In fact, in the past month or so, as one of Zuldazar's famous painters, Bangka's shop has only received a few orders.
A war concerning the life and death of Zandalari was going on outside the city, and no matter how big-hearted the troll was, he was not in the mood to come to Bangka's gallery to have his portrait painted at this time.
Unlike trolls in other places, the Zandalari trolls, which have a developed cultural atmosphere and have been at peace for a long time, generally have some artistic pursuits.
Many Zandalari trolls are willing to leave their portraits behind for future generations and other trolls to view.
It doesn't cost much to paint a portrait. There are many painters like Bangka in the Golden City.
Bangka was the only one among these painters who was lame, so everyone called him "Lame Bangka".
Bangka used to have sound limbs, but this statement is nonsense. Except for deformed children, no one is born with missing limbs.
Until he was hit by an arrow in the knee. It was a poisonous arrow with the corrosive blood magic of the Blood Troll.
With such an injury, the troll's terrifying recovery power and the treatment of the Zandalari priests couldn't fully recover it.
His life and legs were saved, but he became a lame Bangka from then on.
Frustrated, Bangka had no choice but to return to Zuldazar, pick up the skills he learned in his youth, and become a painter.
Relying on his passable portrait painting skills, Bangka can still make a living in Zuldazar's lower city.
The lame Bangka stood at the door of the store, looking at the street with only a few pedestrians, and sighed.
Since the war, it has become increasingly difficult to do business. All the businessmen have fled, and the trolls are panicking.
Looking at the quiet, prosperous city covered by the atmosphere of war.
Lame Bangkar sighed softly and shook his head, preparing to close the store door. Starting a month ago, in compliance with the order of the Regent Prophet, Zuldazar would implement a curfew at night.
Trolls without permission are not allowed to go out at will, otherwise they will be imprisoned for a few days.
Lame Bangka didn't want to go to jail. He was going to close the shop and go back to his house to pray to Loa.
Bangka's shop door had just closed, and just as he turned around, there was a rapid knock on the door behind him.
"Please, open the door. I want to draw a portrait of myself."
The voice of a young female troll came from outside.
"It's closed. Come back tomorrow." Lame Bangka felt a little tired. He wanted to pray and pray to Loa.
"Please open the door. Bangka, it's me, Katina." said the troll outside the door.
Lame Bangka knew Katina, a young female troll who had just been married three months ago.
She and her husband also drew a wedding painting at his place. It should be said that Katina and her family are old customers of Bangka.
For more than ten years, her family and her husband's family have done dozens of businesses here in Bangka.
Is a loyal customer of Lame Bangka.
Bangka had no choice but to turn around and open the door, muttering as he opened the door: "It's so late. The curfew is about to start. Katina, what do you want to see me for? It's not about painting, right? Your father just painted one yesterday.
.Well...your husband also drew one this morning."
"It will take two days for these two paintings to be given to you. I need to process them. This will keep them longer."
"Speaking of which, I have only opened these two businesses in the past few days."
I don’t know if it’s because he’s getting old, but Lame Bangka talks a lot.
The door opened.
Bangka, who was muttering, saw Katina outside the door with a serious expression and red eyes.
"What's wrong with you?? Katina." Lame Bangka asked in surprise.
He saw young Katina take a deep breath and walk in directly.
Bangka stepped aside to let her in.
"Draw a portrait for me. I'm begging you, Bangka."
She said directly after coming in.
"It's so late. Do you want to paint? The view is not good at night, and the effect may not be as perfect as during the day. And..."
Lame Bangka was interrupted mid-sentence.
"Please. Bangka."
"Draw a portrait for me."
"I have no time, I only have half the night." Katina pleaded, interrupting the lame Bangka.
He had never seen young Katina's expression like this before, and Bangka was startled.
Maybe you had a fight with your husband?
Is that why your eyes are a little red?
Lame Bangka guessed in his mind.
Her father was a former friend of Bangka, and her husband's father was also a friend of Bangka. She was both the friend's daughter and his loyal customer.
He couldn't refuse.
"Okay." Bangka muttered. "The effect may not be perfect. Night is not a good time to paint."
"It doesn't matter. I believe you, Bangka." Katina sat on the stool in the painting shop, which Bangka had prepared for the customers who came to the shop to have their portraits painted.
Bangka didn't know why Katina became like this, but after being a professional painter for more than ten years, he quickly packed up his tools and started working on painting a portrait of young Katina.
When painting portraits for customers, Lame Bangka likes to chat with them.
This will prevent the guest from feeling impatient, as painting a portrait requires the guest to sit there for an hour or two.
It's easy to feel irritable after working for such a long time, and chatting with them can make them feel better.
The lame Bangka has good skills in painting, and his service attitude in painting is also the reason why he, a lame man, can live well in hundreds of art studios in Zuldazar.
He was chatting with Katina.
"Why do you suddenly want to paint at night?"
"Souvenir."
"Your husband, brave Cass. Why didn't he come with you? Did the young men quarrel?"
"He will never come with me again."
"Is it so serious? When young people quarrel, just look away. Trust me, you will be reconciled in two days."
"We didn't quarrel."
"Haha... Okay. By the way, how is Souls? When he came to paint yesterday, he said that he had received a summons from His Majesty Tona and Tiu, and was preparing to fight those hateful orcs."
"Father went to the front line yesterday."
"Oh! May the gods Tona and Tiu protect Surus. Seeing his serious look yesterday morning reminded me of the time when we were building skeletons in Nazmir more than twenty years ago."
"Father also values our friendship with you."
"Haha. Don't lie to me, Katina. We had a very bad relationship before. We even had a fight in the army. After I became lame and retired from the army, he may have had a relationship with me because he felt sorry for me.
Becoming good.”
"You are not pitiful."
"Well... Katina, you really don't talk much tonight. I remember that you always liked to chatter when you were a child. When you grow up, you are also a beautiful girl who talks a lot."
"I kept talking."
"Okay, okay. Maybe you think I'm nagging you, but you can't help it. I'm old and my legs are still lame. I admit, I talk a little too much."
"You don't talk much."
"Hey... Well, if you wait a little longer, the painting will be ready soon."
"..."
Time passed quickly when Lame Bangka was working. After about an hour or two, 70% of Katina's portrait was completed.
The rest needs to be polished by him later, and he can return it to her in a few days together with the portraits of her husband and father.
"Okay."
Bonca put down his brush.
He picked up a colorful rag from the side and wiped off some paint on his hand.
Katina stood up from the stool and walked to Bangka. She looked at herself in the portrait in trance.
"Although the light is a bit dark, it's not bad, isn't it?" Bangka was a little proud of his skills.
"The portraits you painted are the best in Zuldazar." Katina praised.
"Ha. Don't say that, Katina. Old Bangka will be proud."
"This is for you."
Katina took out a large bag from her waist and handed it to Bangka, "Remuneration for painting."
Bangka took it, but he almost lost it because the bag was heavy and rattling.
"Why so many? Even if you include the paintings of your husband and father, it only costs six Rastakhan gold coins. So many, even if they are silver coins and copper coins, there are more than six Rastakhan coins!"
"It's all for you."
Katina did not take the bag of money that Bangka wanted to return to her.
"I don't need them anymore."
Lame Bangka was in a bad mood. Looking at Katina's determined expression, he realized that something might have happened to her.
Lame Bangka wanted to ask.
At this time, outside the store, which should have been deserted after the curfew, there was a sudden knock on the door, and two trolls about the same age as Katina stood outside.
"Kakina. Okay, we're going to report." One of the trolls shouted.
"Come right away." Kakina said without looking back, then turned to the lame Bangka, whose expression began to become serious, and begged.
"Dear Bangka, I'll give you all this money. You don't have to do anything. I just hope you can preserve the portrait of our family. Please!"
"Kakina. What happened?" Bangka looked at the two trolls outside the door with a solemn expression. "What did they force you to do?"
"No. No force." Katina smiled bitterly. "They will soon be my comrades-in-arms."
"Comrade?"
"That's right. I responded to the prophet's call and signed up to join the army in the evening. I will leave the city soon to fight the orcs!"
"How can this be done?!" Lame Bangka shouted. "Although you are a good hunter, you are not a warrior or a soldier. How can you let such a young troll go to the battlefield?! Where is Surs? Ka
Where’s Si? Where’s Kadog?”
Sulsi is Katina's father's name.
Cass is the name of her husband, whom she married just three months ago.
Kadog is the name of her husband's father.
They are all old customers of Lame Bangka.
Katina persistently put the heavy bag of money into Bangka's hand, and then walked outside while talking.
"Kadog, my husband's father died a month ago while protecting Zurga."
"My own father, I received news of his death this morning. He died on the battlefield as a soldier."
"As for Cass, my true love and my husband. News of him came from the army before evening. He joined the army yesterday evening and rolled down the cliff with two orcs in his arms at noon."
"He's dead too."
The huge bad news made the lame Bangka unable to react for a while.
"Please keep the paintings of my family. Bangka, please."
"I'm going to avenge my family, fight for Zuldazar, Zandalar, and the trolls."
"Trolls live forever!"
"Zundasar will never fall!"
Katina walked out of Bangka's shop.
Bangka wanted to stop her, but he couldn't stop her at all.
He saw Katina's two companions, who were also two young female trolls. Under the clear moonlight, Bangka saw that their eyes were red.
Three young female trolls walked resolutely into the curfewed street, leaving only their backs behind.
Peng!
The heavy money bag left by Katina fell to the ground with a muffled sound.
Bangka silently closed the door.
Turning around and walking into his bedroom, he didn't even pick up the money bag on the floor.
Lame Bangka sat quietly on his bed in his dormitory, his eyes distracted.
I don’t know how long it took.
Lame Bangka suddenly stood up.
He walked to a closet in the room, opened it, and opened a pair of well-maintained Zandalari soldier leather armor, hanging quietly inside.
Bangka stretched out his hand and rubbed the leather armor.
The troll said to himself.
"Kakina, you may be disappointed. Even a young troll like you is on the battlefield. How can an old guy like me still sit still?"
He took out the equipment he had used in the army more than 20 years ago and put it on.
after a little while.
The heavily armed lame Bangka closed the door of the store, and like the three young trolls just now, he also walked out.
