Golden rays of the setting sun woke me from my dark dreams. For a moment, I thought I was back in Chicago, and this was all a bad dream from one too many beers... but no such luck. When Adora offered me this chance, it seemed like such a good idea.

I jerked my arms only to find I was chained to a wall with an iron collar around my neck and wrists all connected to an iron hook driven into the wall.

The room was tiny, barely a large closet. I was alone, and the light that streamed through was from the cracks where the walls met the ceiling.

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I was alive. Like I told Daisy, where there’s life, there’s hope. I just hoped she was okay.

I closed my eyes and focused on my problem, trying to solve it. If I had my sword, I could at least see how the girls were.

Then again... Adora gave me the weapon as a way of interacting with the world, but... if there were enchanters before, especially a long time before, they couldn’t have had a magic weapon that let them see other people's stats. They would have needed to do it themselves.

I focused, closing my eyes and doing my best to keep my breathing steady. I thought about Alissa, her bright blue eyes, pointed ears, and button nose along with her lips and chin, down her throat... past her breasts and...

Her character sheet opened in my mind. It was fuzzy, though, like looking at the afterimage of a strobe light.

“Come on,” I growled aloud, trying to hold on to it as it faded. The door rattled as chains were removed and the image vanished.

“Dammit,” I muttered. The door dragged along the ground as it was roughly pulled open. Daisy squeaked as she was shoved in. My eyes went wide, and I gasped from the shock.

They’d removed my makeshift tunic and her gauss blouse and replaced it with a leather wrap around her waist like I’d seen the other orc women wear. It was almost like an incredibly short skirt but cut at an angle, so it really only hid her bits by the barest trim. Whenever she turned, I could see her bright red ass cheeks from where they slapped her. Her top was nothing more than a brown leather band that covered her nipples and smashed her boobs against her chest.

I will not say she didn’t look sexy as hell, because she did. Especially with all the freckles that traveled down her body. However, the red welts on her legs, thighs, and back, along with the one on her face were a stark reminder of what was happening. Guilt hit me from admiring her in this horrific situation and I vowed right then to get her out of this no matter what.

Her hands were bound with metal cuffs separated by a foot long length of chain. She held a bowl of dirty looking water as she shuffled in. The door closed behind her, and the light faded.

“Hey,” I said.

She ran, pressing herself against me. “Oh Nick,” she said, hiding her face against my bare chest.

“How did you get them to let you come see me?” I asked.

“They said you needed healing. I told them I could keep you alive,” she said.

She held a bowl of dirty water to my lips. Then she put the bowl down and placed a hand on the side of my face. While looking me in the eye with her big green orbs, she sang. Her words soothed the pain I felt and mended the worst of my bruises. I groaned as my ribs slipped back into place.

“Better?” she asked.

“Much. I’m sorry Daisy. I promise I’ll get you out of here.”

“How? They have orcs arriving hourly. They’re planning some kind of massive festival. I heard a few of the guards talking about consolidating the tribe for one big event. Do you know what they’re doing?”

An event? Bartuce really doesn’t have control of the tribes. He must be bringing them all here to show off his marriage to Alissa and claim ultimate control.

“It’s a wedding. He’s going to marry Alissa.”

She frowned, “Ew. I mean, he’s not bad looking for an orc, but a forced marriage to that brute?”

“Yeah, they apparently have multiple wives. It’s a political marriage for him. He needs her... but...”

“But what?” she asked. Daisy ran her fingers down my chest, following the bruises and dabbing. I winced when she got to my ribs and she gave me a sympathetic smile.

“But Alissa and I are bonded, and the old orc, Gank, knows it. By their customs, from what I can tell, he can’t marry her unless our bond is broken, and he can’t kill me without killing her.”

“Oh,” she said. “Hold still.” She sang again. Her voice was like a balm, soothing the pain in my ribs and wiping the exhaustion from my muscles.

“Daisy, have they...?” I didn’t know how to ask what was on mind.

“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “They keep slapping me whenever I walk by, bastards, but they are saving me for... after,” she said quietly. “Nick, I...”

“Daisy, I swear. I won’t let that happen.”

She looked at me, a light glinting in her eyes, and her cheeks blushed as she leaned against me. “You’re chained to a wall and hardly a physical match for the orcs, Nick. I appreciate your courage, but what can you do? I don’t want to die, but I also don’t want… that.”

I wished I could put my arms around her as she held curled up against me, holding her little fists against my chest.

“I have an idea. Don’t move, okay?”

She nodded. “It’s the first time I’ve felt safe since they stripped me.”

I closed my eyes and focused on Daisy, on her presence, the smell of her sweat, the hint of vanilla, the way her skin felt against mine.

Slowly, like I was washing the dirt away from a screen, her character sheet appeared. I latched onto it, but then it started to fade, moving away and the harder I tried to focus on it, the more it vanished until it was gone.

What was I doing wrong?

The door burst open and Gank stomped in. Daisy cringed, pushing herself tighter against me as Gank came to a stop. He towered over us both. He grabbed Daisy and shoved her aside. She hit the wall and sunk down. Not hurt, just terrified.

“Are you truly an enchanter?” he asked.

I glanced at Daisy to make sure she was okay before I answered. “Yes,” I said, looking back at him in his dark eyes.

“You’re running out of time, then. Bartuce is—“

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Speaking of him, the shaman walked in. The warrior with the bushy eyebrows came right behind him.

“Take her,” he said, pointing at Daisy. She screamed as the warrior grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room. I yanked against my chains and growled, wishing I had a shotgun to even the fight.

“Bring him,” Bartuce said before leaving.

“What’s going on, Gank?” I said as the older orc undid my chains.

“We have our traditions, human. They’re who we are, and he’s using them against us. The younger orcs, they are eager for battle, for the green fire that burns in our veins. They don’t know how easy it is for us to lose our way. Bartuce controls the young orcs because they agree with him, but the rest of us... we follow him because he defeated Ragnar, Alissa’s father, in single combat. As is our way. But his hold on us is tenuous. If he marries Alissa... then he will have the all tribes behind him no matter what. Can you stop that?”

How did I answer that? Stop a magic wielding orc who could beat me to a pulp without breaking a sweat?

“Yes,” I said with much more confidence than I felt.

He paused, looking down at me for a long second. “I believe you. If you can get him to show the truth about what he did to Ragnar, or get him to act in a dishonorable way, then we are with you. If not... then you will die and so will all the human towns in the forest.”

“No pressure,” I mumbled. “Get these things off of me. I have a feeling I know what he’s going to do.”

Gank finished removing the chains, casting them aside in my small cell before pushing me out the door.

Sure enough, just like Daisy had said, more orcs filled the fort. Hundreds, maybe more. Old and young alike, mostly warriors but families, too.

They were setting up some kind of circular arena in the middle of the fort, with upended logs as chairs, a raised platform on one end, and a pair of mean looking horses...

“Holy crap, are those raptors?” I asked Gank over my shoulder. What I thought were horses were actually a pair of feathered dinosaurs! They didn’t have those in the game.

“The rorx? We trade for them from the southern tribe. We have some others around here too,” he said.

I’ve loved dinosaurs since I was a kid. How cool would it be if I could get one? If it weren’t for the crappy circumstances, I’d be happy.

I kept an eye out for Lexi and Briana. I believed they were there. I didn’t really think I would be able to see them, considering how stealthy they were.

A large crowd of orcs had formed around the perimeter of the ring, all male, all warriors. They carried an assortment of mean looking weapons. I had a bad feeling I knew what was coming next. They were divided into groups, maybe by tribe? Some had tall tower shields, others were armed with heavy crossbows.

“Any advice, Gank?” I whispered to him as he grabbed my neck and steered me through the crowd.

“If you can get him to use magic in your fight, then you can use magic too,” he said. “Other than that, don’t die.”

“Awesome advice,” I muttered. As much as I would love to believe Bartuce couldn’t kill me, I knew he could. He had a weapon hanging over me. Could I dismiss the bond from Alissa? Maybe... would I? Why? He would just kill me and do worse to Daisy the moment he had us.

No, I needed to play this smart, get him to show his hand and then own him.

Somehow.

The last of the orcs parted, and I saw two things that both elated me and pissed me off. On the elevated platform were two benches. One was clearly for Bartuce, with its decorative backing of antlers and feathers. The other was simple, except for the magnificent woman who sat on it. Alissa, dressed in ornate leathers, covered in golden runes I didn’t recognize. She looked out at the crowd. Her hair was braided and pulled into a tight bun and she wore a strapless top that squeezed her breasts together, a fashion the orcs liked, apparently.

That was what elated me, what pissed me off, was Daisy. She was on her knees, chained to the bottom of the platform. The orc with the bushy eyebrows, had a handful of Daisy’s red hair and her head yanked back while pressing a wicked curved dagger against her throat.

I nearly charged him, but Gank held me firm. “Be calm. He wants you to do something stupid. Use it against him,” the old orc said.

“Thank you, Gank.”

“You can thank me by freeing us from him,” he said with a growl.

The old orc said nothing else as he led me to the center of the arena. I looked at Alissa. She had her eyes cast down and wouldn’t look back. She had nothing to be embarrassed about. This wasn’t her fault. She probably felt like it was, though.

Bartuce made a grand entrance with his arms up like the star of the show, demanding cheers. He came up from behind the platform, dressed in ceremonial armor, soft black leather that covered his torso and went down below his waist. It had several pouches and belts, making it all look very complicated. Gold runes circled the sleeves and collar, giving it a mystical air.

It was also quite different from what the warrior wore. They were covered in makeshift leather armor and animal skins. Some of the women were topless, suckling adorable baby orcs as they moved around the back of the crowd.

His outfit reeked of extravagance while the rest of his tribe were dressed in far more practical clothing. This was a man who thought himself better than the people he led, thought himself smarter. Smarter than everyone. I had nothing against the orcs, but in the game… well, there’s a reason wizard isn’t a class they can choose. Why is this one so sure he’s smarter than everyone else?

Gank pushed me into the arena, then let go. I walked a few steps forward. The orc holding Daisy jerked her head hard to emphasize that I should stop.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Bartuce raised his arms up like a rockstar. Most of the orcs here were young, strong, and eager for blood. They must know that Bartuce needs to marry Alissa in order to cement his hold on the tribe.

The crowd quieted down as he started to speak.

I knew what he was going to say, and based on how they had Daisy, I thought I knew what they were going to try.

I had one chance to get us out of here alive. I just hoped Briana and Lexi were nearby to make it work.

Closing my eyes, I tuned out Bartuce and focused hard on the character sheet, imagining the HUD in my mind, trying to draw it forth.

“For too long, we have been at the whim of the human kingdoms to the north. For too long, we have been shafted by their trading policies, their merchants, their armies. No more!”

The raucous crowd was eating up his words. Chanting ‘kill’ over and over again.

Did he just say shafted?

“Death to the humans!” a random orc yelled.

I guessed elves and dwarves were too far away to really make the list here. I shook my head, trying to focus. I could almost see the outline.

“And now, a human has taken our princess from us. The woman who would be our chiefess!”

They roared even louder. I grunted as an apple hit me in the back. He was really playing the crowd here. Probably thinking it would scare me into doing whatever he wanted.

Well, I was certainly scared. I was pretty sure dying was a likely outcome here. I would be damned if I let that scum marry Alissa. Being forced to marry the man who murdered her father was no life for her. Despite her strength and ferocity, Alissa was a gentle soul. She needed a man who would encourage and nurture her, not dominate and smother her.

Besides, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t let her live. Probably long enough to give him a child. Then her life would be forfeit.

Just thinking about it flamed the anger in my heart. Now I just needed to do something about it!

“And it comes to you, Nick Spencer. Relinquish your bond to Alissa, or the human woman you care for dies.”

Come on you stupid magic, work!

I opened my eyes... and still no HUD. It flickered in and out like a light during a brownout.

Daisy stared at me as best she could, her beautiful green eyes filled with fear. A single tear leaked down her cheek. She shook her head ‘no’ almost imperceptibly. She knew the terrible fate that awaited Alissa and didn’t want to risk it, either.

“What say you, Spencer?” Bartuce demanded.

Well, there was always a bluff. It worked for Captain Kirk.

The crowd’s chanting died down as they waited for me to answer. It was suddenly so calm, so quiet, I could hear the buzzing of a bee’s wings.

“I say this,” I said, looking up at Bartuce. “I’m an enchanter, like the mighty and powerful,”—I had no idea who the guy was, but if Gank revered him, maybe others did too—“Ouak’Gosh. I am a legend reborn, and I have chosen the daughter of your rightful chief, Ragnar, to be my bondmate.” I took a deep breath because here was the bluff. “And as an enchanter, I’ve also bonded with Daisy Valiant, Cleric of T’suni. If any of us dies, we all die. If I die, they die,” I said.

Please let that work.

A message popped up in front of me.

Do you wish to bond with Daisy Valiant, cleric of T’suni and priestess of the song? Y/N

I had no idea what priestess of the song meant, but I smashed the yes button in my mind before the interface could disappear once again.

Daisy screamed, “Yes!”

Light from the sky splashed down on us, all three of us. Blue arcane energy lit me up, striking out at the ground, reaching toward Alissa, as it did before, then striking through her to Daisy. The energy intertwined the three of us, merging us on a level beyond just the physical. For a moment, I felt Alissa’s frustration and impotence, then it became Daisy’s fear and helplessness. The energy shook Daisy, shooting through her, lighting up her skeleton from the inside and showing her to me.

Then it was over, and the silence was deafening.

Bartuce raged on the stand, his fist clenched in anger. He wanted to order them to kill her, I could tell. But he had lost his chance.

Of course, he might just try anyway. Now all the orcs knew I was the real deal, and he gave me the chance to prove it.

Then a twang of stretched string going taught blasted through the air followed by the buzz of an arrow. The orc holding Daisy screamed as a three foot long black shaft appeared in his eye socket.