The stupid fucking ladder is no good. Who half brain-dead idiot leaves an old wooden ladder outside year-round? It’s guaranteed to rot, who even has a wooden ladder these days? No problem, I’ve got another way up. I push my hands to the side of the home and take some deep breaths. I focus my magic on the palms of my hands and visualize myself climbing. I haven’t used this trick since I passed the test, but I should still be able to do it.

I pull myself up one arm at a time, okay, good. I still got it. I’m putting holes in the siding, still can’t release any magic slowly. All or nothing, I guess. Now comes the hard part, turning half of that magic towards my feet. I slip the first couple of times because I can’t get enough magic to my feet, the next time I inadvertently put a foot through the siding. I will never understand how people use magic so easily, especially those without wands or spells. They just think and it happens. But I can’t wave a wand for my kind of magic.

For now, I shimmy over to the window and peek inside. It isn’t the master bedroom like I thought. There’s nothing in there at all except a few folding chairs. I pry the window open and slide in. I thought this would be a quick thing but I guess I’ll have to move around. If I stay quiet and low to the ground, I shouldn’t run into any trouble. I stick my head out of the room, and peer around the corner. I can hear snoring downstairs. If he’s not in own room, he’ll be sleeping downstairs with everyone else. I make my way to the stairs and check over the balcony. I don’t see my guy but I only have a clear view of three, maybe four. I take a deep breath and clutch my knife just in case. This is going to be rough even if it goes through with no problems.

“Where the fuck are you going bitch,” I hear to my right side.

Before I can turn my head to see who was there my head is fitted firmly placed into the drywall. My ears are ringing from the blow to the side of my head and my vision is blurred by the flakes of drywall as I pull my head from the wall. I should be trying to protect myself but I’ve lost two of my senses. Instinct takes over, and my instinct says flee. Unfortunately, I can’t see my attacker. But I feel the foot kick me in the chest, backwards down the stairs. My ears don’t stop ringing as tumble down the stairs. This was a trap. They knew I was coming somehow.

As soon as I’m done falling, I’m met with punches and kicks. I’m too messed up to defend myself, so I just take the beating. I almost pass out a few times before the beating stops. I need to stay awake for this. If they try to kill me, I need to fight back, no matter how hard. I’ll save my energy for that. They ziptie my hands behind my back. From there they start to drag me. Not sure where I’m going but it might lead to me getting an open shot at my Orc. Slowly my ears stop to ring. I’m blinking my eyes repeatedly trying to clear the debris. I’m going to have a fight on my hand wherever they’re taking me so I need to prep.

I’m placed in a chair, the front of a room with a small crowd. They use more zipties to secure me to the chair. I’ll wait for now. Slowly more people walk into the room. Small chants in some language I don’t know. Maybe a forgotten Orc language. If they plan on a sacrifice, they’re going to work for it. They’re too arrogant, I lost my knife but I have everything else. I’m willing to play this out while I use magic to help me recover, but the moment they start talking sacrifice I’m breaking free.

The sound of metal being dragged across the floor silences the crowd that seems larger. Another chair is being dragged across the room by a large Orc. Strapped to the chair is my charming unwanted sidekick Kaiden. It doesn’t look like he put up a fight. They’ve got him secured, but his arms are in front and he’s not strapped to the chair like I am.

“Sorry,” he whispers to me as The Orc drops him and leaves.

“For what?”

“They caught me, I kind of told them you were here,” he smiles as if that’ll make me forgive him.

“That’s exactly why I left you at home. You can’t do everything I do and I can’t take you everywhere and before you say anything, I know you helped with the Hobgoblins and Dwarfs but that isn’t this. You need to listen to me if you’re going to stay around. This shit isn’t just fun and games. You’re not on a fucking field trip. We could actually die here.”

He doesn’t respond, just looks away from me. I feel bad now, because he might be crying. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. I’ll apologize if we make it out of this alive. I know he doesn’t mean any trouble. But he can really get in the way sometimes. But that probably isn’t the best way to get my point across. Even if he’s gotten a little bigger, and keeps telling me he’s seventeen, the fact is mentally he’s still thirteen or fourteen after being stuck for so long, and I don’t think that potion will fix that, or maybe it takes time. Still to be seen, for now, I need to act like he’s thirteen or fourteen. Probably scared to be alone and doesn’t know how to say it.

“My people,” the Orc I came to stop starts to parade around in front of us. “Tonight, we have people coming to kill us. To take our heads, and mount them on pikes,” he continues. “But our chief would say that is not the way of this modern world. This old man would have us turn the other cheek,” he continues.

“Boy that is enough,” another Orc stops him. “Did you even ask these men why they came here,” he makes his way towards me. “Why are you here,” he leans down.

“That guy with the ugly suit and fedora has been extorting business and one hired me to stop him. I tried to talk it out at the abandoned building his gang stayed in, but they attacked me, and he ran off like a coward,” even if I die, I’m making sure his leadership does too.

“You see, you caused this, we have enough. Why must you be so greedy,” the Old Orc asks.

“This isn’t greed Chief, this is success. There isn’t any need for us to live together like rodents any longer. You need to see the bigger picture,” he explains his actions.

“And you need to know your role and how to address me child,” the chief smacks our Orc.

“Your time has passed old man,” our Orc argues. “You have been eating scraps for a decade now. You can’t have success without some enemies!”

“You can be successful and have friends. In fact, you can’t be successful if you don’t have allies beyond those who are eternally loyal to you. You do not need enemies to be successful, yet you have created enemies for yourself. You can not kill everyone you raise up to be your enemy,” The Chief speaks not just to my target, but to all the Orcs in attendance.

“Yes, actually I can kill anyone. I need to send a message, and a few bodies will be the perfect way to do it,” he screams at the chief.

That’s all I needed to hear. I break free of my bindings and launch at the Orc. After all this time, I’m finally able to touch him. I land a strong blow that knocks him to the ground. He isn’t used to being hit and instantly touches the spot he was hit in. It doesn’t take long before other Orcs rush me. The whole thing turns into a free for all. The Chief’s men, the Mob Orcs and Myself all taking turns knocking each other down and getting back up. All of that comes to and end when a gunshot goes off.