by Megg Jensen
Alyna bit her lip. It was hard containing her anxiety, so she did the only thing she could. Alyna elbowed her way ahead of Dalgron and Crotus, taking off in a run.
A thudding behind her told Alyna an orc was hot on her heels. She didn't need to look to know it was Vron.
Alyna arrived at the steps to the castle. The ground was broken in two, the crack widening as it crawled into the castle. The orc guards who'd stood there earlier had disappeared, their spears abandoned on the ground. Alyna grabbed one. A quick look back showed Vron grabbing the other. He smiled at her and winked.
"I don't know what we'll find inside," she warned him. "The earthquake seems to have hit worst here."
"I'm ready for anything," Vron replied, gripping the spear tightly.
Alyna entered the castle with her back pressed against the wall as she shimmied past the crack. Vron was right behind her, just as careful with his steps.
After she passed through the doorway, Alyna stepped to the side where the floors were still level. Tapestries littered the floor, covered by stones and debris. The castle moaned as if it were in pain.
"I don't know how long she'll stand." Vron gazed up at the high ceilings, the carefully built angles now askew.
"We need to find Kazrack," Alyna said. "Without him, we don't have any hope of explaining this to the orcs."
"We'll be taking him out to a mob shouting for his death."
Alyna glared at Vron. "We will make them listen."
Stepping through the debris, Alyna pushed farther into the castle toward the throne room. A rustling noise echoed in the halls.
"There's someone over there," Alyna whispered to Vron.
Two figures burst from a side hallway, covered in gray rubble.
"My faun," the taller figure called out. Kazrack. Even covered in remnants of the castle, he was a strikingly beautiful elf. "This is Brax, the commander of the human army."
A low growl escaped Vron's lips. Alyna held an arm out toward Vron, urging him to keep his calm. The human army had slaughtered all the orcs at the pass. Though they had rejected his command, she knew he still felt responsible for their deaths.
"The queen is gone." Kazrack's voice cracked as he spoke in the human tongue.
"The orc queen?" Alyna demanded, quickly translating into the orc language for Vron.
"No, my queen," the human said, speaking for the first time. "Queen Lissa of Soleth. When the ground opened, it swallowed her."
"I am sorry for your loss," Alyna said to the man, though she was puzzled at his apathy.
Brax acknowledged Alyna's words with a slight dip of his chin, then turned to Vron. "I am sorry about everything. The queen...she wanted revenge for her father's death. I never believed in this war. I was only doing my duty. As one warrior to another, I would like to offer you my deepest apologies for the turmoil we have caused."
Vron hesitated only a moment, then reached out, clasping arms with the human. It was an image Alyna knew she would never forget.
"This is what I warned you about," Kazrack told Alyna, desperation dripping from his voice as he switched back to the orc tongue.
"The orcs want your blood, Kazrack. They will stop at nothing to kill you after what you did to them,” Alyna said.
"I did it for their own good," Kazrack said, his silky voice draping over the ruined castle.
"They will never see it that way," Dalgron yelled as he entered the castle, Crotus quietly on his heels. "You have already lost any trust the orcs might have considered giving you."
"I am sorry, but this is not the time—”
"It is the time," Dalgron said, interrupting Kazrack. "If what you told Alyna is true, we are all in danger, but because of your foolish actions, we won't have an army to fight with. Right now, all they want is to kill you, then kill the humans."
"I am truly sorry." Kazrack bent his head in deference to Dalgron.
"You will surrender yourself to me. Then we will deal with the humans." Dalgron wrapped a rope around Kazrack's proffered wrists.
"If you think this will help, I will play along with the charade," the elf said.
Dalgron tightened the rope with a final tug. "Who said this was a charade?" He turned to Brax. "We will deal with you next, human."
Even though Brax didn’t speak the orc language, his wide eyes told them he understood the meaning of what Dalgron had said.
"We cannot afford war now," Alyna said. "If you take Kazrack and Brax out there, bound, it will send the orcs into a greater frenzy. We must arrange a parley with the humans. If not, we risk losing any chance of unification."
Alyna eyed the males before her. Vron stood next to her, giving his unspoken support.
Crotus tossed his hands in the air. "I am an old orc. I will not take a side."
Dalgron glared at Alyna as he slipped the rope from Kazrack's wrists. "You'd better be right, faun, or I will kill you myself."
Chapter 48
Vron paced in the entryway, avoiding the giant gaping hole in the floor. Another human had been brought to the castle to parley with Dalgron, Kazrack, and Brax. He was named Jedd. He, too, had been part of the massacre of Vron's untried troops at the pass. If reports were to be believed, massacre was a gentle word for what happened. If Vron had stayed, he wasn't sure he would have been able to do anything to turn the tide of the battle, but at least his troops wouldn't have died without their leader at their side. Instead, he'd let his feelings for Alyna cloud his judgment.
The faun made him stupid. She took away the years of hard work he'd put into being a hardened soldier. He looked at her red hair streaming down her back as she acted as a mediator among the orcs, the elf, and the humans. Everything about her enchanted him. It wasn't her fault, though. His feelings were his alone.
Vron only caught snippets of their conversation, but he could see how heated it was. He knew only a small amount of words in the human tongue, enough to have a basic conversation, but not enough to discuss the future of their races. Brax spoke only his own language, so the others were forced to use it as well. Alyna translated the most difficult concepts into orcish for Dalgron.
Vron acted as a guard, standing between them and anyone who might try to enter the castle. He hoped the fissure in the ground acted as enough of a deterrent. If a large gang of orcs decided they were going to attack, there was little Vron could do to stop them.
Crotus patted the chair next to him. "Come, sit, Vron. You are only wasting your energy."
The old orc was right. Vron's duty as a guard was self-imposed. No one would fault him if he sat.
Vron turned the chair around, straddling it. "What do you think of all of this?"
Crotus closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened his eyelids as he focused on Vron. "I wish I had something wise to say. Hacun always said my words were grand and meaningful. Perhaps she said that because she was my wife."
Vron couldn't help but smile. He glanced at Alyna, wondering if someday he would have stories like this to tell about her.
"You fancy the faun, don't you?" Crotus asked. "She is a fine female. The fire she carries inside mirrors the color of her hair. She is strong and brave. A fine choice of mate for an orc."
Surprised, Vron said, "You approve of an orc choosing a mate of another race?"
Crotus shrugged. "I recognize love when I see it. I lost my beloved Hacun only days ago. I recommend grabbing hold of love when you find it."
Vron contemplated Crotus’s advice. He chuckled inside, knowing he could never grab Alyna by anything unless he wanted to find her fist in his face. If they ever truly became lifemates, it would be a conscious choice on both of their parts. He looked at Alyna again, admiring her from afar.
Until Brax reached out for her hand, kissing the top of it. Vron sprang from his chair, letting it clatter to the floor. He stalked over the group, anger seething from every pore.
Alyna bowed slightly to Brax, then took her hand back. She threw the other arm out to the side, stopping Vron in his tra
cks. She turned to him, whispering in orcish, "It is only a human custom. Stop with the jealousy, you big oaf."
Vron couldn't help notice a snicker from Kazrack. He glared at the elf, his fists in balls. Brax shot Jedd a look of concern.
Kazrack cleared his throat and said in the human tongue, "Then it is settled."
Vron understood that much. So they had come to a truce of some kind. "We will fight together against the unknown enemy?"
"Yes," Alyna said.
Vron couldn't help but notice she wiped the back of her hand on her breeches when Brax looked at Dalgron.
"We will tell our troops to stand down as we figure out how best to deal with the situation at hand." Alyna waved Brax and Jedd toward the castle doors. "Tell your people to stand down."
Brax and Jedd bowed and made for the exit. When they were only steps away, two orcs burst into the room.
One ran to Crotus’s feet while the other held his sword at the ready. The first orc whispered into Crotus’s ear. Vron was stunned when a moment later a single tear streamed down Crotus’s cheek.
The old orc stood. "My orcs have brought me news. Lodivar here took the human girl back to their camp so she could be reunited with her family. While there, he saw something disturbing. I can't say it..." Crotus fell back on his chair, his shoulders heaving.
Lodivar stood straight, his shoulders drawn back. "I saw the head of Crotus’s wife, Hacun, on a pike at the entrance to their camp. The humans are savages. We are preparing to ride against them. But first..." He signaled to the other orc, who jumped at Jedd, slicing him in half before the man had a chance to draw his own sword.
Alyna jumped in front of Brax, protecting him.
"Move, faun, or you, too, will bleed today," Lodivar said.
"No!" Vron roared. "You must listen. We have made a treaty with the humans. How dare you presume to take control of the situation like this?"
Vron glanced down at the mutilated Jedd. Blood crawled over the marble floor as if it had a life of its own.
"We will not honor a treaty with humans who behead our orcs and display them as trophies!" Lodivar yelled, his eyes glowing a bright red.
Brax said something fast in the human tongue to Alyna.
"Commander Brax would like you to know he had no part in that. The queen, who died in the earthquake, ordered it. Many of the humans will honor the treaty. We beg of you to reconsider," Alyna pleaded.
Lodivar turned to Crotus. "What would you have us do, my lord?"
Crotus glanced at Vron, then locked eyes with Lodivar. "Kill them all."
Lodivar and his companion turned heel, running out of the castle before anyone had a chance to stop them.
"How could you do that?" Alyna screamed, her body shaking with fury. "We need everyone to cooperate."
Crotus refused to answer. He stared out the door, a blank expression on his face.
"He loved her," Vron said. "Some orcs will do anything for the one they love."
"This is complete shit." Alyna stormed out of the room, leaving the males staring at each other.
Brax appeared scared as he inched away from the others.
"Stop, human," Vron said in orcish. "I will take you back to your people. It is the honorable thing to do."
Brax stared at him blankly, not understanding a word.
Kazrack translated, then pushed Brax toward Vron. "I told him what you said, and assured him he could trust you to do as you say. You cut an imposing figure. I don't blame him for soiling his pants."
Brax stumbled to Vron's side. "Thank you," he said in the worst orcish Vron had ever heard.
Still, he had to give the man credit for trying.
Vron motioned toward the entrance. He would grab a horse and take Brax back, just as Lodivar had done with Sally. But Vron wouldn't look at Hacun's head at the entrance to their camp. He would roll Brax off the horse and get his arse back inside the gates before anyone tried to kill him.
Chapter 49
Brax jumped off Vron's draft horse. It was more accurate to say he'd been pushed off. Brax curled into a ball, rolling over on one shoulder. After a few dizzying rotations, he stopped, his arms and legs splayed on the grass.
"Commander!" A soldier ran to him, reaching down.
Brax clasped the man's hand and stood. Jahn, he quickly remembered. Jedd's friend and one of their better soldiers.
"Thank you." Brax brushed the dirt off his pants.
"What's happening? Are we preparing to fight?" Jahn asked. "Where is Jedd? And where is our queen?"
Brax hesitated. He wouldn't lie about their fate, but he worried what the truth might do to his soldiers. He still wanted peace. Death served no one.
"Sir?" Jahn asked.
"The queen died in the first earthquake, and Jedd was killed." Brax saw no point in trying to soften the blow.
"Oh no! Not our beloved Queen Lissa!” His eyes narrowed. “And who killed Jedd?"
"An orc who was angry at seeing his village’s shaman’s head on a pike at the entrance to our camp." Brax hoped Jahn would see reason, that he would understand how that could make anyone vengeful.
Jahn gripped the sword at his hip. "When do we march against the orcs? Jedd has been taken from us. He was your right hand, your best friend. We must avenge him."
"To what end?" Brax said. "Must we ask others to die just to make a point?"
"This is the way of war, commander." Jahn looked at him strangely. "Please tell me you don't want to work with the orcs after this affront."
Before Brax could answer, a whoop rang through the air. A cacophony of sounds overwhelmed the camp. Shielding his eyes from the blinding sun of midday, he saw the dirt kicking up in the distance.
Horses. Hundreds, maybe thousands of them, riding their hardest toward the human camp. The orcs sat tall on their mounts, their green skin glinting under the glare of the sun.
"Prepare for battle," Brax said, sick to his stomach.
He didn't want this. No one should. But he wouldn't stand by and watch his people be slaughtered without a fight.
A squire carried Brax's armor, helping him dress for battle in mere moments. They'd rehearsed this so many times it felt natural, yet there was nothing natural about what was about to happen.
Brax adjusted the sword on his hip, then mounted his horse. He drew his sword, sun glinting off the tip. "For Soleth!"
Horses grunted, foaming at the mouth as they went into a frenzy. Even the beasts knew this was not a normal ride. They were ready for the fight. Brax took a deep breath. He held it for a moment and exhaling as he spurred his horse into the fray.
Steel met steel. The strength of the orcs couldn't be denied as they sliced down humans as if they were no more than straw men.
Brax's horse reared as an orc swung his mace. Grasping the reins so tightly he feared his fingers might break, Brax swung at the mace with his sword. The mace clattered to the ground. Before the orc could dismount and grab his weapon, Brax stabbed into the orc's chest. He twisted the sword as the orc's eyes bugged out. Blood trickled out of the orc's mouth. Brax pulled the sword out with a sucking sound so wretched he nearly lost his lunch.
He swallowed hard, turning to the next orc. They fought on horseback, sword to sword. He met the orc blow for blow, but Brax's arms were quickly tiring.
The orc smiled, his huge tusks dripping with blood. He raised his arm, thrusting his sword down toward Brax's neck. Brax's eyes snapped shut. He prepared for the worst.
When it didn't come, he ventured a look. The orc slumped over his horse, an arrow in his back. Brax gazed across the fray to see a smiling Nella, waving with one hand, a bow in the other. So the kitchen girl he'd spent the night with had also trained for battle.
Brax waved, then returned to the fray.
Blood and gore surrounded his horse's every step. Entrails spread over the ground, covered in white and red sticky matter. The scent of death permeated the air.
Gaining his second wind, Brax faced another orc. Then another.
Then another. Maiming two, killing one, Brax was sick at the carnage he wreaked. If he'd stood up to the queen when they were still in Soleth, perhaps this day would have been very different.
This battle was his penance, his shame to bear.
A loud horn blared from Agitar. Brax looked up. On one of the ramparts stood two orcs, and elf, and a faun. They joined hands, raising their arms in the air. At once, they all yelled the same name. Brax.
He hesitated only for a moment, hoping against all hope they could do something to stop the battle. Kicking his horse in the sides, Brax galloped toward the city, the orcs allowing him safe passage, though they did not refrain from attacking any other humans. Brax arrived at the city walls, looking up at the four.
"Join us. Let us show them we do not have to fight this battle," Dalgron yelled.
Though it was Crotus who had given the order to attack, Dalgron hadn't stepped in to stop it. Brax wasn't sure he could trust any of them, particularly Vron, who had dropped him off in camp so unceremoniously. And everyone knew elves couldn't be trusted. Brax looked to the faun. She alone had been the voice of reason, the only truth-teller.
Alyna dipped her chin, answering his unspoken question.
Brax rode to the gates. The orcs allowed him in, their suspicious eyes following him to the wall. He dismounted and climbed the stone stairs to the others. Alyna reached out a hand to him. Brax grasped it, wondering if her plan had a prayer of working.
Would the warriors below stop fighting if they saw their leaders standing united? Would they finally end this fruitless battle?
Brax stiffened his legs as he stood on the high perch taking his place in the chain of allies. The battle was more sickening from above. Bodies were strewn across the prairie as horses trampled them to get to the living.
The horn sounded again from behind. Brax raised his free arm in the air, hoping his people would see he acted of his own accord. He was not a prisoner. He was an equal to these other leaders.
They would see. They would stop. They had to.
