100 Words a Day 1029

“Is that an offer?” the duergar asked, leaning across the table and grinning. His eyes, which occupied most of his face above his lips, were not smiling. They reminded Alfus of the time he had almost been eaten by a plains cat. The cat had looked at him the same way as it stalked towards him, large tongue emerging hungrily from its mouth.

“Uh, n-no,” Alfus stuttered. He stepped back involuntarily.

“Just checking,” the duergar said returning to his side of the low table. “I can never tell with you surface dwellers. You don’t understand that a deal’s a deal.”

100 Words a Day 1028

The patron stepped unsteadily towards the bouncer, trying to loom over him.

“Whacha gonna do bout it?” he asked.

“See those big guys over there?” the bouncer asked, pointing to the other security staff in the corner.

“Do you know why they're over there? Sitting down. Leaning against the wall. It’s because they wanna see the show.”

The drunk’s brow scrunched in confusion.

“You’re gonna leave this bar. You can pay your tab with money and leave quietly, or you can pay your tab with teeth and leave unconscious.”

The bouncer’s right foot slid back and his shoulders dropped menacingly.

100 Words a Day 1027

It was to the weird, windy steppes of the Plains Above Evil that Alurak went in search of the old sorcerer. How the ancient wizard survived alone in a place that regularly consumed troops of men numbering in the dozens was much-speculated upon. Some said he had become half beast himself and monsters that prowled the tall grasses let him be. A few claimed the savage inhabitants avoided him out of fear.

After days of travel, Alurak found the wizard’s hut. It was made of dried grass and no wall defended it from the wind or animals of the plain.