“This was how that Perry guy looked. Seen dogs look more human. He was strong, and I think he was the strongest before I showed up. I told him about this contest me and Qurrah made up, some arm wrestling thing. Guy was drunk out of his mind, so when I told him we could win four gold coins he should have figured something was off.
“We met after work, just past sundown, and I led him straight to Qurrah. We lived way down in the south of Veldaren. Not too many out there at night, and those who are don't see anything and don’t talk about what they don't see. Qurrah cast a spell on Perry then, kind of like you did with the guards. He shouted until his head turned purple but made no sound for the effort. Then Qurrah cast another spell that made him go all tough and rigid. Felt like I was holding a stick. We took him inside and put him on the floor.
“He wasn’t supposed to die,” Harruq said, staring right into Aurelia’s eyes so she would know it was no lie. “We didn’t mean to have what happened happen, but well... Qurrah put a bunch of meat on Perry’s face. It was old and stank. Poor guy still had to keep smelling it, though. And then Qurrah cast his spell.
“The meat started bubbling and turning watery. It ran down his face, even into his eyes. It burned him. His skin turned black, like it was rotting. He called me dogface all the time, Perry did. We were making him just like what he called me. A dogface. But it went wrong. I yelled at Qurrah to stop, and I think he wanted to, but he kept shrieking more of that curse. Then he…”
Harruq rubbed his eyes with his hands and refused to meet Aurelia’s gaze.
“And then Qurrah removed the spells that kept him from talking and moving. He screamed and screamed and he just, he just…he tore off his own face. He just reached up and yanked that mess off him. He died. Qurrah fell over, too weak to stand. Never seen him so scared in my life. He kept staring at that guy’s face and blubbering. He said he didn’t mean to. That’s all he said, over and over. He didn’t mean to. He tried to stop. We burned the body, and I don’t think we ever talked about it since.”
Silence filled their clearing as Harruq’s story ended.
“I asked for the first time you killed,” Aurelia said after an agonizingly long pause.
“I know,” Harruq said. “And I did. I brought Perry to Qurrah. I failed to stop him when I saw something was wrong. If there is blame, it falls on me.”
The elf stared off into the forest, her eyes seeing nothing. Harruq and Qurrah’s relationship could not be more clear to her mind. Qurrah directed, Qurrah ordered, and then Harruq bore the guilt and the blame. Did Harruq ever consider disobedience? She didn’t know.
“We done here?” the half-orc asked.
“Yes,” Aurelia said. “You may go, Harruq.”
He did.
That night, Qurrah slept deep. For the past week, he had slumbered for a few hours and at the end of fitful dreams awakened to meet with Velixar. This time, however, he went deeper and deeper into his nightmare. Mobs of men surrounding him shrieked for vengeance, and then suddenly fell lifeless. Velixar rose amid the bodies.
“I am sorry I must meet you this way, my apprentice,” Velixar said.
“What has happened?” Qurrah asked.
“We are being watched, and therefore a little precaution is necessary. I will send my darkness to you. Enter it without hesitation.”
Red lines pierced the darkness. Amidst the glowing hue of blood, Velixar pulsed like a god.
“I shall do as you wish,” Qurrah whispered. He fell to one knee.
“I will accept no less,” the god in black rumbled. The nightmare broke like shattered glass, and Qurrah silently rose from his bed. Harruq snored as usual. The stars were shining bright, and through the hole in ceiling he could see their presence.
Leave your home, said a whisper on the wind. Follow the darkness.
The half-orc did as he was told. He slipped outside the door and into the cold streets of Woodhaven.
A floating form hung outside, softly rotating. It was a blob of nothingness, purely dark and empty. Qurrah slipped his hand into it and watched his flesh vanish from view. Heeding the words from the dream, he stepped inside. It was cold, and his eyes saw nothing. An invisible hand grabbed the front of his robe, cold and ethereal. It yanked him onward at a running pace. He ran past the homes, through the dark alleys, and away from the town. His chest burned and his throat throbbed in pain, but he continued. He would never let weakness prevent him from learning from his master. Never.
The blob of darkness suddenly halted, the invisible hand leaving his robes. Wind blew, and the darkness dissipated upon it. Qurrah collapsed to his knees and retched. Velixar, sitting comfortably in the grass, watched in silence.
“Where are we?” Qurrah asked once he had regained his breath.
“Not far from Woodhaven,” Velixar said. “Closer to the forest and hidden behind hills so that those in the town may not see us.” He gestured to where a fire normally would have been burning between them. “We must sacrifice some comforts. Eyes have been watching us. Given time, we might have been attacked. I do not fear for my life but you are still fragile.”
“Then teach me more,” Qurrah said, still on his knees. “I am ready.”
“Indeed, you are. From now on I shall send my cloud and you will follow inside.” The man in black glanced at the cold sweat covering the half-orc. “I can slow the pace at which it travels, if you would prefer.”
Qurrah did not answer, only slowly nodded his head.
“Very well,” Velixar said, reaching a hand into his robe. “Shall we begin?”
He pulled out a small, catatonic squirrel. It would be the target for their spells.
“I am ready,” Qurrah said. Throughout the night, they practiced. Throughout the night, the half-orc became much more dangerous.
The final days of sparring with Aurelia passed quiet and swift. Aurelia asked for no stories and Harruq told her none. They simply enjoyed each other’s company, fought to the extent of their skill, and then left. On the fourteenth and last day, however, Harruq was in an unusually quiet mood. His mind refused to stay on the mock combat, and many times a quick jab of Aurelia’s staff cracked his arm or wrist when he should have easily deflected it away.
Finally, the elf called it a day. She set aside her staff.
“I thank you for sparring with me,” she told him.
“It’s nothing,” he said. “Better to spar with someone than practice alone.”
Aurelia smiled. “You’re different than what I expected, Harruq. Smarter, too.”
Harruq blushed. “No need for lies,” he said.
The elf laughed a little but said nothing. Instead, she walked over and gave Harruq a quick peck on the cheek.
“Keep your big butt safe, okay?” she said.
The half-orc tried to answer but his mouth refused to cooperate. Somehow, it seemed to have become unhinged. Besides, it wasn’t as if he could think of anything to say. All his mind could concentrate on was the feel of the elf’s soft lips on his cheek, the flowery scent of her perfume mixed with sweat, and the quick brush of her breasts against his arm.
By the time his jaw and mind began working again Aurelia was laughing.
“What’s so funny?” he demanded. The elf smiled.
“Nothing. Just a big stupid half-orc I’m going to miss. Bye-bye.”
She waved and then vanished into the forest. For a long time, Harruq remained. He ran a hand through his hair and pondered what in the abyss was wrong with him.
“Never get involved with elves,” he mumbled. “Never ever should have gotten myself screwed up like this.”
But a part of him liked it, and that scared him even more.
Harruq arrived at the clearing the next morning at the same time as always. Aurelia stepped out from behind a tree, her cold, emotionless face so different from the previous day.
“We have sparred our two weeks, Harruq,” she said. “You have no need to come here.”
“Yeah, well, you heard what I said
yesterday,” Harruq said, his face red.
“What was that?”
He kicked a rock. “It’s better to spar with another, remember?”
Aurelia frowned. “You know I am a sorceress. My time should be spent studying my craft. I only wanted to be proficient with my staff, not a master.”
A tiny bit of panic crept into Harruq’s voice. “Yeah, but, but, it’s only an hour or two, and who said you were proficient anyway? I could beat you without trying, and so could anyone better than me. It would be stupid now to just stop and…”
Aurelia crossed the distance between them and placed her hand across his mouth to shut him up. A grin lit her entire face.
“Okay, Harruq. I will do as you wish and keep meeting with you.”
“For sparring,” he said after she pulled her hand away.
“Sure. That too.”
Harruq blushed but let it go.
“Well, you ready to go, little elfie?” he said, trying act gruff.
“Of course.” Aurelia retrieved her staff, smiling to herself. She was flattered with the offer, more so than Harruq knew.
“Well,” Aurelia said, twirling her staff. “Ready for a go?”
“Oh yeah,” Harruq said, drawing his swords. “You’ve got no idea.”
But she did, and it made her laugh all the more.
7
It is time I met your brother,” Velixar said as the clouds rolled above, obscuring the waning moon. He had trained with Qurrah for almost two months, and over that time the half-orc had grown greatly in power. “King Vaelor’s nightmares have never been stronger, and he will act upon them soon.”
“I am not sure he is ready,” Qurrah said. “It is difficult enough bringing me here. The two of us sneaking out each night might be noticed.”
“You will not be noticed,” Velixar said, ending the debate. “Bring him. Let him swear his life to me.”
“As you wish, my master,” Qurrah said with a bow.
Hey Aurry, I got something for you!”
Harruq tramped into the clearing, his two swords sheathed. Aurelia waited there, her arms crossed.
“A present from a half-orc,” she said. “Should I be worried?”
“Nope. Just take it.” He held out a small brown box. It was in poor shape, picked out of a heap of trash, but the elf could see the great care spent attempting to clean and fix it.
“What is inside?” she asked as she took the box.
“Open it,” Harruq said. “You’ll see.”
Aurelia pried off the lid and peered inside. A small bouquet of flowers lay on the bottom of the box. She lifted them up, smiling at the violets, blues, and reds.
“That’s sweet Harruq, but why?”
“Just to, you know.” He kicked a rock. “Wanted to thank you for sparring with me,” he said.
“They’re beautiful,” Aurelia said as she inhaled the aroma. “But why the box?”
Harruq turned a new shade of red. “Well, I’d look weird walking down the street with those flowers in hand. I do have a reputation to keep.”
The elf laughed. “Thank you, Harruq. Are you ready to begin?”
He nodded, eager to have the awkwardness pass. Aurelia twirled the staff in her hands as her smile faded into seriousness. Harruq drew his swords, and then they sparred.
You’re out later than normal,” Qurrah said when Harruq returned to their home.
“I get restless stuck in here,” he said. He dropped his weapons in the corner, shed much of his leather armor, and then lay down with a loud groan.
“Harruq, I must ask a favor of you,” Qurrah said. He sat next to his brother.
“Sure thing,” Harruq said. “What you need?”
Qurrah fiddled with the bones in his pouch. “There is someone I need you to meet.”
Harruq raised an eyebrow. “The person you’ve been sneaking off to each night?” he asked.
“You know?” Qurrah asked.
“Course,” he said with a shrug. “You’re sneaky, brother, but I’m not as deep a sleeper you think I am. So who is this person?”
Qurrah bit his lower lip. “His name is…he will tell you his name. He is powerful, Harruq. Very powerful. He is my teacher, and I want him to become yours as well.”
Harruq raised his arms and flexed, watching his calloused hands open and close. “What can a teacher of magic offer me?” he asked.
Qurrah chuckled.
“You’d be surprised,” he replied. “But will you come with me tonight?”
“Fine, fine, I will,” he said.
“You will impress him, Harruq, do not worry about that.”
Qurrah left his brother to rest.
Grab my wrist,” Qurrah said as the dark cloud arrived that night. Harruq did so, and together they stepped inside. He felt an unseen hand grab his chest, and then they were running blind. The minutes crawled, their frantic breathing the only audible sound. Qurrah lagged further and further behind, unable to keep the pace. Harruq tightened his grip on his wrist and pulled him along. The terrain sloped beneath them as they climbed a hill. Another quick shift and they were stumbling down that same hill. The cold hand vanished. The cloud dissipated. Before him, standing with his arms crossed, waited Velixar.
Qurrah stunned his brother by falling to one knee and bowing his head.
“Greetings, master,” Qurrah said. “I have brought him as you asked.”
Velixar grinned with delight as he looked over the tall, muscular half-orc. As with Qurrah, he saw the untapped potential, an incredible strength and skill waiting for a purpose to harness it. The subtle shift of Velixar’s features slowed as he approached. When he spoke in his deep, rumbling voice, Harruq struggled against a sudden urge to join his brother on one knee.
“So you are Harruq?” the man in black asked.
“I am,” Harruq said.
Velixar reached out a hand. It was frail, bony. So similar to his brother’s.
“Kneel.”
Harruq did so. Unwillingly.
“I am Velixar,” the man in black said. “I am the voice of Karak. I've heard much about you, Harruq Tun, bastard child of an orcish womb. You are strong, and I sense your anger raging to be unleashed.”
Harruq trembled, indeed feeling that anger. He felt it deep inside his chest, urging him to rise and defy Velixar.
“The orcish were elves who swore their lives to Karak. Part of you still yearns to do what your ancestors have done. They reveled in bloodshed. They warred against men who followed a false god. I offer you a chance to serve Karak as you were always meant. Answer me this question, half-orc. Do you love your brother?”
A chill ran through his spine. He glanced to Qurrah, who still knelt. His eyes were focused on him. In them, he saw pride.
“Aye, I do,” Harruq said. “I would do anything for him.”
Velixar let his hand slowly lower until his fingertips hovered before Harruq’s forehead.
“Then I ask you this: will you devote your life to the protection of his? Will you swear your life to me, as your brother has? I can guide you, teach you, and give you the power to protect him. Answer me.”
Harruq looked once more at his brother and then let his head fall.
“I swear my life to you. And to Qurrah.”
“I would have it no other way,” Velixar said.
The hand touched his forehead. All the anger that had raged inside Harruq roared like a fire suddenly loosed upon a dry forest. Sweat poured from his skin. His head jerked upward, his eyes soaking in the white of Velixar’s hand and the dim glow of the stars. Power flowed into him, his muscles stretching and tightening in a chaotic manner.
“Rise, Harruq Tun,” Velixar said. “Revel in the power of Karak.”
“By the gods, brother, if you could see yourself,” Qurrah said, his voice full of shock and wonder.
“Just one god, Qurrah,” Velixar corrected. “All this by the hand of one. I am that hand.”
Harruq stood and looked down. His arms
and legs bulged with muscle. He flexed his arm and stared at the explosion that traveled all the way up to his neck. He felt within himself a lifewell of energy, one infinitely deep.
“Discard your swords, Harruq,” Velixar said. “You are the protector of my disciple. You deserve better.”
He slid his two swords out from their sheaths, stunned by the ease in which he moved them. It was if they went from being made of steel to air. He tossed them aside. Velixar pulled from within his cloak a chest the size of a small stone. He placed it on the grass where it shone gold in the light of the stars. As the two brothers watched, he whispered a few words of magic, enlarging the chest to normal size.
“Over the centuries I have gathered many items to aid those who would swear their lives to me,” Velixar said. The locks clicked open, the lid raised, and then he reached inside and pulled out two swords sheathed in gleaming obsidian. “These swords were once wielded by Aerland Shen. He led the elves that aided Karak in the great war against Ashhur. When Celestia cursed his kind, they shared his curse.” Velixar smiled at Harruq, his eyes gleaming.
“Long have I waited for someone to wield these blades. An elf crafted and used them in battle, an elf cursed into an orc. These swords can only be held by one who has the blood of both inside him.” Velixar held the hilts out to Harruq, who drew one from its sheath. The sword’s blade was deep black and wreathed in a soft red glow. He weaved it through the air, his mouth agape at the ease in which it glided.
“They are not as long as your previous weapons,” Velixar said, “but you will adjust. With these blades you will be faster and more skillful than ever before. Forget everything you know about yourself, and know only that you are unstoppable.”
Harruq took the other sword and held both in his hands. He noticed the writing that flared on each hilt, one red, the other gold.
“What do they say?” he asked, staring at them in wonder.
“Condemnation and Salvation. You are judgment, Harruq. May it be swift and merciless.”
Harruq sheathed the swords and clipped them to his belt. He knelt as his head swirled.
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