“Um… Do I really have to be an Orc?” Aaralon asked. “Can’t I be some other creature? I mean as an Orc I may end up in a raiding party at any time, and that would definitely interfere with my mission. If I am ordered by an Orc War Chief I doubt I’ll be able to get out of it, invisible companion or not.”
“Hmm, yes, you have a point there, boy. However, you are surely aware of the fact that most races are not welcome in the lands of the Orcs, so the choice is rather… limited. Not to mention that you need to act accordingly, lest you be discovered, and the companion I will provide to aid you in your quest doesn’t have knowledge for all the possible races. So all of this limits the choice to the following races: Goblins, all kinds of Trolls, Ogres, Minotaurs and Beastmen. Oh, and another thing: you need to decide whether you’ll be a warrior or a spellcaster. If you choose to be a warrior during your mission you must NOT use any magic for as long as possible and you might end up as a part of raiding party, however you’ll have fewer responsibilities and therefor more freedom of movement. If you choose to be a spellcaster, then you will be a shaman - or an Ogre-mage if you choose to be an Ogre. You are far less likely to become a member of a raiding party and you will have more influence, however you will have more responsibilities and therefor your freedom of movement will be somewhat more limited. Any questions?”
“None so far.”
“Good. Then make your choice, boy. And hurry up - we have wasted enough time already! Oh, and don’t forget that if you choose to be a Troll, an Ogre or a Minotaur you have to be male - which shouldn’t be a problem for you.”
Aaralon really had no desire to go on this mission, but he could see no way out - trying to run away from someone like Sareth was a waste of time, not to mention that any escape attempt would most likely make things worse. The best he could do right now was to accept and successfully complete this task. And that was exactly what he intended to do.
Aaralon thought about his options: each race had its good and bad sides, which would help him in certain situations and hinder him in other. And the choice whether to be male or female. What difference did it make? Aaralon suspected it might be rather important, but he had too little knowledge about the different races to be certain. Right now Aaralon wished he knew a bit more about the different races, but alas he didn’t, and so he had to choose blindly, not to mention quickly, because Sareth was starting to get impatient. |