Richard Adams

The pots were clean, the sun was rising, and Mimi agreed to take a nap. I felt incredibly tired, but she was going to put me to sleep and carry me to the frost forest. Mimi loved her efficiency, and it gave me time to tell the people what was going on. I carried the dishes out to the table we had set up for cooking. I could feel the vampires watching me, at least those that stayed up. The first doors opened, as the human population came out. Greg the bard strummed his lute before approaching me.

"Good morning, Richard. That was quite a scare last night." He joked.

I nodded, "Yeah, and I'm sorry about that. Have you had wyvern before?"

Greg swallowed hard, his mouth watering a little. "Can't say I have, but there are songs about what merchants have done for such. I'm rather happy that I didn't see what happened to it last night." He gestured to the rough-looking corpse. Chest spread open, the head missing, both wings broken, with bugs on one of them.

I coughed a little, as I picked up on the cape-sized piece of wing falling to the ground. "Yeah, Mimi can get a little excited whenever she has a good hunt." I lied, not wanting to make the situation any more awkward. "Don't worry though, I talked to her. She's fine with all the meat going to you guys. It'll probably take a week to process it, but it should keep you guys for a while."

Greg tilted his head, "Are you certain? Does that mean you'll be leaving us then?"

I nodded slowly, "You have enough water for a few days if I gauged how much all of you have been going through." The others were going about their daily business. "We're going to the frost forest, it's better to make sure nothing will attack or grow there while we're gone you know?"

Greg bobbed his head, "That's exceedingly generous of you. I doubt we'll ever be able to repay your aid. With the food you've provided, we should be able to keep everyone healthy enough to finish the wall."

I shrugged, "You can work on it, but we're leaving our wagon here until we get back. Now that Mimi's awake, we talked over a few ideas about purifying your well and keeping you guys protected." I started explaining how the bugs were going to make a Hive to both help and protect the town. I cooked breakfast for everyone while some people started breaking down the wyvern. A few hours passed before Mimi was done with her nap. I felt the sting of one of her ghosts, before falling asleep out of sight of the town.

Di'Rex

My task was complete, the fires rising with thick black smoke from the bodies of the fallen. It stung to see my brothers and sister like this, once so vibrant and full of life, only to be reduced to empty husks. The frost had claimed them, and it did not stop its cold advance. I had fallen unconscious, only to awaken to find the rest of my tribe dead. The icy terror of the wraith had claimed them, but it had failed to take my life.

I rested on my war ax, a little unsteady with the frostbite still gripping my fingers. My regeneration was battling it and slowly, it was winning. I felt the familiar bite of hunger in my stomach, a constant companion these last few weeks. Prey had been scarce in the forests around the town, and even scarcer in this icy territory. Had it been weeks, or months now?

I snorted, frosty air slowly rising in front of me. The furs I salvaged were clinging to me, keeping the rest of my body warm. The scent of my brothers' roasted flesh was taunting me, and I felt hunger gnawing on my sense of reason. I stood firm, as our teachings demanded. It would be so easy to grab a bite, to leave their bodies, and try hunting. No one was here to witness any sin I might commit, no one except myself.

I gripped the handle of my ax a little harder. I felt my fingers crackle as frozen flesh clung to it. No one was here to witness it, save for myself. In my most private moments, I knew I would remember this. If I succame to temptation, I would never live it down. There was more honor in starving to death, than devouring the remains of your fallen tribe. I furrowed my brow, as my stomach growled in disagreement. Other tribes practiced such acts, and their palms were stained red for it.

We all sought honor in our own ways. The teachings of my once proud tribe disapproved of any tribe with red palms. If I died here, then it was the end of us. If I went against our teachings and traditions, then our tribe would die in disgrace. I was the last of the Silver Antlers, and it was a shame we might die before a single generation came to pass. Still, there was no shame in falling in battle. I held no regrets.

I closed my eyes, still leaning against my ax. The faithful weapon of our shaman etched with runes. One side made of steel, the other with silver. It had served her well, despite her youth. I remembered the battles we had, she did well for a half-orc. I snorted a subdued laugh, opening my eyes again. The fire was dying down, most of the bodies already soot with only bones remaining. How long had I kept my eyes closed?

I struggled, to step forward, my body aching. I used the bottom of the ax to get the last bit of flesh inside the embers. I was glad we still had wood from our tents. We didn't need them anymore, and it would have been too hard to gather more at the moment. The frostbite had left me during my sleep, but the cold still lingered in my bones. I watched as the last bits of flesh turned to soot. I couldn't let the warmth of the fire touch me, even in these last moments. The temptation was still there, my stomach growling again.

How easy would it be to suck the marrow from these charred bones? I shook my head, casting away such thoughts, glad I didn't move closer. I was already at my weakest, my resolve ground away with grief and hunger. I had burned my brothers and sister as our teachings demanded, but there would be none to burn my body. I hefted the ax, my gait unsteady with each footfall onto the snow. It would be easy to run, to trick myself into hunting, and spend the rest of my days preparing for a battle I would never fight.

My foe had ambushed us in the midst of a blizzard, its attacks were ruthless as we tried to fight back. It had lived a long time, and fought others before. That much was certain, as it took out our shaman first. Without her magic, we only had the weapons we still held onto. The wraith was relentless, as it swam through the air itself. Ice gripping any its frozen spikes touched. I knew I wasn't going to win, but if I turned back now I wouldn't be able to face it again.

I wasn't afraid of dying, no one calling themself an orc was. I was just concerned there would be no one to avenge my tribe with my death. There would be no one to tell our stories, to pass on our teachings. I didn't regret joining such a young tribe, it was better than living a simple life inside a village. Safety only bred arrogance and ignorance. These last few years were the only ones I truly felt alive, the only ones I felt like a proper orc. That feeling was worth dying for, and it was an honor to die in battle to the enemy that slew my brothers and sister.

I looked at the sky, the sun just barely peeking through the white branches above. The night was approaching and would be upon me in mere hours. I followed the whitebark down, finding ice clinging to it. The wraith had been in the area recently. I looked back one last time at the black smoke rising from the remains of our camp. Everything I couldn't carry had been burned. All our drums, and tents. Every last drop of grog added as fuel for the fire in one last blaze.

I hardly remembered doing it, but I know I did. It was a shame my final moments were spent in a haze. It was just the hunger gnawing at my memories, claiming them because I had denied it. I took a slow breath, leaning on the ax. I closed my eyes for a moment, and already the sun had jumped to the horizon. It didn't matter if I died at dusk, night, or even twilight. I just had to find the wraith and fight it.

My gait was still unsteady, but the rest had given me just a bit more energy. It would be so easy to fall to my knees, and never get up. I let out the slightest grunt, unable to laugh. Had I thought I could hunt like this? Hunger was a wicked temptress, chiding me even in my final moments. There was no honor in a pointless death, but what else did I have? What other option was there for me? I'd rather die standing on my feet in search of the one that brought us low. I'd rather die by the same creature that slew the others. All that was left for me was to die in battle.

I pressed on, half stumbling, before gripping the bark for aid. One tree to the next, pressing on as my vision blurred. If I fell it would be difficult to get back up. I used the butt of the ax as a cane to help me with every step. It hurt my pride to be this weak, but death would come soon. I nearly fell, as my hand slipped on fresh ice clinging to the bark of another tree. How many had I passed? How far had I walked in my search? The answers didn't matter, as I froze.

The wraith with a single silver scar was floating in the gap between the trees. I could see its ruby core moving through its body, as it circled in the air. The whole thing was covered in glistening white spikes of ice with snowflakes falling as if it was stepping on them. Each spike moving like a leg in a beautiful but deadly dance. "wagh." I whispered.

I gripped my ax, disappointed by that pathetic battle cry. I stepped forward, as a familiar rage started to burn inside me. "Wagh!" I raised my ax shaking it at the wraith that turned to face me. I was going to die here, the last of my tribe. I closed my eyes summoning one last defiant shout.

"WAGH!"

My cry made the branches shake, as I felt more exhausted than I ever had before. I opened them to glare at my enemy, the ax slipping from my hands. I refused to fall, I wouldn't die until it felled me itself. The wraith bristled its spikes as if laughing in its own cruel way. It moved all of them running towards me as if swimming and dancing through the air all at once. This was it, and I smiled.

A strange bottle appeared between us, causing me to blink before it exploded right in front of the wraith. The force was directed completely at the wraith as I stood there in shock. No... I was so close! I stepped forward, reaching for the wraith when an ebony hand gripped my wrist. I hadn't heard its arrival, but the strength it held was too much for me to resist.

"Don't kill him, Mimi!" A young man's voice rang out as he ran out from behind a tree. He had a sleeveless quilt armor, that I only heard stories about. On his back was a gaudy cape that appeared to be made out of a wyvern's wing. He was out of breath, even as Mimi tsked in disappointment.

"Very well, but you have to kill it yourself." I turned to face the one holding my wrist. My eyes went wide at the monster standing head and shoulder above me.

I tried to pull away, to reach out for the wraith again, but my other arm was pinned behind me with ease. "Fine!" The young man called out, throwing another bottle filled with gray liquid. The explosion boomed just seconds later right in front of the wraith, its protective shell of ice cracked and leaking watery blood. "Wait, I thought you wanted to eat this!"

I was tossed forward, towards the man with impressive ease. I reached for my dagger but found nothing on my waist. "I meant the orc, Richard. The wraith is mine!"

Richard spread out his arms to catch me, "Not cool!" He managed to catch me, falling backwards as we both skidded in the snow a few paces. "Get it? It's a joke. Cause of all the ice." He was looking in the direction of his monster. I used the last of my strength to slug him in the gut before passing out.

*

*

I saw them, every member of my tribe standing there as they stared at me. There was confusion on their faces, their brows furrowed. That confusion turned to sadness, then anger. "Traitor," one of them whispered. "Coward," came another. I looked at them in confusion, before reaching out to them. My skin was yellow, and I felt sick to my core. How!? I hadn't retreated, I didn't flee from battle. What else was I supposed to do!? I choked on bitter tears as they continued chiding me. I had given everything for our tribe.

*

*

I kicked my legs out, waking up from my dreadful slumber. The first thing that came to me was the sound of a crackling fire, its heat uncomfortably close to my face. Then I smelt the meal sitting inside the cast iron pot my tribe used to cook its meals. My mouth watered, and I tasted the remnants of something. The familiar meat of flufftails. I swallowed hard, trying to move. My arms were bound to my sides, some strange silk keeping them pinned. It was stronger than any rope I ever handled before.

"Oh? Look who's awake!" I turned to face the young man named Richard. It could be an alias, but he was smiling at me. "Glad you're finally up, you've been out of it since last night. My name is Richard, and you are?" He put a hand to his chest, before gesturing to me.

I blinked, grinding my teeth. "Di'Rex, the sole member of the Silver Antler tribe. What happened to the wraith?"

Richard let out a soft sigh, "Mimi ate it, it's kind of what she does. She's out hunting more of them right now. She's a little frustrated she didn't get anything out of this hunt either."

"You let your monster run around without a leash?" I glared at him. That creature was incredibly dangerous.

Richard let out a small laugh, "You're the first orc I ever met, it's nice we can talk. Though if you ever say I should leash her again, you'll wish you could scream." Something in his eyes shifted, that smile becoming a little more dangerous. I swallowed hard before he continued, "We found a campfire with a lot of bones before bringing you here. What was that about?"

I looked at the fire close to me, as the seconds went by. "They were my tribe."

Richard stirred the pot, "What happened to them?"

"They died, and I burned their bodies. It is disrespectful to let other creatures eat the flesh of our kin. The wraith killed them, and it was supposed to kill me."

"Why do you say that?" Richard tilted his head when I looked at him.

It didn't matter anymore, there was no point in keeping our traditions private. Maybe, just maybe, this human will spread the teachings and they'll reach the ears of another tribe. I looked back at him sitting on his rock. "The wraith killed my tribe, and I was going to die anyway. The most honorable death would have been to die by such a creature."

Richard sat back, letting out a small hum. "I don't get it." Why was he nursing me back to health? What was the deal with his monster? With a creature like that, I could imagine them being slavers, but he reacted with visible disgust at suggesting he leash his monster. He sat forward, "Why would you want to die like that?"

I ground my teeth again, "My tribe is gone, all of my brothers and sister, dead. I saw them off, as our traditions dictated, and I was left too weak to fight or hunt." I struggled in my bindings, finding them unyielding. "You slew the wraith, and denied me of my death!" I kicked at him, trying to get my bindings into the fire. It would hurt, but I should have enough energy to fight him after I broke free. Encounters with strange humans rarely ended well for any race.

Richard jumped forward, lifting the pot as I got my side into the fire. To my surprise the flames didn't engulf the silk bindings, nor did the heat scorch my flesh. "Careful now." He looked down at me. He put his foot on my arm, the emblem of Eclipse glinting in the light of the fire before he kicked me back to the wall.

Eclipse, that place no tribe dared to tread. The only city brave enough to connect to the Underneath, and repel hordes of monsters. Only the bravest tribes dared to go into the Underground, and not one returned. I looked back to see Richard setting the pot back on his stand, the fire moving to his will. I should have noticed it sooner. "Why are you denying me?" Death by the one that slew the creature that slew my tribe would be enough.

Richard's eyes flicked to me, "Your tribe isn't dead if you're alive right?" His words left me stunned, as he went back to stirring his pot. "I mean, it just sounds rough that everyone died in front of you. Like your whole world is falling apart, I get that. I think I would have done the same in your position. When you calm down, I have some questions I'd like to ask you."

He grabbed a bowl filling it with the stew he had been stirring. My stomach growled as he laughed. It was difficult to mull over his words, but a part of me knew he was right. There had been no hope, no chance, and now I was here, I was alive. I refused to look at the bowl, but the human surprised me. He knelt in front of me, offering a spoonful of broth. "You're clearly still hungry, you ate a whole pot while you were sleeping, so don't tell me you can't get some more in you." He smirked.

I growled at him, as he pulled the spoon away. "I can eat myself, just free me from these bonds."

He rubbed the back of his head, "I'd like to, but well I was asked not to. How about a compromise, I can help you sit up, and then I'll feed you. If you don't try anything, I'll let Mimi know." He gave me a wink.

I snorted, "Fine." It was frustrating, but I had to put up with their antics. They saved me, and I was starting to realize that now. They avenged my tribe without meaning to, and that demanded compliance with their wishes. I had a debt to repay, and for the honor of the Silver Antlers, I would repay it in full.

Richard helped me sit up, before feeding me. The stew was good and hearty, with plenty of meat. I could feel my strength returning with each spoon fed to me. My stomach wasted no time, growling only when the bowl was empty. To my surprise, the man made me another bowl and continued feeding me. After the third bowl, he finally spoke again, "Are you calm now?"

I glared at the man, before nodding. Of course, I was calm. "As much as an orc can be."

Richard shrugged, making himself a bowl. "What's that supposed to mean? Can orcs not be calm?"

I grunted, "We like fighting, eating, and fucking. Only after doing one of those are we the calmest we can be. I'm just not sure if I need to fight you or not."

Richard shoveled some stew into his mouth, "That's kind of in line with what I heard. Now, was your tribe sent here by the town of Luf'Fer? I want to know why, and what you guys were promised."

"You don't know how we do things, do you?" Richard shook his head, as I snorted in disapproval. "Tribes claim land and move around their area. We move between towns, and villages offering escorts, hunting, and other stuff. Our mission is to eat and kill monsters, every orc follows that. Different tribes have different rules and traditions they follow. In exchange for our services, we're promised a night with the town's unmarried women."

Richard coughed, half choking on his food. He drank some water before staring at me, "What!?"

Guess someone from Eclipse wouldn't know that much. "We'z clear outz dumb monsterz, cause youz humies ain't got no real men. Then we fuck willing girlz in front of yaz. Iz thiz bettah boss?"

Richard blinked, "Please stop talking like that, I just... I didn't know that was the deal you made with the towns." He was a bit red now.

I rolled my eyes, "Sure thing, I bet you thought we raped and pillaged every town we came across as well." His silence was enough to answer that question. I looked at the ceiling before leveling my gaze back on him. "Orcs don't have a lot of girls, so we need humans, elves, or even dwarves to make more of us. Why would we rape and pillage the races we need to survive? We stay away from cities because nobles like to lie and blame us for their 'virgin' daughters losing their chastity."

He coughed, "Sorry, I... it's just..." He rubbed the back of his head, "It's the kind of stuff that just pops up whenever talking about orcs. This is why I'm glad we're talking. Would have been really awkward if you died because we thought you might have been a rapist, right?"

I gave him a blank stare, "A few tribes practice pillaging and rape, but it's typically after humans don't deliver on their promise. That, or they try to fight us after we killed a local monster. It's not rape if someone tried to kill you, and you beat them into submission. It's just them offering their body a certain way to survive. It isn't honorable, but we respect their will to do anything to survive."

Richard leveled his gaze at me, "Have you raped anyone?"

Honesty was the best policy, especially since I had to serve this man to repay my debt. "No, but I would if that person killed someone in my tribe. Which, isn't a problem anymore. A life for a life, kind of making them bear a new one to repay what they took."

"You're pretty well-spoken for an orc."

I nodded, "I was born on a farm, raised by humans in a village until my tribe came and I went with them. It's not too far from here actually. Haven't been there in a few years now that I mention it, I should probably bring mom some ingots. She was the village blacksmith, and last I heard she was going to teach my brother some tricks."

Richard's face went through a few emotions before he let out a soft sigh, "We have some ingots actually, where is the village exactly?"

"Just southeast, of Luf'Fer. It'll take a few months, but she's the best blacksmith I know." I smiled to myself, as Richard pulled out a map.

He swallowed hard, "We'll try to swing by there."