by Megg Jensen
"Have you been keeping track?" Brax raised an eyebrow at his first in command.
"It's my job to make sure you're happy," Jedd said. "An army is only as healthy as its captain."
Brax furrowed his brow. "You set that up? Nella didn't come to me on her own?"
Jedd laughed. "All I did was ask if she was willing. Trust me, there was no coercion involved. The women here are very interested in you. It's the dark, brooding image you project. They all want to know what's behind it."
Nella found out last night. Repeatedly.
"Are we ready to march?" Brax asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, most have already eaten and are packing up. I know you're a little behind this morning, but don't worry. You needed that night." Jedd handed Brax the porridge. "This is for you."
"Thanks." Brax dug in, hungrier than he'd been in a very long time. "I want to be at the gates of Agitar by mid-afternoon. We'll send in an envoy to speak with the orcs."
"No, we won't." Queen Lissa sashayed over to them, a long white train bobbing behind her. "We will invade Agitar immediately."
Brax fought to keep the porridge in his mouth. "That's not how it's done. We need to—”
"You need to do as I say!" the queen said between gritted teeth. "These orcs murdered my father. Why would we speak with them? What could they possibly have to say that might change my mind? Have they erased the past and brought my father back to life? Is that possible, Captain?"
Brax swallowed the last of the porridge and shoved the bowl back at Jedd. "Of course it's not possible, but if there can be a peaceful solution to this situation, we should strive to find it!"
"Everything was peaceful until they murdered my father. They started this, not me. Don't you ever forget it." Lissa jabbed Brax's shoulder with a long fingernail, likely leaving a mark under his tunic. "If you don't want to fight, then you can be relieved of duty. I'll place your head next to hers."
The queen pointed to the front of their camp, a place Brax had managed to avoid looking since they'd beheaded the old orc. Her head rested atop a stake that was planted ahead of their camp.
It was a warning to the orc scouts, who were surely scoping out their numbers.
Brax held in his anger. He wanted to live, and he knew the queen would follow through on her threats. He wasn't sure who would step up to behead him, but someone eventually would. A glory-seeker with something to prove.
"We will attack this afternoon," Brax said, revising his plans. "I'll send the first wave into Agitar to make sure they can't lock the gates. A siege won't get us anywhere. We'd spend months out here, and with winter approaching, we would freeze to death. We're not prepared for the weather. The faster we defeat them, the sooner all of this will be over.
"Good. I knew you'd see it my way, Brax." Lissa patted him on the head as if he were a puppy.
And perhaps he was. He had no mind of his own anymore. Despite being the captain, he rarely made a decision or had an original thought. He did as the queen commanded and nothing more.
With a heavy heart, Brax retreated into his tent. He closed the flap before Jedd could follow him in.
Brax put on his armor, fastening the chest piece in place. Normally he had a squire to attend him, but today he wanted to do it himself.
Brax had no faith in their cause, and now he'd lost faith in himself. His entire life he'd stood up for what he believed was righteous. Now, he intended to swoop upon a heavily fortified city of orcs, who were far superior in strength and weaponry. He was leading his people to their deaths. There was no way around that.
They would die. It would be his fault.
And this war would accomplish nothing other than to wipe most of the humans off the continent.
Brax exited his tent. He signaled for a squire to take it down and pack it for travel. Jedd followed two steps behind Brax, silent.
Brax walked through the camp, taking in each face, attempting to burn them into his memory. If he survived, he would tell their stories. He would bear witness to their lives given freely to a war that had only one possible outcome.
Nella was up ahead, washing dishes with two other young women, her blond curls bouncing about her shoulders as she scrubbed a pot. Brax tapped her on the arm. When she turned around, a smile blossomed on her face.
"Thank you for last night." Brax bowed low, giving her the same respect he would a lady.
The girls giggled as he straightened up. Nella gave an awkward curtsy in return. It only endeared her to him more.
Brax held out a hand, the top of it covered in armor. It shone in the sunlight as Nella slipped her hand into his. He pulled her closer, then kissed her gently. Not the kiss of a man who had used her the night before, but the kiss of a man who deeply respected a woman who had willingly let him explore the most private parts of her body.
Nella sighed as he released her back to her job.
Brax made for the horses. A squire had already prepared his steed. He pushed his sword to the side and mounted the great stallion. Brax could see over everyone in the camp. He counted them, securing a place for each in his memory. Thousands of souls about to be lost.
He raised his sword into the air, pointing toward Agitar.
"Today we bring our fight with the orcs for vengeance. We will be victorious!"
A roar traveled through the camp.
His words may have been empty, but they still believed they had a chance.
Sornal bless their souls.
Chapter 40
Alyna paced in Vron's home. Three steps past the bed. Five past the dining and sitting area. Six into the back of the kitchen. Turn around. Repeat.
"You're pacing, that's better than sitting." Vron took a puff from the cigar he'd rolled.
"Don't be funny." She took a quick glance at the bed, where Sally lay. The girl had slept comfortably all night and half the day.
"I'm not trying to be funny. Just realistic. If an elf holds the throne, and he's cast some sort of spell over the city, how are we to fight him? A faun and an orc defeating an elf's magic? Can't be done."
Alyna snatched the cigar from Vron's lips. She considered throwing it out the window, but instead she took a long drag. Vron always rolled the best cigars. He once claimed he had found a special weed in the forest no one else knew about.
Alyna believed it, too. Within moments, she felt her shoulder muscles loosening. She sank onto Vron's lap. "We need to do something. We can’t just sit here."
"Sure we can." He pecked Alyna on the cheek.
She held in a sigh. Vron wanted more from her than she was willing to give. Yes, she liked him. Perhaps she loved him. But commitment wasn't in her future. Not with Vron, not with anyone. Every time she returned his amorous advances, he got the notion it was wrapped in some sort of promise. She had needs, and Vron filled them quite well. She also longed for her clearing in the forest, where she lived in peace without the drama others so expertly wove. This world would slowly kill her.
"We must find a way to make the other orcs fight. I know the elf's magic is hard to resist. Even I can feel it vibrating on the edge of my senses." Alyna tossed the cigar on the floor, snuffing it out with her hoof. Then she picked up the remains and tossed them out the window. "That weed isn't helping."
Vron's lids drooped. "It's helping me to forget the anger I feel at myself. I want to fight back, Alyna, I do, but I can't. I literally can't." He tossed his hands in the air. "I'm a fighter. I use my muscles to vanquish my enemies. This new king, this elf, has some sort of power over my motivation."
"It's a compulsion spell," Alyna said.
"You have some magic." Vron's eyes pleaded with her. "Can you do something about it?"
"No." Alyna shook her head. "The elves have a magic all of their own. I cannot counter it. It would be like asking you to fight an entire army on your own. You couldn't, despite being very good at what you do."
"I'm very, very good at what I do." Vron nuzzled Alyna's neck, his tusks nicking her skin.
<
br /> She shivered, then pushed him away. "That's not what I meant. Vron, you must concentrate."
"I am." His lips wandered from her ear to the top of her shoulder.
"Vron!" Alyna jumped off his lap, angry at herself for sitting there in the first place.
"Come on, baby," he pleaded.
"If this is how all of the orcs are affected, there will be a bumper crop of babies next year." Alyna bent over and slapped Vron's cheek. "Stop it!"
Vron sprang to his feet. "Alyna, I can't do this. It's tearing me apart. I need to leave Agitar. I have to go somewhere where I can form my own thoughts and feelings."
"We can't leave while the humans are marching here. They're probably not far away by now. What will happen to the orcs when they swarm across Agitar?" Alyna grabbed Vron's shoulders, shaking him. "Do you understand what's about to happen?"
"Yes! But I'm powerless to do anything! Don't you know how that kills me?" Vron sank into the chair again, his head in his hands.
"That's it. I'm going to speak to this elf king." Alyna stormed out of the cottage before Vron could catch her.
She lifted the sides of her skirt as she stormed through the abandoned city streets. She walked past stalls that had been abandoned and past draft horses standing tethered to poles, the remnants of the oats the orcs brought them scattered on the ground. At least they had enough sense to keep their animals fed.
If the elf was trying to kill the orcs, he was doing a poor job of it. Taking away their motivation was a stalling tactic. But for what?
Alyna turned down the Avenue of Royals. The street tripled in width, making her feel smaller as she walked alone to the steps of the castle. Two guards stood with spears crossed.
"Let me pass," Alyna said.
They ignored her.
"Now!" she yelled.
They remained as still as statues.
"If anyone can hear me, I demand to speak with the king! I am not an orc. I am a faun. I bring you information of the greatest import!"
Alyna stood, nearly vibrating with anger.
A moment later, the two orc guards uncrossed their spears.
"Thank you very little." Alyna stepped between them as quickly as she could, not quite trusting them. She bounded up the steps into the castle.
Alyna had been in this castle once before as a guest of Vron's, and she'd forgotten the sheer beauty of it. Marveling at the tapestries covering the walls, Alyna tried to remember she wasn't here for a social visit or a tour. She was there to speak with the elf king who had the entire population of Agitar under his control. She had to make him understand the impending doom coming from the South.
Alyna pushed open the heavy doors to the throne room. Startled to see the room empty—the old king had always had an entourage, as well as guards at every entrance—Alyna noticed the tall, slender man sitting on the throne. A table sat to the side, covered with fruits and drinks she didn't recognize.
"Come, sit with me, faun. Tell me your stories." The elf held out a sweeping arm, indicating the chair next to his.
The queen's throne.
"Thank you, I'll stand." Alyna had heard tales of elven trickery. They offered something beautiful moments before stealing your soul. Though these tales were meant to frighten children, after what Alyna had seen in Agitar, she knew there had to be some truth to them.
"What do you need to tell me that is so important?" The elf king took a bite of an apple pastry.
Alyna felt her mouth water. It did look amazing.
"Is it about the humans?" The elf held out a pastry to her.
Alyna resisted, despite everything inside her screaming that one bite couldn't hurt. "You know about the humans? Their army advances. They plan to take Agitar from the orcs."
The elf's laughter tinkled like bells in the spacious throne room. "I have already taken Agitar. Isn't that obvious? I do not fear humans."
"I didn't either, but they have proven themselves to be formidable." Alyna held her hands in fists at her sides, fighting against the urge to eat the pastries. They were so close. Only a few steps away.
The elf took a long drink of the light-green liquid in his crystal goblet. "Are you sure you wouldn't like some?"
Alyna bit her lower lip.
"The humans have something I want, you see." The elf put down his food and drink, planted his elbows on the arms of the throne, and gently rested his fingertips upon each other. "I need them to approach. Once I have what I need, I will decide whether to let them live or die."
"What do you want from any of us?" Alyna asked. "Why weren't you happy in your own kingdom across the Orianna Sea?"
The elf grimaced, though it didn't diminish his staggering beauty. "The world is changing. Some might say it is ending. I plan to take what I can before it happens. Maybe I can change the outcome. But the orcs cannot do it. Neither can the humans. They are both simple races. So I will take their lands."
"You plan to invade the South as well?" Alyna asked, confused.
"No, I plan to marry the human queen and take her lands as dowry." The elf smiled.
"What of Queen Agamede?" Alyna asked.
“She’s resting in her chambers. I have no need of her. Once I have control of both the humans and the orcs, I will save this land from its own destruction.”
"There is no destruction, save what you have wrought."
His laugh rang out, reminding Alyna of soft rain on a sunny day. "Such simple creatures here. I had thought you might be different, faun. I see you are like the rest of them. Close-minded. Only thinking of what is in front of your face. You care nothing for the future or the gods."
"What do the gods have to do with this?" she asked, truly confused. It wasn't his magic spell making her mind muddy. She had no idea what he was referring to.
"The end is coming, faun. The end of everything. That idiot priest Hugh brought it on. What he has done will ruin us all." He gestured to the throne next to him. "Please sit. Let me explain. I have hope you may understand better than anyone."
Alyna's mind suddenly felt completely clear, as if a fog had lifted. His magic had worked on her more than she thought. But now he had let her go. She could think for herself again without fighting.
"I will tell you," he said. "I beg you to see reason."
Alyna knew this was her only chance to truly understand why he had taken Agitar.
"Hold my hand. It will be faster this way."
Alyna slipped her hand in his delicate grasp. A transfer of information followed a flash of light so painful she almost lost consciousness. But the thoughts were in her head now, as if they'd always been there. As if she'd already known...
"It can't be true," Alyna muttered under her breath. She combed through the thoughts he'd given her, trying to find some fault in his logic. "No."
"Yes," the elf king said, "the end is near. I know it, and now you know it. Do you understand why I have done as I have?"
Alyna looked at him, her mouth agape. "We must work together to fix this, or we'll all die."
Chapter 41
Vron remained slumped in his chair when Alyna opened the door to the cottage. Whatever spell that elf had cast over Agitar made him apathetic. Vron had always prided himself on his strength, but that couldn't help him now. If only he could fight magic with an ax. He could get up and challenge Kazrack, but it felt like too much work.
Alyna's eyes were fixed on the floor, her shoulders sagging.
"What is it?" Vron rushed to her side.
Alyna fell against his chest. Vron wrapped his arms around her shaking torso.
"Did he hurt you?" Vron asked, anger building, pushing against the magic Kazrack had set upon them.
"No. Kazrack's actually not evil. He's here to help us." Alyna pushed away, wiping her tears on a sleeve.
"I don't understand." Vron cocked his head to the side. "Did he put another spell on you?"
"No." Alyna took a deep, shuddering breath. "I don't know how to explain it. I understand now why he wanted
to show me the way he did."
Vron looked at the faun, confused. "I'm not following."
Alyna went over to the bed. She sat next to Sally, who had been sleeping soundly the entire time Alyna had been gone. She ran a gentle hand over the girl's hair. "Wake up, sweetie." Alyna kissed the girl's temple.
Sally stirred, then sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Morning," she mumbled.
"Good morning. I just came from Dalgron's house. He has some breakfast waiting for you, if you're hungry."
Sally jumped off the bed. Her long nightgown, an old repurposed shirt of Vron's, fell to the floor, pooling around her pink toes. "Thank you!" Without another word, she ran out of the cottage.
"Did you really go to Dalgron's first?" Vron asked, a little hurt.
Alyna shook her head. "No, but Dalgron won't turn her away if she shows up at his door. I could smell the bacon from the street, so I figured it would be a good way to get Sally out while I try to explain everything."
Vron sat in his chair, motioning to the one opposite. "Then, sit, please, and tell me what happened."
Alyna sat, her hands in her lap. "Tell me about Drothu."
"I don't know that this is the best time for children's stories."
"Tell me. Please," she insisted.
Vron thought back to when he'd been a young orc. At bedtime, his mother would sit beside his bed and tell him the story all orc parents told their young.
"A long time ago," he began, "the orcs came into being. They were strong, brave, and loyal. Their god, Drothu, told them if they honored each other in life and celebrated death, they would receive eternal life. For who would grant eternal life to an orc afraid of passing from one realm to another?
"The orcs recorded these truths upon the walls of underground caves, building their city atop them, in order to keep them sacred. To this day, we honor our great city by living life to the fullest and crossing into death with joy and open hearts. For on the other side waits Drothu."
Vron stopped and looked at Alyna. Her eyes were locked on her hands.
