A Reason to Chop

Oak was happy. He had work, he had purpose. His liege gave him work, and rewards when he completed his work. Small angry pretty thing was much better than the Captain. Captain never said thank you, he never kissed, he didn’t put hand on hips and look at Oak. Every time Oak thought of boss he dug faster, his pickaxe bit deeper, his arms felt stronger. She was good boss. She deserved good work.

He smiled as he swung pointy axe, a gift from Boss. She trusted him to build her lair, build for her glory, and he was proud she had chosen him.

He was lost in the work, swing pickaxe, clear broken rock, step forward, swing pickaxe. When Boss came to tell him he was done Oak was caught off-guard.

“Come on Oak, you’ve done enough for tonight.” She said with a yawn. “Time to sleep.”

He panicked. “Where Oak wake up?”

“Here Oak,” She replied. “I set your spawn point in the cave.”

He was stunned, she was powerful boss to change spawn. He smiled. “Thanks Boss.”

“Don’t thank me yet, I didn’t think about beds until a few minutes ago, and we don’t have stuff to make beds, you have to sleep on the ground.” She said.

“Where Boss sleep?” He asked.

“On the ground too.”

Oak scowled, beautiful, small, angry boss needed good bed, even Captain had good bed.

She smiled at him. “It’s okay Oak, we’ll fix it tomorrow, besides, I have a plan, I’ll be fine.”

Oak nodded, boss was smart. If she said it was fine, Oak would believe her. He walked into the other room, picked a spot and laid down. It wasn’t comfortable, but after all the things that had happened that day, he was tired enough that it didn’t matter.

“Hey Oak.” She said.

“Yes Boss.”

“Can you come here?”

“Yes Boss.”

He got up and walked out of the room, boss was hovering over a small pool of water.

Boss’s voice was timid. “Could you wash?”

“Oak wash?” He asked.

“Yes please.”

Orcs didn’t wash very often at all, but if boss said to, he would do it. Oak splashed himself with water from the pool. Washing his face, tusks, chest, down to his legs and all the way to his feet.

“Oak wash.”

“Thank you, Oak. Go lay down.”

He went and laid down, he didn’t understand why boss said to wash, but he didn’t need to. Boss was Boss, she said to do, Oak did. He laid down on his back, put his hands behind his head and laid on them.

He laid there as the sun disappeared, and the light in the cave disappeared with it. He laid there thinking of his life, and how good it was now. He had work and a good boss and uncut wood of his own. It was more than he had ever hoped to have.

He felt a poke. He couldn’t see in the darkness, but something had landed on his chest. It was soft and smooth, it curled up on his chest and then stayed still.

Oak smiled, he felt warm inside. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

. . .

Oak awoke to sounds in the cave.

“Are you sure this is the right cave?”

“Shut up Sarah, I know what I’m doing.”

“Whatever.”

“You do your part and everything will go fine.”

“You’re an asshole, Ned. You know that, right?”

“So? I sponsored you into the guild, so you owe me.”

“I know, I’m here aren’t I?”

“You just follow the plan, we capture the fairy, you get your staff and then you forget all about this.”

“If this is even the right cave.”

Boss was still laying on his chest, he flexed his muscles, shaking her.

“Huh?” Tiny, pretty boss stretched as she spoke.

“Shh, boss, listen.”

The sound of boots on stone echoed through the cave.

“Come on, where’s that damn fairy?”

Oak could tell that Boss also recognized voice.

“Boss hide.” Oak said.

She nodded, and took off, flying toward the door to the room, flying up to the ceiling, players would need to enter room, turn and look up to see her.

Oak reached next to him and grabbed his axe, and did something Orc woodcutters were good at, he hid.

“Okay, let’s check this room.”

“I swear Ned, this cave wasn’t like this before.”

“God Sarah, I know that, they are clearly turning this into a dungeon, it’s going to be important, we need to get the pendant before everyone finds out about this fairy.”

Oak tightened his grip, players would find out about axe in a moment.

They were getting to the middle of the room now, they had passed him by, not looking into the corners at all.

He stood up quietly. Started to move across the floor. His footsteps surprisingly made no sound. He charged, reached the wood destroyer and chopped.

“Shit, how the fuck is that orc here?”

He chopped again, felt a sword hit him in his back. He tried to swing a third time but another hit from the sword ended that, the cave faded to darkness.

. . .

He stood up. Looked around. He was just inside the entrance to the cave.

“Psst”

He looked around.

“Oak!”

He found her, tiny, pretty boss was outside the cave.

“They are still in there looking for me, but I slipped out.”

“Good boss, Oak fight.” He ran into the cave. The players were still exploring the big room, working around the edges. He roared a challenge to them and charged.

“Fuck, he’s back already?”

“What’s with you and this orc, Ned?”

He saw the wood destroyer’s hands come up, fire, pain darkness.

. . .

He stood up.

“Psst”

He turned and saw boss.

“Stop! Don’t run in there you idiot.”

“Oak no fight?” He asked.

“No, Oak fight smart.” Boss answered.

“Oak not smart.”

“Yeah, but I am,” She said. “come on, out here.”

Boss was right, boss was smart. Oak would listen to boss, try to be smart too.

Boss pointed to the wood. “Hide behind a tree, stay there till they come out, when they walk past you, hit the fire mage.”

Oak nodded.

“And Oak?” She said, her blue face turning slightly pink.

“Yes Boss?”

“Hit him extra hard, just for me.” She blew him a kiss and smiled.

Oak hid behind a tree. He watched boss fly into the cave. Heard shouts, explosion, he hid, had to obey boss. His legs started to shake. Shouts coming from cave, sounds of fire.

“Get back here!” the wood destroyer yelled.

“She’s too fast!”

“You’re too slow you mean, get in front of her!” Boss flew past him, human in armor ran past. Oak’s legs shook. He had to act, he couldn’t be scared. He thought about boss, lying on his chest, landing on his shoulder, blowing a kiss, smiling, he would not let boss be captured by players. He felt his rage build, filling him.

The tree destroyer ran past as Oak’s legs stopped shaking. Oak took a step and swung with all his might.

“FUCK! Sarah, help!” wood destroyer cried.

He chopped the player in the back again.

“Shit, I need heals.”

Tree destroyer turned and raised his arms, but vines were already on his arms and Oak was able to dodge most of the fire.

“Aahh! She got me, I’m blinded!” not wood destroyer yelled.

Oak swung his axe again, and then again. The wood destroyer was fighting to get his hands free of the vines, Oak didn’t give him time. He yelled and chopped. Soon the wood destroyer was on the ground, shortly after that he was dead.

*ding*

Oak walked toward the other player. She was on the ground, swarmed by some insects, vines over her legs, she was trying to drink a potion. He walked to her and raised his axe.

“No Oak.” The voice of his boss stated.

He paused, looked at boss.

“This one is mine.”