“Please, you have to help us” one of the dwarves forced out through gasps of breath.

“Why did you come down this way, isn’t your city up the mountain?” Lauren offered the dwarves some water, as they took turns gulping it down.

“We were attacked. The guards have sealed the entrances into the mountain and blown out all the tunnels, the surface is occupied by Orcs. We got left behind and there was no way to get back into the city.” Daniel and Cedric exchanged glances.

“Orcs huh? Maybe it’s a rouge raiding party” Daniel offered as an explanation. The dwarf shook its head “There is a whole army, they must have marched for miles through the wilderness from their lands down south.”

“Alright, it’s time to go. We need to call this in and get back up from HQ asap. If the Orcs are invading Gurnheim then our treaties are already broken, there is no reason to think they won’t be coming for us next.” Cedric turned to the detectives “Get your men back to the city and have the local guard mobilize for a possible assault.”

…

Clay and his team arrived back in Ashville, reinforcements already arriving to defend the city. Clay looked overhead as helicopters flew towards Mt Mitchell, thick black smoke visible in the distance.

“You think this is the actual beginning of a war?” Clay heard Big P asking Cedric. “I don’t know man, the Orcs have spent decades fighting each other, it’s weird they would march an army all the way out here, leaving whatever city they came from defenseless.” Clay and the others followed Cedric into a tent full of senior officers of the NDSA. “Report” One of the officers demanded from Cedric, who filled him in on all the details of their mission.

Suddenly a man ran into the tent “Just received word from the aerial scouts, they’re reporting intense fighting on and around Mount Mitchell, It seems the orcs are forcing their way into the City. We have video in the communications tent but, the army of orcs is massive. There is no way the dwarves can hold out.” The tent went silent for a moment “Very well, have them continue to monitor the situation.” The officer turned to Cedric, “Take your team to the base of the mountain, we have other teams heading onsite as well, there are reports of dwarves fleeing the city, I want you to help with evacuations. Fall back at the first signs of orc activity.” Cedric nodded “Yes sir.”

…

“This way, quickly!” Clay shouted, ushering the dwarves towards nearby trucks. What had started as a small trickle of occasional refugees turned into a swarm as the hours had gone by. The sounds of fighting, once distant, had grown intense and very close. Gunshots echoed nearby and explosions shook the ground, with helicopters above them laying down gunfire into the forest just ahead. Wounded dwarven soldiers mixed in with the refugees, as healing mages maned medic tents further back.

Clay thought about his family. His home was miles away, but these orcs had marched so far to launch this invasion. If they failed to hold them off at Asheville, his home was along the path further east.

Clay was broken from his train of thought as an explosive spell emerged from the tree line. Clay dove for the ground as it flew overhead, rocking the ground and sending hot dirt onto him. Looking back, multiple orcs broke out from the forest, brandishing a mix of guns and spell casting equipment. As they began to attack the fleeing dwarves and NDSA teams a massive barrier erected between them. Several fire spells flew out from NDSA mages, while riflemen opened fire on the orcs, the barrier acting as a one-way wall allowing their sides attack to pass through.

Clays radio crackled as Cedric's voice came through “Load up the last of the refugees, we are pulling back. The dwarven army has broken and is in full retreat, Gurnheim has fallen and the Orc army is descending the mountain.”

Clay and the others hurried the last of the dwarves onto the trucks before climbing on themselves. The trucks began speeding away as the barrier went down, more orcs emerging from the treeline.

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Clay took a seat next to Lauren, who was tending to an injured dwarf soldier. “That was pretty close out there, thanks for the barrier. It makes me feel safer knowing you’re there watching my back.” Lauren just nodded as she applied healing magic on an injured dwarf. “Enjoy that feeling of safety while you can” the dwarf muttered. “Unless you have some way to kill a regenerator in your magical bag of tricks.” Clay looked down at the dwarf “Regenerators don’t exist.”

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes. At first glance it looks like any other normal orc, but the thing doesn’t die. No matter what you hit it with. I watched it take dozens of explosives and walk off like it was nothing” the dwarf explained between labored breaths. “Maybe it’s using some type of magic, like barriers?” Clay thought out loud. “No, we definitely hit it, you could see its flesh tear with every bullet it took, its skin seared with every explosive, but then it grew back. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Clay scoffed “I believe what you say, but it has to be some kind of magic… maybe some kind of powerful healing spell, or something.” The dwarf just sighed “Yeah, maybe.”

The trucks pulled up on the outskirts of Asheville, the surroundings now being fortified for the attack as NDSA guarded the entrances into town. The remains of the dwarven army had joined up with the defenders, beaten and battered but still armed to the teeth.

“Clay, I want you to head into town and assist with evacuations” Cedric ordered. “You’re still technically in training, and this place is about to become a warzone.” Clay clenched his teeth, but nodded. This wasn’t the time or place to argue. “Good luck.”

…

Clay specter stepped across the city. The fighting had started nearly an hour ago now, growing more intense by the minute. Clay had been ordered to patrol the streets and help anyone that hadn’t already evacuated.

“Orcs spotted in the city, all units be on the lookout” Clay's radio crackled. “Shit” he whispered. Focusing his energy on his feet, he performed a series of specter kicks, propelling himself into the air and landing on an office building. “I’m going to have to practice that more” Clay mused.

From his vantage point, he could look down on the entire city and the area beyond. In the distance was a series of overlapping barriers, a constant stream of spells and explosives being traded between them. It was hard to tell which barriers were Orc and which were human, making it impossible to make out how the conflict was progressing. But given that Orcs were in the city, they had to have penetrated their defenses somewhere.

“This is team 3, requesting backup, we’re under attack by Orcs in Jackson park.” Clay grabbed his radio “Clayton Diamont responding, I am heading to you now.” Clay set off to the north, using a series of specter steps and leaps to traverse the rooftops along the way.

Clay approached, following the sounds of weapons fire. Crouching on a nearby roof, Clay observed as the evacuation team, a group of just four people, exchanged fire with a dozen Orcs. They were pinned down inside a small house and were quickly being encircled.

Clay grabbed his sidearm as he scanned the area. He had to be sure he spotted all the Orcs before acting. Feeling confident, he set his eyes on his first target. Specter stepping behind the furthest Orc, he brought the pistol to its head before pulling the trigger. With the recoil still ringing through his arm, he specter stepped to his next target, repeating the process. He had downed 5 orcs before they began to realize what was happening.

As Clay killed the sixth orc, he saw several of them turn their rifles on him. His step ability was too fast though, and he had already moved before they opened fire. Seven, eight, nine, ten, he worked through them with blinding speed. The next one was more prepared though, after seeing how Clay had dropped his comrades, and as Clay stepped behind him the orc set off a fire spell, ropes of flame emitting all around it. “Shit” Clay shouted as the flames seared his skin, he quickly specter stepped away and then leaped onto a roof to take cover while inspecting the damage.

His arm had been burned pretty badly, but the rest of his body was fine. Looking up over the roof he saw the remaining two Orcs retreating. He briefly thought about chasing them down but decided against it. Dropping from the roof, he stepped across to the evacuation team. “That was incredible, I’ve never seen anything like it” one of them said. Clay said nothing as he looked back at the scene he had created. In the heat of the moment, Clay had thought nothing of it, he just wanted to help his allies. But as his adrenaline wore off, as he took in the sight of the orc's bodies laying in the street, he was speechless at what he had just done. It was different from the troll from earlier, then he wasn’t trying to kill. But for the first time, Clay had taken a life, and with these powers, it had been made incredibly easy.

“Hey, that burn looks pretty bad. I’m a bit of a novice, but I know some healing spells that’ll help” the man said. Clay just nodded as he held out his arm.