Orc's Hope

All my energies were focused on defending my clan.
I forgot to defend my heart.

Let it be known far and wide that Indrihal is the strongest orc warrior in the land.
He has no care for the pathetic human refugees of this blasted Earth.
Too bad as soon as he sets eyes on the curvy little human woman who calls herself Paloma, and her two very cute toddlers, that tough as nails orc vanishes. 

And becomes all ooey-gooey.

But the dark elves that are coming to burn our houses don’t care.

They want to kill us. Destroy everything we hold dear.
They’ll kill Paloma and take her children.

Not on my watch.

I will destroy this planet from end to end before I let anything harm my mate.
Because there is something more powerful than dark elf magic and orcish strength that will see us through.

The power of love.

Chapter 1

Inhidral

“Help me, War God, to do battle this day.”

I am an orc; we are taught to fear no one. Yet, as I stand rubbing my head, I’m grappling with a feeling I have never felt before, like someone has let off an explosion in my gut.

We are about to fight the dark elves.

They say they are the cruelest and most vicious creatures of all. But, I have yet to take one down with a swing of my axe or see the color of its blood. The look in its eye as it dies.

I’ve seen death in the eye of many; some have gone without emotion, simply given themselves over. Others have battled with death, refusing to let go of their miserable existence. How will these monsters die? 

It feels like I have lived my life for the moment that I know soon will come, the monsters that will come, and I will face them without fear. 

As a young orc, I’d listen to the stories Old Malik would tell about the evil-eyed dark bastards that would descend riding upon their Thlii, using their dark magic to shatter orc children to pieces, stopping at nothing until every orc was hung, drawn, and quartered. 

It was then I promised myself I would protect and let no harm come to any at the hands of this evil. And I have kept that vow all these years against our enemy yet to come. 

We have always been told to prepare for the moment we would have to fight our mortal enemies. To avenge all the fallen orcs in those campfire stories told. Is that where I am? 

Malik needs to speak up. I know he thinks he’s doing right, hiding the absolute truth of what is to come. He knows it would bring panic. I see him prepare them, issuing orders that point towards war. 

He’s getting old; he hides that well, too. He has given so much to the Burning Sun Clan over the years, but the brave orc warrior is starting to show his age, and I will endeavor to protect him in battle if age works against him. I ask the War God to bring me strength. 

I stand tall and mighty and will take pride if I become one of those fallen orcs in stories to come, for I am an orc, and we know no fear. I, Inhidral the Smasher, will protect and wipe these dark elves off the map. I breathe in and face the burning sun.

All this uncertainty couldn’t have come at a worse time. These newcomers since Pitha’s base was left in tatters have poured in. They are stretching the camp to its limit. Look at them rushing about like headless chickens, not knowing what they are preparing for. God knows the chaos if they knew what was coming. But they understand duty and that work has to be done. I know they try; they just need a little organization. That’s where I come in. 

“You lot! Come here!” I bellow at a group of humans I don’t recognize. My voice startles them, and they look at each other with uncertainty. “Godsdammit, I won’t bite!” They scurry over in front of me.  

“Yes, sir?” One of them meekly asks as the rest hide behind each other like children. 

“I don’t recognize you.” I lower my voice, trying not to frighten them further. 

“We are from Pitha’s camp.” It worked; his voice has some strength to it. 

“And what task have you been given?” I ask.

“To fix any damages we find in the walls,” he replies.

“Well, why aren’t you doing that?” I ask them. 

“We don’t know how.” Another one meekly states. 

They are starting to annoy me, but I keep my cool. ”What was your role at Pitha’s Camp?” 

“In the hospital, we’re very good at that.” They all nod in agreement. 

“Fuck sake,” I shake my head in disbelief. “So, you mean to tell me you have been in charge of a job you cannot complete? And you didn’t think of mentioning that to anyone?” I struggle to keep my temper. But after a deep breath, I calm down.

They nod. “Well, we thought to give it a try. We didn’t want to disappoint anyone, you being so kind as to receive us.” 

I sigh; they mean well. It’s not their fault they were born human. “Okay, go to the hospital and ask for Jae. Tell him I sent you to work there.” 

“Thank you, sir,” one of them says as they scuttle off. 

Fucking humans, I think as I watch them clamber towards the hospital. No wonder their kind fell to us so easily. Legends tell that when the first of the orcs came to Earth, the realms were ruled by humans. And those nations were corrupt, soft, and weak. They fell one by one to the magic that the orcs wielded.

But that, too, is now gone. 

  I head to the weapons storage, which thankfully is running like clockwork. I watch as they work, orc and human together, and it makes me proud of how far we have come. They may be useless in battle, but humans have become useful to us in other ways. 

“Keep up the good work, men!” I shout my encouragement. The men nod back in appreciation.  

I scan the rest of the camp, ensuring everything is in order, only to see Tarod, my cousin, showing off as usual while training the young orc in combat. I can’t blame him; he’s always been in another class as a warrior, but I still can hold my own against him. 

Suddenly, I feel a heavy slap on my back that almost knocks me over, and I hear a voice. 

“Now that’s the kind of orc you want beside you in battle, eh, Inhidral?” I turn to see Ardus, who sweeps by me laughing and heads toward the training ground. 

“I’ve kicked your ass more than once, Ardus!” I shout after him, laughing. He means no harm; he’s a strong warrior and a good clansman. And I agree, Tarod is the orc I choose beside me in battle. 

It’s then I hear the high-pitched voice of a child. I quickly look around; there should be no children here. Then again, my keen senses focus, and I follow it toward the training ground, stop, and watch to catch movement. And then it comes, the flick of a curtain at the back of stalls. 

I move silently until I am at the side of the stall. Then I snap back the curtain, revealing two small human children looking guilty. The sight of me makes one jump backward, and the other lets out a high-pitched scream. 

“Sshhh.” I immediately say, trying to calm them both down. We stare at each other momentarily, then realize how terrifying I must seem to them. I kneel, lowering myself to their level. 

“It’s okay, I mean no harm.” I watch as they relax. “Now, tell me, what are your names?”

They both look at each other and then one of them bravely speaks. “I’m Baron, and this is my brother, Hero.”

“I’m Inhidral. Nice to meet you. Can I ask what you are doing here?” I say as gently as I can muster. 

“We were watching the orcs fight,” Baron says.

“I like fighting!” Hero chirps in. 

“Good, good, orcs are good fighters; you can learn a lot from orcs.” I smile. They are coming around. Now, to get the real reason they are here. “How did you get here? Where are your parents?” I add. 

“It’s our fault. Mommy told us to be good,” Baron says, “Please don’t blame her.” 

“Don’t be angry with her, please,” Hero says, his little voice weakened with fear. 

It's time to reassure these two younglings. “I promise I won’t. Now, why don’t you take me to your mother so I can let her know you two are safe? This is a very dangerous place for children to be.” 

They both look at each other again, nod and stand. I rise and follow their lead as we walk away from the training ground until I find myself standing outside the camp kitchen.