Stepping out of the room where the Iron Princess and the Orcs had gathered, the weight of the meeting still pressed on me. The decision was made. I was going back to Earth. But not before I said goodbye to Elyria.
The halls of the arena complex, once intimidating, now felt strangely empty. The echoes of my footsteps mixed with the murmur of distant voices. The Iron Princess's words, granting my request to return to Earth, replayed in my mind. Not a direct return, but a journey via ship. I was given a day to prepare, a day to say my farewells.
Elyria was the first on my list. I headed towards her alchemy shop, recalling the myriad of scents and the clutter of her workspace. But upon arrival, the shop was closed, its usual vibrancy muted, shrouded in an unfamiliar stillness.
My next stop was the old food area, another place where we had spent time together. But it, too, was deserted, the usual chatter and clatter of dishes absent. The emptiness started to give me a sense of isolation.
As I wandered, the complex felt increasingly alien. The participants and familiar faces of the Hegemony were gone. Those I encountered offered nothing but cold glances. The warmth and camaraderie I had felt after my victory in the arena now seemed far off.
The realization dawned on me – I was no longer their champion, their drifter. My decision to leave had altered their perception of me. I was an outsider again, perhaps I always had been. My search for Elyria became a metaphor for my own search for belonging in this strange, new world.
After hours of fruitless searching, I conceded defeat. The corridors, once a labyrinth of excitement and danger, now felt like hollow veins of a lifeless creature. Elyria was nowhere to be found. Our friendship, which I had valued, now seemed uncertain. Was it all just a convenience, a temporary alliance forged in the fires of the arena?
Returning to my quarters, the reality of my departure set in. I gathered my belongings, each item a reminder of my journey in this alien place. There was no time for reflection, no time to ponder the change within me, the new class that had reshaped my very being.
The room, now bare, echoed with the ghosts of my past experiences. A bag slung over my shoulder, I took one last look at the space that had been my sanctuary, my prison. It was time to leave, to face the unknown future awaiting me on Earth.
A sharp knock jolted me from my reverie, it was a welcome Jolt. I was ready to go. I swung the door open to reveal the imposing figure of the guard I'd met on my first visit to the Iron Princess. “Oh its you, Gigantor.” I quipped, barely suppressing a grin. His only reply was a grunt that could’ve meant anything from 'hello' to 'I’ll eat you.'"
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Hmpf,” he said with no hint at all of any levity. He was not impressed with me apparently. “Follow me.”
“'Hold up, need to do the triple-check dance. You know, the one where you pat yourself down pretending to look for something you forgot, but it’s all in the inventory system now, I guess.” A shadow of a memory flickered, my girlfriend always insisted on triple-checking our hotel rooms, and the memory brought my mood down. “All clear, Gigantor, let the grand tour commence,” I announced, stepping into the hallway with a flourish that earned me a scowl.”
“Don’t get too accustomed to such ease.” He said with the first smile I’d seen from him. But it wasn’t a smile that held any joy.
“What do you mean?” I asked, one eyebrow raised in suspicion. I became even more worried when he started walking off down the corridor without elaborating.
We walked for a few minutes without any conversation. I began to feel a growing sense of uneasiness that I could not quite place. Eventually the reason for my unease came to me. It was the corridors. Before, during the tournament, they were bustling. Now though, they were empty. “Where is everyone?” I questioned.
“Gone or going. This place is not used much outside of the tournament. Many began making their preparations the moment the tournament was over. You would be gone too had you chosen to join us.” He said with a little bit of bite.
“What do you mean join you? Why would I join you?”
“The Princess basically asked you to. Why wouldn’t you? You were a fool to ask to go to Earth. If the Dead bastard doesn’t subjugate it, then someone else will, especially by the time you get there.” He had been walking as he talked, and at some point, he noticed that I was no longer walking in step with him. He turned around to find me standing there, seething.
“Care to elaborate, or is this the part where I start guessing?” My voice might have started calm, but there was an edge to it now, an edge that approached being a demand. When I let my frustration fuel my next words, it was more than just volume—I let him feel the weight of it, a psychological push that nearly bowled him over. “Explain.”
The big Orc actually stumbled, and nearly fell to one knee. “It is not my place, I should not have said that to you. I can not say more, and as an apology, I will not kill you for using an ability on me.” He said. I believed him, but that did not satiate me. I had to know what he meant.
“Is there nothing more you can say gigantor?” I said without thinking.
His patience wearing thin, he shot back with a scowl, “Name’s Grigor.”
I was so shocked that I forgot about my worries for a moment and laughed, “Grigor! That’s your name? It’s basically gigantor!”
He glared at me for a moment and said “I am Grigor the immortal. I am tier 2 level 25. Basically as powerful as a person can get right now. I am a legendary warrior for my people. I am Octaviok’s captain of the guard. Quite literally, I am the best. I will not answer another question from you. You can ask your questions of the princess. She will be meet us at the hanger.” With that, we continued the rest of the way. With him stewing about his slip-up and me worrying about Earth.
I can’t believe I had no idea that the Iron Princess, Octaviok, wanted me or at least expected me to want to join the Iron Hegemony. I wasn’t even an Orc. I didn’t even know that was possible, but it made sense. The various factions within the ladder certainly weren’t completely racially homogenous. I should have considered that. There is still so much to this world I did not know.