Chapter 030:

The early morning sun was weak when Anton and Verona made their way to the central plaza, with Kal in tow. She seemingly had a full nights sleep and seemed to be looking quite better for it. Anton did not now if she use the Humuara plant to get such a good sleep but if she was it seemed to be doing a lot of good for her. Already she was looking more healthy from her short time in the village.

At the central plaza a small crew of about twenty villagers had assembled; three carts with Ix, five former bondsmen including Raston, and Dana with another three horses. By the looks on their faces they had just woken up.

“Good morning everybody.” Anton said loudly, the crowd looking back in a mixture of tiredness and annoyance.

“What's so good about waking up this early?” Dana quipped back.

“Nothing really,” Anton replied, “Just a formality, I suppose. I too would like to be in bed at the moment, but these things need to be done.”

Dana scoffed and laughed at the same time, turning her attention back to the horses.

“Verona,” Anton turned to her, “We put the red crystal back in the main hall, right? We'll be needing it.”

“Umm...yeah. I'm pretty sure I remember where I put it. I'll quickly run and get it.”

Verona dashed away, the red crystal of her spear acting like a flag through the plaza.

“Where did Verona find such a thing?” Kal asked.

“We found it in a Yellow Goblin hoard.” Anton explained, “They stole a whole bunch of stuff from the former kingdom. Verona found it and took quite a liking to it. It cut through a Bosciycium armor like it was nothing.”

Kal smiled.

“That's probably worth more than the whole village. It looks elvish.”

“Elvish?” Anton asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes, the wood looks like it has grown around the crystal, it doesn't look natural. Only the wood elves can manipulate wood like that. They always went for high prices, thousands of gold coins each. More money than I've seen in my life went to a badly made elven knife.”

“That is...quite concerning. Can't imagine what an wood elf would think if they saw her swinging it about like she does. Anyway of knowing if it's a famous weapon or some heirloom?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Pity, oh well.” Anton said, looking over and seeing Verona getting stuck in a conversation with Sybil at the door.

“I'm sorry.” Kal added, Anton turned to see her ears were drooping low underneath her hood.

“It's alright. You don't need to have to apologize for every little thing that you don't know.” Anton patted her on the shoulder once, a jolt of surprise from her, “If it weren't for you I wouldn't know it's a Wood Elf weapon. And you knew about the Kobolds before anyone else. You've gone through more than anyone else here and come out alive, so please have some more confidence in yourself.”

He looked Kal straight in her horizontal green cats' eyes. They were staring hard back at him, searching for something in his own.

Slowly, her face changed into a smile.

“I will try.” she said with a tiny bit more confidence.

Verona ran up to them with the large red and silver entwined crystal in her hands, looking quite pleased with herself. Behind her was Sybil, carrying a small book. It looked familiar. The small leather bound book was the journal that they found in the mountain.

“It looks like I may have found a problem with that red crystal.” Sybil said as she approached.

“It seemed to work fine with us.”

“Remember the story written in journal, about the Tigel family and how they were attacked?”

Anton thought long and hard before answering.

“Yes. They probably had the crystal with them, thinking that it would protect them all. But it didn't, even against monsters like Yellow Goblins, like it's meant to. So...there's probably some limit to how many people it can cover or it's effective area. And we have no idea what that limit is.”

“Exactly,” Sybil replied, “Well, it's just a thought but I think that it's an important one.”

“No, it's a very good point. One which I completely overlooked. I think that we should still bring it along, just in case.”

Anton took the large gem as Verona handed it to him.

“Did Verona tell you that she's planning to stay here until we get back?”

“She did not.” Sybil said, rather confused looking as she turned to Verona.

“If the Kobolds, or whatever the elven goddess might throw at us, come, I'll be here to fight them off until Anton returns.” Verona said, puffing out her chest in pride.

Sybil and Kal looked between the two but said nothing.

“I've just had another thought, regarding the red crystal.” Anton started. “It's meant to work really well against monsters and be somewhat effective against beasts, but last time there were only the two of us and we were doing our best to keep quiet, and using my magic so we didn't have to use a big fire. On the way back there were so many of us that the creatures would think twice about attacking us, now there'll be twenty of us as well as many more animals than before. A large wolf pack or whatever else lurks in the forest might think that we are a good target. The packs we saw attacking the Yellow Goblins were quite large. In the pitch of night, I don't like the idea of them just sneaking up on us. They'll probably catch out scent before they get near the red crystal, I guess we got lucky on the way back. I could use the vision modification magic, but I don't know how the others might react to me 'changing' and interfering with their bodies. You said it felt weird.”

Anton looked to Verona, who nodded.

“Yeah. If they're not ready for it they could get quite freaked out.”

She turned to Sybil and Kal.

“It feels like some sort of warm water rushing underneath your skin. And you somehow know that it's someone else’s.”

“But,” Verona continued, “There is someone here that can know things are coming even without magic.”

Anton nodded, “Yes, there is. Kal was able to smell the Kobolds on the wind before we knew what was happening. Do you know the smells and tracks of the beasts and monsters that live in the forests?”

“Um, yes.” Kal replied, her eyes darting between Anton and Verona.

“Perfect,” Verona said, clapping her hands, “This way you can help keep Anton and everyone else safe. It should help with your reputation around here too.”

Kal looked to Anton.

“It's a good plan. So, Kal, do you want to come?” Anton asked.

Her eyes widened in surprise, he did not miss her ears picking up as well as the unmistakable sign that her confined tail was trying to wag wildly. She looked extremely happy, even though she tried to hide it.

“I...I...I would. I would like the chance. But, will that be okay?” she looked to Verona.

Verona looked confused but smiled.

“Of course. I trust you. Should there be a problem?”

Kal glanced to Anton and sighed lightly.

“It's nothing.”

“Besides,” Verona started, “there'll be Dana, Raston and a whole bunch of other people with you. More than enough to fight off anything that tries to get you.”

“That's not...” Kal trailed off.

“Anyway,” Anton tried to get the conversation moving somewhere else, “It should take us about thirteen to fourteen days. Hopefully we don't get held up for too long at Maxill, we probably not even stay the night if we can manage it.”

“Ugh. I'm going to miss sleeping in a warm bed. You know, warmer.” Verona said, pouting her face. She stopped when Anton picked her up and hugged her deeply.

“I'll just be a bit and I'll be ready to go.” Anton looked to the others, “Find yourself somewhere to sit Kal and tell them that we'll be going soon.”

“Okay.” Kal replied, a tiny bow of her head. “And thank you both for trusting me.”

She ran away to the cart, the others giving her an odd look and moving to stop her. After she started talking and pointed to him their attitude changed and they allowed her onto the cart. She moved her bow and arrows to her front and found a place to sit near the back. The other villagers started to hop on as well.

“It's good that they're starting to accept her.” Verona said, patting his arm to let her down. “I'm going to be alone for a while, again.”

“Not for too long.”

The moment he said that she dragged him away, near the main hall. She glanced over at the group and pulled him down.

Verona gave him a deep kiss, her tongue dancing around his like it was trying to take the warmth from him. She finally broke it, feeling like they had been entwined for an eternity, a tiny strand of saliva connecting them. Verona brushed her mouth and used her sleeve to clean his own. Her face was flushed from embarrassment. They were not exactly hidden from view, though the other villagers were looking away though keeping them in view out the corners of their eyes.

Anton stroked the back of her head and lifted her up into a hug, she giggled as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Don't be too long. I want you back in our bed.” she purred into his ear. She was getting very good at talking in a way that got him excited, though he would have to forgo everything related to that until he returned.

“First thing I'll do when I get back.”

She squirmed and laughed as he put her back down.

He glanced over to the cart, almost everyone had gathered and the last of the crates of food and water were being loaded. A small crate was placed near Kal, she nodded and put her hand over it. It was probably the one with the small gems they recovered from the Yellow Goblins. There would be only a few loaded in, the long thing green and red ones identified as Emeralds and Rubies along with one of the unknown blue and purple crystals. He wondered how much Lester or other traders would be willing to buy them for. He still had a few coins on him from when he first went to Maxill, hidden back underneath his clothes. Together they would be enough to buy them a new arsenal of weapons, more people and even his explosive powder.

Anton looked down at Verona, his arms still resting on her shoulders.

“Ver?”

“Hmm?”

He knelt down so their eyes were at the same level.

“I want you to promise me something, I want you to wait until I've finished before you say anything.”

Verona nodded cutely and entwined her hands with his own.

“If...If something were to go wrong, like every Kobold or whatever were to descend upon Atros, and you cannot fight them off, I want you to run East.”

Her face contorted into a frown, she opened her mouth to speak but kept quiet.

“I do not want to find your body inside the ruins of Atros. If it comes to that, take whomever you can and run. I hope it doesn't come to that but I don't want to loose you.”

Anton squeezed her hands, letting her know he was finished.

“I...Okay.” she replied, smiling warmly, “It won't come to that, but I will if I need to.”

She leant forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.

“They're getting pretty impatient.” Verona said as he saw her blue eyes glance over to the carts and horses.

Anton glanced back, and they were looking quite impatient.

“I had better get going, otherwise I'll be doing this with you all day.”

Verona smiled, giving one final hug, and walked with him to the cart. Anton hopped up and took a seat near the back, next to Kal and with Raston at the front.

Sybil walked up to the cart.

“I'll tell the others that you've gone. Considering what happened I'm sure they'll understand.”

“Thanks Sybil. I'll be back soon anyway.”

Dana whipped at the reins of her horse, the carts started to rumble out of the village.

“Alright, let's do this.” she shouted over the rumbling of the cart.

Verona raced ahead and climbed onto the top of the western wall. She, and a number of other villagers, waved and cheered as they watched them leave.

“Be safe Anton!” Verona yelled, waving wildly.

Anton returned the wave.

“Be Safe Verona! We'll be back soon!” he yelled back.

She smiled and continued to wave, eventually stopping as the carts were too far away. He saw her give one final glance and a little wave before disappearing down the wall.

He turned around and leant back into the side of the cart.

Verona can look after herself, especially with her blood power. I wonder who she's going to use for a source of blood? Probably Sam or one of her friends, someone that's not going to freak out completely. Anyway, I need to focus on getting through the forest as quickly as we can and what I'm going to say to the Duchess, I hope that Raston and the others provide a good reference as I planned.

He looked towards the front, seeing Kal clutching at her chest where her medallion would be and the other desperately holding onto her bow and arrows.

“Kal, you feeling nervous?” he asked.

“Yeah. I never expected to be heading to a human city willingly,” she answered, the nervousness clear in her words, “Especially when not in chains.”

She looked towards him.

“Did Verona...tell you what I told her?”

“No,” there was some relief on her face, “She only told me that she wasn't go to repeat what you told her.”

“I'll be sure to thank her when we return. I've come to like it here, even if it's been a few days.” She took one last look back at Atros before looking forward, towards the forest. “I've never been through that forest, but I know the smell and sounds most of the monsters and beasts will make. I'll do my best to keep us safe.”

Anton smiled at Kal, who looked extremely happy, with an almost wagging tail, and looked to the forest. He wondered what they would run into there.

---[]---

The first three days of the trip had gone by extremely quickly and without any real incident. They were moving faster than they had last time, already having passed the old, and now turned over, broken cart. Sometime, early tomorrow, they would reach the lake and be able to relax a little bit and resupply their water.

The old Atros villagers were a little concerned with traveling through the dark forest. Thankfully the former bondsmen were able to help them through it, as they had already taken the journey once.

Kal spoke a bit on the travel but not much. She took her job of being a scout very seriously, only speaking when spoken to. Anton admired that attitude, of working extremely hard, but it was beginning to bug him that she was almost being ignored, like she was a device rather than an intelligent being. It seemed very difficult for her to start any sort of meaningful conversation with anyone but himself and Verona, and Verona was not here now.

He did want to know the story of how she came to Atros. Firstly because he genuinely wanted to know more about her and it was to see what story she would tell him and how that would match the one told to Verona.

Now, it was very late in the day and they had stopped to make camp. A few of the villagers would be on watch, with a very small fire to illuminate their camp and keep them warm in the cool night time air. The animals were kept close and allowed to rest.

The red crystal was embedded into the ground, close to the fire and the center of the camp, the swirling pattern in its center began to grow with intensity. Anton had not idea if the crystal was working or not, but it gave him and the others some sense of security.

Anton, Kal and another four villagers were on the first watch. There was still some light about, so it was not hard to see quite far into the forest, their eyes having become well adjusted to the dim light.

Out the corner of his eye he could see Kal start to fidget and look like she was becoming incredibly uncomfortable. Knowing got the better of him.

“Kal?” he asked as he approached, “What's wrong?”

“Oh, it's nothing.”

“Come on Kal, don't bother lying. Do you think you've seen something?”

Kal fidgeted and pointed towards a large tree. At the base were several orange and blue mushrooms, along with some much smaller green and white speckled mushrooms.

“Mushrooms? Are they edible?” Anton asked.

Kal nodded.

“They go well with stews. The green ones go well with meat and the other ones taste good just on their own.”

“Right.”

Anton looked around at the others and saw that they were keeping a good watch. Apart from the sounds of the fire the forest was completely silent. Kal did not seem worried so he doubted that she could smell any enemies getting near, she had said that she would accept death when it came but would fight it until the end. He doubted she would lie.

He started moving to the tree, Kal taking a few seconds to realize that she would be needed for the next part.

She took out a knife and started to cut the mushrooms above the stem, Anton tried to pull them off where they attached to the tree. Kal grunted something, reaching out and almost touching his hand before stopping.

“You don't want the stem,” she explained, “It's bitter and will make you feel sick for the whole day. Something you don't want. Leaving it also makes them grow back faster, a bit for it to grow back from.”

“But the rest is fine?”

“Yes.” Kal handed him the knife, which he started to use.

It was not long before they had quite a few. Anton saw that Kal was smiling as they harvested in silence. He guessed that she was not much of a talker, getting enjoyment from being near her friends. He did not know if she considered him a friend but she seemed to be relatively comfortable around him, compared to the others.

They returned to the camp site fire with their arms full of the mushrooms.

“What are those?” Dana asked, lying down next to the fire with her hat covering most of her face.

“Um, good question. Kal, do you know what these are called?”

“I don't know.” Kal answered, her ears drooping a little, “I never learned their names. But I know they're not harmful, I've had them before.”

“You'll have to forgive us for not believing you straight away,” Dana said, covering her face with her hat, “None of us eat these sort of things. I've always been told that mushrooms are bad things.”

Kal was loosing more and confidence by the second, especially judging by the way her body was starting to become more hunched over. Her ears were hanging as low as they could. Anton knew that Dana was not trying to be vicious but she was being quite brutally undiplomatic in her words.

Anton did not want to see her like this. He looked over at the fire, there were two villagers, a bondsmen and an old villager, tending to pieces of meat and vegetables skewered onto thin sticks over the fire.

“You guys got a spare pot?” Anton asked.

One of the villagers nodded and got a small metal pot from a cart, handing it to Anton.

“Kal, can you help me get some branches and wood for a fire. We'll do this ourselves.”

Kal nodded and put her mushrooms into the pot, running into the forest. She emerged a few moments later with a large collection of branches in her arm.

Anton moved to an empty spot and got Kal to place the wood onto the ground. With a deft hand she assembled the wood ready for a fire. Anton was about to put the pot down when Kal threw up her hand for him to stop and ran over to the edge of their camp.

She returned with a small and thin flat rock, a little smaller than the pot. With a little grunting she placed it in the center of the wood and moved the wood around the edge. She took the pot and placed it on the rock, taking out the mushrooms.

“This way you can have the pot keep flat without having to try and suspend it?” Anton asked.

Kal nodded and smiled.

“Very clever Kal. Can you start cutting up the mushrooms, I'll get some meat and veggies for the soup.”

Kal took off her cloak and put it on the ground with the mushrooms on top. She sat down and began to roughly cut both types of mushrooms and placed them into the pot. Anton rummaged through the stash of food and came back with a small jug of water, pieces of cooked and dried Razor-pig and some vegetables that looked like carrots.

He sat down next to Kal and started to cut his food into small pieces and place them into the pot along with the water.

“Do you want me to light the fire?” Kal asked.

“Did you use...how did you manage to get the fire started before?”

“I used these two rocks, hit them and used the the sparks to get some dried grass burning.”

Kal reached into her waist and pulled out two small rocks, both were dull except for a few shiny marks where they had been struck against each-other. One was a very dark grey and was a little lighter in color.

“Is that...flint?”

“Yeah, I did steal these, but they've kept me warm during the winter. ” Kal smiled, not caring that her canine teeth were showing. Right now she looked a little bit cute.

“So, do you want me to?”

“I'll just use my magic.” Anton replied. “I can get them all going with no real effort.”

He formed a small flame in his hand and moved it down to the wood surrounding the flat rock. Kal look almost hypnotized by the flame, but not before she got up and brushed herself off. She said nothing as she jogged into the forest, emerging with many small rocks. Without saying anything she placed them around the outside of the fire.

“This'll help keep the heat going where we want it to. “ Kal explained as she placed them down around the fire.

Afterwards she picked up and shook her cloak before putting it back on. She seemed much more comfortable to be wrapped in her cloak in the darkness.

“Having the ability to make fire is pretty handy,” Kal started, “But, what happens if you are not able to use your fire magic, or healing magic for that matter?”

“Well...I'd be in a lot of trouble.”Anton replied sincerely.

He stared into the fire for a moment

“I don't know how to start a fire on my own. Or how to make any of the healing salves or even what would be good to eat or what would kill me. Gods forbid if I get hit with a Gliyrhil blade and it takes away my magic. I really need to learn how to do things on my own.”

Kal smiled, bringing her knees into her chest and hugging them tight. As her feet wiggled and stretched, he started wondering what they really looked like. If he was completely honest they were not moving entirely in the same way that he would expect human feet to, but it would be a little weird to ask her to show him her feet.

They sat in silence, watching the flames start to engulf the wood.

A few minutes passed, the smaller twigs burnt away leaving the large branches to turn into large red coals. He could feel the heat from the fire on his skin, he could see a few beads of sweat growing on his arms. It was not particularly cold yet.

An earthy and meaty aroma began to emanate from the pot, wisps of steam flowing upwards.

He stood up and looked into the open pot. The mushrooms had broken apart into tiny flecks and strands, the water had transformed into a thin orange soup with lines and swirls of white throughout. The blue and green from the mushrooms had disappeared with the heat. Little bubbles rose and burst, sending more fragrance into the air.

The other villagers had noticed, starting to gather around. He saw Dana get up from lying down and look at the source of the smell.

“Smells pretty good.” someone said. Anton looked up and saw that it was Raston. He, and everyone else, seemed more interested in eating the soup than doing their work.

“Did you make it?” he asked.

“Not really. Most of it is Kal's work.” Anton answered.

He saw the others look a little surprised, but they directed a small nod of respect to Kal. She seemed pleasantly surprised by it.

“Is it nearly ready?” Dana asked. “Looks like we'll be getting just a sample with such a small pot.”

Anton looked to Kal, who straightened out her legs and crawled to look at the pot.

“Looks like it's ready. If it's bubbling from the heat, and the other food has already been cooked, it's ready to be eaten.”

“Can someone get us a few clay bowls?” Anton asked.

Dana and Raston moved to a cart and brought out a dozen clay pots, however they had no spoons to eat it with. Everything so far, except at the Duchess's mansion, had been eaten with their hands, and he had not intention of eating something that smelt so good cold or by burning his hands.

“Did anyone bring something like a spoon?”

“Yeah, a few.” one of the villagers replied, “Though not enough for everyone.”

“We'll just have to share then.”

A few wooden spoons were handed out, one to Anton but none to Kal, despite being the person who knew which mushrooms were edible and helped prepare what they were about to eat. She reached out her hand to ask but hesitated as they ignored her, eventually bringing her hand back into a fist on her chest.

She seemed quite disappointed and depressed, her eyes downcast and ears drooping low. Her whole body looked like she wanted to hide in the shadows.

Anton noticed the look of unhappiness from Dana as well. These actions grated on his mind, though it was probably not vindictive. He hoped it was not so a Beast-kin would touch their stuff.

He was about to say something when he saw the glyphs on his hand, particularly the prayer glyph.

It was able to change the bodies of people, like our vision and an immunity to poisons. Could it change inanimate objects? Like wood?

There were a few large branches near him, one was about the same size as the spoon. He glanced around and saw that nobody was paying him much attention, they seemed more interested in forming some sort of line and handing out the clay bowls.

He picked up the piece of wood and held it infront of him with the spoon in the other.

Maybe if I use this piece of wood instead of trying to make it out of nothing.

Tethra, goddess of prayer, could you make this piece of wood into a copy of this spoon? Also, make me immune to any form of poisons?

He did not like having to ask for something in such vague, and somewhat begging and needy sounding, terms, nor for two things at one but he did not have much of a choice. However it seemed to work.

A bit over a half of his mana left him at once, the rush forcing him to skip a breath in surprise. He had no idea which took more. Kal noticed his jolt out of the corner of her eye and looked over in concern.

The wooden branch in his hand trembled and shook, the outer bark cracked and turned to dust. As the dust began to fall away with the tiniest shake from his hand, it revealed the spoon within. It looked to be a near identical spoon to the one he had been given, just a different colour.

That's cool. I can make something simple like this, though it seems that the prayer power uses so much more mana than the other two to do comparatively so little. No wonder it might not be popular. If it used that much to do this I don't think I could just wish up a gun...There must be a more efficient and better way of using this....Like chants and a longer spoken prayer. Maybe it's just for healing and temporary body modification rather than creating something new. I doubt it but I really don't want to practice with so many people watching. I'll have to ask about magic books in Maxill. Can't imagine how much mana it would have taken if I tried to make it out of nothing.

“Anyway, thanks Tethra.” he mumbled lightly.

He presumed that the immunity from poison worked, something in his mind resounded lightly in agreement to his mental question.

“Here. I got something for you.” he said, handing the new spoon to Kal.

She took it, without her usual attempt at denial, and held it close to her.

“Thank you Anton.” she mumbled something else but she did not repeat it.

Anton clapped his hands together, getting everyone else’s attention.

“Alright everyone, there's not that much so it'll have to be just a bit with the rest of your meal.”

He took a sip of it before handing it out. It was good, in a simple and hearty way. There was no sign from his magic that it had any poison. He told the others that it was safe, to which they jumped at the chance to have some. The food was divided equally, Anton made sure that Kal got a decent serve of the soup and the rest of food.

Anton left the villagers to squabble over the remains while he sat on the back of the cart and made Kal sit next to him rather than alone on the ground. Beside her sat Dana and past her was Raston.

“This is insanely good.” Dana said, dipping her bread into the small portion of soup.

“It really is,” Raston added, “And to think it was just lying around in the forests all this time.”

He took a large bite of the Razor-pig meat soaked in the soup, his face contorted in pleasure. “This is really good.”

“What did you eat in Maxill?” Dana asked.

“Um, whatever we could catch, beg or steal. Most of the time it was things like rats and a few pieces of fruit that we got from some trees that we kept in the joint courtyards. It wasn't fun...I'm really nervous about going back. I have no idea how my family is going.”

“We didn't eat that well, back at Atros, though we really could have done better if we had actually worked together, rather than tearing at one another.”

They both chuckled, earning an odd look from Kal towards Anton. Anton shrugged and motioned for them to leave, quietly. They both moved to the back of another cart, free from any people.

He glanced over at both of them, hearing another light laugh. It was a little odd for them to start bonding over something so terrible but he was not one to judge.

“Are they becoming a couple?” Kal asked. “I'm not sure about human courtship in the Kar kingdom.”

“We aren't called that anymore....I don't know what we're called now. I guess it's just 'Atros', for now at least. Anyway, I don't know what's normal for building relationships here. So long as it works and it's a mutual attraction I don't see any problem with it.”

He took another bite of the Razor-pig meat as he looked over to them, the stoic Dana had a smile on her face.

“Well, let's see how this goes. Could be fun to see this work out. Was it different back where you came from?”

“Things like that had to be kept secret,” she stopped eating and turned to him, nothing on her face except something that looked like worry, “Did Verona tell you anything?”

“No,” Anton replied truthfully, “She only told me that you told her a story and that she promised not to tell me. I am curious though.”

There was a smile on Kal's face.

“Well. I didn't know that much. As a half breed Beast-kin, I was...not...popular with anyone really. I managed to escape when I was twelve, so my only experience is watching what others did.”

Her ears drooped as she looked over to Dana and Raston.

“None of it looked anything like that. One day I'll tell you about it.”

“I would like to hear it, so long as you comfortable with telling me.”

Her ears perked up as she turned and stared at him straight in the eyes.

“You're not from here? From Atros?”

“Would you believe me if I said I was from Atros?” Anton asked slyly.

“No.” Kal answered sternly. “If I was honest, I don't think your from any land on this world.”

“So, what, I'm from the oceans?”

He was lightly teasing her, enjoying watching her getting a little uncomfortable along with her tanned face becoming slight red.

“N...No. Not like that. But, I don't think that you're even from this world. I realize that it may sound like I'm trying to offend you but-”

“It's fine. I would think that I'm some wacko if I was just another villager.”

He took another bite of his meal.

“If I were to tell you that I have all my memories from another world, not what the others have been saying, what would you say?”

Kal frowned and looked the final scraps of her meal.

“Honestly, I wouldn't doubt you. It would make you make more sense about how you treat me.”

Anton laughed, liking her honesty. Kal smiled as well, her attention drawn back to the forest. It was getting very dark now.

“We should probably take our watch now. They get more active at night, and with this many people, they could easily smell us.”

Kal hopped off the cart, watching Anton do the same thing.

“Will they be attracted to this?” Anton asked, holding up the empty bowl.

Kal shook her head.

“I don't think so. They probably would have never smelt something like this before.”

She took a sniff at her arm.

“I think that they would be more attracted to our smell.”

“We'll sort that out tomorrow.”

Kal gave him an odd look.

“There's a lake about half a days walk along the path. There's a large open space there where we can relax, freshen up and get more water. Have you ever been swimming?”

Kal shook her head.

“Well, there's a lot more people than there was last time. Still, I guess we can soak some of the smell off us.”

She opened her mouth to speak, when someone else spoke to her.

“Kal, that mushroom soup was great. Can you make another one of those tomorrow night?” It was a male villager, but most of the other villagers looked quite expectant as well.

Kal staggered a step back before regaining her composure. She gripped her hands and looked them in the eye.

“Umm...sure. I...I'm glad you liked it.”

“Thanks.” another villager replied.

Kal looked to him, receiving a smile from Anton.

“People will warm up to you. Even if it starts through food.”

She smiled lightly, took a deep breath, and headed to the edge of the camp where she could keep a look-out over the camp. He did not miss the, almost, spring in her step as she walked away.

---[]---

“So, what's this thing you said about a lake?” Dana asked.

They were currently only a few minutes away, judging by the scenery that he remembered. Anton sat near the back of the cart again while Dana had brought her horse next to him so they could talk more easily.

“Up ahead a bit. It's a big fresh water lake, lots of small fish and is very peaceful. I was saying, the other day, that it would be a good place to resupply and take a quick wash.” Anton explained.

Dana looked quite happy.

“That sounds good. Get rid of this sweat and grime on my body. I only managed to use that bath once.”

She suppressed a laugh as she stroked the horses neck, getting a pleasant snort in return.

“It was rather beautiful,” Raston continued, sitting on the other side of Anton, “Good thing it was there, we would have run into problems with water if we didn't.”

“You didn't pack enough?” Dana asked.

“More like we didn't have enough for the number of people we got,” Anton explained, “They brought some of their own, which helped stretch supplies, but I thought that-”

Kal's ears twitched underneath her hood and she started sniffing at the air. She jerked her body forward, rising and twisting to look where they were traveling. Her hands gripped hard onto the wooden sides.

“Tell everyone to stop.” Anton told Dana, who let out a harsh but short whistle.

The horsemen and those leading the carts stopped, everyone grabbing their weapons. The horsemen had spears while the villagers had a mix of swords, spears and simple shields.

“What's there?” Anton asked.

Kal kept sniffing at the air, raising her hand to keep him quiet.

“Ahead, the wind is coming from. It smells like...cooking fish, and something else. Blood. It smells like there are people there, but it's a lot stronger than normal people.”

“Any idea who?” Anton asked.

She took another sniff, the look of fear palpable on her face.

“Orcs. Lots of them.”

“Fucking hell.” Anton grumbled.

“I saw those things,” Dana looked equally annoyed, “Big green hairless human looking creatures, they looked pretty strong. You could probably crush them though.”

“Hairless?” Kal asked, looking quite confused.

“They looked a bit like us, except with huge teeth and a bottom jaw that makes them look stupid.” Anton explained, getting off the cart and motioning for Kal to do the same. “Their lack of...male parts?, was a little odd.”

“They sound like Orc Thralls.” Kal said as she hopped off the cart. “I don't know much about them, only that they're only treated as workers and soldiers because of their lack of...”

Kal moved her hand over her crotch and looked at Anton.

“Penis's.” she mumbled, coughing to hide her embarrassment from saying the word.

“How good a sense of smell do the normal Orcs have?”

“Not great. Probably worse than humans.”

“Okay. Kal, you and I will go forward and see what's happening. Any more than that could attract too much attention, especially with the horses and these carts.”

Dana nodded.

“I'll keep them safe. Come back as quickly as you can.”

“Come on Kal. I need you to tell me if you see or smell anything wrong, you've got the best senses here.”

Kal nodded, both heading forward as silent as they could.

It took them quite a bit of time for them to reach the edge of the forest. Kal moved slow and low, careful to make sure that she did not make a sound when traveling over the branch and twig laden forest floor. Anton tried his best to follow properly, but occasionally stood on a small twig. The sound was unbelievably loud in the otherwise silent forest, earning him an odd look of scorn from Kal.

They were very close to the edge, able to see the open grassland through the final row of shrubs. Kal stopped him, glanced around and pointed to the south. Fifty meters was a large rock jutting above the ground, one that could be climbed. It would be a good vantage point that was shrouded by some low hanging branches.

“You think we can see out of there without being seen?” Anton asked quietly.

Kal nodded and led them to the rock. It looked like a giant piece of granite, worn down by time and the weather. Thankfully the back could easily be climbed.

They both crawled onto the top of the rock, Anton had some difficulty but Kal had none. He heard clicks from her hands and feet, underneath the cloth wraps, as she ran up the rock, like a cat up a tree. When Anton finally arrived, taking a few near slips, Kal was looking out towards the lake. From their position they could see most of the grassland, only their shaded faces were visible.

Sprawled out over the grasslands were over two hundred green humanoids. They were instantly recognizable as Orcs, but not like those found attacking at the base of the mountain. These did not wear loin-cloth's, but a modest set of body armor. Some had their chests and arms exposed, but it was better than being nearly naked.

They all had the same oversized teeth and bottom jaw, but most had black beards and long hair. About fifty had no facial hair, their faces less square and more rounded, but still had long black hair. One got up at turned around and stretched, its formed chest armor and exposed stomach showed that it was a female. They were not all that different, not what he would call beautiful, but they could have been for their species.

Small fires blazed, small fish being roasted over them while sat around and stared at the flames. It appeared to be solemn event. As an Orc stood up, some smaller Orcs, resting on the laps or next to the larger ones, got up and ran to her. They clutched at her legs, refusing to let go until she paid them some attention. She picked up the smallest one, that looked like a girl, and started happily rubbing her nose on hers.

“Have we got some sort of migration happening here?” Anton asked, turning to Kal.

She shook her head.

“No, I don't think so. Look at their limbs and faces, they're all covered in scratches and dried blood. Looks like they've been in a big fight and relatively recently. They seem to be talking about it.”

“You can hear that far?”

“When you're not talking, I can hear them relatively well.”

There was almost something snide in the way she answered him, though it disappeared when he looked at her. She pulled her hood closer as she focused her attention forward.

“Fair enough,” he whispered, raising his hand in apology to which she returned a small smile, “I want to try using my magic again to let me hear better.”

“Like at the Kobold camp? You used something there that allowed you to see better.”

“Yeah. I hope it works.”

He chanted a prayer to improve his hearing.

The world exploded in sound, even his breathing and heartbeat sounded deafeningly loud. He brushed his hands over the rock, the crumbling of a few grain breaking free sounded like boulders smashing down on rocks.

Kal opened her mouth to speak but refrained. She appeared to have realized that his magic would make everything, even her voice, extremely loud. He could even hear her breath and heartbeat, something he had not expected to hear.

Focusing on the task infront, he focused his attention towards the Orcs as best he could.

He could hear them, even over the sound of the rustling grass and leaves and the crackling of the fires.

“Mommy, is everything okay?” the little girl in the female Orcs arms asked, “You and daddy look really worried.”

“Everything's fine dear. Everything's fine.” she brought the girl close and started to stroke her head.

Even at their current distance, Anton could tell that she did not believe it and the child looked equally worried.

“Now, you run along and play with your friends. But don't go too far, I don't want you wandering off into the forest.”

“Okay.” she replied as she was placed onto the ground.

“I mean it.” the woman said sternly.

“Okay.” the child seemed to understand and moved a few meters away to start playing some sort of game with the other Orc children.

The woman sighed and sat back down at the fire, next to a particularly large male Orc.

“Lazgar, do you think we can reach the Red Spines safely?” there was real concern in her voice.

The male Orc took a deep breath, placed his hands behind him and stretched out his back.

“If I'm honest,” he turned to look at the little girl, “I don't think so. It's at least thirty or forty days south from here. If we fight again we'll be killed.”

The others at the camp looked dejected by his words. He was probably the leader of the Orcs.

“That damn idiot, Xugug, trying to throw the entire Black Fist in with the Deweth Clans.”

“At least he didn't get everyone he wanted.” another male Orc added.

“Yeah. Except now they're dead or following him so they don't die. But, complaining won't help.” Lazgar said, everyone becoming even more depressed.

“We'll stay another day and then keep heading south.” he said, the other Orcs agreeing. “Try and get some sleep.”

He and the female Orc stood up and picked up the child, holding it between them. It was strange but a warm sight to see them holding their child so closely despite something terrible having befallen their tribe. He had no idea who the Deweth Clan's were, something Kal would possibly know.

Anton returned his hearing to normal with a quick cant, turning to Kal.

“How much of that did you manage to hear?”

“A bit. I heard the Deweth Clans, and I think they're at war with them now.”

“And who are these Deweth Clans?” Anton asked.

Kal shuffled back and rested her head on her arms.

“They live in the mountain ranges north of Atros, living amongst the snow and frost. They are a tough people, but they are so aggressive that nearly everyone is at war with them. Once they used to be quite large, and had lots of warm grasslands and forest. But the Qaiviel Kingdom and the Grataeris Empire, among others, attacked and took their land, forcing them into the ice. They hate everyone because of that. I think that even Maxill was once held by the clans.”

“Why would they tolerate the Orcs living amongst them?”

Kal shrugged.

“I don't know. But I think that they keep away from each-other so there isn't any fighting, though that seems to have changed.”

Anton looked back at the pair of adult Orcs, they looked quite normal as they played with the little girl, probably their daughter.

“These seem like they're intelligent and may be willing to talk. Do the Deweth clans wear anything distinctive?”

“They wear these large fur coats and always wear their clans' symbol on their chest. Usually some sort of bloody weapon, like an axe or sword.”

“Well, we don't look like them. If we don't startle them, they might be willing to talk. We should talk to those willing to talk and not just kill everything, they could be useful in the future as friends and allies.”

Anton started to slide down the rock, to the utter bewilderment of Kal.

“You're serious about going out there? With that many Orcs with just us?”

He was about to answer when another question came into his mind.

“What do Orcs think about Beast-kin, or at least half-breeds?” he said, motioning to her.

“I don't know. I think they'll be okay, or at least just as angry as they will be with you.”

“If things go wrong, I can just use magic for something far more devastating than I used at the Kobold camp. Did you think that the training yard, back at Atros, was barren dirt like that? That was me.”

Her mouth almost dropped from her head, before closing it.

“I should have realized who I was talking to. So, how do we do this?”

---[]---

Anton slowly moved forward, using a spare piece of cloth from Kal attached to a stick to act as a rudimentary flag. They could both see the Orcs, but they had not seen them yet. Kal, quite wisely, stood behind Anton while peering around his shoulder. She had taken out her bow and knocked an arrow in readiness, not that it would do that much compared to Anton's magic but he liked her eagerness.

There was only the small row of shrubs left, that barely came up to his chest, to cover him.

“This is probably stupid, but here goes nothing.”

He pushed the flag forward, making quite a bit of rustling noise.

The Orcs near the edge heard but were initially not alarmed, they must have thought it was just a wild animal. They turned around dismissively to look. The calmness evaporated in an instant when they realized it was a human approaching along with a cloaked stranger with a readied bow.

In a flurry, male and female, picked up and wielded axes and swords, pointing them at Anton and Kal. The children looked terrified and ran behind the safety of the adults.

One of the larger male Orcs near him moved forward, holding his axe level with Antons' head. Seeing them up close he realized how tall they were, about two and a half meters at least, and far more well built than most humans, every muscle quite large and well defined with little to no fat. There was about twenty meters between them but they looked like they could cover that distance incredibly quickly despite their size.

“You clansmen?” he asked, more guttural and primitive sounding than their leader.

“Deweth clans? No.” Anton replied.

They did not relax. The one called Lazgar moved through to the front, the woman and child hanging back.

“Then who are you?” Lazgar asked, he spoke more eloquently than other Orc.

Damn, what do we call ourselves?

“We are travelers from the east.” Anton began to explain, “We do not mean you any harm, merely wishing to pass through without incident. I take it you are the leader of this group?”

Lazgar said nothing, but the other Orcs looked to him.

“And you, are you the leader of your group? There's no way that just you two could have made it this far on your own.”

“I...I guess you could call me that.” Anton answered. “Anyway, can we come out? You guys seem like you want to talk rather than fight.”

Lazgar looked at the other Orcs, all seemed quite tired, physically and mentally.

“How many more of you are there?”

“About twenty of us,” Anton answered truthfully, “They're a bit back. My friend here,” Anton moved slightly to reveal Kal, “managed to find you, so we went ahead to investigate. We only want to move through and collect some water.”

Lazgar and a few of the Orcs formed a huddle while the others kept their weapons raised. Kal kept her bow and arrow knocked, but most of the attention was on Anton. He untied and handed the cloth back to Kal, she seemed glad to have it back. She tied it around her waist. He noticed that the cloth added quite a bit of volume to her, she must be very skinny underneath her cloth rags. She saw his glance, gave a quick but odd frown, and kept her attention focused forward.

The Orcs parted their huddle.

“Okay. You can bring your friends, get your water, and be on your way.”

“That's fine with us.”

Anton turned to Kal.

“Can you go back and tell them to hurry here? I'll stay here,” he leant down so they could not hear, “And make sure that they don't do anything stupid.”

“You sure?” she seemed very concerned about his safety, clear on her frowning face. Her eyes contracted slightly out of fear for him.

“I'll be fine. Go on.” Anton patted her on the shoulder. She grimaced but nodded, following his order and running quickly into the forest, giving a final look back before disappearing.

“It'll be a little bit before they arrive,” Anton said, “And if I'll be honest, I'll feel a bit more comfortable when they're here.”

“You don't seem that worried.” another Orc said. He was quite large, even compared to a regular Orc, but looked like that was all he had was his size and strength. Anton saw Lazgar take a silent sigh.

“Indeed.” Anton replied, “I don't want to be involved in any fighting that I don't have to be.”

The Orc was about to speak again, puffing out his exposed chest, but Lazgar moved forward and put his hand on his shoulder. Now they were close he could clearly see the dried blood and wounds that Kal spoke of. Some looked extremely deep but dry, like they were some days old but they were still raw. There were other cuts and scratches but they looked quite old.

“It's alright Shuzug.” Lazgar turned to Anton. “Forgive my brother, he tends to get riled up over the smallest things. We've....we've been through a lot.”

“You guys look battered and scared.”

They refused to answer.

“There's no point in trying to hide it.” Anton said, “Some of those wounds look quite fresh.”

He pointed to a particularly large gash on Shuzug's chest. Shuzug glanced at his brother but said nothing.

“Do you have a name, Traveler?” Lazgar asked.

“Anton. And my friend that ran into the forest is called Kal.” Anton answered.

“I am Lazgar, leader of what remains of the Black Fist clan.” He turned around and shrugged his arms and let them fall loudly to his side. “It's not as impressive as it once was.”

“It seems like you've had a rough time.” Anton replied.

“I think it's best that we wait until your friends arrive before we speak anymore.” Lazgar said, the finality clear in his voice.

“As you wish. I will wait here until they arrive.”

Lazgar and the other Orcs seemed to appreciate this though Shuzug remained close, his large axe held in both hands ready to strike. However he stayed his blade as he occasionally glanced back at his brother.

Another few minutes passed in silence. Some of the children looked at him in curiosity while the women kept them back. Compared to the men they were far more lithe and delicate, but not very much so. Even the largest women in Atros, and most back on Earth, paled in comparison to their physique. They had the same oversized bottom jaw but it was less exaggerated, the rest of their faces otherwise similar to a woman’s. All had jet black hair, just like the men, and had dark brown eyes.

Despite their size and stature they seemed terrified by him, they were stroking their children but it seemed to be more reassurance for them rather than for the children. It must have been because he was not worried about being alone with them. Perhaps the Deweth Clans had many mages.

Lazgar and his group remained standing near Anton, the others sat back around the fires, some even catching some fish on a spear. Despite the fear they continued, Anton felt like he could see some sort of grim nihilism in how they worked, like they knew the end was coming for them no matter what they did.

Behind him he could hear the rumbling of the carts and sound of horses hooves.

The Orcs readied themselves again as the villagers emerged, led by Dana, with Kal walking beside. Lazgar looked surprised though tried his best to hide it.

The villagers, rather nervously, led their carts past the shrubs and into the grasslands. Lazgar gave a glance to his people and waved them away from the lake. The Orcs left the shoreline closest to the East, to which Anton waved his own people towards it.

He could feel the tension in the air but did not wish to make a potentially volatile situation worse. With a few, unhappy and thoroughly nervous, villagers starting to refill the pots in the clear lake Kal, Dana and Raston came up to Anton. Dana dismounted her horse and walked it and herself towards him.

“Lot more Orcs than I thought, lot more than you hinted at,” Dana said, glancing towards Kal, “At least they're not those thralls.”

Lazgar's head twitched towards them, along with many of the other adults.

“Did you see some?” the female orc next to Lazgar asked, “They look a bit like Lazgar...but...smaller and thinner. Um...more like you humans.”

“We did see some recently.” Anton replied.

“And?” she and quite a few of the women seemed quite concerned.

“How many?” asked another.

“Were they in a group?”

“There were a few hundred. They were dead.” Anton answered, leaving out that he was the one that killed them.

A mixture of relief and sadness overcame their faces.

“Did you know them?” he asked.

The female Orc nodded.

“One may have been my first...son.” she seemed to be on the verge of tears, Lazgar's arm holding her tight. “I'm just glad that they're not suffering anymore.”

Anton approached Lazgar, so they would not have to talk so loudly, Kal right behind with her bow and knocked arrow still in her hands. She kept her hood drawn down tight, enough for her to see out, but Anton could still see her distinctive green eyes peering out.

Anton whispered to Dana and Raston that he would be fine, they moved to the carts and helped collecting more water. It was quite clear that they would not get the chance to clean themselves here.

“But first, how did you make it through the monster wastelands?” Lazgar asked. “There's nothing there. Nothing to scavenge or steal or trade. I don't know why you would want to go through there. Did you come from the Grataeris Empire?”

“Something like that.” Anton replied.

“There's a large Yellow Goblin nest in the mountain and a whole bunch of Green Goblin's infesting the mines further east. Not to mention the Kobolds, Feral Thumpers and the Grey, White and Golden wolves. How did you make it through?” the woman asked, looking quite worried. He still did not know her name and wanted to know before continuing.

“I don't believe I got your name.”

“It's Uro,” she gave a little wave with her free hand, “And this is Batul.”

The child waved and retreated into her mother's arms.

“Pleased to meet you Uro, Lazgar and Batul.” Anton gestured behind him, “The woman on the horse is Dana and the man next to her is Raston.”

“So, how did you make it through?” he asked again.

Anton looked to Kal, “We kept out of the way for the most part, keeping quiet and moving when it was safe. Got through without attracting too much attention. What about you? You don't look like your settling down here.”

Lazgar and Uro shook their heads.

“No.” she answered, turning her head and whispering into his ear but loud enough that he could listen in just barely, “Should we tell them? We'll be gone but I think they deserve to know.”

His face looked a little uncomfortable but he seemed to agree.

“Well, we'd better sit down for this.” he said, the other Orcs moving away from a fire for them, “It could take a while.”

They sat infront of the fire, Kal remained standing but they did not seem to take offense. The child Batul was allowed to run away to play with the other children.

“Your people can take their time. We are not up for fighting unless we have to.” Lazgar seemed very tired when he said the last half.

“Anyway, What do you know about the thralls?” Uro asked, “Do you know how they died. I...We really want to know.”

“I don't know. It looked liked they had been killed and left. They only had some rags over their groins.” Anton answered. “Although, that was....interesting. They were missing parts but it did not look like they had been mutilated.”

Uro clasped her green hands very tightly as she held them in her lap.

“It...happens the first time. A child is born...lacking.” she began to explain. “Every first child, no matter what. Not boy or girl, no hair and very thin for an Orc. Some of the shamans think that they are abominations or think they're a sign of bad things to come, and they always want them cast out. But...”

There were tears growing in her eyes.

“We still love them. They aren't mean. They aren't evil. They're just like us in every other way, they're not monsters. It's just so hard when they get ripped away from us.”

She started crying, trying her best to not break down completely. The pain and loss was clear on her face, even Lazgar looked to be close to tearing up.

“Do the shamans take them away?” Anton asked.

Uro was still trying to stop crying, using the back of her hand to wipe away her tears but could not answer in anything more than sobs, so Lazgar answered for her.

“Yes. They take them away to the mountains and we barely ever see them again.”

“I've heard that they're used as workers and soldiers.” Anton said.

Lazgar nodded.

“Since they cannot be used for creating children, they are used like slaves. I saw my son once, carrying some wood up a steep hill. I tried calling out to him but none of them even noticed, only showing the tiniest emotion when the shamans started hitting them. It's a...little difficult to talk about.”

Lazgar took a deep breath. “But, we all need to keep moving and working hard for the rest of us.”

Anton heard the laughter of the children playing. Despite the adults best effort they were starting to try and play with the villagers. The villagers themselves looked a little awkward and politely tried to send them back to the other Orcs, something the Orcs seemed to appreciate, judging by their slowly warming faces to the humans.

“Your daughter, Batul, seems fine.”

“Yeah, thankfully.” Uro replied, having stopped crying, “She's our lovely girl. Every child after the first is normal and completely healthy. I don't understand why it happens, but there's nothing we can do about it now. Nothing the shamans do stop the first being born a thrall either.”

“When they get too old,” Lazgar continued, “They're sent out to pillage the human villages and traders in the surrounding kingdoms and empires, lying to humans that they are renegade and feral while they bring back whatever valuables they can. Then sent back out. The humans know its a lie but don't care much, and use them for their soldiers and knights as....practice. It's....”

“I'm just glad that they're not hurting anyone else now. They can rest.”

Because they've been killed by me. Though, they didn't seem like they wanted to talk. Perhaps they wanted death? Seeking it but not willing or able to do it themselves...What a terrible...existence.

“So what's your group doing in the forest? By the sounds of things you live in the mountain ranges.”

“We did.” Lazgar replied. “I was a lower clan chief in the Black Fist clan, the largest Orc clan in the Frozen Ranges.”

He thumped his chest, a modicum of pride in his face. It quickly turned to one of remorse and regret.

“There was the human mage, a woman from the old Kar Kingdom, that said that we had over a million warriors. Strange one.”

Huh, that's the second time that I've heard of that woman, if it's the same one. I wonder if she's still alive?

“We were feared and respected by all the other Orc and human clans. Anyway, my father's brother, Xugug, took control of the clan by murdering my father. Normally it has to be an election, but you could take control if you beat the current chieftain in a fair fight, but nobody has chosen that path in hundreds of winters.”

“But not in a straight up fight for the position?”

“No. He poisoned him and he could barely fight back.”

“He wouldn't dare fight your father if he was well.” Uro said, grasping his hand.

“Many of the others didn't like how he took control. He renamed our clan to the Wrath of Doom. Terrible name. There have been fights between the two for the past three winters. He was loosing badly. Finally, he got the Deweth Clans involved, and wiped us out in a single fight.”

Lazgar barely looked like he could hold back his anger.

“Now, I think this is it. The other Orcs are either loyal to him or keeping their heads down to save their own. I don't blame them for that.”

He looked around to the Orcs around him.

“We're heading further south. There's a small mountain range, the Red Spines. There are a few small Orc clans there, they'll take us in.”

“I wish you luck in your journey.” Anton said.

“Thank-you.” they both said.

Uro frowned lightly as she looked towards Kal.

“So, Kal?, you're heading to the Qaiviel Kingdom with him...why would a half-breed Beast-kin want to head there?” she asked.

Kal frowned but refused to answer, perhaps not knowing what to say.

“You've seen them before?” Anton asked.

Lazgar chuckled.

“It would be impossible to miss those green eyes of your girl there. Very pretty. I've seen a few before in the mountain ranges, though they always have had a steel collar around their neck.”

“Slaves?” Anton asked, turning around and looking Kal in her eyes. It looked hollow and vacant.

Both Lazgar and Uro looked very uncomfortable.

“If you thought what happens to the thralls is bad, you definitely don't want to know what happened to them.”

He heard Kal's hand grip tightly onto the wooden bow. She must have some idea how they were suffering.

“But, she's a half-breed,” Uro continued, “And quite pretty.”

He glanced back and see that she was almost blushing.

“And you seem comfortable with her being here and even acting as a bodyguard. Humans tend not to like anything that's not themselves. Especially something so close and yet so far.”

“I've been wondering that myself.” Kal murmured.

“I don't have a problem with someone based on what they look like,” Anton answered, “If they do something bad then I'll hate them then. Until then I'll give them a chance. Orcs and humans have a bad relationship?”

“It's not great, with all the thralls raiding villages. But it's still miles better than the one your kind have with the Beast-kin.”

“Anton!?” Dana yelled from the waters edge. “We're all stocked up and ready to go.”

“I hope that you make it to the Red Spines safely, it sounds like you have been through quite an ordeal. But, we need to get going ourselves.” Anton said as he stood up, Lazgar and Uro following.

Dana whistled and started moving the carts to the west and towards Maxill. The Orcs parted and allowed them through. Lazgar and Uro followed them.

Anton turned around to say his farewells when he saw Lazgar's brother hobbling towards them. He was clutching at his right leg, around his knee. Anton was too distracted by his size and intimidating frame that he had not noticed.

“What's wrong with your brother...Shuzug?”

Lazgar turned to his brother and looked down at his knee.

“Hurt my leg fighting off some dumb clansmen.” Shuzug answered. “Killed 'em but one managed to get my leg with an axe.”

“Huh, I might have something for that.”

Anton moved forward, Shuzug tensing and moving a hand to his axe as Anton moved to touch his shoulder. He looked to his brother who looked confused at the sight. Anton held out his other hand to show that he did not have a weapon. Eventually Lazgar gave a light nod and Shuzug relaxed, allowing Anton to touch the outer of his shoulder armor.

Anton chanted a healing prayer in his head, feeling the magic flow out of him and into the Orc. He felt the wound heal and the fractured bones restore itself.

Shuzug looked utterly bewildered, unaccustomed to the sensation, as his eyes darted between Anton and his leg.

Anton took a few steps back, allowing Shuzug to flex his leg without impediment. The other Orcs looked shocked as well.

“Thank you, human.” he said gruffly, “No. Anton. I won't forget this.”

He did not look like he knew what to do so he roughly bowed his head.

Anton smiled in return, the other Orcs following his clumsy bow. He gave them one final wave before hopping onto the last cart along with Kal.

“Good luck, Orcs of the Black Fist. May we meet again.” he shouted back.

“Safe travel on your journey.” Lazgar shouted in return.

With one final wave from the villagers and Orcs, they parted, having kept the peace and hopefully left a good impression.

When they were out of range of the lake Dana moved her horse beside their cart and Raston moved closer.

“That was interesting.” Raston said. “I never thought I would meet an Orc that wasn't going to rip my head off. Not that I've ever met one.”

“I was focusing on talking to the two, did the others do anything to you guys?”

“If they had, you definitely would have heard us say something.” Dana said, somewhat sarcastically. “But, most of them didn't want to talk to us. They did stop one of us from standing on a slippery spot of mud near the waters edge, apart from that they didn't want to talk to us.”

“You did try saying something, right?”

“Um...not really.” Raston answered. “We felt all a bit nervous. They are so much bigger than we are and I think I speak for all of us when I say that we didn't want to piss them off. What did you do that got them both crying?”

“Oh, that.” Anton stretched his legs and arms. “Dana, remember the Orcs at the mountain?”

“Yeah. Didn't see them though.”

“It seems that one of them may have been their son, and not just theirs.”

Everything went quiet, Dana let out a light whistle in relief.

“I didn't tell them that it was me, just that they died.”

“Well. That's not something you want to hear from the person sitting across from you.” Dana said. “I'll take the lead again.”

As she started pulling away she turned her head back.

“What else are we going to find out here? We still need to get back alive to Atros.”

-------------

Hello Everyone.

Took a bit of time to look this one over, this is the longest chapter I've done.

Anyway, this chap introduces normal orcs. I didn't want them like Warhammer orcs, they ended up more like ones from Warcraft, ones that are more reasonable and can be talked to without getting your head caved in. A bit of their politics and life brought in as well.

Also, with Kal, she's not going to be an Expositron, able to give up valuable information all the time. Being alone for decades will leave anyone out of touch with the more intimate details of society, so not everything will be the truth, not that she would know that. People are starting to warm up to her, though slowly.

I hope that you enjoyed it!