“Ye gods!” Dar'gul cried, gasping for air as he followed behind the ludicrously rotund orc in front of him. “How much further is it?!” Dar'gul could feel his legs wobble in agony. It had been over a week since the two met due to unfortunate circumstances and they had decided that enough was enough. When Dar'gul heard Gublox's story, of how he found him after being shipwrecked or something, he took as an opportunity to join him on his quest to get back to the Ttubbutt Clan. Again, he wasn't sure if he should impose on them like this, but he had no other option left. He couldn't go back home again and he didn't want to be alone, not that he would admit it. So masking his insecurities as curiosity, he decided to tag along with Gublox back to his clan. Sounds simple enough, right?

At least it would be if he didn't find that following Gublox would be a workout in itself! For a man so big, he moved incredibly fast. He had to shuffle every few moments just to keep up with him, mostly due to the large orclings he was still carrying. Dar'gul didn't reveal his secret to him, that he was carrying seven orclings that had the power and souls of the Seven Legendary Warriors imbued in them. Later, he promised himself. He would disclose this information at another time. Ideally, when they weren't trekking through the green wilderness.

“Come on, brother!” Gublox called, shooting a finger towards a nearby clearing. “It's not much further now!” Dar'gul wanted to smack that chubby smile off his face. There was something about Gublox that irritated him to no end. And not just the fact that he was so fat that he’d put his own tribe to shame in terms of girth. It was the fact that he seemed annoyingly cheerful. It reminded him of his old acquaintance, Tor’gal, another orc who was impregnated as well. He wondered what happened to him. Did he give birth to his orclings? Did he survive? Where was he and his tribe now? His thoughts were interrupted by a strong contraction that seized his body momentarily. He had gotten used to being in a perpetual state of labor, but it didn't make enduring the pain any easier.

“Not much further from what?!” Dar'gul asked. He never got an apt explanation as to where they were going. Gublox just said “follow me” and thus their journey began. He seriously began thinking that the obese orc was simply trekking about for the sake of it. “Do you even know where we are now?!”

“Not really,” Gublox admitted, earning a dumbfounded scowl from the pregnant orc behind him. “But no worries! Just walking about with our full strength should get us somewhere! Besides, we can use the exercise!”

“I could use the exercise?!” Dar'gul shouted, causing several creatures to flee nearby. “Have you seen yourself?! How on earth are you able to fight with all that blubber?!”

“Says the equally round orc with a spear!” Gublox jokingly bit back, making note of Dar'gul's own round physique. “You look like you've seen a few good feasts in your day! I've never seen an orc who's eaten so much that they're navel actually popped!” Dar'gul wanted to retort so badly. He wanted to explain that he wasn't fat, he was pregnant. Heavily so. But he already promised himself that he wouldn't reveal the truth until he was ready. Besides, he figured that the round oaf in front of him would call that an excuse. A male orc who was pregnant with the spirits of the Seven Legendary Warriors? Anyone would laugh at that.

“At least I’ve got muscle to balance it out,” Dar'gul lied, cringing on the inside from his dishonesty. He could feel the orclings inside him kick at him, as if to say “just tell him already”. This earned a laugh from Gublox, who happily smacked and jiggled his own round middle.

“Hey, nothing wrong with having a little soft flab, am I right?” Gublox asked rhetorically, earning yet another scowl from the orc behind him. “Besides, ya know the old saying: ‘Good Food, Good Drink, Good Times! That's what it means to be an orc!’” Dar'gul stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing that. Was he serious? What orc in their right mind would say such a thing?! His thoughts were swimming in the sheer ludicrousness of that statement. Though in hindsight, it made sense given he’d seen him eat enough to feed a family of four and then some.

“Just what kind of life does he lead?” Dar'gul asked himself under his breath as he began again. After a few short minutes, the two had made it out of the forest and saw below them a town. Dar'gul sighed in relief. Just a little more, he thought to himself before being brought back to reality yet again by a strong smack to his back, courtesy of Gublox.

“See? Told ya it wouldn't be long!” Gublox proudly cheered, motioning them to press on. “Now let's get going! Hope this town's got a good restaurant open. I'm starving!” Dar'gul could barely hear him over the steam billowing out of his ears. His back stung like hell and his legs were ready to go limp. Never in his life had he wanted to murder a fellow orc for merely existing. He swore that once he made his peace with his situation, he’d give Gublox a good punch to the jaw. But for now, that'll have to wait. Besides, the rumbling in his gullet was finally becoming audible.

“I guess a small meal wouldn't hurt…”