Camilla’s welcome was worth all the hardship. Not only did she wrap me in a blanket, but she also brought me a mug of their best ale, and plate after plate of delicious eggs and fresh bread to the point that Porter the innkeeper complained.

Camilla grabbed her flour covered rolling pin from her immense apron and shook it at the overweight man who, by comparison to her, seemed small.

“You listen to me, you greedy bastard, that there is the Baron, and with him is the lovely young lad who done risk his life to bring back our friends and family from the orcs. You won’t charge him nuthin, you hear me? Or I’ll break those fingers of yours and use them to keep my muffins together.”

“No need to get your undies in a bunch, woman. I just meant don’t be breaking us showing yer gratitude,” he muttered.

She harrumphed, then turned back to us and smiled again. “Whatever you want, milord, lad, it’s on the house,” she said with a deep bow that almost sent her tumbling forward.

When she left, the baron chuckled. “Amazing woman, I’d steal her for my manor, but I think my current cook deserves to finish out his service,” he said. “Now, Nick Spencer, tell me about your rescue, you hardly look the man to be taking on a tribe of ferocious orcs.”

I grimaced, once again, at the obvious disparity between me and the locals. “No, clearly. I didn’t do it alone. Daisy, Alissa, Briana, and Lexi all played critical roles. Nothing we did could we have achieved alone.”

“Interesting, do go on.”

And I did. I told him everything, going back about our escape, capture, the trip to the Halls, and eventually... why. I wasn’t sure how much I could tell him that he would believe. I left out Earth, and stick to me being a messenger, of sorts, from Adora, on a mission to save Mystaria.

Which was the truth.

He watched stone faced throughout my tale, asking a question here and there to clarify, but otherwise not offering commentary.

At least until I got to the part about Kojiman and Lazieboiroy.

“Surely not,” he muttered when I told him the size of the army.

“I’m afraid so, this is what's coming, and this is what we must stop. But so far, no one even seems to know the western half of the continent has fallen, or that there is a war on at all. Other than the orcs, that is. Their shaman, Bartuce, knew, and he had decided that the only way for his people to live was to side with the invaders.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “Insane. Why didn’t Ragnar come to me? We’ve always had a cordial relationship...”

“I don’t think he knew about it until it was too late. Bartuce seemed... hungry for power. He’d convinced the younger orcs that war was what they were good for, what they needed.”

The door swung open and in walked Daisy, wrapped in her pink silks that covered her like a glove, moving with her curves, emphasizing her incredible grace as she walked. She wore a dark red linen cloak over her shoulders, reminiscent of the ones the Spartans wore.

Alissa was behind her, wearing a simple light blue dress that stopped mid-thigh, leaving a good six inches of soft green leg until her brown leather boots. She wore no weapons, as we hadn’t saved hers from the fort. Briana followed them, and she took my breath away. She’d traded her armor for a simple halter top that stretched down from her throat to just below the swell of her shapely breasts. The material was practically painted on. From there it was smooth, fair, taught skin past her belly button to her hip hugging leather pants that only just reached her hips. The front was held together by twined leather and I wanted so badly to reach out and pull it apart.

“Y—you travel with uncommon individuals, Nick Spencer,” he said as the trio made their way to our table.

“Yes, I do,” I said with a low whistle.

“Any word from Lexi?” Daisy asked as she seated herself. I remembered my manners and shot up, holding out the seat for Alissa and Briana. They gave each other a look before shrugging and letting me do it.

“No, nothing. She told me she was going to go stretch her wings, but that was — “I tried and failed to stifle a yawn,”—hours ago.”

Camilla returned with another tray of food for the girls and drinks all around.

“I doubt Bartuce lost his battle. It probably made him stronger,” Alissa whispered after Camilla left. “If he defeated the older orcs, it won’t matter that he acted dishonorably, he’ll have locked in leadership of the young and battle thirsty.”

“I was afraid of that,” Evan said in reply. “Your people have long been at peace, Alissa, but youth has a way of seeing peace as a prison.”

She simply nodded. I certainly had seen my share of eager privates itching for battle.

“What do you think they will do?” I asked her.

She shrugged. “Bartuce isn’t rational. He thought to force me to marry him, to gain legitimacy by impregnating me on our wedding night. Had he succeeded, there would be no hope,” she said the distasteful plan, like it was no big deal.

Everyone else at the table scowled at the very idea.

“If he’s like every other ruler on Ear—uh, Mystaria, he’ll want vengeance,” I said.

Alissa nodded. “Not from me, though Nicholas. Just you. My father’s popularity protects me to some degree, but you... he hates you. Ever since he found out you’re an enchanter—“

“Adora’s ass, man. You’re an enchanter?” Avanthar exclaimed. Apparently, he was shocked because his black skin practically glowed with a sudden rush of blood as he blushed. “My apologies, I’m... amazed.” He did his best to hide his embarrassment.

“Okay, would someone please feel me in on why it’s such a big deal to be an enchanter? As far as I can tell, it doesn’t really do much for me,” I said.

Avanthar cleared his throat and spoke in hushed tones. “The thing is, Nick, no one has had those powers in a long time. It’s a legend, really. Ouak’Gosh the orc, during the War of the Wastes, was the last one, and that was ages ago.”

I had a headache forming and with each passing second; I was feeling like I was never going to be the warrior I wanted.

The large door to the inn burst open. Lexi flew in at mad speeds bee-lining it for me.

“Nick,” Lexi yelled. “You have to go outside. Right now!”

I leaped up, wrapped the blanket around me like a cloak, and grabbed my sword. I was thrilled to see Lexi again, but she didn’t stop to talk, instead; she hit a one-eighty and blew back outside.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

We rushed outside, ready for a fight.

The militia circled the trike with their weapons drawn, along with the baron’s guard.

My heart skipped a beat as I saw what had them frightened.

Orcs.

At least fifty marched into town.

We’re dead.

Evan’s men charged out into a line as the baron directed them to either side of him. One thing was clear, the man didn’t lack in the bravery department as he stood in the center of his men, prepared to defend the town against an overwhelming number of orcs. It was suicide, but he didn’t bat an eye.

“Hold men, don’t charge, make them come to us,” he said as he drew one sword, but he kept his left hand free.

Something was off, though. The orcs weren’t brandishing weapons; they weren’t screaming and howling; they looked... tired.

“Wait,” I shouted, running past the baron. I ran out, bare feet splashing in the mud. It was all I could do to not slip and fall, but I had to get to the orcs before something stupid happened.

As I drew closer, my suspicions were confirmed. While some of them were indeed warriors, most of them were woman and children.

“Alissa!” I called out over my shoulder.

I reached the orcs before they crossed into the town and stopped them with a raised hand. They parted and an old warrior with a familiar bald head and white trimmed bears stepped out from the parting women. He had a makeshift bandage over his left eye, soaked with blood, and a dozen other wounds on his muscular body.

“Gank?” I asked nervously. “You’re alive!”

He grunted in response. “Mostly,” he said.

The large group of orcs shuffled nervously, looking past me to the baron and his men. I glanced back and waved my hand in a lowering gesture indicating they should put their weapons down. Which they did.

“It’s okay, really, I’ll vouch for you,” I said as Alissa arrived.

Gank turned back to his people, snapping his thick fingers several times in the air. A skinny, pale orc with slick back black hair ran through the crowd carrying Alissa’s sword.

“For you, my chiefess,” Gank said. The skinny orc dropped to a knee and held out the sword.

“I’m not your chiefess, Gank. Bartuce may be despicable, but he rules the tribes.”

Gank growled and spit on the ground. “Bartuce is a power hungry fool. I suspected he cheated when he bested your father, and he confirmed it when he used his elemental magic on you. He is not worthy of leading your horse,” Gank said. The old orc dropped to his knee, bowing his head and making a fist and raising it high in the air. “Chiefess Alissa!” he yelled.

The rest of the orcs followed suit, dropping to a knee and raising a closed fist. “Chiefess Alissa!” they roared as one.

It was quite the sight. My chest swelled with pride in her and her people. I grinned from ear to ear as I turned to look at my half-orc companion. Her cheeks glowed and tears shimmered in her eyes, but they didn’t fall.

“Gank? my people, I...” she hesitated.

“Alissa,” I whispered to her, turning to place a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have a choice here. They need you. Or they are going to die,” I said.

She nodded.

“I accept. By blood and battle, with my last breath, I will defend your freedom. I will defend your souls. I will be your chiefess until I die, or you kill me,” she said. As she spoke she stood taller, the confident warrior returned and the beaten woman who had lost her father and her tribe in the same day vanished.

Alissa yanked her sword from the skinny orc and held the blade high with one hand, a feat of strength I couldn’t have performed with both hands.

“For Ozrimar. For Ragnar. For the tribe!” she yelled, punctuating each word with a thrust of her sword.

“For Chiefess Alissa,” Gank roared. He was echoed by all fifty orcs.

I back up, letting the tribe greet their new chiefess. With the crisis averted, I walked back to where Evan and the rest of the village, many of who were crowding around their baron with whatever makeshift weapon they could find.

“She’s a bloody orc,” a man said as he marched toward me. He intercepted me as I reached the baron. “You lying bastard, you made me look the fool,” the militiaman said. He was much bigger than me, with the same broad shoulders and thickly muscled arms that pretty much everyone had.

I smiled, raising my hands up in surrender. “Sorry, but you left me no choice. Besides,” I said, looking back at Alissa. “If she were in jail, you’d be dead right now.”

He stopped; all the anger drained from his face as his brain processed that. “Lying is still wrong,” he muttered.

“Agreed,” I said, holding out my hand. “I’m Nick,” I said.

“Jonas,” he took my hand in his and shook.

I patted the guard on the shoulder and tried to commit his name to memory. “Jonas, have you met Baron Avanthar?”

Jonas gulped, his tan, weathered face losing a shade of color. “No sir. I haven’t.”

I dragged him the last few feet to Evan and politely introduced them. When that was done, I spoke directly to Evan.

“We have a problem,” I said.

“I can see that,” the drow frowned.

I glanced at what was making him frown. The crowd of orcs were following Alissa back into town.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Not them. They’re on our side. It’s Bartuce, the shaman, he’s coming for the five towns. I told you, there is a war on the horizon, and he’s made some kind of deal with Kojiman, the warlord leading the armies. They’ve already destroyed Enthmar and Moonvale—“ a wave of gasps and mutters went through the people gathered around us. “We don’t have time to waste. If Bartuce rallies his orcs, I think he’ll come here.”

Evan nodded, his eyes scanning the crowd coming to the same assessment I already had. These people were going to die if we didn’t help them.

“I can send riders to the king. Brightstar is ten days by horse and they can shave a few days off that if they use the ferries in Northvale,” he said, turning to assign one of his men.

I looked around these poor people, then at Gank and the other orcs, and finally back to Briana and Daisy. Brie met me with her amethyst eyes, a smile playing on her lips, and she nodded.

Daisy looked between the two of us, then I look at her and she cocked her head to the side before she realized what I was thinking. Her beautiful lips flattened into a determined line and she nodded.

Lexi hovered near me, and I wanted a second to talk to her, but I knew she would follow me regardless of what decision I made, which was all the more reason to make sure I made the right call. I had to keep her alive. I had to keep all of them alive. They were my friends. My family. My soldiers.

“Evan, not a rider,” I said.

“Excuse me? Should they walk?” he asked incredulously.

I shook my head. “Kojiman sent Lazieboiroy and an entire legion of his troops here. They will arrive in less than a month. Right now,” I said, pointing at the ground for emphasis. “Two things need to happen. Bartuce needs to be stopped, and the Seven Kingdoms need to be rallied. I can do one of those things, but not the other.”

His violet eyes narrowed as his brain caught up with what I said. He shook his head adamantly. “No. I will not abandon my people, Nick. Not in a million years. I can stop Bartuce, then warn the king—"

“That’s not a plan, Evan. That’s hope. Hope isn’t a plan. If you’re killed, if your messenger is killed—even if we stopped Bartuce, we would lose. No one in Brightstar will ever believe I’m an enchanter. They will never believe about Kojiman until it’s too late. Only you can convince them in time. We need an army baron, we need to organize and stand together, or we’ll all die apart.”

By this time, Alissa had brought Gank to stand right behind me.

“Gank, tell them what you told me,” Alissa said. The older orc nodded and looked at the baron.

“The human is right, Bartuce is coming. Even now, his scouts are surrounding the village. He’s perhaps a day behind. No single rider will make it though, but you and your entourage could easily run his picket,” Gank said.

Evan looked back at me and then at his people. “Swear you will save them,” he said, looking at me. His eyes were raw with emotion. “Swear to me you will die before you let them fall into the hands of that shaman. Swear it, and I will believe Nick Spencer.”

It was a fair request. He didn’t want to leave his people; he was all about duty and honor. So was I.

An idea hit me, and I walked over to the cart, climbed up, and grabbed my sword. Holding it in one hand, I grabbed the blade with the other and slit my palm open. I raised my hand up and let the blood slowly crawl down my arm.

“I swear on my blood, and my father’s blood. I will save these people,” I said.

Evan stalked over, grabbed my sword and sliced his own hand open and then clasped mine with his.

“Then as Baron de Lion of the Five-towns, I grant you the rank of Force Commander with all the responsibility and authority the rank confers," he said with a sharp nod. He let go of my hand and turned to the crowd of townsfolk and orcs and spoke in a loud, but even voice. “Any man or orc that disobeys and order from Force Commander Nick forfeits their life. If you stay, you fight.” He waited for any decent, but when none came, he nodded to himself. “Then Laurena’s speed to us all. Good luck.”

Ten minutes later, he was gone, along with his guards, riding hard to the north in the hopes of beating Bartuce’s main force. Even with his obvious skill with a blade, it would be suicide for him to confront the shaman.

A force I knew nothing about.

I was still on the cart, looking out over all these people who were now relying on me to get them through the night. More than that, there would be no rescue. No one was coming. We all won, or we all died. It was that simple.

It was time to get to work.