Lov awoke, the waves lapping gently against his hand resting in the water. He felt a rock digging into his side, causing a sharp pain. He sat up and looked around, seeing a stony shore, sparse vegetation and sand up the beach. He looked inland spotting the rocky terrain. Large boulders covered the land, stacked upon each other precariously. Lov started to walk along the shore, remembering his experience. He had felt complete when talking to his ancestors. The young half-dragon had known his place in the world, what was expected of him. Where to go and who to talk to. All of that was gone now. He had expected many things, but he hadn't expected to awaken on the beach. The last thing he remembered he had been surrounded by lava, enjoying its warmth and the closeness he felt to the world while there.
Lovonian searched up and down the beach, looking for any sign of civilization, but he saw no one. He began walking north, looking for a river or crevasse to follow inland. As he walked, he listened to the sounds of the wildlife around him. He heard lizards sliding across the rocks and saw a troop of ants marching purposefully back and forth. Seeing the ants reminded him of the Anuunaki again, and he wondered how his uncle and everyone else was doing.
He considered how to get word to Nord. Lov had a feeling the tall elf would come looking for him soon. He just hoped that Jaxon and Missy would keep his uncle out of trouble. As he walked, Lov noticed that he couldn't hear the sounds of wildlife anymore.
Instead he heard what sounded like someone screaming, coming from farther up the beach. Lov saw a pink figure lashed between two posts. He was screaming incoherently at Lov, kicking his legs, trying to motion Lov over. The teen approached the figure cautiously. As he approached, Lov saw that the figure was a bald humanoid, a little taller than Nord and thick through the arms and neck. Lov could see star shaped scars all over the pitiful soul's body. They covered him from neck to knees, even spider webbing their way up his arms like sleeves. A fresh scar over one of the chained figure's knees looked red with infection. His jaw jutted forward and sharp canines stood prominently with the other teeth. "Why are you tied up like that?" Lov asked the screaming pink figure.
The naked man answered in broken common. "I break laws. Punishment. Shaved, scarred, and hung to dry."
"Well, then why are you calling me over?" Lov asked the prisoner, moving closer so he didn't have to yell.
"Water. Thirsty!" He all but demanded, his eyes pleading. Lov shook his head, then reached for his water skin, pouring some into the prisoner's open mouth. "Thank you!"
Lov accepted the thanks, taking a drink from the skin himself. "So where is the closest town?" He asked, taking another swig of water before putting his skin away.
"Follow river inland, tribes never far from water."
Lov thanked him before heading north, looking for the river that would lead him to civilization.
Lov sat on top of a ridge, looking down at a tent city. All he could see were temporary shelters, mud huts slapped together, and fabric tents looking as if a strong gust would blow them away. He saw sentries patrolling the area, dark black fur covering their bodies. Lov didn't see anyone pink like the prisoner he'd seen. They were all of the same size and shape, but there the similarities ended. Lov spotted a few with pink faces, but he spotted just as many with green or blue or brown.
Lov observed a few of the groups from a distance, seeing that muscle ruled here. He watched the general disorder as they fought amongst themselves. One sat eating the leg of some poor animal, and another smacked him on the head with a hammer, stealing the meat as the first was knocked unconscious.
A younger looking orc was smoking a pipe, when an older, larger male approached him. The elder stretched out his hand. The smaller one protested, a loud guttural cry. The larger one picked up the smaller male, holding him by the fur on the scruff of his neck. The younger male screamed and kicked at the larger one, but eventually was cowed, handing over the pipe. The elder male set the smaller male down carefully, but the smaller male jostled another near by. The third immediately began to beat the smaller male, casually walking away when he finished, as if it were a daily occurrence.
Lov shook his head, thinking that things couldn't possibly get any more barbaric. A woman, Lov assumed it was since she had no fur and wore clothing, strode to the orc gnawing on the leg bone. She had light green skin and she looked a physical specimen. She was tall, only a little shorter than the male. Her rags barely hung on her, the shoulder slipping precariously far down before she pulled it back up. She shook her breasts at the male, before reaching her hands between his thighs, saying something to him. The male shook his head negatively then pushed the female away.
Lov watched the female's face contort in rage. Her soft green skin darkened to a forest green before she strode up to the male. She kicked him between the thighs, causing Lov to wince in sympathy, before taking the leg he had dropped and began to munch on it furiously.
The male peeled himself from the ground and crawled away.
Lov crawled down from the top of the ridge, resigned to a long cold night without a fire. He thought for a moment, remembering a lesson his grandfather had taught him. Lov concentrated heating the rocks below him. At least now he wouldn't freeze. He laid upon the stones staring at the stars, and trying to think of a way into the camp. Tomorrow he would hunt, see if a deer would earn him a place in the tribe.