James watched as the orc known as Krik walked along the snowy path, his prisoner now free of any bindings. Still, Haggard and Archibald closely watched Krik despite the lack of weapons on the orc.

“How much farther?” James asked, to which Krik responded.

“Not much longer. We’re getting close,” the orc sniveled as he wiped his mouth and nose, both dribbling with blood and saliva.

“What’s the plan again, James?” Seamus asked, eyebrow raised.

“We’re going to use Krik here to be our bait.”

“Bait?”

“We’re going to lure out this guy’s friends and take them out, hopefully with little of a fight if we catch them by surprise,” James whispered back.

“Ah… an ambush.” Seamus rubbed his chin in thought. “You sure it’ll work?”

“I’m hoping it works. Since sneaking in isn’t an option.” James remembered what Krik had said about how the orcs keep the prisoners in sight, crossing out a stealth mission. Still... “You, Miles, and Edmund are going to free the prisoners while the rest of us try to hold them off,” he added.

“What? Why me?” Seamus asked suddenly, looking at James with a confused look.

“I mean, if you want to fight orcs head-on, then I guess you should…”

“Ah, wait! I’ll help the others with the prisoners,” Seamus retracted his question as quickly as he had expressed it, causing James to chuckle a little as they walked.

Krik stopped, gesturing towards the distance. “Clearing up ahead, camp near there,” he explained to the group. James nodded, looking at everyone else. They adjusted their belts, checking their weapons as James turned to the orc.

“You know what to do when we get there. If you so much as try to signal, Bjorn is going to make sure you don’t have time to run, got it?” James drilled it into the orc’s head that they wouldn’t hesitate to take him out if he tried to screw them over. Krik nodded, his scowl and demeanor visibly showing that he wanted nothing more than to kill James and his friends.

“Call out your friends,” James ordered as he gestured toward the camp. The orc huffed before heading to where he needed to go. James looked towards his group.

“Alright, Haggard, Bjorn, and Archibald take places in the bushes and surround the clearing so we can flank them. Everyone else, you try to see if you can find and free any prisoners. We might only have one chance to save them.” James had already explained the plan at the settlement but felt he needed to reiterate it to everyone.

‘It’s important that everyone knows their part to play,’ Faust commented to James.

“Also, one more thing, just in case.” James looked around at everyone, making sure the orc wasn’t listening. “If it all goes to hell, and we’re separated, we all regroup at Aldren and the port,” he explained in a low voice. “If you’re being followed, do not lead them back to Frostbite.” Everyone gave their nods, moving to enact their plan, despite a couple of complaints from Bjorn and Haggard about fighting ‘fairly’.

James watched Seamus and his group move off into the forest before focusing on Haggard and Bjorn, who were moving to the bushes surrounding the clearing. It didn’t take long for James and Archibald to get into position as well, hiding behind a snow-topped bush. They peeked through the leaves to watch Krik walk out of the treeline, acting as if he had a broken leg, just like he was supposed to.

James shifted to see if he could get a better view of the camp. His eyes passed over the small encampment lit by a distant campfire. He could see other figures like Krik emerge from it, calling over to the orc.

“Hey! Who goes there!”

“It is me! Krik! Our leader Sars and our group were attacked in the town! It was the Butcher! It’s real!” The orc cried out his part perfectly.

“What’s the Butcher?” Archibald asked James.

“Krik told me it’s a boogeyman of sorts that his tribe made up. They think it exists on the island and is hunting them down,” James explained, remembering his talk with the orc. He had initially wondered if the Butcher they were speaking of could be one of those creatures he had fought yesterday, considering the descriptions of the mauled orc bodies, but Faust had suggested that it could’ve been a bear, most likely since the bodies weren’t crystalized nor had any frostbite. Still, James would have to look into it later.

“The Butcher? Like in the stories?” The other orc asked.

“Yes!” Krik called out. “It’s around here! Please help me! I’m hurt!” Something irked James about what Krik had said recently, and back to the town.

“Sars…” James muttered.

“Hm?” Archibald asked.

“He mentioned Soreg led his group when we interrogated him… So why did he say Sars?” James pointed out. Realization suddenly hit the both of them as they looked at the orcs at the camp. Now, only one was talking to the injured orc, who was still calling him over. The injured orc had hands raised in surrender, with his fingers tilted as if pointing at the nearby bushes.

James quickly stood, shouting. “He’s signaling to his friends where we are!” He called out to Bjorn and Haggard before he pulled his sword out. He saw figures move in from the trees, towering over Archibald and James as they readied their clubs at the two men.

“Fuck!” James cursed, retreating into the clearing with the elf as they held their weapons up in defense. He risked a glance behind him, Seeing Haggard and Bjorn retreat into the clearing as well, weapons held in front of them as they readied themselves to fight. James watched as more of the green behemoths surrounded them, most of the brutes staying behind the treeline.

“Come at us, you bastards!” Bjorn yelled out, his weapon raised in challenge.

James looked back at the dwarf, mentally cursing.

‘Are you trying to make things worse?!’

“Not so fast!” One of the other orcs shouted, coming out of the bushes as he dragged Seamus out, holding a rugged-looking longsword to the young man’s neck. Another came in with Edmund, holding him similarly.

“You so much as try to fight, we’ll make sure these bastards are the first to fall!” The orc shouted out, grinning with his crooked teeth. James looked at Krik as he joined his brethren, his bloody smile wide as he chuckled. “Drop your weapons like good little boys, or else this will end in a very bloody way.”

‘Fuck fuck fuck!’ James internally shouted. The last thing he wanted to do was to part with his weapon, which was the only thing standing between him and, most certainly, death.

‘James. In the bushes. Movement,’ Faust muttered.

James blinked. ‘What?’

‘Pay attention. Miles isn’t among the ones captured. Look.’

James did his best to use his peripherals, his eyes spotting some slight movement behind the tree line, behind the orcs who were still put in the forest beyond the clearing.

‘Miles,’ James realized. He glanced at his group before looking back at the orcs.

“If we drop our weapons, will you let them go?” he asked.

The one who held Seamus prisoner snorted. “Of course, we need you all alive anyway,” he answered. James knew better than to trust this asshole, but he had no other way of getting Seamus and Edmund out of danger.

‘Miles can help,’ James reminded himself before he swallowed his pride, his hand tightly gripping his sword’s hilt.

“Drop your weapons,” James muttered to his group. They all looked at him as if he had gone mad, Bjorn cursing in another language as Haggard stared.

“James, they’ll kill us! You can’t be—”

“Just do it, Haggard!” James snapped, feeling the tension build as every second wasted could mean life or death. “Trust. Me,” he muttered, his eyes looking into that of Haggard’s. Haggard took a long look at James, then at Seamus. He gritted his teeth before shaking his head.

“Fine. You better know what you’re doing.” Haggard scowled, his hands shaking as he forcefully dropped his hammer. Archibald was next, James looking over to watch as the elf scowled at him.

“You better get us out of here…” Archibald muttered as he dropped his rapier. Soon came Bjorn. He stared at James as he dropped his ax and shield.

“If you get us killed, I will tear your throat out in the next life,” Bjorn growled. James was the last to drop his sword, his eyes looking down at the blade. It had gone through so much with James, saving his life multiple times. He took a deep breath of the frosty air before finally dropping the sword onto the snow.

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The orcs threw Edmund and Seamus into the clearing without their weapons.

“Now then…” Krik spoke up, grinning as he picked up Haggard’s hammer, admiring it. “For some payback.” The orc looked at Haggard, whose eyes widened.

“Wait! You said you need us alive!” James argued before feeling one of the bastards hold him back.

“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t kill him. I’m just going to give him a couple of blunt, precise love taps.” He grinned as he raised the hammer, looking down at Haggard. “If you so much as flinch, I’ll do the same to your friends.” The orc sniveled. Haggard scowled but didn’t resist or fight back.

“Do your fucking worst,” Haggard spat at the orc.

Krik wiped the spit away from his armor, grinning. “Oh, I will.”

“No! Dammit!” James struggled, not wanting to watch his friend become brutalized in front of him. “Miles! Anyone!” He shouted out, looking to the bushes. Nothing. “Fuck!” James cursed before one orc forcefully turned his head to Haggard. He was forced to watch as Krik raised the hammer.

‘I’m so fucking sorry...’

Before Krik could revel in his revenge, James heard footsteps run across crunching snow. The sound caught everyone’s attention, prompting them to look towards the source.

“Miles...?” James asked.

He looked toward the trees, where some orcs were still standing beyond. Sounds of fighting echoed, clashing steel and orc screams emerging from the trees without a clear glimpse of what was happening. James could only see how the orcs beyond the treeline were moving deeper into the forest, shouting at each other as the sounds of fighting grew.

The mesmerizing event captivated everyone in the clearing. Even Krik was stunned, his hands lowering the hammer. Most of the orcs who were still in the clearing were frozen in anticipation, some even moving away from the treeline as fear painted over their faces.

‘They’re scared…’

James turned back to the forest. He could see how the tall figures of the orcs fell to something smaller, something that was slashing and cutting through them.

‘Is Miles doing this?’

James wanted to believe it was Miles, but something in his gut told him it wasn’t the ex-follower but something much more dangerous.

‘Those screams. They aren’t of anger or pain. They’re of fear,’ Faust voiced, his words sending a chill down James’ spine.

The screams beyond the clearing suddenly stopped, putting everyone on guard as they watched the treeline. Miles was not the one to come out of the bushes. Instead, a blur of fur, skin, and steel came out at blinding speed. Without warning, it went for the orc closest to the tree line.

There was the flash of something quick as the orc’s ax contacted something else, sparks flying. However, the dumbfounded orc had no time to defend a second attack, as there was another flash of steel. Dark, oily blood splattered across the snowy ground. James blinked. He didn’t even see the strike. The orc victim fell, throat torn open as oily crimson pooled on the clear snow.

James looked up, seeing what looked to be a small man and bear hybrid, a fur-covered head complete with fuzzy torn ears. Bandages wrapped around his heaving chest, leaving his scarred shoulders and abdomen out in the open cold. Without a word, the stranger rushed towards one of the other orcs near Seamus, a pair of axes held in both hands. The orc didn’t have time to react before the bear-man slid on the snow and kicked at his knee. The sudden kick was enough to forcefully bend it the other way and break it with a sickening snap.

The orc screamed in pain as he fell, just as the stranger swung both of his bearded axes at the brute’s head. They rammed into the orc’s skull with a sickening crack, speckling blood all over the stranger. The savage man raised a fur boot and kicked the orc over, ripping the axes out in the process. With a heavy thump, the corpse fell over onto the snow, more dark blood staining the blank white clearing. The man-bear hybrid panted heavily, clouds of its breath coming out like chimney smoke. It was all over in a matter of seconds, stunning all who witnessed the sight.

“It’s the Butcher!” One orc exclaimed in fear before Krik shouted a response.

“Shut it! It’s just a human wearing a bear’s head!” While his voice sounded confident, James couldn’t mistake the small ounce of fear in the brute’s words. “Stop standing around and kill it!” Krik shouted once more. The other orcs seemed to hesitate, which was a mistake they would come to regret. Wasting no time, the stranger rushed to the orc near James, who was quickly trying to bring up his sword in defense.

It would be for naught. The bear-man’s ax chopped through the creature’s raised wrist, leaving it hanging with exposed bone. The orc screamed in pain before being silenced by the bear’s other ax slicing his throat.

One of the other orcs tried to come at the stranger while he did this, but the savage dodged his club and swiftly moved underneath the swing. The bear-man hybrid buried his ax on the orc’s arm before slicing up the entire length of its biceps and shoulder, sending even more specks of blood everywhere. The orc’s screams were silenced when the ax tore through his throat, his end coming in a matter of seconds.

James forced himself to look away from the sight, his eyes going back to the rest of his group. He saw how Krik stared at the ‘Butcher’ in horror and shock, his dumbfounded behavior leaving him open. Fortunately enough, Haggard seemed to have noticed this as the man reached for his stolen hammer, ripping it out of the orc’s star-struck hands. Before Krik could yell out for help, however, another voice sounded out.

“Power Strike!” Haggard interrupted the orc with a shout as he swung his signature hammer at the asshole. His enhanced strike soon impacted Krik in the chest, the sound of ribs being broken echoing through the clearing as air audibly rushed out of the orc’s lungs with a whoosh.

All hell broke loose. James watched as his team reached for their weapons, just as the surrounding orcs realized what was happening, their own hands reaching for their weapons. Fighting broke out in the clearing, mixed in with incoherent yells and castings.

‘Get your sword, now!’ Faust shouted.

James’ eyes moved to where his sword lay. He scrambled to reach for it before a green-skinned corpse dropped in the snow nearby him. He jumped in surprise before looking up at the orc’s killer. It was him, the strange berserker who had come out of nowhere. Now, with a clear look at the stranger, James realized then and there that it wasn’t a man at all who was donning the bear’s head and fur but a young woman. She wore the top part of a bear’s head on her head, covering her hair and leaving her scowling face exposed.

Before James could say anything, the berserker ducked quickly, avoiding a club’s swing. The attacker knocked off her bear’s head, however, leaving her head exposed. James saw dirty red hair fall out as a result, tied up in a loose knot as it flowed out. The berserker lunged at her attacker, yelling out angrily in what sounded like a battle cry. She went on all fours, galloping at the orc and using her momentum to slam her shoulder against the idiot, making him stumble back.

‘Sword! NOW!’ Faust reiterated, snapping James out of it.

James turned and grabbed for his sword before moving to help the strange woman. Instead, he saw how the woman held her axes by their shoulders, using them to punch at her opponent. Blood speckled everywhere before she finally killed the orc by slamming the edges of the axes into his eyes and throat, making James recoil in surprise and shock.

“James, we need to go now! More are coming!” Haggard shouted out from behind him. The blond man turned toward the camp, seeing how more figures appeared, followed along by the sound of what the young man could guess was a war horn.

“Alright, let’s get the hell out of here!” James responded, looking back at the chaos of fighting. Edmund was retreating with Archibald, a visible wound on his arm as he fended off an orc armed with an ax. Bjorn was with Haggard, lopping off an orc’s head with a well-placed strike.

“Where’s Seamus?” James asked, looking for the young man. He soon spotted Seamus, who was currently being cornered by a couple of orcs, sword in hand, as he tried to defend himself. “Shit!” James cursed, moving to save Seamus.

Unfortunately, an orc got in his way, swinging a club at James. James felt his body seize up at the sight of the attack, cursing as he felt Faust’s spirit force his body to the side, making him fall onto the snowy ground painfully.

‘Stop standing around like an idiot!’ Faust shouted internally.

James gritted his teeth, ignoring Faust’s banter as he chanted out.

“Carapace!”

James felt the rune on his shoulder react to his words and will, burning hot for a quick moment. A warm, snug feeling spread out through his body, wrapping him in an invisible blanket as the aftertaste of berries made its presence. The casting had done its job in less than a second, enough time for James to look over and see the orc’s club coming at him again. James barely got out of the way, thankfully dodging the orc’s attempted attack.

“Haggard! Get to Seamus!” He shouted out as he got back up on his feet.

“I’m trying!” Haggard shouted back.

James risked a glance at Haggard, who was busy with his own fight with another of the bastards. He cursed silently, looking back at his current foe. The orc was already mid-strike, however, catching James off guard with a lunge from his blunt weapon. James felt the attack hit his leather armor, the strike knocking some air out of his lungs. If he hadn’t used his Carapace casting, James would most definitely have some bruised ribs.

‘Thank you, Nathan.’

James grabbed onto the club with a free hand, holding it in place as he caught his breath. He quickly pulled at the club, making his attacker stumble forward before James’ shoulder bashed the orc, putting all of his weight into the attack. His bash was successful, making the bastard trip backward before falling. James panted heavily before going up to the orc and kicking at the asshole’s rising head, blood coming out as his boot made contact.

James turned to where Seamus was, more of the green-skinned attackers surrounding the young man, who looked to be passed out, his body slumped against a tree.

“No...” James heard himself mutter before forcing his feet to move. Just as James was headed toward Seamus, he saw the woman from earlier running past him, moving on all fours as she made her way to Seamus. James watched as the woman reached the group of orcs, her axes cutting through one of their jaws, making it dangle to the side of the orc’s head as it stumbled around.

The bear-woman dodged another attack before she jumped onto the orc’s arm. Using the added height, she buried both of her axes into his skull, blood splattering over her and Seamus. Another orc tried to come up behind her, but she pulled her axes from the other one, swinging both in unison at the idiot’s arm. He howled in pain as the woman pulled them out before she buried an ax at the attacking orc’s knee, making him drop as she buried another in his side.

James looked away before he could see what she was doing. He felt sick to his stomach, bile in the back of his mouth as he wanted to vomit.

“No time for that!” Haggard called before grabbing James and pulling away from the clearing. James could see how more of the green-skinned attackers were arriving at the bloody scene, chasing after James and his companions. The young man looked at Bjorn, blood staining his ax and armor as he ran with James and Haggard.

“What is the plan, James?” the dwarf asked, panting out as he kept up with the two.

James got his bearings, turning back to see how that strange woman retreated into the forest, carrying what looked to be an unconscious Seamus. Miles, with his own sword covered in blood, followed her, carrying someone else on his back.

‘Was he with us?’ James wondered before looking back at the dwarf, who awaited to hear his current plan.

“Here’s the plan, so listen closely!” he shouted out to his companions.

“Fucking run!”