But it wouldn't be enough. Tens of thousands more waited for their chance to fight.
Their allies fell all around them. They were completely surrounded, and the soldiers were started to collapse on them. They did what any sensible person would do. They ran. Faster than any human could run. They charged through the blood-soaked streets and mowed down anyone who stood in their way. Soldiers were crushed beneath their feet as they made their escape, but not all were so lucky. The formation of spearmen caught some of the elves. For the most part, the men couldn't even slow the brutes.
As the elves began to make their way out of the city, The mages started a second series of attacks. Fire, stone, and orbs of pure darkness flew floated into the elves. More fell and more would have, but the attacks ceased as the soldiers gave chase into the field outside of the city.
The men who chased were far too slow to have any chance to catch the elves, but they pursued them all the same. It didn't seem to matter that they couldn't catch them though, they didn't stop even as the gap continued to grow.
From the corner of Vera's eye, she saw bluish rift open beside her. From it stepped King's hand Ters Versing. He walked over to Forec silently and tapped him on the shoulder. They spoke in hushed tones, to quiet for anyone nearby to hear. When their private conversation ended, Ters gestured for all of them to join him.
CHAPTER NINE
Chapter 9
“Now watch,” Ters said. Droplets of blood fell from his nose and splashed on the floor.
“How did you know about this?” Forec asked.
“I was told by the High Mage,”
“And the men chasing them down?” Forec asked. “What will happen to them?”
“I’m following orders from the High Mage herself,” Ters said. “What else can I say, Forec?”
A faint emerald green glow appeared on the horizon. Forec felt at his nose. Blood. A blast of energy knocked off balance for a moment, but he remained on his feet. The emerald green glow came from a rift that must have been over fifty feet tall.
“Is that another damned rift?” Forec asked.
“Yes,” Ters said. “Just wait.”
Tannish-gray monsters ran from the rift and towards the elves. They were as tall as the elves, but unlike the elves, their bodies were covered in bulky muscles. Their faces were a combination of human and hog. The heads were squarish but familiar, except for their upturned noses and tusks that extended from their lower jaws. They held massive, crude weapons. It was consistent with their appearance, Forec thought.
“What are they?”
“Orcs, according to the High Mage,” he said.
The orcs crashed into the elves with an explosion of violence. Their weapons were crude but effective, the massive axes cleaved through the black armor. The clubs crushed the armor and the bodies beneath it.
“Not fond of elves, it would seem,” Forec said.
“It doesn’t seem many are,” Ters said and smirked. “Can’t quite blame them, seeing as how the elves are massive pricks and all.”
“That is an interesting way to phrase it,” Forec said. “They seem to be more monsters than pricks, though.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Pricks have a use,” Forec grinned.
“Was that supposed to be a joke?” Freedic asked. He frowned and narrowed his eyes.
Forec glanced over as Vyra blushed bright red, then raised an eyebrow to Ters. “How many orcs are there?” he asked.
Ters lowered his head, “I wasn’t told.”
“What do you know?” Forec asked.
“That I’m glad not to be one of the bastards I sent out there,”
“Must be nice to be sitting on your high throne without a care in the world,” Freedic said. “Can you see us lowly peasants down here, or are we nothing but ants?”
“Less than ants, generally,” Ters said. “Ants have a use.” He raised an eyebrow to Forec. Forec shook his head and frowned.
“No use?” Freedic said. He spat at Ters’s feet. “Who could you manipulate and look down on if it weren’t for us? Besides, look at yourself. You’re the lowest of the low, Ters. Sent to live amongst the humans because even the mages know how pathetic you are.”
“The most pathetic of the mages will always be worth more than even the greatest of the talents,” he said with a confident smirk. “Shall I prove it to you?”
“Oh, I would love to see your evidence,” Freedic growled. “Come, show me.”
A sword materialized just before Ters’s throat, the tip nearly touched him. The mage froze. Forec shot a blast of air at the sword and knocked it out of Freedic’s hand.
“If either of you moves I will kill you,”
Vyra listened as Forec attempted to appease the two men who were on the verge of murder. It would have been easier just to let them fight. Plus she would have a show to watch, too. If it were up to her, she would have just let the two go at it. Whoever died lost the argument, and if they both died, everyone else won.
Her attention stayed fixed on the distance. It was hard to make out what happened, but as far as she could tell, the orcs had made it out of the rift. The elves had taken notice and attempted to flee, but it was too late. The orcs were just as fast, if not faster.
More voices added to the argument. The mages—save for the giant— joined in on the abuse. For the most part, it was directed at Freedic. They mocked that he wanted to fight Ters at all. Though, Ters too was harassed after Freedic almost killed him. The giant mage watched with disapproval in his eyes.
Freedic argued back with the mages at every point. He told them that their superiority made them weak. He said they were lucky that the talents respected their superiority. It was strange how concerned he was with the mages superiority. It had never come up in her life, so far at least. She had seen what they were capable of, though. It was possible the mages were genuinely superior. Freedic probably had a complex.
The giant stepped forward and joined the argument. He piqued Vyra's interest, but still not enough to pay attention. As far as she could tell, he argued in favor of Freedic. She looked over. Freedic looked as surprised as she was.
The fight in the distance was impossible to make out. For the most part, it was two rough shapes that crashed into each other. From what Vyra could tell, the orcs had the advantage. There were more of the tannish-gray forms than the black ones, at least. Both of their numbers were dwarfed by the humans who pursued. Ters had mentioned the orcs were their allies but did those soldiers know? Did the orcs know? Maybe she would get to watch something fun after all.
Ters attempted to join the argument but was shot down by the other mages. Forec turned his attention from Freedic and toward the King’s Hand. Beratement began again. Though, it was harsh and almost personal. Funny, though.
The last of the black shapes she had identified as elves disappeared into the gray. The orcs began to approach the silvery box that was the human soldiers. Even at a distance, Vyra could feel how tense the situation was. The orcs moved slowly, and the soldiers held their ground. Then, all motion stopped. It was hard to tell how far apart the two groups were but it didn't seem like much. Close enough that they could talk to each other, that was for sure. Could the orcs even speak to the soldiers?
The argument behind her had calmed down. Some of the mages had even changed their positions and began to support Freedic. Or more likely, they sided against Ters. She could tell from the smugness around the man why he had been sent away from the other mages. Freedic hadn't been wrong about that. Ters’ voice alone was worse if your village was burned to the ground by elves. But when combined with his arrogance, she would have rather watched her mother’s death on repeat than listen to him another moment. Morbid, but she couldn't help but snicker at her thoughts.
"Something funny?" Forec asked her.
"Just thinking," she said.
"Care to share?" he said. His voice was cold and severe.
"Well, I was thinking about how mu
ch easier it was to watch my mother die than listen to Ters talk,” Vyra said. She struggled not to laugh.
Forec looked at her with shock on his face. He blinked and shook his head. Vyra could tell he held something back. Whether it was anger, fear, or something else was tough to say. Tears began to streak down his face. A grin tried to escape his mouth, but he fought against it until he finally couldn’t resist anymore. A bark of laughter escaped before he controlled himself.
"See!" she shouted, "it was funny!"
"In all the worst ways," he admitted, "but you're not wrong, are you?"
CHAPTER TEN
Chapter 10
Forec watched the two groups in the distance. He wondered exactly how disturbed the girl was and how much of it was an act. He judged by her disposition—cold and aloof even when she laughed about her the murder of her mother—she was pretty far gone. She wasn't nearly as much of a pain in the ass as he had expected, though. Brighter than he thought as well. A veil was rare enough, but a clever one was priceless.
The standoff between the orcs and soldiers in the field continued. Neither side budged. The orcs weren’t hostile—outwardly at least. That was a good sign for now. But the soldiers didn't know. In fact, if he had to wager, he would have said the soldiers were too scared to move. If they tried to escape, they would set off the alien creatures that stood across from them. Another unwinnable battle would start, and they would be on the front lines of it. Maybe they were right. There would only be one way to know for sure.
Between the groups, a blue rift opened. From it, a person small in stature stepped out followed by an orc. The High Mage had come. Forec struggled to decide what it meant. Ultimately, the High Mage’s presence confirmed that the orcs weren't hostile. To the mages, at least. But would Insmith have sent him to defend the city if she meant only to topple it moments later? Well, yes, she would. She would also have had him get a detailed report on the cities defenses. And allow as much damage as possible to take place within the walls. What a clever bitch.
Ters tapped him on the shoulder. "Shall we?"
He opened a rift and stepped through, then appeared in the field beside the High Mage and the orc. Forec closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady his nerves.
"All of you, through the rift," he said. "Freedic, try not to challenge anyone else to a duel to the death."
"No promises,"
Strange how the ranger was the one he had problems with and not the teenage girl. Though, at the same time not all that much of a shock. Freedic had plenty of experience with mages and didn't appreciate their mightier-than-thou behavior. Understandable. He also wasn't wrong about Ters. He was an insufferable bastard, but there were better ways to deal with that issue. But, his idea to run into hundreds of the elves without a plan or backup was more than Forec would forgive.
Forec continued to think about Freedic’s behavior. He didn't directly disobey anything Forec said. If anything the High Mage had allowed him to do whatever he wanted. At least Forec didn’t need to worry that he lost control of the talent.
The four mages followed Freedic, and Vyra after them. Forec was alone for a moment. It would have been so easy to walk away there. Never to be forced to take part in the whims of a mad woman again. Be he didn’t want to be hunted down by her, either. He stepped through the rift.
"Council Mage Forec, how nice of you to join us," the High Mage said. "I trust that Ters has told you as much as he knows."
"Orcs," Forec said. "Not much else."
"Our new allies against the elves," Insmith said. She waved her hand toward the orc that stood at her side. "Their leader."
"Clan Leader Kura'Gasa," the orc said, “these are my people.”
She stood at least as tall as the elves, well over seven feet. Despite her massive muscular frame, it was clear she was a woman—though still like no woman Forec had ever seen. Her arms were a mess of scars and scabs. And her hands were a mass of callused skin. She stared at Forec with deep red eyes and constantly shifted her jaw. Probably to adjust the skin beneath her tusks.
"Fantastic," Ters noted. "She can even speak."
"And she’s pleasant to listen to," Freedic said. "A foreign concept, Ters?"
Forec bit his lip to stop a smile. "They have come to assist us against the elves?"
“We have come to destroy the murderous creatures you call elves,” Kura’Gasa said. “They are monsters. Death is in their blood. We are here to drain it from them.
"That's a bit much," Forec said. "If we can push them back to the Warring Kingdoms, we can contain them there. No need to commit genocide, is there?"
"Fool human," she said with what Forec thought was a laugh. "You think you have faced their true force? They send only their weakest scouts to make sure your kind hasn't destroyed the world. It is your race or theirs. You may choose."
"Do you have proof for any of that?" Forec asked. “These claims are substantial.”
The orc flared her nostrils. "They have tried to wipe my kind out of existence for tens of thousands of years," she said. "Each world they find, they destroy. Now they return to their home."
"Home?" Forec asked. "They're in our world."
"All our homes," Kura’Gasa said, then looked to the High Mage. "Your humans know nothing,"
"History was taken from us, Kura," Insmith said. “We are only now breaking into the mysteries of our past.
"You do not have seemed to searched hard for it," Kura said. Quite eloquent for someone who looked so beastial, Forec noted. The orcs were more than they appeared to be.
"How could we have searched for what we didn't know?" Insmith asked. "We have only just now begun to break into the mysteries surrounding our past."
"What you find," Kura said. Her tone was almost a threat, "you will not like."
"Let us discuss this at a later time," Forec said. "For now, we need to know everything about what we face."
"No, Forec. I need to know of everything we face," the High Mage said. "You will be told what is important. I will face the burden of knowledge."
Of course she would. That knowledge would be held for only her. She would love nothing more than that power. But he couldn’t think of an argument against her, so he kept quiet.
"Yes, High Mage," Forec said. "Shall we pursue the elves further?"
"No, those elves are returning to the safety of their numbers," Insmith said. "We will prepare ourselves at Krux Aev'then to properly react."
"They're headed towards the wall, High Mage," Freedic said. "Through the pass in the mountains. We need to send word to the wall at least."
"Talent, you will be happy to know there is no wall left for you to be worried over," she said. A sadistic grin twisted on her face. "The elves broke through it around the time you were sent to Quisen."
"They what?" he shouted. "What happened?"
"The wall was broken down. We do not know how," the High Magesaid. "When the mages arrived they were able to bring some survivors to the cliffs nearby."
“The leader from the wall,” he said. “Have you heard what happened to him?”
“No,” Insmith said, “I haven’t had word since.”
"Then our presence there will be even more important," Freedic said. "You cannot let them be ambushed. They won't stand a chance."
"Try not to fret, human," Kura said. Her voice was supposed to soothe them, Forec thought. "My people are already there, awaiting the chance to defend their ancestral homeland."
Forec could tell the orc already planted the seeds in everyone's mind. She wanted them to know the lands did not belong to Auverance. They were the lands of the orcs. For the moment, the orcs seemed to be on his side. What happened to Auverance after wasn't much of his concern.
Ters wanted to object to the insinuation but didn't voice anything. Probably for the best not to turn allies against you so soon. He stepped to the side of Insmith and whispered something into her ear before he created a rift and stepped through it. Off to whatever duty he thought
necessary, most likely to inform the king. It was better he do that than destroy a new alliance with the orcs.
Vyra stared at the crowd of orcs she and the mages stood before. She was fascinated by the creatures. They were tall and brutish, with animalistic features. But their behavior was nothing like their appearance. They stood in groups and talked, with very familiar gestures and expressions. It was strange to think such a foreign thing had been from the same world as her. And if what the orc woman had said was true, the elves were from the same world as well? It was almost unbelievable, but then again, the orcs didn’t have reason to lie.
Forec and the other mages continued to talk with the orc and the High Mage, but the discussion had become quite a bore. Freedic paced back and forth but didn’t say anything. He looked worried. Probably over the incident at the wall. He did seem obsessed with the wall. But to watch him pace back and forth would be almost as dull as the mages and orc talk. Even the bodies of the elves that had fallen were plain, still dressed in their armor and splayed on the ground. Funny to look at, though.
She turned back and looked at the soldiers who, quite unlike the orcs, were still stood in formation. Still and silent, as if they were prepared for a battle to break out at any second. They had seen what the orcs did to the elves, did they think they would stand a chance? Or did they simply try to intimidate the monsters in front of them? She continued to stare until a realization struck her. They didn’t posture for battle or to intimidate the orcs. They wanted to impress the men who sent them out in the first place.
The Clan Leader, Kura’Gasa, mentioned something that caught Vyra’s attention.
“Of course, if we drive them to the forest, we are losing the lands of another clan,” she said. “They will not be happy.”
“You’re telling us the orcs controlled the Warring Kingdoms as well as Auverance?” Forec asked. “Where in the hell did the elves come from then? Or the humans for that matter?”
Kura’Gasa grinned. “Orcs controlled land up to the border mountains. Elves everything past the mountains,” she said. “Humans controlled the lower parts of the northern land.”
Homecoming (Homecoming Chonicles Book 1) Page 7
