

“What I do best of course, tricks and deceit. I slipped a little something into her drink, A couple of sips and she’ll be sleeping like a lamb in a field of flowers for a few hours at least!”

Raigh tried to look strict but he failed. “Won’t she suspect that she’s been drugged?”

Jirhg shook his head firmly. “Not a chance, the drug gives very pleasant dreams too. She’ll just believe that she was more tired than usual.“

Raigh looked over at the elf, he was still singing but there was something strained about the performance. He wasn’t enjoying this at all!

“So all we have to do is wait?»

Jirhg nodded and grinned again. “Yes we do, and then we can talk to the blue guy,”

Hawk smiled but the smile was a sobering one, not pretty! “I’ll do the talking, I’d guess he’ll be more comfortable talking to another elf than a human.“

The other two just nodded and then they sat there and listened and pretended like they were drinking and having fun. The waitress left but she promised to be back later and Raigh was feeling a bit nervous. This had to function.

After a while they could see that the woman started to look a bit drowsy, she let her head hang and she appeared to be unable to keep her eyes open. And then she let her head fall back toward the seat and she was snoring loudly. That was the signal Hawk had been waiting for, he stood up and stared straight at the elf by the table and the guy stared with his mouth wide open and looked like he couldn’t believe what he saw. Then he turned around, took a quick look at his sleeping captor and came running toward their table like his shoes were on fire.

Hawk pulled out a chair and Raigh filled a cup with wine, the guy grabbed it and emptied it in one long sip before he shook his head as to gain focus. Hawk looked at him and his eyes were friendly now, almost soothing. “Now, who are you and why are you singing for a human like that?»

The elf swallowed hard, he was clinging on to the cup as if he wanted to crush it. “ I.. I am Bhelian, of the Ozzreh elves. I am her...slave»

Raigh caught the elf’s eyes, he could clearly see the man’s fear and pain and a great deal of shame as well. “Tell us everything, she’ll be sleeping for a while and we will help you!”

Bhelian gasped and grabbed Raighs hand, squeezed it in gratitude. “I was traveling to see the world when I came across this…this monster! She heard me sing at an Inn and that night she got someone to steal my amulet. Without it I am lost! My soul is in that thing!“

Hawk looked at the other two weaponsmasters and Jirhg petted Bhelian on his shoulder. “ We’ll get it back for you, have no doubt about it. Then you’ll be free from that monster!”

Bhelian sighed and pulled his long hair back, he looked exhausted. “I would be grateful beyond words if you could help me regain my freedom. She is… she is a malicious beast!“

Rheynek hid a smile. “The waitresses here says that you have to perform other tasks too, as well as singing. And that she has had you whipped?”

The blue elf got a horrified expression in his eyes, he looked down. He went quiet for a few seconds and when he looked up again there were tears in his eyes. “Yes, I though I would die, and she just laughed at me. And every night...”

He failed to say another word and he was shaking all over like a leaf in the wind.

Jirhg sighed. “Every night you have to satisfy her appetite right? And keep her pleased in every thinkable way?!»

Bhelian looked at him with big eyes. “Yes, that is exactly right! And I hate it, every minute of it. I hate that hideous ugly wretched thing that just demands more and more and.... I can’t take it no more!»

Raigh had a funny expression on his face. “Ah, not to be rude in any way my friend but how do you do it? I mean, she looks like a bloody ogre! I do not know of any male who would be able to ahem keep things ...functional...in such a situation»

Bhelian hid his face in his hands, looked very embarrassed. “She’s got these small vials of some kind, they are blue and contain some kind of medicine. And I have to drink two drops every night, and then...»

He looked down and seemed to blush. “ And then it just reacts and I can’t control it. And it stays aroused until the morning. And she has her way with me and I can just try to endure. It is like being raped you know! “

Rheynek had an ugly expression on his otherwise lovely face. “It is rape Bhelian, no less than that. You are the victim here!“

Bhelian nodded slowly, there were still tears in his eyes. “Lately she has been complaining.. she says I’m no longer man enough for her, that I am getting boring. And she has gotten more and more sadistic. She enjoys seeing me in pain, I fear she’ll one day kill me!»

He cringed and they could see the fear in him. Jirhg smiled an ominous looking smile. “You said she’s got your amulet, and those vials of medicine. Do you know where she keeps them?»

Bhelian nodded but there was something uncertain within his face. “The vials are in a black box hidden in the top drawer of her closet. But I do not know where she’s kept my amulet. She’s said that she will burn it, and if she does then I’m dead!!”

Hawk made a strange grimace. “ Well. That’s just superstition my friend but I guess the thing is magical right?”

The blue elf nodded and Jirhg grinned broadly. “I’ve got something that can locate magical items, do not worry. I’ll find it!»

The elf looked at the scarred man with deep surprise in his eyes. “Are you a wizard?»

Jirhg made a gesture that could suggest anything really and stood up from the table. “ Now that is a question with no easy answer my friend. Does she have guards at her door of any kind?»

Bhelian shook his head. “No, just one guy, he is old and almost deaf too. He sits outside the door half asleep most of the time.»

Jirhg smiled. “Good, that’s perfect.”

He petted Bhelian on his shoulder again. “ Just relax, everything will be fine. I promise»

He left and the three remained sitting there with the distinct feeling that Jirhg had a plan, and a diabolical one as usual. Bhelian emptied another cup of wine and they saw his hands were shivering and Hawks keen eyes could see some scars across his back that told of a long story of violence and pain. This was one tortured soul in more ways than just one.

Raigh looked toward the snoring woman in the chair, she looked like a stranded whale but he could pity a stranded whale, he felt no such emotions when seeing this beast. He looked at Bhelian. “Are you the only one she’s done this too?”

The elf shook his head. “ No, there was another guy before me, I heard her mention him once. I think that was an elf too but he managed to escape. She had to keep him drugged to keep him there and one day he managed to avoid the drugs she gave him and run. I don’t think she sees human males as good enough for her. She needs something more...vigorous?”

Hawk made a wry smile. “She’s spoiled. That’s the truth! And she claims that you’re no longer enough? Then I wonder what it takes to keep that woman happy!”

Rheynek got a weird grin too. “ I have seen the items some merchants sells, for women in need of … you know..!»

Hawk laughed. “ Yes, I understand what you mean, she looks like she could need one made with a horse as a model.”

Bhelian made a faint smile and looked sad still and Raigh sighed. “Don’t worry. Jirhg may look a bit crazy but I can assure you, he is crazier than he looks. He’s got a plan already, I know he does.”

A few more minutes passed by and then Jirhg returned, he looked like he was about to explode! “Tell me Bhelian, if your mistress over there saw one of these guys, would she fancy them? “

The blue elf looked a bit confused but nodded. “Yes, yes she would most certainly. I guess you sir would make her drool»

He nodded towards Hawk who looked less than thrilled by the information. Jirhg smiled, and the smile promised something nasty.

“I have a plan ye guys, a good plan. But it requires a few preparations.»

He looked at Bhelian. “Are you able to stay here until tomorrow night? Without telling her about this little conversation of ours? “

Bhelian nodded and Jirhg handed him a small leather pouch with something in it. “Here you go, I replaced it with a small bag with a rock in it. She had the thing hidden in her jewelry box. “

Bhelian gasped and squeezed the small bag between his hands, he was almost crying. “Oh thank you.. I...” Jirhg smiled a fatherly smile. “Don’t say anything, just play along. Here’s the plan, and here’s how she’ll get what she deserves!”

Bhelian returned to the chair next to the snoring woman and remained there until she woke up, then she was clearly very grumpy and it was clear that she wanted to punish him for not waking her up but she dared not do it in front of everybody else there. Jirhg had shared his plan now and the three guys had seen the genius in it but also the madness. But on the other hand, at least one being would be very very happy if this went well.

Hawk got up, he had pulled his hood down and went towards the bar and he did not pay any attention to the woman. He just strolled by and she noticed the tall dark elf and they could see her chins drop. And then there were a hungry look in her eyes and she was staring at him. Bhelian was forgotten it seemed and she asked one of the waitresses who this elf were. The girl gave the answer they had instructed her to give and the woman in the chair stared at Hawk with shiny eyes. She had obviously found herself a new interest and a possible new love toy and that was exactly what Jirhg had in mind.

The rest of the night the woman sat there and tried to get Hawks attention and he had to play along although he wanted to retch as he described it. She sent wine to his table and he appeared to thank her but the wine ended up in the straw that covered the dirt floors. She tried to flirt and seemed to forget that she made a female orc look wonderful in comparison. Hawk had seen the huge wart on her chin with black hairs sticking out of it and her unwashed skin and hair. And the smell?! He would rather flirt with a mountaintroll anytime! He really understood why Bhelian the poor thing needed that blue medicine, otherwise there would be no action to speak of.

The men left for their rooms and during the morning and the first few hours of the new day things were arranged and set in motion. Jirgh ran around making preparations and he spoke with the owner of the inn who was thrilled by the idea. He had pitied Bhelian the whole time and thought it was about time that justice was being served.

The woman continued to send gifts to Hawks room, wine, some nice clothes and a couple of fine hunting knifes too. And he sat there and felt like he was some animal at an auction. But he played along, smiled at her and tried to appear friendly. It wasn’t easy, in fact it was bloody hard and his dark appearance would perhaps have scared others but it appeared as if a touch of danger only made this woman more eager in her pursuit.

The evening fell and the last preparations were made, then all they had to do was wait. Bhelian had managed to sneak out for a minute or two and told that she had forgotten about him completely and he was really relieved. She was only thinking about how to get Hawk as her new toy. When the sun set there was a sense of anticipation in the room where the three warriors and the alchemist were assembled. This should teach her a lesson once and for all. A waitress brought a small note to the baroness room and now they could only wait and hope that everything went according to the plan.

After a short while the baroness left her room, she hurried through the corridors toward the room that had been mentioned on the note and she went in silently as she had been asked to. The room was dark but she could hear someone moving and she tried to sound sensual. “ So, here I am my dear, like you requested!”

There was no answer just a sort of grunt and she smiled to herself. “Oh, you are the strong silent type, well. Here I come!»

She had a bottle of wine in one hand, and it had been spiced with some tranquilizers so she could keep the elf sedated for more fun later. She felt the edge of the bed towards her legs and she reached into it. Something moved, and then a couple of huge hands grabbed her and pulled her into the huge structure and she was very confused, what was this?

The four guys stood outside the room, they could hear some loud squealing like someone was slaughtering a pig slowly and also some hoarse roars that reminded them of the roaring of an angry jackass. Hawk tilted her head.

“Hard to tell whether she enjoys it nor not, it sounds like she’s actually coming.»

Jirhg grinned and clapped his hands. “I’d guess she is, he’s gotta be enough man even for someone like her!” There were some rumbling and the floors almost shook.

“Glad the innkeeper put that steel bed here, it takes some serious punishment now!”

Rheynek smiled. “There is someone for everyone and I guess this must be a match made in heaven, at least for him. Finally he’s found the woman of his dreams. “

Raigh laughed. “The woman of his dreams, the stuff of nightmares. But there is a beautiful balance here guys. She’s getting all she needs and so does he and they’ll both be happy I hope”

Jirhg grinned again. “The ogre and the ogre, a perfect couple. And Bhelian is finally free again. Just perfect»

The screaming and the squealing and the roaring continued for a while, there was a tone of desperation within the screams now. As if she wasn’t enjoying things this much any longer.

Raigh had a surprised look upon his face. “They’ve been at it for at least an hour now, how long can he really keep going? I mean, he must have some limit to his endurance?”

The other two nodded and Jirgh smiled his most diabolical smile and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small vial and it was empty.

“I grabbed a couple of these when I looked for Bhelians amulet, I want to analyze the contents but I don’t need them all. One vial is no great loss!»

Raigh stared at him with his mouth open. “By the Goddess, you gave him one whole vial? He’ll be...»

Jirgh smiled and the smile was very happy. “He’ll keep going for many hours yes, she’ll finally learn what it means to be screwed over! I gave him the medicine while he was on the wagon we sent for him, to make sure it had time to work!»

They could hear the ogre roar again in obvious ecstasy,

Jirgh folded his hands. “Oh, the beauty of true love, isn’t it just wonderful. Now, let’s leave this corridor and let the love birds have some privacy hmm?”

The three weapons masters tried not to laugh but it was impossible. The whole inn heard what was happening and they guessed that a lot of people enjoyed the thought of that hideous woman finally being with a lover vigorous enough for her.

Bhelian had already left, they had bought him a horse and he was heading back home and was very grateful. And the three knew that they had a good story to tell when they returned home. A very good story indeed.

And the ogre and the baroness? The next day the medicine stopped working, the bed was broken in half and the baroness could barely walk but the couple were said to stay together ever since that night. And no more blue medicine was needed.