“Get up Ing'tar! RIse! The hunt is upon us brother! Your laziness will cost us the daylight hours!”

The voice was gruff and strange. Its tones were guttural and foreign to me. Despite this I somehow understood every word. I winced, blinking open my eyes. I had a pounding headache. I tried to remember where I was but everything was foggy and hazy. I remembered a bar. Too many drinks. Walking home. Headlights. Tires squealing… and then… nothing. Nothing at all. I searched my memory for more details but nothing more came.

‘Ing'tar’ was that my name? It seemed unfamiliar to me. I looked over at the source of the voice that had awoken me and let out a startled scream. There, mere feet in front of me, was a large green monster. I raised a hand and pointed a finger at the creature.

“W-what the hell are you!?”

The creature bared its long fangs, its whole face scrunching into a scowl as it took another step towards me.

“What game are you playing at Ing'tar? I am your brother, Ung’tar! Did you hit the ale too hard last night and lose your wits completely? Forget that you are a greenskin? An Ork? Son of the Chief? Have you forgotten all?”

The creature laughed then, a harsh barking sound that made me wince once more. Each loud guffaw was like a knife in my throbbing skull.

Maybe I had hit the ale a little too hard!

“Get up you fool, and quick. We shall not wait for you. And if you don’t remember who you are soon, there are plenty in the tribe who would take your place for you!”

With that the creature left me and the flap of my tent closed behind him.

Wait, my tent?

I surveyed my surroundings for the first time. This was absolutely not my room. Or any kind of room I would recognize for that matter. It was, in-fact, a tent made out of what appeared to be animal hide. Instead of mirrors and posters it featured battle axes, heads of deceased animals, torches and strips of dried meat. I felt like I was going to be sick.

I brought my hands up to my head only to do another double take, they were large… and green. I stood up, breathing heavily and looked around the room for any kind of reflective surface I could find. I did not find a mirror but found a very well polished ax. I peered into its shiny surface, searching for my reflection. There, my worst fears were confirmed. I had been turned into an Ork!

***

"My love, why are you yelling and screaming? Are you not well?" The voice was deep. like the one that had woken me earlier, but this time it had a sensuality to it that was unmistakable.

A… woman? No, a female then at least?

I turned to see the bed I had emerged from had not been empty and was still not empty without me in it. There, only covered by woolen blankets, was a beautiful green skinned Ork female. I couldn't help it, my jaw dropped. She was incredible. Her face, though fanged, was refined and pretty with sparkling brown eyes. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail exposing her small pointed ears. The rest of her was covered but I could see the swell of her breasts despite the blanket and I could tell she was well endowed.

Wait, had she called me… her… love?

"Ing'tar, my warrior, why do you not speak? You are late. Perhaps we drank too deeply last night." I saw a flush creep into her green cheeks. "Perhaps we partook in a little too much pleasure… all around. But now you must get ready, you must go on the hunt! Your father will not tolerate your lateness, not again!"

My father? Was he someone important?

I was distracted by movement. The Ork female had risen to her feet, wrapping the blanket around her like a robe. Even still my eyes wandered over the sensual green curves hidden beneath the brown covers.

This was really my lady? What a world!

My Ork companion then helped me get ready. I did not argue, I merely let her clothe me, and arm me. If this was a dream I would let it play out. If this were real, it was best not to upset my new Ork brethren and female companion. That was, until I could remember who I was and why I was here.

And maybe get the hell out of here!

The ritual seemed natural for her. She spread my legs and arms outwards, taking no heed of my nakedness. I tried to act natural as her hands roamed my body, clothing me and preparing me for the hunt ahead.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

***

"You look fantastic my love.” Her deep sensuous voice whispered in my ear and the heat of her breath set my hair on end and both aroused and frightened me.

I surveyed myself in the reflection of the well polished battle ax that I now held. My Ork companion, whose name I had yet to discover, had outfitted me with a helmet, a leather breastplate and leggings as well as strapping a crossbow to my back. I had thought at first that I wouldn't be able to carry any of the weapons or even bear the weight of such heavy armor but I found my new body more than capable.

Strange. Is this how football players feel? It’s kind of awesome!

I was already enjoying the strength of these bulging green muscles and I smiled. I looked quite the character. A villain in some fantasy MMO perhaps. But it was me, actually me. And who exactly was I? What was my name again? Ing'tar. That was it! I didn't mind the name actually. It had a bit of a ring to it, and since I couldn't remember my real name this one would have to do.

“It is time to go, my warrior.”

My companions' surprisingly soft green fingers held me by the shoulders and turned me around to face the exit of our tent. I saw her smiling green face and sparkling brown eyes looking over my shoulder and sharing the reflection in the ax.

Another thrill ran through me.

Her warrior, huh? I do actually like the sound of that. To be hers, that is. The warrior part still seems terrifying. Even if my body fits the part.

The very same soft green fingers pushed and guided me towards the tent’s exit, my thick and muscular new legs propelling me and large feet leaving heavy thudding footfalls against the ground. As the leather flaps opened she pushed me outside. Into my new world. I turned to see she had not joined me. With a gulp I turned back and looked around.

It was an immediately bewildering experience. Totally disorienting. It felt like I had woken up as an alien on a distant planet. Around me was an arid brown desert as far as the eye could see. In my immediate vicinity were many animal hide tents, like the one from which I had just emerged. Each bore a red sigil which I could not quite decipher. It appeared to be some type of runic script. In the center of all the huts was a large bonfire with green flames that licked the sky and belched out black smoke. It seemed almost supernatural. Around it were a crowd of Orks, one of whom I recognized as the rather fearsome fellow who had awoken me earlier.

My brother! How strange to have a brother. And a green one.Thank god he thinks I’m just disoriented from being drunk last night. Who knows what these creatures would do to me if they found out I was an imposter.

A gray haired Ork who towered above the rest first caught sight of me and waved me over. When I had reached the fire he clasped my shoulders with strong hands and looked me dead in the eyes with a piercing stare I feared would freeze my very blood.

"Ing'tar my boy, you should be more like your brother Ung'tar! he was up sharpening his ax and feathering arrows for the hunt at dawn. And you… laying with your woman, smelling still of ale. It is unbefitting of the chieftain's son"

He shook his head and turned away. I looked over at my apparent brother, 'Ung'tar.' This was the Ork who had awoken me earlier.

Wait. This gray haired dude just called me his “boy”? Was this my father? And he called himself the chieftain!? This was all moving way too fast.

My head was spinning. What had my father been talking about? What exactly was this hunt even going to entail? Before I could ask any questions another voice spoke up, it sounded old and frail and I turned to see a wizened crone of an Ork. All around me, even my father began to kneel. I quickly did the same, wondering why they held this old creature in such reverence that even the chieftain would bow.

"Mighty shaman," my father’s voice rang out loudly, his head still bowed. "Bless us before this hunt. We bring food for our tribe!" He pounded his chest and all the Orks grunted and pounded theirs too. I did this a second too late, earning me a glare from another Ork beside me.

Give me a break, guy! I'm learning the ropes.

"We spill blood only so that our blood might live," the chieftain continued, and with this the Orks pounded their chest once more. This time I caught the rhythm and pounded my own chest in time, wincing at my own strength.

That might leave a mark.

"And we give honor to those who came before us!'' My father yelled, raising his arms to the heavens as he finished the litany. With that final phrase a cheer rose from the Orks and I added my voice to it, genuinely caught up for a moment in the swirling rising sound.

My heart began to beat faster, my blood began pumping rapidly through my veins, my own loud heartbeats echoing in my skull. I gripped the ax in my hands tightly. The smoke of the fire swirled around us, wreathing us in a vision of gray. It seemed to have a life of its own.

What is happening to me?! I feel…so… alive!

The shaman stepped before us, appearing to grow in size and stature. His eyes were glowing red. He reached into the satchel at his waist and produced a small clay pot. He went between each of us and dabbed a foul smelling mixture on our foreheads, whispering into our ears one by one. When he reached me he said to me and me alone:

"Ing'tar, do not forget who you are."

I blinked, the words hit me like a bolt of lightning. I wanted to scream at him that I already had!

Who was I before I had woken up here? And who was this creature I had woken up as?

I had no idea. I just knew that I didn't belong.

As quickly as it had begun the ceremony drew to a close. The smoke died down and the fire turned from green to red and then to ash. We all stood still, watching it die.

Ung'tar, my brother, punched my shoulder and grinned. The mood seemed now to turn jovial

"All right brother, are you awake yet? It is time for blood!" He laughed, his fangs glistening in the morning sun. I saw others laugh and cheer with him.

I merely nodded.

"Yes brother, I am ready."

I was lying. Lying through my oversized teeth.