Adam and Dax carefully backed away from the church, their eyes darted between each other and the heavy wooden door. As they moved out of the way, a flood of humans rushed forward. Their faces were filled with determination and a hint of shame, like they were embarrassed to have left their weak so vulnerable. Adam had no plans of attacking the church again, but had the feeling that it wouldn’t be as easy a second time if they did.

Seeing them rally to protect their weak, Adam had a sudden flash of anger. They hadn’t hesitated to go after the camp’s support orcs in battle, and from what he had gathered from Greenbough’s stories, they had also slaughtered his entire camp without hesitation. Going after the human women, children, and non-combatants would be every bit as justified. The humans had fought not just to win battles, but to wipe the orcs out. He could do the same.

Adam cast a sidelong glance at Dax, and saw the same emotion reflected in his eyes. Though he had never been one to show much emotion, Adam could tell that the sight of these humans defending their own was stirring something inside of Dax.

In that moment, Adam felt a connection to the humans. They could feel pain and they instinctively protected their weak. Though anger still lingered in his heart, it felt distant now, as if it couldn't touch this moment of understanding and empathy. He realized then that, in some ways, the humans were no different from orcs.

Then the feeling went away. The humans were advancing on Camp Ironblood. They were the enemy. But he couldn't bring himself to attack again. Even with a sense of honor and victory far different from the chief’s and Greenbough’s, Adam could hear his orc elders telling him no.

That’s not how orcs fight. There’s no glory there.

Instead, he and Dax continued forcing their way outward through the town with little challenge. The forces in the town were more or less broken now. The only group with fight left in them were still in the church.

As they made their way through the town, Adam couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The humans they encountered were either too scared to put up a fight or weaker than average. It was almost as if they were being led into a trap.

That thought was kinder to a hidden reservoir of fear in Adam's mind. He started thinking of the worst and with that, his thoughts went back to the humans in the church. Killing the support humans would cripple the town. Grain could be regrown, or found elsewhere. Destroying the heart of the town would be permanent in a way destroying food wasn’t.

Stolen novel; please report.

He paused and looked back at the church, considering. Dax noticed Adam hesitating and also slowed.

“Come on, Adam. We have to get out of here. I’m worried about Max.”

Adam was frozen with indecision. They could go back. The humans had done the same and there weren't orcs around to judge them.

It was only when Adam saw the one-armed knight charging at him that he snapped out of it. He knew now that the knight was weak, not only because of the loss of his arm, but because he now needed to learn an entirely new fighting style. He was a zealot, yes, but that seemed to only make his attacks predictable. Adam took a few steps forward and swatted him away.

As he did, he caught another glimpse of the deep hatred in the knight’s eyes, and shuddered. He wouldn’t go back for the women and children. The knight was weak, but the darkness burning in him seemed to make him brave. There was no question of retreat in him anymore. One opponent with that kind of hate in them was enough. He didn’t want to see what an entire army of zealots could do.

—

Adam and Dax retraced their steps through the town. Soon, they found Max sitting on the stoop of a house, above the corpse of a knight.

At first glance, Max seemed alright. But then Adam noticed the deep gash in his side. Blood trickled down from the wound and pooled on the ground beneath him.

“Were you able to get the grain?” Max smiled when he saw the orcs.

“No, we weren’t…” Dax started, but went silent when he felt Adam’s hand on his shoulder. Adam spoke instead.

“Not at first. But we found it. It all went well.”

Dax was shocked to hear Adam lie, and then he realized why.

Orc healing was fast. Enough food and a bit of sleep would close scratches and cuts, and a few weeks would heal even the largest wounds. But Max was pierced through the lung. His breathing and the amount he was breathing indicated he didn’t have that kind of time. He was dying. He even appeared to know it.

Adam felt a pang of guilt as he realized that his inaction earlier might have made a difference in getting back to Max quicker.

“You guys go on. I’ll hold off any humans that chase.”

Dax looked at Adam, pleading. Staying with Max would be certain death, and even if they got him back to camp he couldn’t recover. Dax had to know that. But his eyes were still asking.

Adam told his second lie of the day.

“Relax, Max. The wound isn’t as bad as you think. Dax will carry you back to camp. It’s going to be fine.”

By the time they were outside the town, the smoke from the wagons was thick and obvious in the air behind them. Adam prayed that Greenbough had been successful, and the human grain would be destroyed. At least then there’d be some point to all this.

As they hurried through the plains that they had laboriously crossed earlier in the day, Dax carrying Max on his back, Adam kept glancing back. He half-expected to see a mob of humans chasing after them. But there was only silence. It seemed like the town had fallen completely silent after their departure.

The human army was somewhere, but it was good that they weren't here. Adam and his friends disappeared back into the forest. It was over.