“What is that thing?”

“How would I know, a bear?”

“It has fungus instead of a head, bears have heads”

“We need to get back to the camp”

“We can’t bring this thing back to them”

Kirn had come drawn by a loud noise, she was on top of a large branch of a tree. Bellow, two loggers were trying to run from a lichen spore bear, she was trying to have a clear shot for her javelin, but she needed to target a leg of the bear, she needed to stop it. She saw there were two more hunters, watching the situation, but they had yet seen her.

“THEN WHAT SHOULD WE DO?”

“I don’t know, I told you we should not have follow that hunter”

“Run faster, that thing is moving faster”

The lichen spore should have recently infected the bear, it was still preparing its host, its hinder legs moved clumsily, that was what was keeping the two humans alive, but the bear was gaining speed, its movement improving.

Kirn saw the pair of hunters watching the two humans, she could not hear them, but one was clearly worried about them, hunter Zira had her bow drawn, her mate Dern on the other hand, he seemed to not have any intention of helping the humans.

“Shit, shit, shit run Dwayne”

“I can’t keep running” Dwayne was burly man; he was clearly at his limit. Kirn needed to find a clear shot soon.

The bear was almost in range to reach Dwayne, piercing the bear would not stop him, it was already dead. She turned desperate at the other hunters, Zira’s bow would not stop it either, she was talking with Dern, but the other hunter did not care, Kirn even saw him grinning.

“I can’t, shiiiiiiit, I don’t want to die”

“Shup up and run, Dwayne, you cubby bastard, keep running”

The burly human was bumping with everything on his path, he had been trying to avoid branches or roots, but the bear was almost on him, as it mouth opened, an arrow went through the eye and prevented the bear to bit the human but the bear did not mattered.

“Keep running, we need to burn the bear to stop it” hunter Zira screamed to the two humans, her mate Dern frowned at her “We should try to trip it, there is a trap near, you keep running the same way, it’s a pit, you might be able to make it to the other side, I’ll let you know when to jump, and grab to anything you can” Zira said to the two humans.

“Right, hear that Dwayne, just a little longer, we jump, and we bear falls in the pit, don’t you dare stop now”

“I….” the burly man was out of air, and his legs were failing him. Dern had a lance and space, he could ram the bear, and give them time, but the orc did not care. Kirn felt her rage building inside again.

Zira was shooting the bear, but it was not enough to slow it, Kirn knew the human would not be able to make it to the pit trap, she was waiting for a sure chance, but she would not have it. She jumped on a clear space, and tossed her javelin, it went through the back of the bear all the way through the leg, and even though she had tried to get the knee, the javelin barely missed it, but it nailed itself unto the ground, the bear tripped.

“Burn it Zira, you two, get away from it” Zira was surprised to see her, but reacted accordingly, she covered an arrow with a thin cloth strip an poured a little oil from a pouch she was carrying. Book Reader hunters were used to travel with some oil, fire kept many things away from them.

“Exarch Kirn” one of the humans recognized Kirn as she ran towards them, her javelin was keeping the bear nailed to the ground.

“Get away from it”

“Thank you, exarch,” the burly man Dwayne said as he caught his breath

The bear was clawing at his leg, cutting through the outer flesh Kirn saw the lichen had already replaced most of the insides of the bear, it would get free from the javelin soon, and it could recreate the muscle soon.

Kirn was moving close, her axe at the ready, Zira lit up her arrow, and shot the bear on the back, the bear whirled desperately as the fire covered it, and the huntress prepared another shot.

“The lichen has spread too much, we need to put it down Zira” it would take two more weeks for the lichen to have devoured the entire bear, then it would explode inside the forest, and tried to infect other animals, it was best to burn it here, she saw her javelin covered in the lichen juice “Get away from it, hurry back”

“We can help you” the human who was running faster turned towards the bear, he had his axe at the ready, but wanted to help, but he was not ready.

“Don’t worry, we can take of it. Dern, come help me control it” the other hunter had kept his distance, he was looking at her, not moving “Hunter, come here” that got him moving, he surrounded the bear from the other side, his spear at the ready, Zira kept firing at the bear, the bear bit off the leg from the javelin, and started rolling, trying to put the fire out.

The bear stopped struggling and tried to run for it, hunter Dern got the knee as she had intended, the fire lichen was burning, the fire spreading inside, the bear whirled about, but she was also on top of it. It took some time, but the fire took care of it.

“Thank you, exarch” Kirn turned to see the two humans standing there, they had stayed, it was the burly man who had thanked her.

“It was hunter Zira, who took care of it. Let’s head back, we need to tell the other hunters and the soldiers that there might be other lichen spore infected animals in the forest. The two humans nodded; the hunters looked at her with mixed expressions. Zira was troubled, she needed to talk with them, she would once they were back.

“What didn’t you help them?” Kirn asked the two other hunters, they were inside her hent. She had refused a house for her, not until everyone else had theirs would she take one. Zira had her head low, Dern on the other hand, he was frowning, but he held her stare.

“They are with the woodcutters; they knew the dangers of the forest” Dern replied unfazed

“They do not know the forest, you do, you know any lichen infested animal needs to be put down, yes?”

“We do, huntress, it juts…”

“What?” Kirn asked, but she could see in the eyes of Zira what she felt.

“We do not need them, Kirn, we can take of us” Dern voice carried no doubt.

“You two are hunters, you knew what needed to be done, I am disappointed in you” she saw Zira clenching her fist, holding herself, Dern on the other hand, he smiled at her.

“Why would I care for disappointing you, exarch” the words were mocking her “The word is hurting you, it made you smaller, Kirn”

“I am sorry huntress, you are right, we should have taken care of it” Zira interrupted, she was distressed, but she eyed at Dern with such intensity.

“They could have died, you are hunters, I have to punish you” Zira looked straight at her, after a moment she nodded.

“No, you can’t” Dern was still smiling at her, and she knew why, she wanted it too be something else, she wished he just hated humans, he did, but that was not what had stopped him.

“You are a hunter Dern, not only did you fail to act once you saw a lichen infested creature, but you did also not help when it was needed”

“We are not part of the Book Reader tribe, I am a hunter, but I am a civilian, it is not my job, to take care of things like these, it is the job of the city guard, or the army” she knew something like this would happen, but she expected another reaction, not the smirk on Dern’s face, Zira was dumbfound at his answer, good, it was only him it seems.

“It was not your responsibility then? Since when it needs to be a responsibility to aid those who need aid?”

“I am not an outstanding citizen of the empire, exarch, but I would have helped for those I cared about, but I could not find the empathy to help them”

“You will be punished, Dern, you are a hunter. You deliberately, followed the bear”

“That is not in your ability as exarch, I made no crime”

“Dern, we both deserved to be punished, we stood there, we should have done something” and there, she saw the hunter malicious smile.

“I know you have doubts, Kirn. I saw the prince, I was impressed by him, we owe him, but we made a mistake. The prince is not here, he left, he is nothing but…” Dern was on the ground with his mouth bleeding, before he finished speaking, Kirn felt at her hand.

“You will not speak ill of the prince, and you both will be publicly punished, understood”

“Yes, huntress” Zira answered immediately, she was shaking, and she was pleading at Dern who was trembling with rage, she knew he was considering jumping on her, he was a good hunter, but he could not take her, was her display as exarch so weak, he was considering attacking her…

“Dern, stop, huntress Kirn is right, we were wrong”

“You cannot punish us, we obeyed the law, you are not my lead huntress, you cannot judge me. See, this is how weak we’ve become, I thought you have doubts, but I thought they were about our decision, not about who you were. If you need nothing else, I will leave, exarch…” Dern spat the last words.

“I can, guard Lurn, apprehend hunters Dern and Zira” Zira eyes went wide, Dern looked at her with mad rage, as Lurn and a human, who had the uniform of the city guard entered the tent.

“Your orders, exarch”

“Take this two, and bring them near the meeting hall, and ring the bell”

“You are no judge, Kirn, I’ve read the law, you cannot punish us, by what happened, you will lose your charge as exarch over this” Dern sneered, as Lurn grabbed him with much more strength than it was needed.

“Huntress, I am sorry” Zira admitted, and she willingly followed the human, who had come to take her. Soon Kirn was left alone in the tent.

She was upset, her hands her trembling. She knew she had been losing her temper, she had left the meeting with the quartermaster and druid Mri because of it. She had gone to hunt when she had so many things that needed the exarch attention.

Kirn had been mad with the druid, not because she was wrong, but because she wanted the orcs to do more, to stand out, and they were. Erkal and honored Yara had been working nonstop. The problem was her. She was filled with doubts, in that Dern was right, but she had doubts about her, she had not earned the right to be called exarch.

The prince had given her the charge, that made it all the more difficult and harder for her, to know she was failing. She had talked with Yara about it, but the elder shaman said she needed to raise to the prince expectations. Now this, had happened.

She knew it would not be easy, she had expected fights, insults, but this… hunter Dern regretted and resented having joined the empire, there would be others, she needed to resolve this matter, she was the exarch, and she had been the lead huntress of the Book Reader tribe. Kirn herd the distinctive rang of the bell, three beats, it was calling for everyone available to the meeting hall.

Kirn left the tent, she saw most of the settlement was on their way to the meeting hall. The settlement held not only what had been the Book Reader tribe, but also a large number of humans who had come from Svet Cilar, a detachment of soldiers of the easter army, and there were also the soldiers that came from the north.

Truth be told, the settlement, which was being called Buchenmak, had been growing quickly. The soldiers were helping with the construction, and after the quartermaster had arrived, things started accelerating. The meeting hall was the first thing he had done, and space for everyone to us and to discuss.

She noticed too many people coming to the call, Lurn and his companion had the two hunters secured, and everyone was stopping near them. Kirn saw many worried and upset faces as they noticed the two detained people were orcs. Dern was smiling as she saw her coming to them. He wanted this, a public exhibition, his intention all to clear now.

“Exarch what is this about” sergeant Modris asked worried, he was beneath captain Verin.

“You will see soon enough, thank you for coming, sergeant” Kirn also saw sergeant Kent, he was an old man, he was in charge of the northern men, they were the prince direct soldiers. Kirn also saw that the quartermaster, the druid and the mage had come see what was happening, as they saw her, they saluted, and she waved back. She went straight to the middle; it was better to get things over with.

The crowd went quiet as they saw her passing through, she managed to achieve this on her tribe, but she had never considered she was so well considered by the rest of the settlement. Kirn reached the two hunters and turned to face the crowd that had gathered around. She took a deep breath, her decision mattered, how she addressed the hunters mattered, this would decided how the settlement continued, and it would mark her as an exarch. She was considering resigning at her appointment, but she did not want to disappoint the prince.

“Secure the space” Kirn said to the city guard, some of the orcs were getting anxious of seeing the two hunters held by the guard, several other members of the guard spread around to make a secure space “By my right I as exarch I called for this meeting, it is important you here what just happened” she was speaking with an artifact that enhanced her voice, one of the things she had been given after she was named an exarch. She felt the crowd turning her attention to her.

“First, we’ve encountered an animal taken over by lichen spores in the forest near the runners valley, every hunter heading out should be ready to burn and seek for any other animals that might be infected” she saw that most of the orcs knew what she was talking about, it was the newcomers who were at a loss, an unsurprising, the druid Mri seemed to know about the lichen spores.

“Lichen spores infect animals, and other creatures, they eat them away slowly from the inside, as they do they take over them, they fed until they reach a point where the lichen can spread more. It is important than anyone traveling to the forest has the means to produce fire, it is the only thing that stops the lichen spores”

Kirn felt a dark satisfaction in seeing the worried looks on many humans, the lichen spores were a threat, you needed to take care of them before they spread out too much, her tribe had earned their place in the hills, the empire would have to do the same.

“Are you certain, exarch?” Mri the druid asked, she clearly understood the situation.

“I am, I saw an infected bear, hunter Zira took care of it, which leads me to the second matter” now everyone turned to the two hunters being held by the two guards “I ordered hunter Zira and Dern to be apprehended. I went to the forest to hunt, when I heard a commotion, I saw two woodcutters running from the lichen infected bear” Kirn looked around and there they were, the burly man Dwayne and the other one, Jule, they were confused and worried.

“As I approached the bear to help the two woodcutters, I saw hunters Zira and Dern following the creature, hunter Zira was considering engaging it, hunter Dern on the other hand, he was not bothered by it” Kirn saw the confusion in most of the orcs, they all knew that it was their duty to help anyone in danger, moreover, an infected creature took priority over a hunt, the older hunters looked at the pair troubled, disappointed, Zira was looking at the ground, Dern on the other hand, kept looking at her, grinning.

“What a disgrace”

“You are hunters”

Kirn knew the reaction, most orcs were bothered by what was happening, the humans on the other hand were confused. The two woodcutters specially.

“I called you all, to see that these two hunters get the punishment they deserve” orcs had been worried, but they nodded and roared in agreement.

“You cannot punish us, we committed no crime under imperial law exarch” Dern was laughing, the other orcs looked at him with disgust “Look at these laws, they cannot even do what they are supposed to do. We are hunters, not soldiers or the guard, it is not our obligation to help anyone” Kirn saw the bulging eyes of hunter Zira, the shame in them.

“You take the punishment because you know what you did, Dern, you are no hunter, you have no pride” one of the few older hunters left alive after what had happened, said to Dern.

“The Book Reader tribe is no more; we lost our entire pride when we knelt. You cannot judge me” the older hunter was about to jump on Dern, but he was restrained by a couple of northern soldiers.

“Release me, this cannot go unpunished, we made and oath, I will not see our pride spit upon by a whelp, you cannot let this happen, Kirn” she saw the rage in the older hunter’s eyes, and the confused expression on the two woodcutters.

“I am not punishing you, because the laws of the empire demand it, but because you know better. You should be ashamed, these woodcutters do not know the forest, and they are your fellow countrymen, they are your tribesmen now, it is not your obligation but you are orcs of the empire, that is your pride, helping your tribesmen is expected” Zira, turned to face her and she let herself fall on the ground, too ashamed of what had happened.

“These humans are not my tribesmen, we are citizens, civilians, to each its own, that is the way of the empire, exarch…” Dern laughed, Kirn saw the look in the humans, and the orcs, this was the rift, the space that she had to mend. She was the exarch, Dern’s actions where her responsibility. She turned and saw the quartermaster frowning, looking at Dern “You are a joke, Kirn, you would have fought me and beat reason into me, but you have doubts, you know deep down these is making us weak”

“I’ll give you one more chance, hunter Dern, accept the punishment I will place on you, take it, because you know it is needed, show you were an orc of the Book Reader tribe once”

Dern spat, on her “You have no pride, Kirn, you may call yourself exarch, but you cannot punish me, and neither can the guard or the soldiers”

“You will answer to your obligations, Dern” another orc called, and he moved to where he was, but the northern man held him “Release me, I will teach him a lesson”

“ENOUGH” her voice made them all stop, even Dern.

“This is the result of my failing as an exarch, of that you are right, Dern” the hunter grinned at her “I wanted to think you were just upset, that you would understand. Orcs and humans are different, but our species does not matter, we are all part of the empire. You excused yourself under the imperial law, and with it you will be judged. You enticed the bear to chase the two woodcutters, did you not?” Dern the hunter, eyes opened wide, but he just grinned at her.

“Prove it”

“Hunter Zira?” she turned towards the orc on the ground, Zira was broken, ashamed, she knew her, she had trained with her, would she rise, or was she another failing of her as an exarch? The orc faced her, and Kirn saw in her eyes, the orc understood what it meant to answer her question.

“You owe her nothing Zira, she does not deserve your respect” for the first time, Dern’s voice was not firm.

“I…”

“You are a hunter, Zira. Do your duty”

“We did” Kirn saw the confusion in the eyes of the woodcutters, and most of the humans around.

“You helped us…”

“You took care of the bear, what are you saying” Zira had been looking at the ground, but she held her face to the two hunters.

“We spotted the infected bear and saw the woodcutters nearby. We consider scaring them, things got out of hand, tell them Dern, we deserved to be punished, we should have done our job, we were wrong, I am sorry” the hunter had tears on her eyes, the other orcs were upset, but Dern, he looked at Zira with disgust.

“You did not know, the bear was there, hunter Zira?” she asked, hoping.

“I did not, huntress, I… I was upset, I forgot my honor”

“You knew, Dern, didn’t you? You talk about pride and honor, and you took advantage of hunter Zira, you read the law, you saw a chance, you planned this”

“What if I knew about the bear, it is not my obligation to report it or hunt it anymore” Zira turned to see Dern, and her eyes were blazing with fury.

“You knew? I forgot my honor, but you played with it, face me, Dern” Zira had gotten up, guard Lurn had to hold her tightly to keep her from jumping on Dern.

“You cannot challenge me, I am a civilian, and you are threatening me, do your job guard Lurn, protect me” Dern grin was making the orcs nervous, Kirn knew someone would jump on him, the soldiers and guards around were aware of this as well.

“He knew, huntress. He told me and two more hunters about the bear, we knew the woodcutters were advancing there on the woods, you should also punish me, I am sorry I felt we have lost our pride, but this… this is it. Don’t judge us because of this, punish me huntress, we are not so small or petty” hunter Terk, advanced, Kirn turn to him, and she was filled with rage, how many? How many orcs were doubting their pride, what had she done as an exarch.

“What are you doing Terk?” Dern was confused and preoccupied

“Shut up Dern, I am doing what any orc would do”

“We knew as well, exarch” two more hunters moved to the front.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING? She cannot punish you, the empire laws do not permit it, if she ordered the guards or soldiers, they would have to disobey their law, that would show you how weak they are, why do you do this”

“Kirn does not need the guards or soldiers to punish us, Dern, she is the huntress, you are here speaking because the imperial law permits it, I am not cutting you and then myself because we are not a tribe anymore” hunter Terk roared the words, Dern backed from him.

“Dern, you deliberately, planned and placed a fellow countryman in danger, I cannot judge if your intentions considered the possibility of their death, but I was there, and you did nothing to correct my assumption. You involved hunter Zira, in your plan of murder” Dern eyes went wide open

“By my appointment as exarch and judge of the Buchenmak settlement, I found yourself guilty, everyone in this meeting are witnesses of your crimes, the words of your fellow countryman confirms your intentions. Since no one was harmed by your words, I hereby banish you from the empire, you have no honor to fulfill your oath” Dern face was contorting “Let our allies in the warring hills, know of this orc, let them know he is not part of the empire. You may never return, Dern, if you do, you will be killed. Guard Lurn, strip Dern of his possessions, and take him to the edge of our lands”

“YOU CANNOT DO THIS, THIS, THIS IS WRONG, YOU ARE A COWAR…” Lurn hit Dern with the back of his axe.

“Shut up, I have no trouble carrying you, if you open your mouth again” Dern saw the murderous gaze in Lurn and close his mouth.

“Huntress… cast us away, we failed you” hunter Zira said once Lurn had taken Dern from the center.

“I will not do such thing, I failed you. I will submit my resignation as exarch to the prince. You committed no crime” Kirn turned from the center and went for her tent. Her hands were trembling, her eyes were swollen as she walked alone.