An Unusal and Complicated Orc's Dilemma

My creative project was a short story that ended up being a chapter and will be the making of my first novel that I will be working on. I wanted to create something special and would love the class to experience my mythological making of a new world of fantasy and adventure. Please enjoy my epic short story.

An Unusual and Complicated Orc’s Dilemma

The sky turned crimson-black and then seemed to shatter as a dimensional rift split the air with the hissing of a million insects and the smell of acidic sulfur and decay filled the very air. The air shimmered and then snapped as dark, demonic devils came crying out of the endless Võid with shrieks of joyful craving for the flesh and very life essence of the mortal lives splayed out on the battlefield before them. As far as the eye could see over the burning hills were thousands of thousands of crucifixes with the withering and tormented bodies of orc warriors still alive and tortured with flames licking over their agonized bodies, denying them even an honorable death in battle. As the smoke tended to dissipate here and there, a sudden sickening revelation came to be that there were not only warriors, but woman, children and the elderly. Not only that, but it seemed that the other races of Terázák were singled out by the Bleak Dãrkness and the Fãithless Võid, as elves, dwarves, men and even the honorable race of centaurs were destined to be along-side the orcs and crucified for his Dãrkness’ delight and disgusting fancies. My race has been used as slaves for the war fodder of his Dãrkness and now we seem to be cast aside as the pact with the devils from the Fãithless Võid has finally been made with the Bleak Dãrkness and the end of times seems to finally be upon my people and this world. It was then that the crying and pleading figure of an elderly female orc shaman whose body was blistered and bruised from the unyielding tortures preformed on her spirit and soul. Noooooooooo….Motherrrrrrrrrrrr…….NNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

           

“Mmirgö, the others will be here soon for the meeting. The hour of our destiny is upon us and it’s time for you to wake and prepare for this glorious day,” said Balddàr gently and quietly.

The night air was cool and crisp, and the stars twinkled from above as Mmirgö, son of Anömâr, woke up from his bonded blood brother’s words in a cold sweat and wiped the sweat from his brow and shook the blasted nightmare off. Damn! Not that ill-fated nightmare again! The same Nightmare? Dream? Premonition? Prophecy? Why do I keep having this horrible nightmare and why do I have that feeling that true disaster hangs in the cold North wind? And why do I keep seeing my mother in pain and tortured beyond belief?

Mmirgö slipped his boots on and sat up stretching and pondering what his dark dreams could mean and why they wouldn’t reveal more than they did. He got up out of his bedroll and strode over to the cave’s entrance and smelled the scent of boar being roasted, at a nearby campfire, over the pungent smell of mildew from the constantly wet confines of the cave.

Mmirgö gazed out in adoration at the glorious Cárriénián amethyst mountain range which was beautiful at this time of the morning when the sun rose out of the East and cast sparkling purple reflections off the looming mountains and the birds sang joyfully of a new day. Such looming and massive mountains that were so tall, it seemed like some Titan out of the ancient past simply scooped the earth into huge piles and left there to admire. The great sequoia, pine and oak trees groves that littered the mountains truly made the Cárriénián Mountains the most majestic mountains in Terázák. Mmirgö stiffly walked over to the nearby creek and splashed some refreshing icy water onto his face to shake the last of the nightmare cobwebs out of his eyes. He gazed about and thought about his race’s future that hung on this very meeting. Feeling more refreshed he headed over to the campfire to join the other orcs for their morning meal.

“Thank you, my brother, for helping me arrange this meeting that will decide out future as a people,” said Mmirgö to Bàlddàr, his bonded blood brother that has been his closest and most cherished companion as well as his most trusted and valued advisor.

“You are most welcome, but I am not the only one that has made this happen. Your revered mother had so much to do with gathering those we can trust and not betray our cause to the agents of His Bleak Dãrkness. Especially with the Fãithless Inquisitors whom have eyes almost everywhere these dark and troubled days. Young Krîstöff, your brother-kin, has done more than anyone could ask to help bring the Blàck Beàr Clan over to our way of thinking,” replied Bàlddàr, as he cut a slice of steaming hot boar off the spit and handed it to Mmirgö along with a hard roll of sour bread and a flask of some wine and another filled with chilled water from the spring. Mmirgö and his blood brother began to eat their morning fast.

“I know and understand, I guess I am a little nervous over this meeting and what exactly hinges upon it. We cannot abide by being a race of slaves any longer and only be used as His Bleak Dãrkness’ fodder for his army’s frontlines. For far too long have we only been used as warriors and unable to develop our own unique culture as something else besides slaves used only for the purpose of death,” said Mmirgö to his companions as he tore a chunk of boar meat and hungerly ate it and savored the flavorful spiced pork.

“I have always thought we were only bred for war. To be obedient to His Bleak Dãrkness and to obey orders without question. I thought it was an unfair law that we couldn’t think for ourselves, nor have our dreams made into realities until our esteemed mother showed us a wiser direction and reasoning for a better way for our race,” replied the youngling orc, Krîstöff as he sat sharpening his throwing knives from the bandolier around his shoulders that held his countless blades that he was so expertly adept at and never went anywhere without them.

“I agree with the youngster. It is beyond our time to become more than we are now, my brother, especially with you leading the way with the wisdom of your fair words,” answered Bàlddàr from across the fire as he stoked the embers and throwing another log of oak onto sending a shower of sparks upwards in a smoky roar.

“We already have become closer to this land than in our long past history and are developing shamanic powers from understanding this world and land better than we already do. It’s something we have to hide from the majority of our race that is still enamored by the war-like tendencies that have been shackled onto us by the evil we are supposed to serve. But that time has to end. We have to become more than we are if we are going to survive and thrive as an independent race, free to make our own choices and decisions. Our beloved mother has taught us to be more than simple warriors and what I must do in order to give our people a true chance in this unyielding world,” said Mmirgö to his trusted companions. I sure hope I know what I am doing, and this isn’t folly and that the only thing I am actually doing is putting my closest kin in extreme danger by proposing what we have planned, dear mother, on with this upcoming council meeting between the clan leaders I have chosen and whom I think can be trusted.

“Sir, the other leaders are finally here and being led up to join you,” shouted a sentry at the edge of camp as he came trotting over to where Mmirgö was talking to Bàlddàr.

“The time is finally here, and we shall see where it leads, for our people’s lives and fate very well depend on the outcome of this meeting. Come, let us greet the others with warm affection and see what this day brings,” said Mmirgö to his companions as he stood up, stretching to his full towering height and walked forward to where he would meet the other orc clan leaders on this fated day that would determine the fate of the orc race as a whole.

---

When the other orc clans stepped out of the thick canopy of oak trees that lined the forest’s edge, they were distinguishable from their separate clans by their exotic dress and tribal differences among the scattered orc tribes of the Cárriénián Mountains. There was the hulking dark-green skinned Blàck Beàr Clan, with its bear skin clothes over their heavy armor and huge battle axes they were accustomed to wielding in battle and who could become enraged with berserker fury when so enticed and lost in blood-lust. Next came the sleek and stealthy Grey-Spotted Wölf Clan, with their great bows strung across their backs and their bastard swords sheathed at their side as they glanced around solemnly as if this meeting were a casual one. Mmirgö noticed that they had left their wolf companions outside of the meeting place in camp which was highly unusual of them to be separated from their esteemed companions; so much more than mere pets or mounts. The Grey-Spotted Wölf Clan members always had their wolf brethren with them at all times. This must be serious to them to leave them behind and not have them by their sides. Caution was thick in the wind, Mmirgö thought.

            The Bröwn Böar Clan came next, with their crazy warpainted faces and eyes bright and alert for any possible danger that may come to this meeting place. They were dressed in their boar hide armor and had their hand-axes and short swords sheathed at their sides and tied with bright yellow cords signifying that this was a peace conference and that their weapons were primarily for show. The White Pànther Clan came in full armor shining white as fresh snow for they never left their armor behind and out of force of habit, seldomly ever took their armor off. Their great two-handed broadswords were sheathed on their backs. These gigantic warriors were as wide as they were tall and had very light-green skin due to the mountain tops they dwelled on that had snow covering their peaks for much of the seasons.

 Lastly, the Amber Fàlcon Tribe came dressed in leather jerkins with falcon feathers adorning their vestments. Most had their precious falcons with them, hooded for now, sitting on shoulders and arms of shorter and stout orcs who prized their falcons above almost everything else in their lives. There were also representatives from several other clans whose leaders could not make the journey due to other circumstances. Mmirgö sure wished more would have come and heeded his pleas of resisting His Bleak Dãrkness’ overwhelming influence. Many feared His Dãrkness’ Fãithless Inquisitors and therefore were uncommitted as far as what exactly to do and simply bided their time to see how his wars would turn out.

Everyone who needed to be here was here, including Mmirgö’s own Majestic Oàk Clan and he only wished that his mother, Anömâr, could be here to lead the talks but she was in the middle of communing with the Great Forest Spirits that have been helping her channel her shamanistic powers and understanding them on levels undreamt of before. She had also told him that there was some looming danger that they needed to warn her about and make her understand how dire this information was. Could this be linked with his prophetic nightmare that seemed to be reoccurring more frequently as of late? I really wish she was here to help guide these talks about the fate of the orc race for mother always had a way to make others listen in earnest.

“Welcome to the Inner Sanctum of the Majestic Oàk Clan. I, Mmirgö, son of Anömâr, greet you and thank you for coming and heeding my call. I am sorry my mother isn’t here at the moment to lead these talks, but she is communing with the forest spirits right now. She should be back in a few days and if our Meeting is concluded before then, any of you are welcome to stay here until she returns. I know many of you respect her wisdom and revere her ways and customs. Please rest and get refreshed, I have servants that will take you to your assigned resting places. We will convene the talks after dusk when there aren’t as many prying eyes and stretched ears about these lands,” explained Mmirgö in a welcoming tone to make them feel at ease.

Mmirgö watched the procession divide as servants of his clan showed the visiting clans to their proper resting places. He was uneasy and had a bad feeling that something dreadful was going to happen soon and he sure wished that his mother was here, or at least his other brother-kin Mmârküs was here for he always felt more at ease and comfortable when both of his brother-kin were around whom he trusted above all else beside his blood brother Bàlddàr whose fate was tied to his very own since they were orc youngsters. At this point all he could do was wait and hope his mother returned sooner than later for the hope of the orc race truly depended on it.

---

Mmirgö sat cross-legged in the designated chamber that was deep in the Inner Sanctum’s main cavern and watched as the leaders of the various clans made their way inside. Each clan leader was allotted one bodyguard as the only other member of his own tribe here was Bàlddàr,

who typically never left his side, for it was his honor-bound duty to serve as protector of the Prince of the Majestic Oàk Clan. His brother-kin Krîstöff was in charge of the guards around camp and especially of the one entrance that led into the Inner Sanctum. Mmirgö was taking no chance with the safety of his own clan as well as the guest clan that came to hear him out. I wonder if they would have come if they knew exactly what I have planned to ensure the very survival of our race? We shall see what comes from this day and hope that the path my mother wants to take is the path that will not doom our future as a people. Momma come home soon.

            The last visiting clan chief finally seated herself and Mmirgö smiled that this momentous occasion and once again he had a momentary lapse of doubt because his mother wasn’t here when she should have been the one to lead this important conference between the clan leaders assembled in front of him. He glanced around and looked each chief in the eyes as saw the questions each one had mirrored in their eyes and he steadied himself to propose the most-strangest and dangerous ideas to ever come out of the mouth of an orc. He could fell the nervousness and smell the sweat as these orcs sat nervously wondering what this meeting was going to pertain and what their roles would be in it.

That was when Mmirgö heard the beautiful melodic flute tones of his brother-kin Krîstöff, whom had taken to playing the odd and normally elven-used musical instrument and it was like spring time had come and peace washed away all worries. He could see the effect that it on the other orc leaders and was pleasantly surprised to see them relax somewhat as some of their cautious worries ebbed away like the mist dissipating from the late morning sun. Until recently, it was unheard of for orcs to appreciate and let alone understand the concept of music, but times were changing and indeed orcs were evolving into something else entirely. Something far better than the slaves they had been born to be at the beginnings of time for the orc race.

Mmirgö cleared his throat and once again looked everyone in the eyes before beginning. “My friends, my brethren, my fellow clan members, I have called you here for several reasons and offer you hope from our misguided ways of being shackled to His Bleak Dãrkness like we were jewelry easily cast off when unwanted and desired no more. We are a strong people are we not?” he asked his fellow orcs and there was naught but nods of approval and grumbles of assent and understanding gleamed from each orc’s eyes as they deeply heard every word he said.

“Since the dawn of our birth as a race, we have been enslaved and shackled to do other’s bidding. We are used as fodder for His Bleak Dãrkness’ army and are only good to him if we die trying to accomplish his despicable goals. How many times have you heard the officers jeer at us and put us down for being lowly orcs? How many of our own people have been taken to the cages of the Fãithless Inquisitors and are never seen or heard from again? We are always sent to the front lines regardless of the danger or the impossibility of the situation. We are always the first to die in battle and used in any way His Bleak Dãrkness desires. I say the time has come for us to be more, to be so much more and evolve into our own people with our own destiny!!!” Mmirgö said, with the utmost confidence and in a steady and commanding tone so those assembled in front of him would understand the depth of his emotional appeal to them.

There were grumbles of shock and hesitant looks on the Clan leaders faces, but no one openly denied what he said was true and there were even a few looks and nods of approval, especially from Sàlguöd, the leader of the Blàck Beàr Clan, whom was grinning widely as he realized where Mmirgö was going with this already. Sàlguöd had always been wise for his years and much smarter than the average Orc. Mmirgö nodded to him in respect and recognition of a kindred spirit, for they had been fierce competitors growing up and training together in the pits.

“The other races of Terázák that we have battled over the centuries have always been considered the good races as we orcs have always been deemed evil by these other ‘goodly’ races. They label us mindless monsters and claim since we were born evil to be slaves, that we

will die as evil beings and as slaves. What makes those races good? Is it having a culture? The ability to know music and art. The ability to appreciate and revere nature and the creatures in it. The ability to be an individual and have the freedom of choice and be a free-willed race. What makes us as a race, evil? Is it because we are forced to serve and be slaves to evil? Is it because we appear to be monsters to the other races?” shouted Mmirgö with a sneer.

“I say nay, we aren’t monsters like the trolls or the deformed ogres and giants. I have pondered over the last decade on what our race actually is and who we are as a people,” explained Mmirgö to the other orcs. There were shocked whispers of agreement intermingled with looks of surprise as these leaders had a strong feeling where this was leading. They were eagerly awaiting what he was about to propose, even though none of them could have expected this, except for perhaps Sàlguöd. Mmirgö nodded once again and cleared his throat to continue.

            “The races of elves and dwarves and men, and even the elusive centaurs, have always been our enemies as if we were destined to be so. But I say Nay, what would you all here feel if I told you my mother and our tribe have had peaceful encounters with several clans of elves that see more in us as we do in them and that we don’t have to be enemies to these races that stand for good and have been our enemies for far too long now?” asked Mmirgö with all sincerity.

            Now there were shouts of wonderment and some clan leaders couldn’t believe what they just heard. They weren’t really dismayed or disgusted with what Mmirgö just said but were bewildered that his clan would even contemplate doing such a thing. If the Fãithless Inquisitors ever found out it would be a death sentence for all involved and perhaps for their entire tribe. Bàlddàr cleared his throat loudly as he banged his sheathed sword against the wall causing it to echo loudly throughout the cave thus gaining everyone’s abrupt attention in a call for silence.

Mmirgö saw doubt in his fellow orc’s eyes, but more than that he also saw curiosity mirrored in many eyes and even a few acknowledging nods of approval. “I believe we are on the path to genocide if we keep going as we are. Many orc younglings never reach adult age as we are trained as youths to be warriors and learn the wicked ways of battle. Female younglings are disregarded and if too many of them are born are killed at birth because we are expected to slay them outright. They say females are only good for breeding males and nothing else. Once again brothers, I say nay to that reasoning and say we must be more if we are to survive as a race!” Mmirgö said to his assembled clan leaders and friends among them hoping they understood.

“Most of you know my mother very well. She has always been cherished and respected among you for her words of wisdom, undeniable intelligence, and her amazing powers of healing that she uses to help ease the pain and suffering of others. She is one of the greatest orc women in our long history and has shown that there is far more worth to female orcs than what is taught to us by our slavers. She has taken chance after chance with how different she is and by studying the ways of a healer and has thankfully not attracted the eyes of the Fãithless Inquisitors that would make her suffer eternally for what she has done to escape the expectations of what a female orc should be!!” examined Mmirgö. He saw the glances of serenity and revered respect shadow each and every orc that was attending this meeting of extreme importance.

“What you do not know about my dearest and most precious mother is that not only has she studied the ways of being a healer, but she has also been training with elven shaman and learning the ways of becoming one with nature and everything in it. She has been studying the hurts and grievances of this world and what can be done to help heal the land before it is damaged beyond reckoning,” said Mmirgö. This time there were looks of shock mixed with understanding for that is how much everyone in this room thought so very highly of Anömâr and

truly revered and worshipped her in certain obscure ways, but with the utmost trust and faith.

            “Not only that my friends, but I have also begun my studies of shamanism and wish to be more than a mere warrior. It is time for us as a race to start learning other ways and becoming something way different than we are now. There is a wind of change upon us and what we do will determine our fate as a people. I believe that it is now time for a change for our race to be better than what we are for I feel we are more than capable of becoming our own people with our own values and interests that vastly differ from just war-like tendencies. Many of our people are already learning different skills that aren’t solely associated with the way of the warrior. We already are becoming different than we were traditionally so why not take a chance at becoming something so much more?” Mmirgö inquired to his fellow brethren. He saw the keen spark of interest light in each and every orc in the room. Wish you were here momma for you would be so proud. I know you will be when you are back here soon, mother, where you truly belong.

            “His Bleak Dãrkness must be stopped for in his insanity and madness he is conspiring with entities from the Võid. Entities that you all have seen as the Fãithless Inquisitors and I can tell you know there are much more that are extremely dangerous and go beyond the meaning of evil. Creatures from the Fãithless Võid do not distinguish between good or evil and will completely devour this world and feed on it forever if completely freed upon it. The Fãithless Võid is beyond evil and His Bleak Dãrkness has fallen so deep in his madness that he can’t even see what he is doing will eventually be his own downfall as well. This is a time that we part ways from this folly that we have been chained to and enslaved by for far too long now. We need to take the tribes willing to go and leave the South and leave His Dãrkness forever. The fate of our people lies on this decision I truly believe and the time for us to make our choice is now!!!” demanded Mmirgö. There were roars of approval from the other orcs gathered and listening to him transcend the race of orc to higher levels ever dreamt before this awe-inspiring speech.

            There were mutters of protest mixed with higher voices proclaiming their agreement of Mmirgö’s assessment of the orc race’s predicament. Sàlguöd stood up with a smirk on his face and boldly asked, “Where would we go Mmirgö if you want us to leave our homes in the South and find a new place where we can live and be free of His Bleak Dãrkness?”

            Mmirgö looked into Salguöd’s eyes and then deeply into the faces of each clan leader and saw they were all looking to him for an answer and that they all seemed to be fully supportive of his cause so far. What I plan next will either make this or break this and the fate of the orcs will be based upon what he is about to propose and in any other instance, but this one, would surely be deemed completely wild and ludicrous to the orcs gathered here in front of him. Well here I go and may my mother watch over me in these next few moments and keep this peaceful.

            “The elves that my mother and I have become acquainted with and friends of hers have offered us a place in the North if we are willing to accept it as our new home. Some elves know we aren’t an evil race, just one that has been misguided and used as slaves. Many more are changing their thinking and realize that we can become more than we are now if we truly chose a different path that will allow us to grow into our own people. I say we must forsake His Bleak Dãrkness and join the side that we have fought since the beginning of our time here. I say and appeal to all of you here that we make new allies and become something better for this world. I say we make a world for ourselves where are children can be born and raised having fun and being youthful and that we can learn to be artists, we can learn poetry and learn music for the purpose of joy and merriment instead of sounds of impending war. We have never had our own distinct culture and I say no more. It is our time. It is the time and age of orcs. A time that we break our shackles and free ourselves from our unjust jailors. I firmly believe that we can find a new home in the North and we should take as many willing to go with us. If we stay, then I fear we are doomed and soon there will be no orcs left,” explained Mmirgö sadly. Let’s see where this leads us dearest momma, wish you were here for the most momentous occasion in the history of our race and all started because of your kind and gentle ways. Hurry back please and be where you are meant to be, and that is leading our people into a brighter and more hopeful future. This is all for you and your hard work in making this a possibility ma, always know that I love you and respect you more than my mere words can convey. You are the best there is, ma!!! Always and forever!!! A new time and age for the orc race like you wanted dear momma.

“Aargggg, what about the orcs that fanatically follow His Bleak Dãrkness and are nothing more than ravenous beasts filled with unquenchable blood lust and simply thirst for war and death, arggghh? Arrrrgghh, are we to forsake them and divide our people, arrgggg?” asked Trevörr of the Amber Fàlcon Clan with a look of uncertainty on his face, for all knew he had relatives in the Barking Hyenà Clan and simply could not deal with losing members of his family for they were dearly precious to him and his clan was much smaller than most others.

“This is a hard road we will take if we forsake our obedience to His Dãrkness and we pursue our own destiny. The Wild Görillà Clan will surely hunt us down and brand us as treacherous dogs for they are the largest clan among our race and have always been under the shadow and sway of His Dãrkness. If we decide to leave, we will make many enemies among our own people, but they have lost their ways and have succumbed to the evil path to His Dãrkness own perverted delight. We have come to a crossroads and must now decide what we are going to do. Stay and eventually have our entire race decimated or embark on a path that will lead us to salvation and our own future. We must decide, and it isn’t an easy choice, my friends, but never less it is a choice we must make for the sake of our sanity and survival. We must have new ways down a road we have never been on but surely will lead to something new and better for our people. We must become more than we are,” said Mmirgö as he stood up proud and straight to signify that what he was going to say next would be the pivotal factor that directs these clan leaders to fully make up their own minds on this precarious edge of oblivion that the orc race now faces and face it head on the orc race must. It comes to this now, dearest mother.

“The last thing I need to say is that His Bleak Dãrkness has plans of forming an alliance with the devils from the Fãithless Võid and what he attempts is sheer lunacy for our race and every living being on Terázák and in the entire world! If he succeeds, then it will be an inevitable doom that will fall on the entire world. I have been having visions now for several months and my mother assures me that they are prophetic and pertain premonitions of what is going to be and not what may happen. I have certainly been confused by them since they began and that is the main reason why my mother isn’t here. Anömâr went to commune with the forest spirits specifically to let them know about my dreams and to find out if they have any insights to what they actually mean,” explained Mmirgö as thoroughly as he could. He saw faces darken around the room at the mention of the Fãithless Võid. It was bad enough to be enslaved minions of an evil such as His Dãrkness but such reeking evil as the Fãithless Võid made every orc in the room shudder at the mere mention of them. Incredibly nasty and insatiably hungry for the life essence of every living thing they come across until there is nothing left but the cold and empty Võid.

“I knew things were going towards a bad ending but this… This is complete insanity and surely will be our doom if we stay. I have always followed Anömâr’s guidance, ever since we were younglings together. I know that what you are conveying to us is true. My clan and myself pledge our undying loyalty to you and Anömâr’s cause and we stand by you, this I swear and pledge to you know Mmirgö,” stated Nàvönöd, of the Grey-Spotted Wölf Clan. Nàvönöd’s clan were very strong supporters of my mother and had been for a very long time now. If only you were here mother, you would be beyond pleased. I can’t wait for you to get back, dear one.

“There is another reason that I propose we ally I ourselves with those we call our enemies for now but hopefully that will change real soon here. In my nightmarish visions, I have glimpses 

of our race nailed and crucified on countless crosses, withering in torturous flames but not dying. We were not the only ones suffering as I saw the races of men, elves, dwarves and centaurs alongside us in the same withering torment and anguish. The world was afire as the sky cracked and opened a portal to the Fãithless Võid and the sky rained demonic devils upon the world to feed and feed to their heart’s content! If we do not warn the other races and escape ourselves and make an alliance with them, we shall indeed all perish by the flames of the Võid!! I know this is all hard to digest and seems hopeless and fruitless, but I beg you to heed my words and at least we will die trying to better ourselves and protect this world from utter destruction. It is time for the orc race to stand on their own feet and be our own orc!! Not meaningless slaves that are only good for death’s feasting. What say you, my friends and brethren?” demanded Mmirgö in a roar, and the council member’s loud roars of approval echoed his throughout the cavern, like thunder rippling over the mountains in crashing waves. Mother would be so pleased to know her hard work had paid off in the end and that the fate of the orc race was now in their hands and it was his supreme duty now to find that better path for his people and that path lies in the North.

“For far too long now have we been a warrior people and have had to fight with dishonor instead of the way of a true warrior. Warriors should fight with honor and not like craven dogs backstabbing you when there is the opportunity. We are bred to be machines of war and to fight and die in behalf of His Dãrkness’ whims and where he decides to send us for the next battle in this age-long war. We simply fight, and fight and die, and there is nothing else for us, or is there? Where has our dignity gone when we are deemed worthless and used as a tool but then just as easily disregarded? We have been slaves for way too long and we have lost our honor being His Dãrkness’ curs. There is a time when one must see more than just what is in front of him and that time is now, my brethren” said Mmirgö with unbridled passion.

“My last orders from His Dãrkness came a couple months ago and is supposed to be carried out soon, but alias, it is not something I can do, nor will do. Not this time. When I hear of the atrocity that he wanted me to preform, I was so filled with revulsion and shocked dismay, I am thankful that He didn’t seem to notice the angst in my heart and soul. I felt sick to my inner being and felt dizzy from how horrendous it was from being ordered to do something I could never do myself. Not as a warrior, and certainly not as an orc. I could never order and of my clan to do what He wanted, I just couldn’t and wouldn’t. Not ever, no matter what the empty rewards that He offered were for we here all know just what a spiked tongue that devil has and how evil he truly is. I was surprised that he chose me and my clan and not the fabulous White Görrilà Clan that is surely more than willing to carry out his orders because of how bloodthirsty stark craven mad they all are. But I believe they are deployed on the Northeastern front right now, but I know they could have been recalled and switched out to do this bit of His Dãrkness’ dirty work. I believe there is something going on, some hidden agenda that I haven’t been able to foresee,” explained Mmirgö with all sincerity and his eyes showed the others the deep anger boiling there, and they instantly became more attentive awaiting the fall of the hammer stroke that was hanging overhead and more than ready to fall heavily down and awaken the orcs to life.

“His Dãrkness ordered me to march in secret over the Cárriénián Mountains and make three war strikes on elven settlements in the Pándórián region, specifically in the Téslárián and Késlárián forests of that region. You all well know that those settlements are not filled with warriors, but with woman, children and the elders. They are strong shamanistic communities that are more peaceful and co-exist with the land and help tend it. Most of the male warriors of that region are on the Northeastern front where the fighting there is intense right now with both sides too involved in the fighting to break away if they needed to. My orders were direct and what I am about to tell you all now will surely shock you and upset you all as much as it did to me,” said Mmirgö with more than a hint of despair being heard in his voice and tone, and even his body had gone rigid with a rage that was growing from a seed planted there from that vile order he was given. An order that was so much more than a death sentence and true insanity incarnate.

“I am supposed to burn the entire region down and taking some prisoners, specifically the

young elves. I am to raze their shamanic order that lives in the region and kill every shaman but not before wickedly torturing them for any useful information. His Dãrkness wants to make these peaceful people an example to the elves everywhere and the suffering he wants done to them is beyond anything that I could ever imagine. We are to cut off the shaman’s tongues and nail them to their forehead as a warning not to commune with the land. Their heads are to be cut off and tied to their hands, so it looks as if they are holding their own heads. Every elf that is taken alive is to be horribly maimed and marked by His Dãrkness’ offensive lust. He wants the Lakes, rivers and all water their poisoned with foulness. He wants the forests ravaged with fire and burnt completely down. Then with the remaining elven prisoners we are to hew crucifixes out of their sacred groove of elm trees, trees that are thousands of years old. Then we are to nail each elven child upside down with a thousand cuts all over their withering and pleading bodies. Their tongues are to remain intact so that they can wail in anguish and bitter suffering for the other elven tribes to eventually hear and see the punishment for opposing His Dãrkness,” explained Mmirgö with intense sadness and frustration in his cracking voice.

            There were looks of revulsion and complete shock on every orc face in the room. Some were even queasy and looked if they might throw up from hearing this evil craziness. “This my brethren, I cannot and will not do. There is no way that I would bring this kind of dishonor to me or any other orc in my clan. These are the same shamans that my mother has been communing with and learning her newfound art from. Anömâr has nothing but respect for them. And more than that, my brother Mmârküs has been blood brothers with a particular rogue elf since he was a youngling,” said Mmirgö as he saw looks of bewilderment on many faces but thankfully saw no anger on any council member face which means he choose the right clans that were more open to new ideas and stranger concepts not thought of before.

This was an unprecedented leap for many here to make and he saw that many were willing to take the steps to assure the survival of their race, even if that meant befriending those who had been enemies ever since the dawn of their race, but not necessarily by their own choosing. More like the commands of the slave driving evil that is His Bleak Dãrkness. It seemed like everyone had gone quite as if deep in thought, but he did see a nod of approval from Sàlguöd as well as Nàvönöd and he instantly knew the others would follow their example.

“So, it is now time to decide. Shall we find our own destiny and be free to develop our own distinct culture? Shall we once again rise out of the darkness that has nearly crushed our race into fine dust ready to be blown away for all eternity? Shall we once again follow the true way of the warrior and regain the honor we have lost long ago? The times comes where we will be a free people allowed to be happy and grow into a better people. It is either going to be freedom my brethren, or utter oblivion,” said Mmirgö with a fierce certainty.

There were shouts of approval across the room, starting as a quiet tremor and then cascading into a deafening roar as you could see the eager excitement and consensual nods from every orc that was assembled before Mmirgö. At that moment, he knew that the orc race would now have a future and one brighter than ever dreamed of before. My dear mother, you’re dream has been born into fruition and you would be so proud of the way things turned out. You were right to expect Nàvönöd and Sànguöd to be your stoutest supporters for your revolutionary idea of freeing the orc people and have them find their own way in the world, free from the shackles of tyrannical slavery. We now have a chance momma, a chance to save us and perhaps start healing the world and land that we have hurt since our servitude to His Dãrkness.

Suddenly the air grew still and seemed to chill out of nowhere and Mmirgö’s muscles grew tense and the hair on his body stood on end as if from some mysterious static electricity that arouse out of the emptiness that is the Võid. He saw the other orcs reacting the same way as tension grew in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife as if the air were made of butter. The candle’s flames in the room flickered and danced as if from some unfelt wind blew through, causing silhouettes of deformed shadows to be cast against the walls of the cavern. The air instantly smelt of sulfur and brimstone mixed with the decay of death as if they were suddenly transformed to some macabre battlefield of diabolical butchery. Weapons were drawn from sheaths with hisses or unstrung from back harnesses as bodyguards positioned themselves to protect their leaders. The hasty chaos of the movement and actions of the other orcs was all in sheer silence for not one soul uttered a word in abject fear for the way they were feeling from the sudden change of the cavern’s atmosphere and the feeling of looming dread. Chaos was here!

 The air in the center of the room near the exit seemed to expand and shrink at the same time shimmering with an oily blackness that shined with radiating evil from a Võid not quite formed yet. The bubbly mass grew and then popped with a blast that deafened everyone’s ears and caused some orcs to double over clinching the sides of their heads as blood seeped out of their ears from the agonizing pain. You could see the tormented screams emitting from their mouths, yet soundless words were all that came forth in muted waves of terrifying pain that was so very unbearable. This was woe incarnate and many in this cavern had never experienced such emptiness and yet at the same time such creeping echoes of a Võid that at once became all too real to the orcs gathered in this sacred council chamber of the Majestic Oàk Clan.

Mmirgö finally felt control of his muscles after they were momentarily frozen in utter dismay as a black scaled hand, with curved claws that were like razor-sharpened daggers, slowly pushed its way through the shimmering portal of blackened mirror-like fluid that seemed to hang balanced in mid-air. His blood felt like it was burning with freezing needles jabbing away at every nerve in his body. What came next made Mmirgö wish he could stab his eyes out with blazing hot pokers, so he could take that scarring image out of mind that was threatening to shatter from the despicable horror creeping out of nothingness and entering stark reality.

Coming out of the shimmering Võid stepped a jet-black monstrosity never seen before, as far as Mmirgö knew. The creature emanated pure malevolence beyond any worldly entity and it stood at least twelve feet tall and was heavily muscled with a trio of tails whipping back and forth behind this creature of the Võid. At the end of each tail there was an abnormal bulbous scorpion-like stinger that was dripping with a slimy, bluish corrosive venom that radiated death. The monster’s skin was jet black and had a shiny mirror-like surface to it. At the end of each of its four massively-muscled arms were scaled claws that ended in razor sharp claws as big as an orc’s forearm. This creature out of the depthless void stood upright on two legs that were sleek but rippled with muscle and looked to be extremely agile. The devil out of the Võid had a large, elongated, oval-shaped head had a gaping snout with row upon row of razor-sharp fangs and had a half a dozen flailing, slimy tentacles withering around the creature’s mouth giving it a horrible ravenous demeanor. The twisted devil had large crimson-black cat-like eyes that held a cunning intelligence and were filled with a hateful-lust and burning-desire to rend and tear the flesh from the orcs before it with abandon and evil glee, and Mmirgö instantly knew it was quite capable of doing so in a variety of horrifying and twisted ways.

Once the creature was completely clear of his shimmering portal, the portal fluctuated and then simply imploded in on itself with a loud rending snap. Every orc in the room seemed to be frozen with shock from the unexpected intruder interrupting their secret council meeting. The contorted Võid devil stood there reeking in pure malice and surveyed the multitude of orcs that were cowering in fear or still had not regained their senses enough to act right away. It was as if time had stopped and there was no longer any control over the events that were unfolding.

The Võid devil arched its back and a sleek tail shot from overhead to the right and faster than the eye could see the dripping stinger impaled the envoy of the White Pànther Clan through his chest before his startled bodyguard could even react to try and step in and protect his charge. The tail sprung back with amazing agility and took the poor orc envoy with it as he was dashed against a far wall with such force that everyone in the room heard the orc’s bones snap with the brutality of the impact. Mmirgö stared in sullen disbelief and tried to force his stiffened muscles out of their lethargic state in order to attack this vile thing that had the audacity to attack the council and the charges that were under his protection. A second tail whipped out and pierced another orc in his torso as the stinger pumped venomous, brackish dark blue ichor into the startled orc. The tail withdrew from the orcs stomach and the orc stood there shuddering and shaking violently as the venom spread throughout its veins searching for the orc’s living and beating heart. Cankerous abrasions erupted all over the orc’s body and they bubbled viscously and oozing bluish-tainted blood and bile in rivulets down his trembling and slowly dying body.

Suddenly the enchanting haze was lifted from the room like a veil and Mmirgö had full control of his senses and noted that the other orcs were starting to come out of their demonic haze that had consumed their minds for a few moments. Weapons whistled out of sheathes and two orc guards, one whom was the enraged White Pànther bodyguard, rushed forward roaring in defiance to challenge this hulking brute that dared intrude on the holy Inner Sanctum. The Võid devil just stood there with what looked like an evil grin and eyes blazing with inner fury as he simply snatched both orcs in its powerful arms and gripping talons and stood there gazing at Mmirgö. It tilted its head back and snarled in wicked delight and then spread its arms wide and smashed the two orcs together in such incredible strength that their heads came together and then disappeared and exploded in a shower of bone and scarlet mist as orcs were splattered with the flying fragments of their brethren’s brains and blood. The misfortunate orcs bodies melded together as one deformed mess of limbs and the devil threw the body directly at Mmirgö as if saying he was soon to be the next on its list to die in excruciating and enduring pain.

“Bàlddàr, when you see a chance escort the council members out of here and get them protected at all costs. Keep this beast at bay and busy until your charges are safely escorted from here,” Mmirgö shouted to his blood brother and to the other orc warriors gathered in the room.

He saw that several brave orcs were already circling the Võid devil trying to find an opening in the creature’s defenses as well as blocking swiping claws and striking tails. Another orc crumpled to the ground in a bloody mess as savage strike from the monster’s claws ripped half his face away and his jaw went flying through the air. Another orc finally drew blood from the beast as he got lucky and slipped his spear inside the beasts blocking arm and buried his spear in its midsection right above its waist. The devil threw its head back and screamed in misery at being wounded by such insignificant beings as these lowly orcs. It fiercely roared as it broke the spear shaft into pieces and grabbed the attacking orc by his torso and plucked the fellow up off his feet and brought the orc closer to its salivating wide-open jaws as its tentacle-like appendages gripped the orc’s upper torso and viciously bit the orc’s head clean off in an erupting shower of blood that flew everywhere. The Võid devil then slammed the orc’s body up against the cavern’s roof with such tremendous force that the orc’s body stayed smashed against the roof as if glued there by some unseen force and dripped bloody gore down in a shower of blood and flesh. The creature turned and gazed at Mmirgö with a malicious hunger and spit the orc’s ravaged and bloody head at Mmirgö in a blatant challenge and eagerness to kill everyone.

 Mmirgö eyed the creature wearily and ran forward swinging his scimitar in a two-handed overhead stance and brought it down towards the creature’s neck. The Võid devil tried blocking but Mmirgö’s scimitar tore a bloody gash along two of its forearms. A poisonous tail came swiping in towards Mmirgö’s left and he deftly rolled to his side as the stinger crashed down where Mmirgö had just been standing. He jumped to his feet and circled to his left around the beast and its striking tails that struck faster than the eye could see and were just one of the

dangers that this devil had in its offensive attacks. Mmirgö quickly took a mental note of the discoloration on the back of the creature’s neck right below the base of its skull and it seemed to Mmirgö that it may well be a weak spot that could be exploited later to their advantage.

Mmirgö surveyed the situation briefly and saw that Bàlddàr was escorting most of council members out with a few bodyguards as further protection. Sàlguöd, and surprisingly Nàvönöd, were the only clan leaders staying behind to aid in the battle against this Võid devil form the unknown hells of the Fãithless Võid. Mmirgö wasn’t surprised that Sàlguöd stayed behind with his bodyguard for he was a renowned warrior and one that would not shy away from any fight let alone leave his friends behind. Nàvönöd’s presence was a mystery to him and he was puzzled at why she would stay amidst the bloodshed and carnage and be at risk of becoming one of this devil’s victims. It was also odd that she seemed to be deep in prayer clenching her gnarled staff in both hands and in front of her raised slightly in the air towards the craven devil.

“Sàlguöd, have your bodyguard protect Nàvönöd with his life and we shall take this beast down. Everyone else, keep it occupied and search out the discolored spot below the base of its skull for I believe it could be a weak spot and our chance at taking it down and killing this thing. Wait for my cue and keep it off me and when the time is right, I shall make my killing blow,” shouted Mmirgö over the sounds of the battle that were continuing around the room.

Mmirgö turned all of his attention back towards the creature and strode towards it again and saw that there were only three orc bodyguards left standing as well as Sàlguöd and himself. Almost a dozen orc bodies lay broken and bloody all over the room and Mmirgö realized he must take this thing down fast before there are any more causalities, especially Nàvönöd, his mother’s dear friend and his ally as well. Mother, I am so sorry if I fail you in this. I will do everything in my power to protect Nàvönöd or I shall die trying and then we will meet in the afterlife once again mother, my dearest. I sincerely hope you are safe from harm, mother.

            The Võid devil seemed to be tiring slightly and Mmirgö knew his chance was coming soon. An orc guard with twirling hand axes came in quickly at the devil and raked both axes along one of its arms and hands, cleanly sheering off the demon’s wrist as the other axe bit deeply into the creature’s arm but becoming lodged deeply in bone and in muscle. The Võid devil screamed in rage and intense pain and lifted its arm violently and slamming the orc still gripping the one axe as the orc tried to swing his free axe at the leering creature’s face. The devil simply flung his arm and the orc went flying and hit the far wall near Nàvönöd and sank to the ground in a twitching heap. Sàlguöd leaped forward and grabbed the devil in a frontal bearhug in his huge armored arms trapping three of its arms to its side. The devil squirmed and tried to break free as it sent one of its tails striking overhead towards Sàlguöd’s exposed and laughing face. The stinger came mere inches from Sàlguöd’s face, but another orc’s bold and lucky sword stroke deflected the stinger and nearly grazing Sàlguöd face as he could feel the warmth of the dripping blue venom glide by his face and splash a nearby orc making him howl in pain.

            “Now! Sàlguöd keep your hold on the devil,” screamed Mmirgö and he circled around an orc to get behind the creature and with all his might he thrust his scimitar two-handed into the spot below the base of the devil’s skull and it slid in easily through the devil’s brain and the tip of the scimitar protruded from the monster’s mouth. The creature froze for a second and then shook with unbridled animosity and force that it wriggled out of Sàlguöd’s hold and flung him back as well as shaking Mmirgö lose too. Mmirgö barely kept a hold of his scimitar as he escaped the thrashing devil’s body and realized that victory over this foul Võid devil was close at hand. The battle of his life was ending and Mmirgö felt nothing but relief that he and the others had succeeded and that most of the council members were spared from this butchery.

            The Võid devil stood there withering in pain and turned its bleeding head towards Mmirgö and started snickering, “Ssssssssso, I have failed were othersssss will not, putrid orcling.

Even though I have failed, I have alssssso ssssssucceeded. Look to your mother now, but you ssssssshall never again sssssssee your mother. The Võid ssssshall conquer thissssss world and burn it to assssshesssssss!!!!” it stated with a surety as if it knew these events have already happened and there was nothing that Mmirgö or anyone could do to stop this madness.

            The Võid devil’s lifeless and bloody body fell to the ground but not before it started glowing a faint crimson from inside its body and it started to shudder with increased intensity as the glowing became brighter and making the lifeless body spasm wildly. Mmirgö had no idea what was happening, but he didn’t like the looks of this one bit. Cracks of crimson light started spreading all over the devils convulsing body and grew so bright it was dazzling to the eyes to the point of blindness. It’s body actually looked like it was growing slightly and expanding from the inside out. Mmirgö had a bad feeling about this as he slowly backed up wondering what was going to happen next and if he was even now capable of overcoming this new threat.

            “Everyone get down, I don’t know if my shield will hold what happens next,” shouted Nàvönöd as she raised her staff and slammed it on the cave floor muttering words of incantation that couldn’t be clearly heard from her mumbling and a light green glow enveloped the devil. Mmirgö and the other orcs listened to her earnestly and threw themselves flat on to the cavern’s floor. The beast continued to shudder as well as spasm violently and then started to screech as its body was glowing a deep crimson and multitudes of tiny cracks had erupted all over. Then it flashed brighter than Mmirgö’s eyes could handle and exploded into an array of dark bluish flame that looked deadly and highly corrosive to the touch. Thankfully the blast was contained by an invisible barrier and Mmirgö had to assume that it was the spell that Nàvönöd had cast and in essence saved all their lives from another final looming threat made by the Võid devil.

            Mmirgö pushed himself to his feet and staggered over to Nàvönöd’s kneeling and sweating body. He noticed Sàlguöd and the other two orcs slowly rising to their own feet as well, and he breathed a sigh of relief that Sàlguöd had survived the fight with only minor cuts and bruises. “Are you alright Nàvönöd? Are you hurt?” inquired Mmirgö as he helped the wheezing shaman to her feet and looked her over for any signs of injury done to her by the hellish beast.

            “Yes, yes, I am Mmirgö, that just took way more out of me that I thought it would. That creature was something from the Võid that we have not encountered or experienced yet. It was far stronger than I gave it credit for and I shall never make that mistake again for it was almost the end of me trying to channel my inner strength into that shield. I had a feeling that it had a trick like that up its sleeve. From the Võid it came and to the Võid it returns!” she explained.

            “Thank you for that. I am sure that Mother would thank you too if she were here to do so. What do you think it meant by saying I would never see my mother again? That part has me greatly worried and I fear something is amiss and I can’t quite wrap my mind on this turn of unfortunate events that have proceeded our council meeting,” Mmirgö asked Navönöd.

“I don’t know but I do not think it is good that the devil knew about your mother and that there may be plans involving her that we may know nothing about yet-” replied Navönöd, but was interrupted by the noise of rushing feet and bodies coming towards the chambers entrance as Bàlddàr came rushing in with Mmârküs right behind him and a throng of orc guards with blades drawn and ready for battle; although just a little too late to be of any real importance.

“Brother, you are back, it is good to see you and that you are here now,” Mmirgö said to his brother clasping his forearm as Mmârküs looked grim and was frowning with worry.

“My brother, I came back here as soon as possible I have bad news and by the looks of it, the Võid has already acted here. I was out hunting with Trébór, my blood brother, as we do at this time of year and training each other in the lore of our separate races. I am learning much of the elven way of hunting and foraging. Trébór received word from the shaman circle of his tribe with dire warning that we needed to head south and find you and mother. The elven shamans have been in commune with the land and was warned that your mother is in extreme danger and peril and the orc race is threatened. They didn’t have any clear details but did say that the Võid’s

presence on this world is about to gain a much bigger entry to here and that this world would be in the utmost jeopardy if that were to happen. Trébór and I came here as soon as we could and when we reached camp, we saw that it was in complete disarray. There has been a minor attack outside in the camp too, my brother. The Barking Hyenà Clan has attacked us like the pitiful dogs they are, but this is a first. Orcs fighting orcs in the attempt to eradicate our clan is unheard of and has never happened in the history of our race. His Bleak Dãrkness must fear us to attempt this or else he knows of our desires to break our pact of slavery and free our misguided people,” explained Mmârküs to Mmirgö and the other orcs gathered around listening to the grim tidings.

            “What about mother? This devil’s attack here was directed at the council members and especially at me. And at the end it mentioned that I would never see our mother again,’ Mmirgö asked his brother with increasing worry written all over his face and his body tensely wound.

            “Mother is in danger and we need to go to her now I fear, before it’s too late and the Võid devils reach her. I now believe this attack isn’t the only one happening at the moment and we must go now to the Sacred Oàk Grove and get to mother as fast as possible, time is short, and we have none to spare sad to say. Trébór has already left with Krîstöff and a few guards to show them a quicker path. We must do so as well brother, before we are too late,” Mmârküs stated.

            Mmirgö was already pushing himself past his brother and was sprinting down the path towards the cavern’s exit with Mmârküs, Bàlddàr. Sàlguöd. and Nàvönöd closely behind. When Mmirgö burst out of the Inner Sanctum, he was shocked to see the camp in disarray and broken and bloody bodies everywhere and noticed that most of the bodies were from the Barking Hyenà Clan, although he did see fallen Oàk clansmen and women scattered among the wreckage. Anger kindled deep inside Mmirgö’s heart at that moment. The sheer brutality and overall cunning of this attack made Mmirgö regret not taking this matter more seriously and posting extra guards as precaution against this very thing. He shook his head in dismay as tears welled in his eyes for his fallen brethren and for his lack at keeping his mother safer from this very thing he feared.

            “We must leave and get to mother now,” said Mmirgö to Mmârküs. “My brother, you must remain here and help those wounded and protect the clan envoys and make sure no other harm befalls them. Bàlddàr, form up some battle-hardened warriors and we shall leave at once for the Sacred Oàk Grove and get to mother before anything happens to her, although I have a bad feeling that we must leave at once and with all haste! There is no time to waste.”

            “Arrrgggg, my clan is at your disposal my lord. Arrrggghh. After this debacle and seeing His Dãrkness true nature, we are with you and must leave this slavery behind and find our own way under your guidance, arggggghh. We shall stay and help those in need as well as protect this camp with our very lives if need be, I believe Mmârküs is needed to by you, arrgghh,” said Trevörr standing proudly with great respect and esteem for Mmirgö, showing he was humbled.

            “You won’t be going alone, my friend,” stated Sàlguöd, “For I shall be coming along and make sure nothing so much as lays a finger on Anömàr. Bèzàrk, gather Trèshàr and Krèshàr, for we will need the twin’s long swords and staunch bravery for what may lie ahead. I am with you Mmirgö until the end of times, my brother. Let’s go get your mother and assure her safety!”

            “Thank you both, this means so much that you are all willing to help me with what comes next. We must truly hurry though, before this dark foreboding of mine becomes a stark reality and something dreadful happens to my mother,” stated Mmirgö. I pray you are safe and well, my dear mother. The salvation of our race cannot happen without you to guide the orcs to find their proper place in this world and evolve in to a better people and free to be who they want to be.

            “You won’t be leaving without me, little one. Your mother is one of my closet friends, teacher and mentor to me. There is no way I am staying behind to worry like an old orc. I have power that you are unaware of. I truly believe that shamanistic power is a mighty weapon against the creatures of the Võid and may be the answer in defeating His Dãrkness before he frees the protective barriers and loosens the Võid upon this world and tears it apart in his delusional lunacy,” Nàvönöd stated as she walked up to the small group of orcs that were gathered around Mmirgö. She stood there defiantly as if saying that she would not take no for an answer, and Mmirgö realized that there was no persuading her to stay behind for the reasons of keeping safe.

            “Alright, it is settled then. Bàlddàr, grab a handful of our elite Oàken Bàttleràgers. Mmârküs, Sàlguöd, and Nàvönöd, we embark shortly, make what preparations are needed and we shall be off. There is no time to waste, so move, my brethren,” shouted Mmirgö eagerly.

---

            The small group gathered more quickly than Mmirgö would have anticipated and was grateful for these orc’s courage and commitment to help him with his mother’s dangerous predicament. Mmârküs was to lead them, being the most highly skilled tracker in his clan, especially after learning so much from his elven blood brother, Trébór. The group was ready to go and Mmârküs led them at once down a winding path that led deep into the oak woods that grew abundantly here. Mmirgö followed his brother closely and tried to keep the shadows of

angst from overwhelming his heart for all he could do was worry for his dear mother’s safety and well being. I should have left you with more guards, mother, even though you would have likely refused them saying there was no need, especially in their Sacred Oàk Grove. Maybe Krîstöff or Mmârküs should have been there with you mother, by your side during these dark and dangerous times. I know you have Nösilâ with you because she is your apprentice, but now I worry for my sister along with you mother. I pray for your safe being and hope I arrive in time to save you.

            As the group followed Mmârküs deeper in to the oak woods, it became more peaceful as if untouched by the hands of any but the forest creatures who dwelled here and made this forest their home. In the shadows of the tall oaks, Mmirgö also noticed that the further they got into the woods, it became so much quieter, until he noticed that silence had suddenly muted the sounds of the forest as if every living creature had simply disappeared and all that was left was a place of haunting in a lonely graveyard of lush vegetation and majestic oaks. Not a creature stirred now.

            Mmârküs was leading them as quickly as could be traveled and Mmirgö knew that soon they would reach their mother at the Sacred Oak Grove and the clearing where he knew him mother would be while she communed with the spirits of the forest and land. Mmirgö sure hoped that his mother and sister were safe from any harm. As Mmirgö contemplated his mother’s fate he stumbled upon a tree root and almost lost his footing. Becoming overbalanced, Mmirgö ran into his brother who had come to an abrupt halt and it was then that he realized that they had reached the grove and that there were shouts alongside the sounds of battle coming from the middle of a clearing that opened up to him and his following party was a scene out of hell.

            The scene unfolding in front of Mmirgö was just as disturbing as the one he came from in the Inner Sanctum. The bodies of his mother’s orc guards were torn apart and their bloody remains were scattered all over the clearing. Amid the carnage were three of Anömâr’s shaman apprentices and the poor female orc’s bodies were broken and ravaged beyond belief and their eyes stared lifelessly open with a look of terror frozen in their eyes forever. Krsîtöff and Trébór were busy battling another of the same Võid devils that had attacked the council. Both had a number of wounds, but none seemed too serious by the look of things, but he could tell they were being systematically worn down by the monster’s cunning ways. Mmirgö was amazed at how well his brother and his elven blood brother fought together. They worked in harmony with one another as if they were a single fighter, each anticipating the other’s thrusts and dodges and scoring hit after hit upon the dreadful devil and amazingly were slowly wearing the beast down.

            Mmirgö could see his sister, Nösîla, wounded and leaning against an oak tree wearily watching Krîstöff fighting the devil with the inhuman elven hunter and his bedazzling speed.  

Another of the Võid devils lay near her and he could see that its bloody and battered body was peppered with more than a score of Trébór’s arrows and it was missing its head that lay near Nösîla’s feet in a pool of its own blood. Mmirgö breathed a sigh of relief knowing that at least she was alright for the moment and things could have been far worse upon their arrival.

            Mmirgö scanned the clearing in search of his mother and that is when he finally saw her and the grave danger that she was in. Anömâr was being held by one of His Dãrkness’ Fãithless Inquisitors near another one of those shimmering portals that hung in the air amid crackling blue lightning bolts. Anömâr looked unhurt and her stance and defiant eyes made Mmirgö proud of the strength his mother carried within herself. She was being held by her long flowing hair that was gripped by the unrelenting gauntleted hand of the Inquisitor and his other held both of Anömâr’s hands together in a locked grip. Mmirgö could tell that she couldn’t break free of it even if she tried her hardest to do so. Mmirgö glared dark thoughts at the Inquisitor.

The Fãithless Inquisitor stood about seven feet tall and was covered head to toe in crimson leather trimmed in black and wore a crimson-black cowl and a streaming, shiny, and oily black cloak that was billowing around his body. The Fãithless wore a steel helm with wickedly slanting eye holes and an evilly leering mouth hole that twisted down on one side and upwards on the opposite side. Through the helm, Mmirgö could see the creatures bulging, bloodshot eyes and the psychotic and chaotic nature they revealed. The Inquisitors were rumored to be a breed of creature that had demon blood infused into the unwilling bodies of men who had been captured and tortured by His Bleak Dãrkness and then turned into his obedient slaves. They were the terrors that His Dãrkness sent forth to spy and ferret out any forms of rebellion as well as simply keeping the armies of His Dãrkness obedient and loyal otherwise they would be snatched away by the Inquisitors and never seen again. They were nothing short of butchers and assassins that were devoted to only His Dãrkness’ ravaging appetite for death and destruction.

“Motherrrrrrr!” screamed Mmirgö. “Bàlddàr, take some of our warriors and get to Nösîla and protect her no matter what happens!” as he started forward towards his mother and the waiting Inquisitor who hungrily watched the scene continue to unfold through it’s wild stare.

Sàlguöd raised his battle-axe and rushed forward with his warriors three and bellowing at the Võid devil to draw its attention to them to help free the burden that Krîstöff and Trébór had been handling alone until they arrived. The Võid devil lurched its head back and with a swipe of its dangerous tails sent Krîstöff and Trébór flying into the nearby trees. Krîstöff landed hard but got up panting and Trébór did an incredible flip in mid-air and landed on his feet next to Krîstöff with determined looks on both of their faces conveyed that they were not even close to being finished with the devil by far. Mmirgö was proud of his youngest brother’s staunch will and fierce love he had for their mother and knew his brother would also do anything to keep their mother safe and out of harm’s way, even from the hellish threat of a Võid devil unleashed.

The Võid devil rushed forward to meet the rushing Blàck Beàr warriors alongside of Sàlguöd and they met with a deafening crash of weapons and flailing tails and swiping talons. Mmirgö saw his brother back on his feet as he and Trébór rushed back into the fray of the battle and hit the devil from behind with their swords, both scoring long bloody wounds upon the devil’s back side and Trébór’s short sword hamstringing the creature from behind. The devil attempted to turn and sent its tails lashing out at its foes that were behind it but they both deftly dodged the creature’s vicious poisonous stingers as they rolled away allowing Sàlguöd and his warriors to start scoring a series of powerful blows with their swings of their deadly battle-axes. Working together they seemed to be disorienting the frenzied devil enough that it was no longer proficiently able to make any of its attacks land any serious injuries to the warrior surrounding it and slowly assuring that the beast would soon fall from their combined might and prowess in the way of the true warriors that they all proudly were. The power of orcs and their teamwork.

Mmirgö, and his brother Mmârküs, started to make their way across the clearing towards the waiting Inquisitor holding their mother captive for whatever reasons. Mmirgö was enraged beyond belief and looked straight into the Inquisitor’s eyes and screamed, snarling, “Foul beast, for laying hands on my mother in her sacred place, you shall soon feel the bite of my scimitar as I stand above your crippled and dying body, this you have my word on, even if I die trying!!”

“Ffffool. You have no idea the ppplans my master has for your prrrrrrecious mother. She is detrimental in his breaking this world and tearing it asunder. You have come too late, stupid orc, and ffffor your defiance, His Dãrkness’ ppppplans to eradicate your clan and those who have helped. Those of you who don’t die will become the sacrificial tokens that will open the thin veil that separates this world from the emptiness that is the Võid. Nothing can stop or deter this dark pppprophecy from being ffffulfilled. His Dãrkness has glimpsed the ffffuture, and nothing will stop his darkened desires from bearing ffffruition, NOTHING, miserable orc. Your misguided fffffaith will be the end of you and the rest of the putrid orc race. Only those whom are fffaithless will survive the coming apocalypse,” howled the Fãithless Inquisitor at Mmirgö and his brother as they came closer to it and it backed away in doubt of the brother’s fighting abilities.

“We shall see about that foul demon,” hissed Mmârküs with unbridled anger burning in his eyes and muscles tense with hatred and anticipation to spill this thing’s blood.

Mmirgö felt exactly as his brother and couldn’t wait to make this evil thing pay for its audacity and arrogance in thinking it would escape alive with their mother, whom they all loved more than anything. “You will not leave this field alive, demon,” proclaimed Mmirgö. “Your death shall be by our hands and then His Bleak Dãrkness is next and will follow you into the depths of hell where you will be going shortly. Do not fret mother, for we shall free you very soon here, and then we shall free our people and help rid this world of His Dãrkness and wipe it clean from its foul touch of decay, disease and death. A new age of orc is upon us and it is one where we are finally a free people and not enslaved to filthy evil nor sheer madness!”

“How wrong you are, lowly orc. You were born to be slaves and what is left of your rrrrrace will always be slaves. That is who you are and who you will always be. You should be thankful to His Dãrkness fffffor giving you a place in his dark designs, but no, you have squandered it away in ppppursuit of some ffffool’s fffffancy of being ffffree and your own ppppeople. It will never happen, and His Dãrkness will make sure of that and his fffffirst step will be to sacrifice your darling mother to the emptiness of the Võid and bring a new age of destruction to this pppplanet that will last ffffor ages until the pppplanet is sucked dry of its very life essence,” screeched the insane Inquisitor at the approaching Mmirgö and Mmârküs.

Anömâr looked at her sons with a tear rolling down her graceful cheek and said pleadingly, “My sons, if it comes down to saving me or saving our people, I need you to do the right thing and save our people for they are more important than I. I love you both and all my children and have lived for you all. I know you will do the right thing and be the savior of our kind and allow our people a chance to be free. I have always been proud of you all and have cherished our time together. Always know that when you see the sun hanging high up in the sky that I am looking down from the heavens and watching over you with pride and love-”

The Inquisitor maniacally laughed and screamed, “Ridiculous creature, there is no salvation for you or your ppppprecious orcs fffffor His Dãrkness has seen the ffffuture and this world is his and soon will be utterly destroyed along with your sons and the entire orc race!”

It was at that moment that Mmirgö saw that the portal behind the Inquisitor was flashing and slowly shrinking in size and he rushed forward more desperately to get to his mother and the demon holding her captive. Mmirgö charged forward vigorously with Mmârküs a half a step behind as the brothers frantically rushed to save their mother from the Inquisitor’s grip and the dastardly plans that His Dãrkness had for her. Mmirgö’s scimitar flashed down at the same time as Mmârküs’ long sword and both just came within a hair’s length of scoring direct hits on the Inquisitor, but it leapt backwards diving into the portal. The last thing Mmirgö saw was an arrow skillfully shot slamming into the Inquisitor’s shoulder and spinning him through the portal along with his mother and he saw the look of pride and love as she vanished through the portal with the Inquisitor. The shrinking portal closed with a snapping- pop as if it were never there, and that was the last thing Mmirgö saw of his dear mother taken from him. Motherrrrrrrrrrr……

Mmirgö sank to his knees and shook his head in disbelief that he had failed his mother and gazed up at the heavens and let out an anguished cry that even the gods took notice of and heard. Tears streamed down his face and he could feel their cool touch upon his skin, and he felt Mmârküs’ hand gently on his shoulder and he looked over and saw his brother was softly crying as well. He felt another hand on his other shoulder and gazed up and saw through the tears in his eyes that Krîstöff was standing over him and saw his delicate tears streaming down his face too. The brothers three were together and had failed in stopping their mother from being taken by the foul Inquisitor. I am so sorry dear momma. If I had only gotten here a few moments sooner, then maybe you would be here with us. Not to worry though, for we shall soon be coming for you.

Mmirgö stood up and glanced back to see his sister sobbing and being held by Nàvönöd as she soothed Nösîla, and she stared Mmirgö in the eyes and winked acknowledging his inner pain and loss. Mmirgö nodded to her in thanks and saw that the other Võid devil was slain and nothing but a battered corpse from the brutal efficiency of Sàlguöd and his warriors. Sàlguöd strode over and said, “I am sorry that we failed my friend. I know you well, my friend and know you will be going after her and I wish to join you when you do. This is unfinished business!”

Mmirgö looked grim as if he would explode with his inner fury and the feeling of utter hopelessness that was raging through his heavy heart. Mmirgo looked to his brothers and saw the same look of strength and determination on both Mmârküs’ and Krîstöff’s tear drenched faces. “Yes. My brothers, this is not the end by far. We shall indeed find our mother no matter what it takes and then we shall free our people as planned with our mother by our side. This I vow, brothers, and nothing in this world or the Fãithless Võid will stop us. We are coming for you, momma, hold on, for in the darkest hour search out the light because that will be us coming for you. Coming for you to bring you safely home,” Mmirgo said to his brothers.

Rest assured, mother. We will find you and nothing will hinder our efforts. If I have to scour the hells and even the heavens in order to find you and free you, then so it shall be. I may have failed this one time, momma, but our love will be the guiding force and weapon against His Bleak Dãrkness. Nothing can stop the brothers three and our love will be our mightiest weapon against the Võid. Be patient and stay strong, for we are coming dear momma, and we will shake the very foundations of evil in order to locate you and rescue you from that wickedness that surrounds you for the moment. We love you, momma, and we are coming, we are coming dear mother, we are coming, and nothing will deter us from finding you and bring you back home where you belong. We are coming mother, we are coming for you, our dearest momma….

By Paul Douglas Irwin