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Dexter

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After the public council, Bulak escorted me back to the barn. She wished to chew out the guards that had failed to keep me in the barn. The guards were particularly agitated at my escape. I ignored their deadly gaze as I stepped into the barn, leaving them to deal with Bulak and their incompetence. I had more pressing matters to think about. I let out a sigh as I leaned against the closed door and Jolagh and Amelia came to question what had happened. I let out a sigh before informing them about what had happened and how the entire city was preparing for the coming assault. I rubbed my head as I felt it strain from the plan I was trying to concoct. “For right now we should get some sleep,” I said, finishing my long-winded explanation. “We have preparations of our own to make tomorrow. We’ll want the sleep while we can get it.”

Jolagh thought for a minute then nodded. “I had better return home then. Best of fortunes on your preparations.”

Amelia and I waved in his direction as he slipped his satchel over his shoulders and headed towards the door. “Have a safe trip,” I called. Jolagh nodded as he pulled the door closed behind him, muffling Bulak’s rant to the guards. I let out a sigh as Amelia and I stood in the barn. She had a far off worried look in her eye. I thought about the best way to try and comfort her. I decided to just blunt honesty. “I’m not going to let him win,” I said simply. “Even if I have to use my own two fists I won’t let his army find you.”

Amelia shook her head. “You’re going to get yourself killed.” She said. “Do you even know how to fight?” She asked.

I waved my hand, trying to dismiss my own worry on my combat skills. “I took some martial arts classes.” I countered. “I’ll be fine. . . as long as I’m able to prepare I should be able to counter whatever tech they have.”

Amelia looked at me, a look of deep concern that made me nervous about my own plan. “Okay,” She finally relented. “Just be careful. I’m not sure what I’d do if you got killed out there.” I felt a sinking feeling deep in my stomach as Amelia voiced her concerns. I noticed she was rubbing her arm.

I let out a low breath as I thought about comforting her. I finally turned and stepped close to her, putting my arms around her and holding her gently. “I will,” I said calmly. “I’m not going to leave you all alone out here. I know you wouldn’t do the same for me.” She stood there for a moment, then slowly wrapped her arms around me, returning the embrace. We stood there for a minute, comforting each other. I felt her arms tremble slightly as the fear racked her body. Slowly the trembling died and I slowly felt a wave of relief washed over me. We continued to gently comfort each other as the gentle chirping of crickets filtered into the barn. We finally let go, looking at eat other for a moment. I cleared my throat as I looked around the barn. “Let’s get some rest,” I said, trying to bring my mind back to the preparations. “We’ll need all the energy we can get for tomorrow.” Amelia stared at me for a minute then reluctantly nodded, turning and moving towards the bed. I stood there for a minute as I mulled over my actions earlier. “You risked too much out there. Hell, you definitely made things worse with your presence. Stop it. You made sure Amelia was safe and that’s all that matters. You heard Dubak. These next events would have come about regardless. Now they need my help.” I turned and climbed up into the loft. “I just hope a minefield will work. . . and that Garahk has the necessary explosives.” I climbed into my hammock. “If not, I’ll have to search through Volume two to see if he was allowed to publish anything explosive. Scattering enough mines in front of the gate should thin their numbers out enough to be manageable. I need to see if Dubak knows how many they’ll bring to the fight. That’ll give me a good perspective on how many mines to scatter out there.” I drifted off to sleep planning a defensive strategy and anxiously thinking. “I’ll have to deal with it when it comes.” Was my last thought before drifting off to sleep. I just didn’t anticipate it coming so soon.

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I was sleeping soundly when a loud shrill horn jolted me awake. I jumped from my hammock and ran to look out the loft door. Orcs were scrambling around the city below. The sun was just rising over the treetops and a far-off thump thump thump could be heard. I heard Amelia confused footsteps downstairs. “What’s happening?” Her voice echoed around the barn. I craned my neck and looked out beyond the large brown wall. A grey and beige mass slowly emerged from a distant line of trees.

My eyes went wide as I recognized the color palette. “He’s attacking NOW,” I shouted, panicked. I ran over to the ladder and scrambled down, trying to prioritize what to do.

Amelia stood and stared at me, shocked, next to one of the stalls. “What?” She asked. “I thought his attack was supposed to take a week to prepare for.” I ran over to a table and reached into the bucket of tools.

I rummaged around a bit then pulled out a crowbar and a pair of gloves, about the only thing I had that would barely work as protection. “Well, apparently the elves had other ideas,” I said as I pulled the gloves on. I turned and headed towards the door, pointing the end of the crowbar at Amelia. “Stay here and hide.” I opened the door. What I saw outside was utter chaos. The orcs outside were scrambling about, either going down to the main gate, retreating into their homes, or barreling towards the Great Hall. I turned back to Amelia “I’ll be back, I promise.” I caught a glimpse of her worried expression before I stepped out and closed the door behind me. I turned and began jogging as I followed the orcs heading down towards the gate. I heard panic screams and shouting as I ran down the cobblestone streets. I heard the far off wail of an infant as I slowly made my way to the border of the city. I saw orcs in various states of garb pulling on additional armor, made of leather, iron, and wood. I felt an air of nervousness as I realized I was running in with only my jeans, my shoes, and the shirt on my back. “You can figure something out when you get there. They might have something to cover your vitals. Just get to the gate and find out what the plan is.” When I got there, rows upon rows of orcs were lining up on the cobblestone road in front of the gate, forming a line of large circular shields that faced the elves’ expected point of entry. Right now there were about a hundred, but more and more were still running into place as the sounds of panic were replaced by barked orders and the rattle of armor and weapons. The orcs in front of the gate were clad in thick armor and holding spears in their freehand, preparing for whatever was going to come through. The ramparts on either side of the gate were slowly gaining more and more orcs, each carrying a longbow at least six feet in length. Quivers full of arrows were strapped to their backs and they were forming relatively even lines along the ramparts, giving them a clear shot of the space beyond the wall. The ramparts themselves seemed unphased by what must have been almost a hundred orcs bearing down on it. A few orcs milling about wore iron armor, but most of them settled on the thick leather or chipped wood. Some more orcs were working on the gate itself and lowering thick poles into brackets in the gate, barring it from being opened. I turned spotted Bulak ordering a group of orcs into the line. I started walking over to her. If anyone knew what I could help with, it would be her.

Suddenly, Dubak appeared out of nowhere and blocked my path. A large battleaxe was hanging from his back. I could see a series of strange markings etched into the flat of the blade. His metal breastplate was now accompanied by a spartan style helmet and metal gauntlets that came up to his shoulders. His crown was absent, but his helmet had similar upward turned spikes running around his head. Dubak pointed an armored finger back the way I came. “Return to you home, outsider.”

I looked at him, confused. “I’m here to help,” I said, holding up my crowbar.

Dubak shook his head insistently. “We do not need your help.” He growled. “This is no place for the likes of you.”

I looked at him, exacerbated. “You were fully behind me helping you last night,” I said, gesturing with the crowbar. “What gives?”

Dubak pushed the crowbar aside with a wave. “That was when we had a week, now we have an hour,” He placed a hand on my chest and pushed me back. “Now return to your home. If you wish, we shall inform you of the outcome of the battle.”

I shook my head, almost angrily. “That’ll be too late. I can still help,” I lifted the crowbar again. “I have a weapon.”

Dubak suddenly reached out and snatched the crowbar from my grasp. I jumped in surprise as the hard metal slipped through my gloved hand. “And no training for it.” Dubak retorted. He presented the end of the crowbar to me and I gingerly took it. “We shall persist in this conflict, but if you will not leave willingly, I shall have someone force you to depart.” He said threateningly. I stepped back, unsure about the severity of his tone. “Don’t try and fight him over this, he’ll pummel you to the ground and you’re no help to anyone there.”

I shook my head as I realized the outcome of whatever fight I’d be picking here. “Fine,” I said, throwing my hands up in defeat. “I’ll be back at the barn when you change your mind.” I turned and started walking away. I could feel Dubak’s eyes on me as I walked. I retraced my steps back the way I came, making sure I was still in sight of the front gate. I rounded a corner and kept going, glancing back as I did. No one followed me or towards the barn. I took the opportunity to turn left into an alleyway and started heading towards the wall itself. “Dubak underestimates my utility. If I can see what they have, I should be able to warn them about what it can do and how to handle it. Even if I have no idea how their tech works, I can at least speculate at what developmental stage they’re at.” I finally found my way to a section of the wall, far from the sight of the gate. The scaffolding leading up to the ramparts was massive. The struts were about as thick as my thighs with diagonal braces crisscrossing the five feet of space within. Now that I was up close, I could see designated sections that were built like ladders, smaller pieces of wood running between two large vertical poles. I found one such section began to climb. The wood creaked slightly as I climbed, the crowbar slowing my progress upwards but not stopping me. Soon, I had reached the platform above and looked around. I had about six feet of floor to stand on, plenty of space for people to move around each other. More archers were running past me and towards the gate. The section I was in was relatively clear right now but I imagined a few more might station themselves here as the battle raged. I looked out over the wall at the army. They were marching from a distant line of trees. They formed a near-perfect square in the middle of the field between them and the gate. I was never that good with estimations but tried to guess how many elves were out there. I counted at least three hundred soldiers marching our way. I tightened my grip on my crowbar as I searched for the strange tech they definitely should have brought.

Suddenly an orc grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. “What is your business here, outsider?” He barked at me. I felt my heart jump as he bellowed into my face.”Act like you’re supposed to be here.”

I let out an aggravated growl. “Do you guys want me to help you or not?” I asked in an impatient tone. The orcs stepped back. I took the opportunity to double down and point towards the gate with my crowbar. “Do I have to get Dubak every time one of you orcs question my intentions? Should I get Dubak just to prove I’m needed here?” The orc went wide-eyed. I felt a glimmer of weakness and I went for it. “Do you really want me to bother Dubak again over this?” I asked, completing the lie.

The orc shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.” He replied quickly.

I let out an internal sigh of relief. “Nailed It.” “Thank you,” I said, gesturing angrily. I turned to look back out at the army. They were now clear of the tree line and were slowly marching towards the gate. The thump thump thump sound of marching boots was tenfold what had moved through the city last night. The army looked massive. I glanced at the orc that had grabbed my attention. “How many do you count?” I asked, pointing with the crowbar.

The orc gazed out at the approaching army. “I count four. . . maybe five hundred.” He replied. “Chief Dubak must have expected as much. They brought a similar army they last time they came.”

I nodded as I watched the army slowly approach. “And how many do we have?” I asked him.

The orc glanced towards the gate. “About seven hundred battle-ready soldiers throughout the city.” He replied. “But knowing the elves we may as well be like fighting against a thousand men. Their magic is undoubtedly greater than ours.” I nodded, gazing out at the soldiers. They were about halfway to the gate when the sound of their marching suddenly stopped. I watched with curiosity the army appeared to get. . .shorter. I squinted out at the army.”Are they. . . kneeling?” Suddenly I detected movement out by the tree line again. I looked towards it. There was another group of elves scrambling along the tree line, partially hidden by the shadow of the trees. They seemed to be surrounding numerous metal objects. They seemed cylindrical in nature. Their movement seemed. . . familiar. I saw one of them carry some sort of as they approached one of the objects. “Why would they be back there when their army is. . . OH, SHIT!” I turned and bolted along the ramparts, past archer and guards, towards the gate. I had less than a minute to get to the gate and warn them of the incoming volley. My feet pounded along the flexing wood of the ramparts, barreling past orc after orc as the gate slowly grew closer and closer. I skidded to a stop standing above the rows of orcs waiting in front of the gate. There were now a hundred lined up in neat rows of ten. Spears were leveled at the gate in preparation for the army to break it down and stream in.

I waved the army back as I stood on the edge of the ramparts. “GET THE FUCK BACK!” I shouted. The soldiers looked at my outburst, confused. I noticed a group of orcs clad in full metal armor as Dubak emerged from among them.

He pointed up angrily at me. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” He shouted. “I ORDERED YOU TO RETURN HOME!”

I shook my head insistently. “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” I replied, pointing at the group. “THEY ARE GOING TO DIE!” That statement got their attention. I looked out at the tree line again. The movement was starting to die. Within the shadows, I could see the elves preparing for the explosion. I turned back. “YOU’VE GOT ABOUT FIVE SECONDS BEFORE YOUR BODIES ARE PLASTERED ON THAT WALL!” I shouted, pointing at a building. They seemed to understand the severity and conviction in my voice. The orcs were becoming agitated. Suddenly a single unified BOOM sounded. I fell to the ramparts and flattened myself as several vvvzzzeeerrr sounds resonated through the city. Through the cracks in the boards, I watched the orcs scramble out of formation and run from the gate. A few were foolish enough to stay. The ramparts rattled as a few archers joined in a duck and cover position. I heard the cannonballs hit the gate and ripped it to splinters with a sickening CRUNCH. I saw the one projectile that hit the remaining army tore an arm clean off. It left the orc screaming in the street, clutching at his stump. The rest of the cannonballs landed with a loud WHAM where more orcs once stood. I got up, crowbar in hand, looking around at the damage. The screams of panic had returned, this time from the soldiers that were once in neat formation. The gate was now riddled with holes and practically falling off at the hinges. The gate wasn’t the only target, logs in the wall were also hit and caused them to fall, leaving gaping holes in them. Some parts had fallen over completely, exposing the city to the outside. A few houses behind the wall were also affected, tearing a nice round hole in the wood and sinking into the stone until it stuck out like a giant earthen pimple.

Dubak glared up at me. “WHAT THE SARD WAS THAT?” He shouted. I watched as people dragged the screaming orc away.

My stomach churned, but I urged the sick feeling down. “CANNONS!” I shouted back, turning to Dubak. I turned at the remaining soldiers. “BE GLAD THAT WASN’T YOUR HEAD!” I shouted, pointing at the blood splat that used to be a limb. The orcs were staring wide-eyed at it. I turned back to Dubak. “READY TO LISTEN TO ME NOW?” I asked.

Dubak seemed to grit his teeth. “WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO?” He asked angrily. “WE HAVE NO DEFENSE AGAINST SOMETHING WE CAN’T SEE!” I looked around the city. People were scrambling around, either running back towards the gate or into their own homes. I tried my best to think. “Unexpected. I anticipated real artillery, not this primitive shit. Just where are they in the tech tree? Never mind that, you know what these are and how to handle them, at least how to minimize the damage they can cause.”

I turned and looked out over the damaged buildings. They would be in the most danger. “EVACUATE THIS PART OF THE CITY!” I shouted, gesturing with my crowbar. “FALL BACK A BIT, LET THEM BOMBARD THIS PLACE, THEN COME BACK WITH YOUR FULL FORCES!” I looked back down at Dubak. He didn’t seem convinced. “IT’S BETTER THAN HOPING YOUR SOLDIERS AREN’T HIT!” Dubak seemed to think for a minute, then turned and trudged back over to the metal-clad orcs. I recognized Kagan among them, but I didn’t know who the others were. He spoke to an orc wearing a shawl over his armor, brown with white spots. The orc scowled for a second then reluctantly nodded and began barking for the soldiers to retreat. The orcs along the ramparts began leaving their post and making their way back. The orcs on the ground began traveling further into the city, knocking on doors as they went. I gazed out at the army again, they weren’t moving yet. “They’ll probably send half a dozen more volleys before they move in.” I turned and began following the archers along the ramparts, following the growing crowd. I didn’t want to be in the target zone when the next volley came.

As I walked more and more orcs were joining the procession further into the city. Our forces would be split as they dispersed into the city, but so would the elves. At least this way the orcs would mostly still be intact if on the defensive. The city echoed with another boom and a few of the archers glanced back nervously. I did the same as the accompanying vvvvvzzzzeeeerrrr filled overtook the boom. A moment later, an echoing Crunch chased along the ramparts and I saw one of the doors in the gate explode into splinters. I turned back and looked at my watch as I continued walking. After thirty seconds another boom resonated throughout the city. “Relatively slow reload time. That suggests the early civil war era cannons or unfamiliarity. If they have that kind of tech that might be what Leroy built for them. Then how would they have been able to make the bracelets? What mishmash of tech do these elves have?” I shook my head as I focused on the present. No use in speculating on incomplete data. Once I was out of this, I could worry about tech disparities. Right now, I needed to focus. I started counting up. One, two, three. Once I reached thirty seconds another boom echoed over the city. I nodded at the consistency. “That’ll make them easy to predict.” I began counting the volleys as they came in. Four . . . . Five . . . . Six . . . . Seven . . . . Eight . . . . I stopped and turned back as I suddenly heard a strange CLANK accompany the explosion of the eighth volley. The crowd that had gathered was massive, at least three hundred in total. Dispersed throughout the crowd were about fifty soldiers that had chosen to keep close to the wall. I began counting the seconds one, two three . . The archers behind me slowly moved past me as I counted the time until the next volley. Soon, I was the only one this far along the wall. Thirty-one, Thirty-two. . . Nothing. I strained my ears to hear more cannon fire, but nothing came. Slowly a low rumble came from beyond the wall. My heart was starting to pound. “HERE THEY COME!” I shouted. The orcs immediately sprang into action, now aware of the incoming charge. Some of the orcs started to move faster, the soldiers turned around and started to form a defensive wall, moving back the way they had come. The archers began rushing back along the wall to their original positions. I moved with them towards the gate. I stopped as figures stared emerging down the road. It was the army of elves, decked out in the same metal armor that they wore within the Great Hall. They carried large metal shields and stinging weapons of their own. What I saw was a fraction of the army that was outside the walls, but it still looked menacing nonetheless. I looked back at the defensive wall of shields. Some straggling orcs were just scrambling into place among the shields before the wall tightened their guard, bringing down spears to point at the charging soldiers.

I turned back to the approaching elves. The archers were starting to shoot at them, the whistling of arrowing filling the air as the scream of charging elves grew ever closer. The elves were unaffected by the raining arrows. They merely raised their shields and blocked them. A few managed to find gaps in the barrier of metal but they didn’t hit seem to hit anything. I watched as the elves passed where I stood. The thunder of charging feet grew to a crescendo as I watched the start of the battle. They were charging at the wall of orcs, running full speed with their shields in front of them. I expected the spears to impale a few shields as they made contact, but that didn’t pan out. Instead, the spears splintered and broke apart as the elves ran shield first into them. I could hear the shouting of a few orcs as their spiny defense became no more. It was now a shoving match with a clear advantage for the more heavily armed elves. Sword met shield, clashing in a percussion of battle. I watched the display of violence in amazement. I was frozen at the sight of the swinging blades, threating to slice all in its path. I felt my heart racing in my chest. I was definitely out of my depth. Suddenly the ramparts jolted. I turned back down the line of archers. The army of elves was sparse back there. I could see a few of them fanning out along the empty streets. Several approached the scaffolding with large war hammers. They wound back and began smashing the poles to pieces. A few planks further along the wall started to fall away as their support was lost. The archers were starting to retreat, moving away from the vanishing floor. I watched as some of the elves entered houses and began ransacking them, either burning the wood or throwing furniture through windows. I turned and began following the archers retreating towards the defensive wall of orcs. “Holy shit this is intense. I’m not even in the middle of that and I feel my legs shaking. Maybe Dubak was right. I shouldn’t be here.” The orc in front of me suddenly stopped and I ran into him.

I rubbed my shoulder as I looked at the halted crowd. “What’s Going On?” I asked, looking around them. There were a few dozen orcs in front of me, but they were all slowly backing away from something further along the rampart. I suddenly saw why the group of archers had stopped moving forward. The ramparts in front of them were ablaze, embers spewing into the sky as the floor was consumed in fire. I felt my heart pounding from the adrenaline “Not, getting out that way. Just don’t panic.” I looked over the edge of the ramparts and to the ground. We were about twenty feet up, the soil of the ground not looking like a good place to fall to. There were also elves waiting with swords, ready to pounce on anyone that survived a drop like that. The archers were firing in their direction, but their arrows didn’t even seem to dent their armor. “That’s fucking menacing.” My perception seemed to stretch as I looked towards the ground. My adversity to heights came screaming to the forefront of my mind and I took a few steps back from the edge. The crowbar was not reassuring of my survival at all. “Fire on your left, a drop on your right, and bloodthirsty elves below. . . sounds like a horror game.” I noticed a nearby rooftop. “You could jump for it.” I hesitated as I glanced over the edge again. “ARE YOU CRAZY? IF YOU MISS YOU’LL BE BUTCHERED BY THE ELVES, THAT IS IF YOU DON’T BREAK YOUR NECK ON THE FUCKING FALL!” I shook my head as I forced myself to take a calming breath, squashing the sirens blaring in my head. “It’s better than waiting to fry or fall.” I decided to try and jump. I turned to the orc to my left. He had just loosed another arrow over the edge. I grabbed his shoulder to get his attention. He turned to me in confusion. I took one more breath before steeling my nerves and acting. “Follow My Lead,” I shouted. I then turned bolted back along the ramparts, looking for a roof close to the ramparts. I spotted a roof near the end of the still intact floor, a two-story warehouse that was built really close to the wall. I redoubled my pace as I prepared to jump. “STOP! THAT’S STILL A FIVE FOOT DROP! I’ll just have to aim for the slant.” I ran past more archers as I grew closer to the fallen section of the rampart. I let out one breath, then two, on the third breath I turned and launched myself off the rampart, angling towards my selected roof.

In the few seconds that I was airborne, I flailed my arms wildly, trying to not let myself panic. I landed on the slanted roof and felt a jolt of pain shoot up my shins, slowly sliding to a stop. I let out ragged pants as I realized what I had done. “Holy SHIT we made it. . .I should get out of the way.” I turned back to the ramparts. One of the orcs had already jumped. I quickly scrambled out of the way as the orc impacted the room. Pretty soon the rest of the orcs that were on the rampart with me were landing on the warehouse as well. The orc that jumped first turned to me as the final orc made it and the rampart he had jumped from fell away. “Now What?” he asked. I turned to look over the edge. The elves had moved from standing under the ramparts to surrounding the building we’d jumped to. I could hear them shouting for torches over the clashing of battle further along the road. “I didn’t think that far ahead. I was focused on surviving the past five minutes. I should turn my focus to beating these elf bastards. I need to push them out of the city.” I looked out at the other rooftops. “First, to get on their level.” My mind seemed so much clearer after that jump. I saw a series of roofs in close proximity and started visualizing a path down to the ground. “Jump there, turn, jump again, turn and jump to the ground.”

I tried to calm myself as I turned to the orcs. “Do you have melee weapons?” I asked. The orc in front of me pulled his bow over his shoulder and partially unsheathed a short sword, showing the blade to me. The orcs around him showed similar secondary weapons. “Good . . . Okay, this one is a little more difficult. . . . Follow me once you’re ready.” I moved past them to the apex of the roof. I would need as much speed as possible to make this first jump. I turned around, widening my stance, visualizing the path one more time. I took a few deep breaths as I tried to convince myself of my own ability “In. . .Out. . In. .Out. In. Out.” I let out a roar as I bolted back down the roof, charging past the archers and pushing off at the very edge. I continued to bellow as I sailed through the air and landed on the neighboring rooftop with a thud. I immediately turned and jumped off the slope of the roof, aiming for the small house next to it. I landed just beyond the apex, unexpectedly skidding down the side. I scrambled to stop, gloves providing the much-needed protection against the rough roof, but failed as I slid over the edge and landed on the ground with a hard oof. I crawled to my feet, crowbar in hand, facing a swinging elf. I reacted quickly and swung the crowbar up to deflected the blade. A loud clang rang out as the crowbar met the blade and send a shuddering vibration through my fingers. I backed up, afraid of being cut by another swing. The elf continued to march towards me, mask staring at me menacingly. I led him into a circle as I waited for the orcs to follow my improvised path to the ground. I suddenly heard a movement behind me and felt my hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I sidestepped in time to avoid another sword, the blade striking the ground where I once stood. I turned continued to retreat, keeping both elves in my line of sight. “FUCK. Dubak was right you’ve no idea how to do this.” I kept my distance from them, waiting for one of them to try again.

Suddenly one of the orcs skidded over the roof and landed beside me, sword drawn. He immediately turned and swung at something behind me. I turned in time to see him deflect a third blade that came up behind me quietly. He began battling the elf as more orcs came down from above and attacked the other two elves. “Come on, you’ve got this. You just started a suicide charge into an army of elves. I doubt you can win if you don’t believe in yourself. . . That sounds impossibly sappy. . .Fuck it, logic isn’t going to get us out of this.” I started to charge, following the orc that tried to attack me from behind. We worked in unison to take down the elf. I was still terrified, but if the orcs were going to help me then they can’t see me cowering against a wall. “Inside their guard.” I used the crowbar to deflect the sword and grab their wrist with my free hand. Despite their short stature, the elves were strong. Strong enough to take up most of my strength to keep a hold on him. The orc used the pommel of his sword to smash the elf in the face, denting his mask. I took the opportunity to twist as hard as I could, turning the elf around and effectively pacifying him. The orc followed up my movement by smashing his pommel in the elbow of the elf. There was a sharp crack, and the elf screamed in pain, dropping his sword. I gasped and let go. The elf’s forearm flopped around, unaffected by the elf’s clear efforts to direct it. It was definitely broken. The orc shoved the elf into the ground, causing him to let out another yelp of pain. The elf struggled for a few minutes, then seemed to pass out. I let out a calming breath as the orc restrained the elf and I turned to the other elves, expecting to face them. In part, I was just forcing my gaze from the disturbing sight I’d help create. Instead of another fight, I saw the orc driving his sword through a gap in the elves’ armor and into their chest. I had to hold down my stomach again as they yanked their blades from the elves with a spray of red and allowed them to collapse, unresponsive. The last orc skidded off the roof and finally landed next to me. I now had a restrained elf, two more dead, and a few dozen orcs around me, ready to defend against more soldiers. I shooked my disturbed feelings from my mind as the orcs looked at me, almost expectedly. “Inspire them with a speech or something.” I took another breath and began speaking. “Our first priority is the stragglers. Our companions can hold off the main forces for a little while. The stragglers are doing more damage to the city at present Attack the stragglers, thin their numbers, then go for the elves charging against our friends. “ I said, gesturing with the crowbar. “Not good enough.” “For Gashur!” I shouted encouragingly, raising my crowbar above my head.

The orcs shouted in agreement and broke off into groups of three, going after the elves who were ransacking houses. I followed a few of them as we stopped a group of elves from burning down a house. I was little more than moral support for them, but I refused to just sit by idly after what I had accomplished. I had to turn my head as the orcs slaughtered the elves. They may have been the enemy, but I couldn’t stand to watch as their lives were taken. Beyond that, I was helping any way I could, shouting warnings and deflecting blade whenever I could. My heart continued to pound as each strike threatened to draw blood. My nerves continued to scream each time my crowbar met a blade, the gloves doing little to stabilize the blows as they came one after another. Elf after elf fell as my group ran about the city, minimizing as much damage as possible. I felt my bones ache as strikes continued to reverb down my crowbar and into my hand. It was excruciatingly painful. I felt my lungs groan from exertion as we ran to another group attempting to break their way into a house.

As we approached we passed by an alley and I heard a voice cry out. “HEY, LET ME GO!” I stopped and turned into the alley. My group ran on to the elves attacking the house, oblivious to my sudden departure. At the far end of the alley was a pair of distant figures, the motion of them indicated a struggle. An elf was dragging a young orc out from a house, treating her with the same care you would a sack of flour. I felt my heart start to swell with rage. Children in a battle were always collateral. My vision turned a shade of red as the elf’s fist came up and slammed into her face. I began to charge at the figures, determined to interrupt what was undoubtedly about to happen. My feet pounded down the long alleyway as I left my group to stop the elf. My eyes went wide as I suddenly recognized the orc. . . It was Shel. The elf yanked Shel to the side as he turned his back to me and lifted her up. Shel spotted me barreling down the alleyway. “DEXTER!” she cried. She reached a hand out to me, her bruised face crying for help. I scowled in rage as the elf squeezed and I heard her yelp in pain.

I redoubled my pace as I wound my crowbar back for the hardest blow I could muster. “LET HER G-” I started, but as I moved I saw the elf pull out a knife. I felt like my body was vibrating with rage. I watched his next actions as if they were in slow motion. My hard footfalls echoed along the walls and the wind whistled past my face as I charged, determined to get there before he used that blade. He brought the knife up into a thrusting motion. I was still too far away. I would never make it. I watched with unfettered rage as the elf took the knife and drove it into her small chest. Shel’s mouth went wide in a weak gasp. My vocal cords felt like tearing as I let out an enraged cry. “FUCK NOOOOO!!!” I sprinted towards the elf. He pulled the knife from her chest, dropping her just as I crashed into him, bringing him to the ground with a loud wham. I was on top of him and began using the crowbar to wail on him with all my might. I put dent after dent into his armor, clang after clang echoed along the alleyway. He tried to bring the knife behind him to jam it into me. I quickly grabbed the arm holding the knife, twisting it with all my might. It broke with a loud crack and extracted a cry of pain from behind his mask. He dropped the knife as his arm twisted grotesquely in his dented armor. I grabbed the knife and flipped him over, pinning the broken arm under him. I alternated between my new and old weapon, using the crowbar to bludgeon every area I could while driving the knife into the seems of his armor, trying to find a weak point. I finally found a gap in his armor between the chest plate and his helmet. He cried out as I drove the blade in and twisted. I panted as my muscles groaned from the exertion and my bones screamed from the vibrations. My mind was suddenly drawn to the object of my ire. “Shel” I released the knife, gripping the crowbar with both hands. I brought the crowbar up like a large knife and drove the straight end into the pit of his elbow on his exposed arm, pinning him there. I quickly jumped up and scrambled to where Shel had fallen. My knees felt weak as I ran to where the elf had tossed her. Her body was crumpled on the floor, unmoving, a pool of blood growing beneath her. I grabbed her, kneeling under her so that I could support her. I pressed my hand to where the knife had pierced her, trying to stifle the blood flow. My glove was quickly covered in the red ichor. “Keep pressure j-just k-keep Pressure.”

Shel’s eyes opened slowly and she squinted up at me weakly. “Dex. .ter?” She asked softly. “I feel so cold.”

I felt a rise of panic as I felt the blood pouring from her torso. “It’s okay,” I assured her. “You’re going to be okay. Just hang in there.” I looked back out of the alley. Tears were starting to blur my vision “SOMEBODY HELP!!” I shouted. No one came. I tried to think who would be nearby that could help fix this. No one came to mind. In fact, I became worried about more elves hearing my desperate bellows.”You need to close the wound. H-how do we do that?” I cast my mind around for a method. Nothing came. I only saw a vision of the knife, soaked in blood to the hilt. I also saw Shel’s small torso beside it. I was filled with dread as I realized the knife was longer than her torso was deep. I kept my hand pressed on her chest, desperately trying to stop the bleeding, praying for a miracle that I knew wasn’t going to come. I just kept repeating. “You’ll be okay. You’ll be okay.” Shel had far off expression in her eyes. Her face was glowing a sickly pale.

Her finger weakly went skyward, her digit trembling as she choked out a few more words. “The. . butterflies.” I looked up, embers and smoke were drifting overhead, coloring the sky red and black. “They’re. .so. . pretty.” She dropped her arm again. I felt a waved of despair.

I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Y-yes they are,” I said, turning head towards me. Her eyelids were starting to droop. “But I need you to focus on me. . .C-can you do that?” I asked, trying not to choke up. My fingers were starting to cramp. I gripped tighter.

Shel’s eyes fluttered before barely whispering. “I. . .think. . . .I. . . .” I waited for her to finish. Her eyes hadn’t closed. Instead, they remained barely open, a cold and blank expression peaking out from behind her eyelashed.

I let out a sob as I felt the tears swell. “Shel,” I said, trying to draw her attention. She didn’t reply. She didn’t even move. “Sh-Shel?” I said again. I moved my free hand to her throat, trying to check for a pulse. I couldn’t feel anything through the glove. I brought the hand back and desperately ripped it off with my teeth, letting it fall to the cobblestone beneath me. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I press it to her neck again, desperate for a pulse. I still didn’t feel anything. “N-n-n-no.” “Please GOD no. . .” I said desperately. The tears were starting to flow freely. “M-m-maybe there’s s-s-still a ch-ch-chance.” I slowly peeled my gloved hand from her limp chest. The blood lay still on her chest and dripped from my glove. I looked up at her lifeless face. All the joy and radiance in it was gone, replaced with slack and half-lidded shock. I let out despairing wails as the shock passed and I came to fully realize what had happened. Shel was no more, only her body remained. I bowed my head as I let the sorrow overtake me. I brought her limp form close, hugging her and staining my shirt. My voice echoed off the walls of the alley as I cried out, mourning the loss of the orc I held in my arms. I sat there for what felt like an eternity, rocking back and forth. Her face passed through my mind. My brief memories of her played out in my mind as I felt her still warm body slowly grow cold. I remembered from the moment I first saw her to when. . . “HIIMMM” I felt my sorrow dissipate, replaced by a slowly growing rage. I turned back to the elf, still prostrate and writhing weakly in pain. My tears slowly subsided as I gazed at him, replaced by the rage that boiled inside me. “HIM and his FUCKING BARON from their FUCKING TOWN in that FUCKING KINGDOM.” I gently lowered Shel’s body to the ground and trudged back to him. I felt my muscles flex as I towered over him menacingly. I knelt down and straddled his hips, bringing my face down to his mask. I pressed my blood-soaked glove to his throat, his neck was the old thing exposed right now, and squeezed. “Your MISTAKE Has Cost You Your LIFE And Your KINGDOM Its SOVEREIGNTY!” I barked at him. There was a pause as the elf stopped struggling, then a low rumble came from behind his mask. I let go of his throat, reaching up and undoing the clasp of his helmet. I ripped it off forcefully to expose his face sneered up at me. His nose dripped with blood, broken. His mouth was stained red as his lung filled with blood.

His lips curved up into a demented smile. “Those are mighty words coming from the likes of you. You would defy Adympia’s Sovereignty?” He asked, laughing. He suddenly gathered up a wad of spit and launched it at my face. I glowered down at him as it hit my cheek and dripped down my face. I gave him that precious victory. He spat his next words angrily, the words of a man with complete and utter conviction. “Adympia has stood for hundreds if not thousands of years. You are but one outsider. What could one outsider possibly hope to do?” He laughed. I felt my rage continue to boil within me. I suddenly grabbed his chest plate and brought him up before forcefully slamming him down again. His head knocked onto the ground and he let out a grunt of pain.

I brought my face down again until I was staring into his eyes, into his very being. I let out my next words in a low growl. “I’m not just an outsider.” I curled back and brought my fists up, bringing them down with every bellow. The sound of hammering metal now filled the alleyway as I yelled. “I’m a GOD DAMN HUMAN!” The elf let out a grunt of pain as I felt the metal yield beneath my battering. I continued my blows with every word as I shouted a solemn vow. “We NEVER give up. And I SWEAR, On MY Life, HER Death, and YOURS, it shall be my LIFE’S MISSION, my very EXISTENCE, to END that FUCKING KINGDOM.” I was beginning to tremble in rage. My fists trembled as the nerves screamed in protest. I didn’t care, I just wanted him hurting. I wanted him dead.

The elf laughed in defiance again. He tilted his head up slightly so that his golfball-sized eyes could look down on me. “You’ll die long before you make a dent in Adympia’s kingdom.” The elf said with certainty. “They might not even notice you before you’re snuffed out, like the bug that you are.” He began laughing again, cackling at my dedication. I reached over and yanked the knife out of his collarbone, spraying the ground beneath him with blood. I brought the knife down and around to where I saw the orcs stabbing before. I drove the blade through a gap in his armor and twisted again. He sputtered and his mouth spat blood.

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I pressed my free hand to his throat as I gazed into his eyes. There would be no returning from this. “Any Last Words?” I growled. The elf tilted his head up and spat in my face again. My glasses were speckled with his blood.

I glowered up at me as his face turned red. “Sard You!” He cried. I twisted again the knife and watched as mouth started to fill with blood. His death was going too easily. I grabbed the crowbar still sticking from his arm and twisted. He spat and started choking on his own blood. Much better, I had no hesitation in watching the life slowly draining from his eyes.

I turned quickly as I suddenly heard a new voice. “Calm down you bastard, I already have ano-” The voice stopped as the source emerged from the building. A new elf had joined me in the alleyway, carrying another squirming child. I pounced on him before he could register the scene. I refused to let another perish while I was able to fight. I drove him back into the house and to the ground. I wound back and slammed my fist into his mask, repeatedly. I roared as my knuckled let out waves of pain with each blow. I continued as the faceplate bent inward from the fury of my blows. The elf let go of the child and tried to block my fist. I merely grabbed his hand with both arms and twisted, hard. A loud snap and a cry emanated from the elf. He tried to bring his sword up and into my torso. I just leaned back and grabbed his had, twisting it hard to release the blade. I grabbed it by the handle as it fell. I shoved the hand aside as I gripped the sword with both hands and brought it above my head. Before the elf could register his disarmament I let out a bellowing roar and drove the weapon down with all my might. The sword pierced his chest plate sank into his torso. I panted as my vision swam with red and I felt my head pounding from the exertion. The elf sputtered gradually stopped squirming. I let my rage burn as I looked at the dented mask. My fists screamed with pain as they gripped the handle of the weapon, still trapped within the elf. I panted as I felt the pain subside and I gain new energy. I was far from done.

My mind suddenly redirected its attention again.”The child.” I turned to where the child stood. I could see him through the doorway. He was gazing in stunned horror at where Shel lay. He clutched a small stuffed toy, a fearsome bear. I got up and quickly rushed over to him, kneeling between him and Shel. I wanted to spare him as much trauma as possible. “Listen to me,” I said, looking into his brown eyes. “You have to get to the Great Hall. You can’t hide here. It’s not safe.”

The young orc ignored my command and just tried to look over my shoulders. “Shel?” He asked, terror in his trembling voice.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I gently grabbed his head and turned it to face me. “I can’t do anything for Shel,” I replied, guiding his eyes towards mine. I was doing my best to hold back tears. “But I can make sure that you’re okay.” He started to cry. I looked at him reassuringly, determined to get him out of danger. “I want you to promise me something. Can you do just one thing for me?” I asked in what I hoped was a comforting tone. The small orc nodded. I pointed in the direction I thought would be the Great Hall, deeper into the alleyway. “I need you to go and run to the Great Hall. Do you know where it is?” He nodded again, lip trembling. “Okay, run there, don’t stop for anything or anyone. Don’t stop and don’t look back, just run.” The small orc hesitated one last time as tears welled in his eyes. He finally nodded and bolted off down the alleyway without another word. I watched him run as his pounding feet kicked up a small cloud of dust, small toy tucked into his chest. I watched as he ran before disappearing in a turn in the alleyway. I knelt there as my rage boiled back in full force. After a minute I finally let out a shuddering sigh as I stood and looked behind me. I couldn’t see anyone, friend or foe, from the alleyway, but I knew what I’d do when I got out there. I reached over and pulled the crowbar out of the elf with a soft squelch. I turned and slowly walked over to Shel’s body. Her eyes were still open. I kneeled and closed them with my hand. My rage fueled itself as I knelt there. I let that image of her sink into my mind, hammering it into my conscious for all eternity. I stood again and looked out at the street again. I let out a low growl as I panted angrily. “For SHEL.” I thought as I charged out of the alleyway.

I immediately turned and started barreling towards the army of elves. If I was going to kill, that’s where I would do it. I saw a group of orcs between me and them. They seemed to be discussing something and gesturing towards the army pushing against their companions. It was the archers that had fought alongside me. I ignored them and continued my running charge towards the clashing army of elves and orcs. The archers noticed me as I approached and barreled past. My feet slammed into the cobblestone street as I ran full tilt towards the exposed back of the elves. I felt the wind whistle past my ears as the cries and clash of battle grew louder. My heart pounded as I readied my crowbar. I glanced back as a slow rumble behind me joined my charge. The archers were following my attack, weapons drawn and bellowing a battle cry. I bellowed in agreement as I shorted my strides to run alongside the orcs behind me. I felt my rage rise again as we charged towards the exposed back of the elves. They heard our bellowing cry as we got close, but they weren’t quick enough to form any sort of defensive on their exposed flank. We crashed into the back of the elves and started tearing apart their assault.

The next ten minutes were a blur of blood and screams. There were about forty of them in total, pushing at the orc’s shield wall. But they weren’t expecting a bloodthirsty charge to come barreling in from behind. I was a package of concentrated rage that slammed into the elves without discretion. I brought the crowbar down as hard as I could every time I struck. They tried to defend themselves from two fronts, but that was a losing battle. I was probably more of a distraction than an unstoppable warrior, but the charge was enough to break their line and allow the orcs to slaughter the whole lot. By the time I pulled my crowbar out of the last elf I was covered in elven blood, panting heavily. My muscles were screaming from the exertion. I was still trembling with rage. It wasn’t enough. I looked up as I realized a few orcs were gazing at me. Some were soldiers, but many of them were civilians that had remained with the soldiers, for some strange reason. The civilians had either official or improvised weapons of their own. Elven blood dripped from them as they stared at me in shock. I raised my blood-soaked crowbar aloft and shouted a battle cry. “FOR GASHUR!” The soldiers raised their weapons and shouted in agreement, quickly charging back towards the gate, leaving the civilians to gaze at me in astonishment. I stood there for a minute to catch my breath, my heart hammering in my chest. I blink as I realized my vision was obscured by blood.

I removed my glasses, instinctually moving to clean it with my shirt, but stopped when I realized my blood-soaked shirt would just worsen the situation. “We don’t need to see their faces to kill them. Okay, but they might break if you charge in with them in your pocket.” I looked around at the civilians that were still standing there. I spotted a familiar blur with facial hair. As I approached him Jolagh’s figure sharpened until I could see his goatee. He stared at me with wide eyes. He was carrying some kind of halberd weapon. I held my glasses out to him. “Take these back to the barn and make sure Amelia is okay. She might need help,” I said. Jolagh looked down at the glasses and gingerly took them. Once the frame had left my fingers I turned to the receding army of orcs and raced after them.

As the orcs charged towards the gate we saw more elves destroying buildings and more homes burning. The front, however, wasn’t the end of the elven forces. Elves ran to fight the charge as we approached the gate. The street quickly evolved into a mosh-pit of blood and blades, metal meeting metal, leather, wood, and flesh in a cacophony of a bloodthirsty fight. I dodged blow after blow as I helped the orcs charge deep into the elven army. I began operating on instinct and adrenaline alone, having little time to do much more than survive and kill. “Dodge, Parry, Strike, Strike, Parry, Dodge.” Before Shell, I was afraid for my life, more focused on not getting hit than anything else. Now, I was two hundred and thirty pounds of pure unadulterated rage, untethered by my limits. The elves charged me recklessly, assuming I’d be an easy target, but I had other ideas. I had only one hand occupied, but my free hand could quickly grab them and manipulate the elves into vulnerable positions. My tall stature aided in this and allowed me to reach passed their guard. Speed was key in ensuring the elves’ mistakes would lead to a painful death. I couldn’t allow them to think, allow them to learn from their errors or react to my actions. The crowbar in my grip was practically a blur as I fought. My hand continued to sting as my crowbar dented plate after plate of metal. The glove was still useless in protecting my nerves from the reverb of metal. I stuck close to the other orcs as they provided a good cover for when my breath grew short. I must have killed another fifteen using this method before fatigue started to catch up with me and an elf hooked his sword into the pit of my weapon, causing it to go flying. More elves charge the orcs around me and fought them away from where I stood. They quickly isolated me and gave me no room to escape.

I was now surrounded by three elves, one with a large war hammer and two with swords. They eyed me cautiously. They were somewhat smart, cautious at what I was capable of. They were also foolish enough to allow me to catch my breath and gather my thoughts. One phrase stuck out in my mind as I looked around at them, stance widened, back hunched, and hands open, ready for their attack. “These Fucking Fucks Killed SHEL.” There was a brief standoff as the elves slowly circled me. I wasn’t a fool though. The perfect opportunity to strike was right after they had gone, a time when the forces they could use against me were negligible. The one wielding the Warhammer was the first to strike, charging and swinging his weapons around to nail my torso. I dodged the blow, stepping back before charging forward when the hammer passed to chokeslam him to the ground. The elves were definitely strong, but their smaller bodies meant they were lighter. His hammer slammed into the ground its angular momentum brought the weapon down with us. I heard whistling from just behind me.”Dodge right.” I rolled as one of the elves wielding a sword tried to slice my back. I grabbed the hammer as I rolled. I quickly spun as I turned the weapon on its owner. I swung the hammer up to smash the elf brandishing the sword. He received a full blow and went flying. I then brought the hammer around till the large weight at the end of the handle was almost touching my heals. Finally, I swung the weapons up and back down on the helmet of the still dazed elf. The blow let out a sickening crunch and smashed through the thin faceplate of the helmet, crushing the elf’s head. I heard another whistle to my left. “Duck.” I dropped to the ground as the other sword wielder tried his luck, slashing at where my torso was just a moment ago. As soon as I heard the whiff above my head, I turned and pounced on the elf, using another chokeslam to bring him to the ground. I let out a roar as I wound my fist back and collided my fist with his faceplate again and again. The stinging in my hand worsened as the mask slowly dented beneath my flailing fist. My vision started to narrow on the elve beneath me, how I wanted to hurt him how he had hurt these orcs. I felt my awareness slip as I began to experience tunnel vision. My mind suddenly snapped me back into focus.”BEHIND YOU!” I became aware of the extended roar behind me that was slowly growing louder. I turned around and lifted the elf. The elf I had bludgeoned away with the hammer was charging at me, blade first. I used the elf I was holding as a living shield, my arms straining from holding up the weight of the armor and the elf inside. The elf wielding the sword had no time to stop and quickly found his blade sunk into the back of his companion. I quickly dropped him, relieved at the sudden absence of the weight, and the sword was wrenched from the elf’s hand.

The elf scowled at me through his mask. I panted as my focus faltered. I was getting so tired. I felt my mind slow as a standoff occurred. It was all a matter of who would move first. I let out a growl of anger as the image of Shel came to the forefront of my mind again. I disregarded my aching lungs as I charged the elf, determined to put fear into his eyes. I slammed into him as I tried to bring him to the ground too, but he found to remain upright. We grappled with each other as we both tried to throw the other to the ground. I let out a roar of anger as I finally grabbed the back of his neck and brought my free hand into his mask. I wound back again continued to punch him in the face. My hand suddenly stung with pain and I had to stop punching. A thought quickly ran through my mind as I felt focus return to me briefly. “Get BACK you idiot.” I suddenly saw a glint of silver. I jumped and pushed the elf back as fast as I could, but I was starting to grow slow. A sharp pain radiated from my side as his knife slashed at my torso. I felt a trail of red seep from just under my ribs. I put my hand on the wound as it slowly bled. I felt a new wave of adrenaline from the wound, silencing the ache in my muscles.”It’s Just A Scratch, BEAT HIS BITCH ASS!!”

I shook my head as I looked up at the elf again. We began circling each other as the danger of the situation was sharply displayed on my chest. I kept my distance as the elf brandished his knife at me. He was taunting me, goading me into making a mistake. I wasn’t about to make it again.”Come on. Charge You BITCH.” I spat of wad into the street in front of me as I maintained eye-contact with the elf. He suddenly let out an enraged roar and charged at me, bringing his knife up to stab. I focused enough to dodge at the last minute, turning on my heel and allowing him to barrel past me. I quickly turned and slammed my hand onto the back of his neck to force him down to the cobblestone. He struggled to remain upright but I swiftly kicked his legs out from under him, eliminating his grief moment of resistance. The elf struggled as his torso slammed into the ground and I pressed my knee into his back. He pushed up with all his might, putting off balance for but a moment. I doubled my pressure from my knee as I struggled to keep him down. His arm tried to stab at me with the dagger still in his grasp, but his position limited his ability to do so. “FUCK IT! TIME FOR YOU TO DIE!” I quickly reached up with my free hand found the clasp that held his helmet on and undid it. I suddenly moved my hand from the back of his neck to the hooking into the edge of his breastplate. I accompanied the change in grip with grabbing the top of his helmet with my other hand.

I jumped off my knee and brought both my feet slamming into the ground. I changed the direction of my force, wrenching the elf up with all my might and pulling the helmet away from his head as I did. The elf flew from the ground as his and my force combined to roughly yank him upwards. His helmet was pulled off and tossed aside recklessly as I brought the elf up as high as I could. I directed the momentum of his movement as I let out a pained roar, arching it so that he would come back down and hit the cobblestone, hard. I did my best to point his now exposed head down as we fell back, ensuring the maximum amount of force would be transferred to his skull. I fell back onto the street as I threw my arm and the elf into the street behind me, my head slamming into stone and jolting my vision. A clatter of armored legs fell on my chest as a loud CRACK sounded from just behind me. My vision swam as I hoped I’d done it right. I shakily got to my feet as the battle around me continued to rage. I looked down at the elf. His green eyes were glazed and lifeless, blood and grey matter seemed to seep from a crack in his skull. I spat again as I took gasping breaths, the adrenaline stifling the pain I was definitely in. Suddenly another shout redirected my attention away from my latest victim. A group of seven elves was charging at me, weapons drawn and ready for blood. I stole my nerve as I straightened and took a step. I staggered as my muscles almost collapsed in protest. I panted as I stood there as I saw the elves still charging my way. “You don’t have it in you. You’ve got five more one on one, but not seven and definitely not all at once. They KILLED Shel. Yes, but you have no strength left. You need to retreat, fall back and recover. They Should Be Running. We don’t have the energy to- They Should. . .” I felt my instincts take over. Another wave of rage rose within me. I widened my stance, drawing in a deep breath. The was one thing I wanted at this moment, one thing I wanted above all else. I was determined to have it. I leaned forward as I shouted a deep guttural bellow, tearing at my vocal cords and echoing my pained voice around the city. “FFFFEEEAAAARRRR MMMMMEEEEEE!!!” The world around me seemed to pulse as my voice echoed, silencing the sounds of battle and freezing everyone to the spot. I almost collapsed again as a new wave of fatigue and nausea overtook me. I struggled and fought to stand again. “You’ve got even less energy now, how’s that possible?” It somehow felt like I just finished something massive, like I just got out of a ten-hour brainstorming session. I shook myself as I bright my attention back to my current situation. “We Can’t Let Them See Us As Weak. Push Past It. You run the risk of permanent damage. PUSH PAST IT.”

I looked up to focus on the elves again. They were still frozen in place, looking at me. For once I saw fear through their masks, fear deserving of all they’d done to the city. I straightened to my full height again and took a step forward. The elves let out a gasp of fear started to run. I stood in shock as I watched them run. In fact, all the elves seemed to be running, some dropping their weapons and bolting back for the gates. I let out a sigh of relief as the elves attacking the city ran back the way they came. I looked around. The orcs seemed badly hurt. A few were lying dead on the ground, dead or injured I couldn’t tell. I focused on the ones that were still standing and addressed them as a whole, raising my voice so that anyone in the area could hear me. “Any of you who's still got a fight in them, follow me to the gate. The rest of you stay here and tend to the wounded.” I said, breathing hard. With that, I turned and started jogging after the elves. I gradually heard the pounding feet of a few dozen orcs behind me. I focused my attention ahead as my heart pounded in my chest. “You need to rest. Push Past It. In. Out. In. Out.” I fell into a rhythm as I got closer to the gate. The damage to the city got even worse as we got closer. More buildings were burning, more of the wall was broken and destroyed, a few logs lay haphazardly in the street. I could hear a few cries for help from buildings engulfed in flames. Groups of orcs were breaking off from my charge and minimizing the damage as best they could. Others burst into the burning buildings and pulled out orcs that were still trapped inside. My charge slowly dwindled in size as more and more orcs stopped to save as much as they could. We finally found a few elves that hadn’t begun running, doing what the elves had already done to many other buildings, and were breaking into yet unscathed buildings. They wore leather armor and seemed to be more concerned with causing havoc than attacking the orcs. Their weapons were definitely lighter than the others’, little but a few daggers strapped to their side. I spotted a group that was trying to wrench open a door. Another pair was charging my way, weapons. I felt my legs cry in pain as I took another step. “You don’t have it in you.” Suddenly one of the orcs behind me charged in front of me, clashing with one of the elves and leaving the other still charging. I shook my head as I focused and gathered energy against the single elf. “One On One”

I chared forward as hard as I could, tackling the elf to the ground. We struggled with each other for a bit and I managed to pin his arms to either side. I panted as I knelt over him and stopped him from moving. “You’re leaving yourself open.” Suddenly, a sharp pain radiated across my back. I gasped in pain and quickly rolled off the elf. I stood as I realized the elf had managed to draw his weapon and rake it across my back. The dagger he wielded was thin, more point than a blade. I could see it easily slipping through chain mail and piercing the target beyond. I charged the elf as he too crawled to his feet, trying to grab the arm holding the knife. The elf was too fast, he dodged my desperate grab and sliced at me. I backed up as my new wound began to bleed down my back. The pain radiating from it added to the pain already coming from my lower chest “You're going to die. No, I’m Not!. shel . . . Shel. . SHEL” I charged forward in a new fit of rage, this time too fast for the elf to dodge. I grabbed his arm by the wrist and effectively pacified the blade. I brought my knee slamming upwards into his elbow while pushing down at his wrist, bending the elbow at a right angle in the wrong direction. His armor offered little protection as I bent the joint in the grotesque fashion. The elf let out a cry of pain and instinctually dropped the thin knife. I grabbed it as it fell and gripped it by the handle before driving it up into his neck. A spray of blood spat onto my hand as the weapon hit its mark and ruptured a major artery. I let go of him and the dagger as he went limp. He fell to the ground with a hard thud as I heard more shouts.

I turned to the source. Two orcs were defending from two elves as one more orc tried to break down the door of a burning building. My muscles groaned in protest as I trudged over to the door, avoiding the fighting as best I could. I finally walked up to the orc kicking at the door as I felt my body burn from the fatigue. “What's going on?” I asked, breathlessly.

The orc glanced at me before continuing his battering of the door and shouting a response. “There are children inside,” The orc replied loudly, kicking the door again. I felt a wave of new energy as I heard more were in danger. “NOPE.” I looked at the door. It was obvious the elves had wrenched part of it open. The door was cratered in the center and the corners were pried out. The thick wood was splintered in several places and the iron supports were now shaped more like a bowl. I let out a long breath as I gathered my strength and weakly pushed the orc out of the way. I reached up and gripped the exposed edges of the door, widening my stance for what I was about to do. “No Guts No Glory.” I thought to myself. I wrenched back hard. The door splintered a bit. I tried again. The door splintered at the hinges but didn’t break. I let out a roar as I tried one more time and the door broke from its frame. I pulled it away as I muscled groaned at the effort. The orc rushed inside as I turned to the still fighting elves. The elves had their backs to me. The orcs were defending desperately from the more energized elves. I let out a low growl as I lifted the door and charged.

I skidded to a stop next to one of the elves and swung the door to knock him to the ground. I didn’t give him time to register the event before I lifted the door up and brought the edge of it slamming into his mask, crushing his skull. I immediately turned to the remaining elf. He had noticed my aggressive intrusion and was charging at me. I turned the door and used it as a shield as his knives tried to slice at me. The elf slammed into the door and tried to reach around it with his knives. I kept the door between me and him as he tried to drive a blade into me. A thought suddenly ran through my mind.”Lift And Push Forward.” I lifted the door and charged into the swinging elf, letting out a roar as the weight of the elf was added to the door and my arms groaned from the strain. I carried the door and the elf across the street as I continued my charge. Another thought ran through my mind.”A bit left.” I followed my instincts and drifted left as I continued to run. I suddenly hit something and slammed into the door. I staggered back as I tried to regain my senses. I looked up at the door. It stood there for a moment then slowly fell away, revealing the elf impaled on a fallen piece of wall, his stomach protruded into his leather armor. His shocked and open-mouthed expression briefly moved then fell still, his arms falling limp at his side. “How’d We Know That Was There? How’d we turn the elves into cowards? Wait, We?” I shook my head as I felt a wave of delirium. I stood there for a minute breathing hard, vision swimming as I tried to recover. I gritted my teeth as the sounds of shouting continued to echo around the city. The presence of the elves helped my focus on the moment. “We Have To Get Angry Again. We Have To Drive The Elves From The City.”

I focused my thoughts on Shel. I let out breath after breath as I took my meditative techniques and used it to grow my anger instead of stifling it. I let the events play over in my mind as I stoked my rage once more. My aching muscles slowly quieted as adrenaline coursed through my veins. My heart slowly stopped beating from exhaustion and gradually burned with rage. My state was suddenly interrupted by a deep cry somewhere to my right. I looked over. The orc that had charged the first elf was on the ground clutching his arm. The elf stood over him, sword in hand, preparing for the final blow. “Got. .To. .Save. .Him.” My mind was starting to cloud from my continuous exertion as I searched the area around me for a weapon. I spotted another pointed log that had fallen from the wall. “That’ll. . work.” I knelt down and wrapped my arms around the log. I was able to hook the log into the pit of my arm as I found the best grip I could. I let out a low groan as I stood again, lifting the spiked log and directing the point towards the elf. I took a moment to stabilize my grip on the massive stretch of wood before pushing down with my legs and charging forward. “Leeeerrroooyyyy Jeeeenkkkkiiinnns” The space between me and the elf quickly shortened to nill. The leather-clad soldier was oblivious as I gritted my teeth and aimed to drive the spike into his torso. The elf was about to deliver the final blow when the point of my log crashed into his side, jolting him away and likely breaking a few ribs. I pushed harder and continued to charge, carrying the elf with me. I aimed for a nearby building, slowly using the rage that had burned in me before. We finally hit the building and the log pushed through the elf. I let out a roar as splinters jammed into my arms and broke off from the fallen spike I was carrying. I let go of the log as my arms screamed in pain, letting it and the elf fall to the ground. I let out another roar as blood seeped from my arms around the numerous pieces of wood sticking from it. I took deep breaths as I began pulling out the invading shards. They hurt as much coming out as going in, but I just wanted them out of me. I looked around as I pulled the last wooden shard from my arm and tossed it aside, all thoughts of my other injuries gone. I was somewhat near the gate, that much I knew. I turned as I heard a clambering further along the wall.

I stepped out to look at the source. The once might gate was further along the street, completely destroyed save for a single hinge hear the base of the wall. Cannonballs were sunk into the ground just inside the city and splinters of wood were scattered all around, partially covering a few spheres of metal. There was a crowd sized blur of elves near the gate. Judging by the height and glint in the morning light, it was the elves. They seemed to be discussing something. They numbered what must have been fifty of the hundred that had broken into the city. I felt my last embers of rage being stoked once more. “They Should Be Running. So, let’s make it happen.” I let out an exhausted sigh as I took my blood-soaked glove and ran it through my hair, sticking it out wildly and further staining my forehead with blood. I let my rage grow briefly before I let out one last enraged bellow and began charging at the elves. Their conversation among them immediately stopped as they spotted me. They quickly turned and started running through the destroyed gate, abandoning all thought or concern they had before. I continued to charge, bellowing near incoherent threats of what I’d do if I caught them. I finally stopped and panted forced the last of them running out of the gate and back to where they’d come. I panted as I stood in the morning sun, watching what was left of the army retreat towards the trees. I felt my shoulders hunch as the fires of my anger finally died out. My head lolled back slightly as I enjoyed the warming sun, the dangers of the assault now repelled. For once in a long while, I felt at peace, my mind unburdened by aggression. I let out a calm sigh as I focused on my next move.”We need to get those cannons. If we know the time period it emulates, we ca-- BEHIND YOU.” I suddenly turned to see their leader barreling towards me, knife drawn. I tried to dodge, but he was too fast. His knife sank into my left side. The pain was overwhelming. I clamped my hand over the blade as I fell to my knees. The elf allowed me to fall as he towered over me. “You haven’t WON.” The elf hissed at me, leaning down. I sat there as he continued to monologue. “I’ll return with a bigger army with more weapons. I will lay waste to this entire city.” I felt my strength fail me as I tried to stand. The elf just backhanded my face and I crumpled to my side. The sun no longer felt warm. Instead, it felt distant and cold.

I panted as I looked up at the elf. He scowled down at me as I lay there, contempt filling his eyes. I gathered what little strength I had and spat in his direction. “Still a fucking coward I see. Couldn’t handle a fair fight. You had to wait until I was exhausted and distracted. Hahaha. You couldn’t ev- AAAAAAAAGH.” The elf suddenly reached down and yanked the dagger from my stomach, slicing at my hands at it was drawn out. I pressed my hand to the wound and began panting. Drops of sweat dripped down my forehead as the pain washed over me.

The elf continued to stand over me, knife in hand, as I clutched my side. “I should have rid the world of you when I had a chance. . . Perhaps that is why I stand above you now.” A sinking feeling filled the pit of my stomach as the elf raised the dagger over his head. I tried to crawl away, but my strength failed me in the dew-covered grass of the morning. I could only watch as the dagger was raised up to strike.

I scowled up him, the only thing I could do against him. “Coward.” I spat.

The elf smiled as he stared down at me. “Pathetic final words for a pathetic Creatch-” His monologue was interrupted as an orc came barreling in from behind, tackling him to the ground. He and the elf shot over me as the dagger slipped from the elf’s hands and fell to the ground. I turned as the sounds of a struggle could be heard behind me. I saw a familiar leopard-spotted shawl as the elf was wrestled to the ground. A metal spartan helmet covered his head and glinted in the morning sun. I recognized Kagan as the orc pulled out an axe and used it to subdue the elf, pinning him to his stomach and binding his with the handle of the weapon. I finally found the strength to crawl to my feet as Kagan pulled out a length of rope and deftly tied the elf’s hands behind his back. I limped over as Kagan hauled the elf to his feet and the elf started shouting obscenities. A dirt stain covered part of his pail skin. “Unhand Me, You Savage! You Cannot Bind Me! I Am Commander Vulen! Nothing Will Stop-” I stopped him by winding back my fist and striking his face. A dark bruise appeared on his other cheek as he turned to me.

A wave of nausea ran through me as my body twisted and I felt the sweat drip down my forehead. “Shut the fuck up you dumb cunt.” I spat. “Face it, you lost. You were met on an equal footing and lost. Your army is wasted, your assault finished.” A wave of coughing rushed over me and I staggered back.

Kagan gave me a concerned look as I regained my composure. “Do you require assistance?” He asked.

I shook my head as I let out another cough. “I’m fine. I’m fine.” I cleared my throat before glaring down at the elf. His bruised expression still carried contempt. I returned the expression as best I could, the sweat likely making it difficult to carry the same weight. “I despise people like you,” I growled. “You’re little more than a bully with a superiority complex.” I looked up at Kagan. “Take him back to the city. He might be able to tell us something useful.” Kagan nodded and started dragging the elf back towards the gate. I let out another cough and looked down. The cut was horizontal along my left side, further staining my shirt with blood. I let out another cough as I turned and started trecking back up to the gate. I was in no shape to get whatever they had out there. I had to find someone that could. I saw numerous groups of orcs approaching the city gate from various incoming streets. They stared in awed shock at the now obliterated gate.

I approached one of the groups of orcs. They wore basic leather armor and carried swords in their hands. I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder as I let out another cough. “Go get some horses and get the cannons that are in that treeline.” They looked at me in confusion as they saw my disgruntled state. I let out a painful sigh as I continued. “They’re big metal cylinders, you can’t miss them. Just go and get them. I don’t want the elves to have too many cannons in their control.” They hesitated for another moment then nodded and started to move. I let out another cough as I started limping through the city, my vision blurred by sweat and exhaustion.

I began to make my way back to the barn, cold and fatigue slowly enveloping me. I walked past building after building, some still on fire, but surprisingly many were untouched. I guess the orcs did a pretty good job of repelling the elves. I clutched at my side as another wave of pain washed over me. “Man That’s Painful. You need to disinfect and close the wounds. How Do We Do That? Amelia might know, but we’ll need a disinfectant. Alcohol should do.” I looked up as I tried to find a bar, something that might be able to spare some alcohol. My blurred vision made it hard to distinguish the signs above the doors, but I had just enough strength to focus momentarily. The population was definitely not literature inclined. All the signs were pictographic and seemed to convey some aspect of the business they provided. I saw cleavers, bread, various tools, I even saw a sign using a needle and thread. Some signs had lettering below their pictures, but more often than not it was just the images. I finally spotted a sign that seemed to be an orc drinking from a mug. That would be the most obvious candidate. “Hope someone’s here.” I pushed on the door. Surprisingly, it was unlocked. I stepped through the threshold. Inside was a room full of tables and chairs, many smashed to bits on the ground. A long bar sat at the far end of the room. An orc was sitting on the bar, being tended to by an orc in a fluffy blue shawl. I cleared my throat. The orcs turned to me. I swallowed before croaking out my request. “Do you have any alcohol?” I asked. The orcs stared at me. The orc in the fluffy shawl turned to approach me, but the orc on the bar put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He then reached behind him and pulled out a bottle from under the bar.

He looked at it for a second before tossing the bottle in my direction. “On the house.” He growled. I lifted a hand and caught the bottle, examining it. It looked like a normal bottle of beer, but with a more circular body and plugged with a cork. The glass was definitely of lower quality though, imperfections ran amock along the brown pane. Though I imagined it was par for the course of this place. The concoction inside looked to be light golden brown, most likely beer. I didn’t know if it would work, but it was better than nothing.

I looked up at them. “Thank you,” I muttered exhaustedly, turning to leave the bar. I trudged out as another wave of fatigue hit me, the nausea was getting intense.”Just have to make it to the barn.” I thought as I slowly trudged through the streets. The morning sun was little help as the air chilled me to the bone. I definitely ran out of steam a while ago. I kept my head low as I retraced my steps to the barn. My muscles groan as I made my final push home. They were well past their limits, but they just needed to hold out a little longer.

I finally made it to the barn, bottle in hand, cold, panting, and close to passing out. My vision was threatened by blackness as I knocked weakly on the front door, unable to open it on my own. I didn't hear any movement. I cleared my throat as I pushed myself to croak out a cry. “Amelia, It’s Me. Open Up.” I heard a small clatter from inside the barn. After a moment Amelia finally pulled the door open. She gasped as she stared at me, wide-eyed, through the open door. I asked a question before she could. “Do you know first-aid?” I panted. She hesitated for a moment then nodded. I nodded as I lifted the bottle to my lips. I really needed a drink. “Good,” I said, pulling the cork out with my teeth. I spat the cork into the barn then took a swig. The concoction burned as it traveled down my throat. I swallowed and let out a cough as I gestured to one of the tables holding my stuff. “I have an old fishing reel in the box marked hobbies,” I said, handing her the bottle and staggering slowly over to an empty table. Amelia helped me walk over. “I’m trusting you on this,” I groaned as I sat on the table and turned to lay on it. I barely set my head on the hardwood before fatigue finally overtook me and I passed out. The pain of my injuries remained for a moment before fading along with the darkness.

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I was jolted from my slumber by a thundering emotion. RRAAAAAAGGEE I quickly rolled from the bed, and onto the floor. I raised my forearms up, ready for Almar’s next rage-induced beating. The cold stone floor was a shock to my current supple legs. The chill permeated my form as I knelt there, waiting for the strikes, but they never came. I hesitated for a moment, confused at the lack of a beating. “He’s been upset since his canary’s disappearance. Has he finally started taking his anger out on something other than his servants?”I slowly lowered my arm and looked back at the bed. Almar was still sleeping soundly, unperturbed by my sudden distress. “So what cau-” RAAAGE Grief Anger” I clamped my hands over my ears as I looked around, trying to find the origin. Almar’s extravagant bedroom was as over the top and silky as Almar was lazy and egotistical. His massive silky covered bed sat in the middle of the wall furthest from the door. Dark mahogany wood covered the walls and gave the room a rich look. Multicolored windows covered the roof, bathing the room below in a sea of colors. The balcony door shimmered with the rising sun as I slowly got to my feet.

I shivered as my exposed form reacted to my uncovered state. Almar was always disapproving of nightly clothing during his escapades with his ‘servants’. He’d been particularly enthusiastic with me last night, especially after receiving his letter from commander Vulen, a message about retrieving a lost item. I finally found the direction of the emotions. They were coming from the balcony door. I looked over at the stained glass door, its coloring adding its own light to the room within. The glass seemed to burn with the emotions as well as the morning light. I tentatively approached. Surely emotions this intense had to be from someone nearby. I was unsure about confronting what must surely be right outside that door. Anger Hatred Sorrow RAAAGE I hesitated as a thought crossed my mind.”If they’re feeling such aggressive emotions and were able to climb up to this balcony then perhaps I have a unique opportunity.” I shook my head. “Do not be foolish. Surely they would not have the strength of will to end Almar.” I looked up as I reached for my discarded robe, donning it before reaching the door. RAGE Hatred Again a glimmer of hope crossed my mind. “Perhaps they do. Perhaps tonight will be the end of Almar the Awful.” I’d fantasized about such a thing for almost my entire life. In fact, I think every slave in Nione would be relieved if he were to be killed. I reached for the handle, hesitated, then turned it and stepped out onto the balcony.

The morning sun shone down on the city of Nione below. The view was gorgeous. Almar’s manor atop a small hill in the center of the city. A single road led up to the home and fed into one of the main roads below. The manor itself was a more modest reflection of Almar’s own bedroom. He had taken extra measures to ensure the exterior of the house was the same dark mahogany as the interior. It stuck out against the paler olive wood many of the houses around it were made out of. Numerous trees and bushes decorated the lawn below, tended to be various gardeners and other servants. Even the most clueless of visitors would be able to recognize is as the house of a Baron. From where I stood, I could see most of Nione and the wall surrounding it. Distant mountains and forests could be seen beyond, one a particularly dense forest to the east that scant few dared to enter. Rumors told of fearsome orcs that snatched up any would-be travelers.

I blinked as I turned my attention to the balcony. It was empty. I turned, expecting someone to be standing out of my line of sight, but it was as barren as a desert. “So where?” Suddenly, another wave of roaring emotions washed over me. RAAAAAGE Hatred Fury I turned to look out further along the city, expecting to see someone on the rooftops, but I saw no one. In fact, no matter how far out I looked I couldn’t see anyone that would be experiencing such an array of emotions. “Then how?” RRAAAAAAAAGGEEE The morning sky was suddenly ablaze with emotion like the afternoon sun. I raised my hand in a futile attempt to shield myself from it. I turned in the direction of the rising inferno with confusion. “To the East?” I looked out over the city again. There was a slow bustle as the city gradually awakened. From my position, I could see a few gardeners shielding themselves from this wave of emotion, most likely fellow nymphs. “Does this extend beyond the city?” I wondered. Anger Hatred I stepped towards the edge of the balcony, staring in the direction of the emotions. RAAAAAGE Hatred Pain I stood, hands on the railing, as the waves cycled through the various emotions. My curiosity overrode the chill running through me.”Surely anyone within the city would be causing a commotion with emotions like these. If they’re not in the city, then where are they? There’s nothing beyond the forest, except. . .” I stepped back as an explosion of rage washed over the city, burning like a bonfire. I clutched my hands to my head as it felt like bursting. The wave bordered on painful. I saw a few nymphs also clutch at their heads, though not blatantly. “Orc lands.” I gasped as the emotions finally died down and I looked back up. The emotions continued to change as the sun slowly rose into the sky. Fatigue Hatred Exhaustion Confusion

I stood there, waiting for something else to happen. “What sort of creature is able to feel such intense emotions?” Anger Exhaustion Determination I was suddenly interrupted by the balcony door opening. “Chameleon?” Almar asked as he stepped outside. I turned quickly to him. I was greeted by his grotesque and lumpy figure, unconcerned about his own decency. Almar was a bulky elf, though not in the way a normal elf was bulky. His stomach swelled with fat and his face carried just as much flab. The beauty of his pale marble skin and bright green eyes were overshadowed by the rolls of fat covering his body. His stature was one of regal upbringing, but it was weighed down by all the food he insisted on gorging on. I stifled my anger as I heard the pet name he had given me.”That's not my name you fat sard.” I smiled as he continued to speak. “What are you doing up so early?” He asked.

I continued to smile as I responded. “Just getting some fresh air sir,” I said, bowing slightly. The emotions continued to roll over me as Almar considered my words. Anger Exhaustion Fury

He finally nodded as he approached me. “I suppose it is rather nice out this morning. In a chilly sort of way.” He said, stepping towards the railing. rage Rage RAGE He stood there for a minute as I waited for him to speak. “I have been inconsiderate of you.” He finally said halfheartedly. I winced as I could already hear his next word. “Here comes the but.” Exhaustion Anger “But you must understand, I cannot take my emotions out on my commanders.” I kept my composure as I felt like sighing in exasperation. “There it is.” Exhaustion Determination “I use you as an outlet because I must keep a level head in my meetings.” He said as he stepped closer. Rage exertion. . . RAGE Exertion “Plus, I know you nymphs are more durable than elves.” He said as he took my hand in his own swollen limb. I resisted the urge to slap him. Anger Pain Distress Confusion I kept my eyes fixed on Almar as I turned my attention to the emotions rolling over the city. “I do it because it allows me to operate Nione in the best way possible.” Exhaustion tranquility. . . rrrraAaAGGEE “You must understand, I do it for the good of the city.” Confusion Determination Exertion RAGE “But don't worry,” Curiosity Anger RAAAGE “Vulen has notified me that he's on the verge of retrieving a lost valuable of mine.” tranquility Confu- PAIN Exhaustion Almar turned to look out over the city, still unconcerned about his indecency. “When he returns I shall use it to relieve myself of this unrelenting anger.” Anger Determination Exertion My eyes widened as I realized who he was referring to. “He’s not talking about? . . Fext. . They found her didn't they.” RAAAAAGE I flinched as the emotions grew intense again before starting to quickly fade. Almar didn't seem to notice my distress and continued. “Now then, let us go back inside and continue what we started last night.” He said gesturing with a smile. He tapped a finger onto one of his multiple chins as he seemed to consider something. “I'm thinking a short shoulder-length blonde with large breasts. Perhaps with a wonderous hazel hue for your eyes this time.”

I nodded submissively. “Of course, you want to do it with her. It's not like you've been fantasizing about her for a hundred years.” Exhaustion pain “As you wish sire,” I said as I began the transition to his description. My stature and hair shortened as the follicles changed hue and my chest began to expand. Almar nodded and trudged back inside. I slowly followed looking back at the origin of the aura of emotions. It was starting to die out. exhaustion pain exertion “I just hope whatever that came does not have its sights on Nione. . . Maybe just Almar.”