The light disappeared in a flash less than a second after I’d opened the book. I slammed it shut and took a step back.

“Well that was anti-climactic.” Panda said, relighting his bamboo pipe.

I turned around to see that we were still in the same room, nothing looked any different. What was that light?

“Hey Treena, what did that book even do?” I asked, wandering absently towards another weapons case.

There was no response.

I turned towards the door but she was no longer there. Then I heard the screams.

From outside a shrill scream echoed across the stone walls of the castle. There were quieter screams as well in the background, the clash of iron and the faint smell of burning wood joined them.

What the hell? I thought, rushing towards the fallen door.

Hell was right.

The ghost town we’d walked through was alive with the sound of violence. Houses were set ablaze and a thick, black smog filled the sky around us.

The smoke stung my eyes, it was so thick I could taste it. Worse though, was the stench of death and an aura so fearsome it made my eyes water – though I guess that could have also been caused by the thick smoke.

Treena ran across the bridge wailing. Her voice no longer sounded like tinkling bells. It was a guttural, erratic wail.

“Treena, wait!” I cried, rushing towards her.

My heart skipped a beat as she ran recklessly into the fray. Battle raged all around her as tusked creatures in full plate armour cut down fleeing dryads.

A notification appeared on my HUD.

New Quest:

Nobody Expects the Orcish Inquisition

What the shit?

Objectives:

Follow Treena 0/1

Rewards: There’s no time for that now! Catch her!

It seemed that the system was as confused as I was. Well, either that or it was messing with me. It didn’t really matter either way.

I was planning on catching Treena anyway. There was no way I was going to leave a child to wander a warzone. Though first I’d have to clear a path.

I summoned my bow and used Soul Shot against the nearest creature. It was a large, bipedal boar wearing full plate armour and a morion helmet. The helmet itself reminded me of a deep bedpan with a ridge on the top.

My arrow smashed through the plate armour and the bipedal boar turned towards me. It looked pissed.

It snorted and glared at me for a moment before charging towards me. I panic fired a second arrow that bounced off the armour harmlessly.

Crap, I need Soul Shot to pierce it.

I didn’t have time to channel the skill a second time before the boar reached me. I nocked another arrow and pulled back the string.

I held off firing for an extra half second. The boar skidded to a halt before me and raised a double-sided axe above its head.

Then I fired.

From point blank range I shot the arrow through the boar’s eye. It squealed, and I mean that literally considering it was a huge pig.

I pulled my bow back into my inventory and swapped it for my new daggers. I stabbed one of them into the other eyeball and yanked downwards.

Then I pierced the pig’s gullet with my second dagger and ripped it across its throat. Blood sprayed out like a water hose and splattered my face and eyes.

The boar dropped to the floor with a clank, gagging slightly and clutching at its torn neck. It let out a long, horrifying gasp and then it was still.

“What the hell was that thing?” I muttered to myself, focusing on its corpse.

You have discovered a new race:

Conquista-Orc

A foot solider in the Orcish Inquisition, the Conquista-Orc is a fierce fighter. What they lack in brain power, they make up for with strength and tenacity.

They are trained from birth for a single purpose: to stamp out heresy.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

They are most well known for their war with the Dryads. When I say well know, I mean infamous. They committed numerous atrocities all over the world as they rooted out and slaughtered thousands of Dryads – a task they took to like a pig in muck.

“I wish they’d leaf those poor dryads alone.” Panda said as he tiptoed across the bridge behind me.

“Not the time.” I growled.

“But the system gets to do it.” He protested in a whiny, child-like tone.

I ignored him.

Treena had already disappeared into the suffocating smoke. She couldn’t have gotten too far though, and I was pretty sure I knew where she was going.

I’d told her to run back to the meeting hall if there was trouble. I was willing to bet that’s where she’d be.

I’d told her to do that. Those were my words. My orders caused her to run headlong into this nightmare. I had to find her.

I raced into the smoke, not even stopping to loot my kill. As I ran, I pulled my hood back up. It hid my aura, and though I wasn’t certain what that meant, it might be enough to keep attention off me.

Just in case I tried to activate the new armour set effect which made me invisible for a time dictated by my intelligence stat.

I felt strange for a few seconds and then the feeling disappeared. I wondered if a few seconds was the extent of my ability at the moment.

It would make sense considering my lacking points in the intelligence skill. I didn’t have time to properly think about it though as I ran past screaming dryads and murderous orcs clashing in the street.

I didn’t like the idea of leaving the dryads to face the Conquista-Orcs alone, but at least they were adults. Treena was a child. Defenceless and afraid.

It was difficult trying to run through the all-encompassing black smoke. My eyes stung and watered and my throat was on fire.

I fought for breath with every step. Worse, my vision was so severely impaired that I risked bumping into someone with every step.

The battle raged around me. Iron clashed, civilians screamed and cried and through it all I heard snorting laughs.

Those sadistic swine. They’re actually enjoying this. I thought, clenching my teeth as I ran towards the hall.

I wanted nothing more than to cut them to shreds. A ball of rage deep in my gut told me to join the fray, that I could somehow turn the tide on the pig bastards.

I knew that wasn’t true. There were too many of them and they were strong. Even with my acid arrows and daggers the last one still took effort to kill.

I wasn’t certain of my chances against more than one at once.

No, I just needed to save one person: Treena.

I could figure out a plan after I got her to safety. Maybe I could climb onto a house and provide covering fire. I was an archer after all.

If I wanted to dance around the battlefield I’d have picked a sword. My daggers were a backup option, not my main weapon, even if slicing at these fucks up close and personal would be more satisfying.

I raced down the street, dodging stray axe swings and trying to drown out the terrified and pained screams from the villagers.

The shadow of a large building began to take shape through the smoke, a looming beacon of despair.

I reached the door and crashed through it. Treena had to be inside, she just had to be.

This was our meeting place. I just hoped it wasn’t too…

I hit my shin on a bench and stumbled over it.

“No please!” Treena breathed, hopelessly.

I looked up, thankful that she was there, until I saw the horrific scene playing out in front of me.

A monstrous orc stood in front of the platform at the back of the hall. It was twice as tall as the orc I’d killed, and much wider.

It held an oversized, two-headed axe above its head and sneered as it looked down its snout at the glowing woman kneeling in front of it.

She was a stunning dryad with bark-like skin and flowing green hair, just like Treena’s. Something about her gave me a warm feeling, it was comforting, like everything was going to be ok.

She glanced towards Treena and smiled as the orc brought his axe down, cracking her head like an egg. Her brain fluid flowed from the wound like a runny, bloody yolk.

“NO!” Treena screamed.

The woman’s body stayed upright for a moment before faceplanting the floor at the orc’s feet. Next to her laid a headless man.

As she hit the floor the ephemeral green glow that surrounded her flickered out and the warmth I’d felt was gone.

The orc tipped its head back and laughed heartily. One of its tusks was missing and a nasty scar bisected its left eye.

Treena staggered towards the woman. Her shoulders slumped and her hair dropped, its gravity defying mysticism gone. She dropped to her knees and patted the woman’s shoulder.

“Mommy… wake up.” She said softly as she patted her again. “Mommy please.” She patted her a little harder this time and the body shook slightly.

I could barely watch, yet I couldn’t turn away. My eyes blurred and burned and I wiped them with the back of my hand.

The room flashed and flickered and I saw visions from the horrible nightmare I’d had during the goblin king coronation.

The scene flickered between Treena hopelessly trying to rouse her mother and Laya laying there instead with a spear through her gut as Treena tried to wake her.

I didn’t know what was happening. I felt sick and angry. Why was this happening?

“Mum… please don’t leave me.” Treena whimpered as she devolved into violently shaking the corpse of her mother.

Of course nothing happened. Her head had split open, she was gone, she was just… gone. Layla was just… gone her stomach torn open by the spear resting inside it.

I wanted to go to Treena, to hold her and let her know that she wasn’t alone.

I wanted to… help. But I couldn’t move. I was glued to the spot, my legs refused to listen to me as I watched helplessly from the sidelines: a helpless spectator to her tragedy.

To my tragedy. My wife, my poor Layla.

She stopped speaking and her head fell onto her mother’s back. She shook silently, her slight frame bobbing up and down, a branch adrift on a stormy sea.

The orc was still laughing, towering above Treena and her mother. It’d scarcely seemed to notice that she was even there. Spittle flew from its mouth as the oversized axe dripped blood from over his shoulder.

I wanted to be angry as I watched the scene before me. I wanted to feel the rage like I knew I should, shoot the orc in its dumb face and take revenge for the orphan it had created.

I wanted to do this, but I felt cold. My body was numb and I stared ahead emptily as Treena sobbed frantically into her mother’s still warm corpse.

Or was it Layla’s? I couldn’t tell anymore as the flickering images distorted my mind. I didn’t know what was real anymore.

“Don’t cry little one.” The orc said, ceasing its laughter. It sounded almost… kind. “Your mother was a heretic. I have saved her from the wrath of God. Now she can rest in the afterlife. It is a mercy.”

His voice was gruff yet sincere, but his eyes told another story. They were cold, heartless as they looked at the grieving child.

The anger I’d wanted so badly to feel started to bubble as I clenched my bow and summoned an arrow into my hand.

My frozen body began to thaw ever so slightly as I gazed into the uncaring eyes that hid behind that faux empathy.

Treena didn’t react. She laid there, sobbing silently as her own green glow dimmed slightly.

“Do you not hear me little one? Cease your tears.” It said a little less softly this time.

As I glared at the orc’s eyes, it almost looked confused. Like it couldn’t comprehend the sadness of the child before it. Did it really not understand the tragedy playing out in front of us? Could It not empathise with a child grieving over the murder of her mother?

Its face contorted as Treena continued to ignore it.

“This is pathetic. I have had enough.” He said coldly in a soft but stern gruff.

It raised its axe slowly above its head and I tried to dash towards it. My legs wouldn’t listen. My body was frozen. I strained as I tried to reach her.

I pulled with every fibre of my being but I was frozen to the spot. My body simply wouldn’t listen to me no matter how much I struggled against it.

Was this magic or was something wrong with me? I’d heard of people freezing from trauma but I’d always assumed that was their brains not processing what was happening.

Though that could be the case. I couldn’t even tell if the corpse before me belonged to Treena’s mother or my wife. I was confused, sad, and rooted to the spot.

Despite all that, my brain knew exactly what it wanted to do. I had to do something. I couldn’t watch this. I couldn’t let this happen. I dug deep, using every fibre of my being and with consorted effort I managed to move my mouth.

“Treena move!” I cried.

The axe came down.