Bones Crushed, Guilt Healed

[Reese]

Spoiler:

Disclaimer, yo: Dis post be containin' de no no language. Viewah discretion be advised, mon.

What was he doing?

Jum’bwan slowly plodded through green ferns and tropical flowers. He had been doing this for some time, walking through a dense forest for which there was no road. To be perfectly frank, he was lost. He had gotten lost intentionally, not marking where he was going nor remembering where he had come from. The original objective had been to find and slay a tiger, but now he was just wandering aimlessly. For what, he did not know. A miracle? An epiphany? Something that would keep that voice out of his head.

“You’re terrible.”

“You disgust me.”

“Go away.”

Her words. Roka Drakerider… Small little girl, she is. Compared to Jum’bwan himself, she could be a child. He’s twice her height at least, yet half her personality. Such a fiery Orc, a more laid-back-unless-provoked Jum’bwan often joked to himself that she was fiery in order to make up for her small stature, which, now that he thought about it, may be the truth after all. One thing’s for certain though, she loved nature. She loved nature even more than he did, and she brought forth a very different interpretation as to how nature should be treated.

Growing up, Jum’bwan was bored. He was bored of all the meaningless bouts of wrestling against his peers that he inevitably won because, let’s face it, he was just too huge. He would often sneak away to avoid being challenged further, into the wilderness. It was here that he had first made contact with beasts and animals, creatures that he had always enamored merely for their sheer ability to survive. Where Trolls and the other humanoid races required companionship to survive, many beasts lived self-serving lives, hunting only for themselves and mating only when it was time. They answered to no one but themselves and only started fights when they felt threatened or when their honor was challenged. This, to Jum’bwan, was quite possibly the most honorable way to live. He craved a piece of that honor for himself, and that’s why he killed them. It seemed so logical; at the time, anyways…

“You disgust me.”

“Go away.”

“f**k you.”

Her words again. He heard them often now, even as he looked into the river that now separated his unknown path from him. His reflection stared blankly back at him. He had grown a little, both in height and bulk. Ever since he had abandoned his throwing spears for his fists alone, something he had done to channel his rage at his confrontation with Roka. His use of them before combined with the way he used them now had forced growth where there was little needed. His muscles were now… He didn’t even really want to look at them. Suffice to say, they were now ridiculous. He figured he could crush a boulder if he wanted. Not that he wanted to, with how he was feeling.

“f**k you.”

“You’re pathetic.”

“Killing predators for fun.”

And then the Tiger appeared…

The river was a frequently visited source of water for all wildlife. It was only natural that it would. It looked at him. He looked back. And then he charged. He didn’t know why. It hadn’t provoked him at all. He just felt like he needed to finish what he had come to do, even if he didn’t know what that was anymore. The fight was relatively short. The tiger raked and sliced into his arm, but it was as though he had deadened nerves. He felt no pain, and when he reared his fist and punched, he split the creature’s skull. It toppled to the side with an anti-climactic thud, leaving him with a sickened feeling in his gut.

Nature shouldn’t be like this. Killed for sport. Used for personal entertainment. They were far too honorable. They deserved to be protected from those who would harm them. Jum’bwan thought this. He smiled. Roka would like that idea, surely.

He walked past the river, the clear path now open.