CHAPTER ONE ~ The run
It had been five grueling weeks.
Five terrifying, horrendous weeks.
Five weeks of sitting in a cage, a prison. A prison that was full of other people. The conditions were appalling, though she didn't think the orcs much cared about that.
Orc.
This was a new race, a race new to this world at least. From the little information she had been able to scrounge up or witness herself, they had come here by some sort of portal. And they were building a new one.
The thing that terrified her the most was that they,she would be used as fuel. As a resource to open this portal. She had seen it happen before and the panic that had ensued with the captured humans had caused mayhem. Many of them had died from the hysteria, most of those had been children.
Every few days the orcs would throw food into the makeshift prisons. The compassionate ones would sneak in animal skins of water and fresh bread. They had even been offered fresh, cooked meat once. There was not enough of it to go around and so the crazed humans had killed off a few of their own. For a few scraps of meat.
She was ashamed to admit that she had been part of the killings. There been a large rock close by and her neighbour had not yet finished the hunk of meat. Her stomach and brain told her that she was more important than he was and that she deserved the food more than he did.
It had been that simple.
So she'd taken a rock. A insignificant rock. No bigger than the palm of her hand. And she beat him with it. Beat him till his skull had caved in. Till the blood and grey matter from his brain was smeared starkly against her hands and her face. And then she had taken his small piece of meat, a piece that was barely a handful, and with her hands and face still covered in his blood and in what had been his whole life, his whole conscience, had eaten his piece of meat.
She was punished for this act of brutality. The orcs had taken her out of the prison and whipped her until her body, perished and weak, gave up trying. Much to the amusement of the orcs who had resuscitated her and then whipped her again.
His body had not gone to waste. When she was flung back into the prisons the meat had been stripped off the bone. It had merely been a few hours.
She had let herself fall into a uncomfortable and brief sleep, knowing their bellies were full, knowing that they would leave her alone, even if it was just for a few hours.
We were lucky.
That had been the first thought through her mind as they had watched in horror as the old green orc drained the life essence out of one of the cages next to them.
Lucky again.
To open the portal the same green, old, orc, the one with glowing eyes had chosen a different imprisonment to fuel the portal. More orcs rushed through and the orc encampment was getting bigger and bigger by the day.
But now she was not so sure. The hunger was carved into her brain every day. The thirst was proving too much. The small, cramped, cages were making the humans lose their sanity. There was nothing they could do other than wait for rescue and that hadn't happened. It hadn't even been attempted.
How could they not know? How?
That is what she had first thought. The orcs destruction was evident enough and they were just bringing in more and more of the huge creatures. Most of the brutes ignored the prisoners, rallying for the greater cause, while the humans were left to muck about in their own filth. In their own excrement, waiting for their ultimate death.
Eventually she had given up. She was not sure if the others had but she did. She did not care to be rescued but she did not want to be here either. Was it better just to die? Would it hurt when their spirits were vacuumed out of their bodies for fuel? She supposed that it must do, she had seen the agony and terror on those who had been used.
Her head was filled with these thoughts as she sat in the corner all day. The orcish language had not been hard to pick up and already she could distinguish different dialects, she even knew a few of their words. Words like, prisoner, rock, tree and water to name a few.
At first her days had been filled with a desperate need to escape, a desperate need to live. Now, she didnt much care anymore. She had first tried to starve herself but had not had the willpower to do so when presented with food. It had been the same with water. She had eventually just decided to wait, her day would come soon or enough.
As the sun descended into the mountains above them it grew cold and frosty. The orcs were settling down and returning to their tents, uncaring of the prisoners that begged for water, food or life. Night, although cold, was her favourite part of the day. It was quiet, people slept, she could be in peace.
This night was no different. The orcs returned to their tents and the humans tried their best to sleep. Those who were dying or close to it would be killed in the night, their remains used as food.
She liked to stay awake during this time, mostly to protect herself but also to experience a tiny sliver of normality.
It was easy, in the beginning, to imagine herself just walking through a dark forest. Not being able to see or just closing her eyes against the offending prison bars helped. Now though it was much more difficult. The stench of urine and feces filled the air, people cried, babies cried. She could not carry herself away like she used to.
Closing her eyes against the night she listened, listened to the orcs snoring, talking or eating, while they were trapped in this miserable makeshift cage outside in the dark. She felt the resentment growl within her and she let it. She let the hatred burn through her veins and sear her mind.
Something stirred … she opened her eyes, letting them grow accustomed to the dark. Straining her ears again she waited for something to happen. When nothing did she closed her eyes again and shrugged passing it off as a late night orc.
But there it was again~
Her eyes snapped open and she stood as quickly as her body would allow. In the darkness she could make out figures. They were hard to see, like softly swirling smoke they barely stood out against the night.
"Hey-" Her voice was harsh against her throat, she could barely scream out a whisper.
Apparently it had been enough. The figure drew closer coming to a standstill by the bars, looking at the lock that locked them in. Who ever this person was they were wearing Stormwind colours and there were a few of them.
The relief that broke through her mind brought tears streaming down her face, she reached out through the bars and the figure clasped her hand in their own.
"Please - please help us." The figure clasped her hand more tightly. These people had not gone unnoticed by the other prisoners, they were muttering under their breath looking around uncertainly.
The figure had to uncurl the girl's hand from his own, the amount of humans here had astounded him and the smell had horrified him. Quickly he took out a few tools, the lock itself was easy enough to pick.
I need to save these people.
His death was a swift mace to the skull. It shattered the bone and as he slumped to the ground the orc behind him roared with such fierceness that she could feel it reverberate inside her, inside her bones.
But the prison was open. The huge door slammed to the ground and for but a second, there was dead silence. The figures had disappeared into the night as suddenly as they had arrived. She heard the rushing people run passed her as she was knocked onto the ground, she rolled quickly to the side, managing to avoid most of their feet.
Those that were first out were either killed or grabbed and put into other cages, she was one of the last to slip out and instead of rushing away she sneaked into the shadows. The call had been alarmed now and orcs rushed passed her, kneeling behind a small tent she was hidden almost in plain sight.
Despite her situation she had never felt more alive, more incontrol. Although her heart beat so loud in her ears that she feared someone might hear it, her blood pounded in her veins making her hands and feet itch.
Everything in her body told her to just run, just run and get out of this godforsaken camp. But her mind knew better and they were expecting her to run. They were faster and stronger so she had to be more cunning and shrewd to get out. Carefully she followed the shadows to the outskirts of the camp. Never before had she been more afraid for her life.
If they catch me I hope they just kill me.
In her heart she knew they wouldn't, they needed her for fuel. For a long time she sat very still, hearing the screams of the people that had been temporarily released. She wondered if they were being killed or worse, being forced back into the makeshift prisons. She watched as orcs walked by, holding her breath, scared that if she even twitched a muscle they would see her.
Her stakes had never been higher. Being so close to the outskirts of the camp she had to keep herself from running. Every muscle in her body ached run as far away as she possibly could from this hellhole.
When she was sure that the coast was clear she snuck out from behind the tent, trying her best to stay as far away from any light as she could manage. Every crunch of leaves or stone beneath her feet made her shake in fear of being discovered.
It was at least one hour till she reached the edge of the were running around with weapons in their hands, looking for the prisoners that had escaped. She had to assume that enough of them had managed to get away that orcs had been sent out to get them.
Carefully and as quietly as she could manage, she slipped into the trees surrounding the camp. She started to run, the muscles in her body started to ache quicker that what she had hoped to get out of them but what did she expect? She had not had a proper meal in five weeks.
Not caring in which direction she was moving in she ran until her legs gave in. When they did she started to crawl as fast as she could. Dragging herself to the thickest bush within her line of sight she carefully tried to cover herself up. Even though her mind was desperately telling her to run her body could not keep it up. She needed to rest her body so that she would have the energy to move.
She tried desperately to sleep but it would not come. Every crackle of leaves or snap of a twig caught her attention. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark but the trees were thick around her, blocking anyone from her view.
Before the sun rose that day she was up and walking quickly into the forest. She had been astounded that no orc had crossed her path but eternally grateful. She started to mutter to herself, to anyone who was there to listen, praying to get out of this alive. She managed to find a small bush of blackberries and picked them eagerly, eating them as she walked. She strained her ears and eyes for any movement, any sound that could give an ambushing orc away.
She walked till the sun was up and then let herself rest. She desperately needed water but did not want to stop to find any. Soon she came upon a massive outclearing. As far as her eye could see the trees parted into a massive field, green with lush grass and with purple flowers blooming, she would stick out like a sore thumb.
It was too massive to travel around, going straight through would cut down on her time by at least two or three days. The field looked empty, untrampled and clean. It had been untouched by the orcs vulgar green magic. She stepped out onto the field uncertainly at first, she knew that if she could cross this her chances of getting away would increase tremendously. It amazed her how bright and outstanding these little purple flowers were, how they seemed to jump up into her sight. She had never seen anything quite so magnificent.
Once she was a few metres into the field and was confident that no one was coming after her she started to run. The field was vast and rocky, little streams streaked around it, crisscrossing the flower burdened land. She had to watch her step, careful not to trip over the jutting rocks or tumble into a stream she focused on getting to a small outcrop of rocks where she could take cover and rest for a few minutes.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, her legs burnt from their exhursion but she had to keep going, she had to reach those rocks, she needed to be safe. Glancing around briefly she almost missed the brown figure that was coming out from the trees behind her. At first panic started to cloud her mind, was it an orc? She couldn't see who this person was, it might be someone who had also escaped the encampment. She stopped running and waited for the figure to emerge from the trees.
No-
He was huge, the brown skinned orc had seen her and they were looking directly at each other. For a few seconds both of them stood still.
She bolted first. Turning quickly and not thinking where to run she pounded forwards, leaping over the rocks in front of her and hurling herself forwards. Desperately she looked for somewhere to hide, anywhere that would offer her some form of protection. The outcropping of rocks was too far away, she would never get there in time.
She heard him roaring in the distance behind her, it sent spikes of fear flaring off in her brain. She would not be able to outrun him, he was faster, he had more energy but she could try. Already she could hear the orcs footsteps behind her and for few seconds it spurred her body forward.
She risked a quick glance behind her and her stomach dropped when she saw how close he was already. She could see the sweat beaded on his forehead, the scars on his chest and the wolf teeth around his neck. In that moment she made her mind up. She would either escape from this in anyway possible or she would die here. She refused to be taken back to the orc camp.
When felt his fingers barely touching her back she stopped running and curled herself into a ball as close to the ground as she could manage. His momentum carried him forward and as he skidded to halt in front of her she stood quickly. He had been confused by this little human's actions and so did not charge in immediately.
He could see the differences of what they would be fighting for. He understood that she intended either to die or escape but he had been given orders to let neither of those things happen.
He could see the resolve in her eyes, he was surprised by the emotion and intelligence that lingered there. They had been told that these natives were animalistic and inferiorly stupid, it had certainly seemed that way when they had been captured but this one… there was a fierceness in her eyes that equalled any orc before battle.
She would be fighting for her life were as he was merely here to collect another bit of fuel. She would be reckless and would fight like a cornered animal. He was not worried about this at all. The orcs had proven time and time again that they were stronger and faster than the small teeth so as far as he was concerned she did not stand a chance. He would however give her the opportunity to come with him willingly, attacking a small human who was malnourished and had no weapon would not be an honourable thing to do.
The orc was grunting to her in his language, she shook her head briskly not understanding what he was saying and not caring either. She did not have the energy to play games with him and her anxiety of this encounter was making her heart pound strongly within her chest.
He made a movement with his hand, a movement that was meant to grab onto her shoulder but she quickly stepped back, slipping out of his reach. She would not run, there was no point but she would rather die than go back to the camp.
She was surprised when he sighed and looked around them hesitantly, he seemed to regret the situation that he had been put in.
"Lok'Tar Ogar, prisoner." Although he had spoken in orcish, she recognised that he had referred to her as prisoner and she recognised Lok'Tar Ogar, having heard it many times in the encampment, but did not understand it.
It was with great reluctance that he lifted his axe up to this emaciated, exhausted woman. If she had no weapon of her own then he would not fight her with one. He cast it aside and noted how she stepped back uncertainly.
He spoke to her in Orcish again but she just watched him carefully, she was looking to see how within reach his axe was and so to make a point he stepped away from it. She still didn't understand what he was saying but it didn't matter.
There was a deafening silence between them, not even the birds were chirping anymore. He held out his hand, willing her to come with him without a fight but she refused. Unexpectedly she lunged for him, pushing his outstretched arm out of the way and slamming an elbow into the side of his head. She struck hard and true and grunting at the pain, he grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her away.
Roaring his displeasement he pushed a punch into her stomach, her face instantly paled had he felt a sickening crack of bone under his knuckles. She staggered away from him quickly clutching her stomach and slumped to her knees.
He called to her in Orcish again but she did not understand. Ignoring him and trying to get her breath back she was cushioned by this pain. She felt alive as the adrenaline pumping through her body numbed the pain, she stayed kneeling on the ground. He started to walk over to her and was reaching down to grab her shoulder when she slammed her fist as hard she could into one of his knee caps.
Surprised again and overbalanced by her sudden attack he stumbled backwards, the heels of his feet met rock and he teetered for a few seconds. He saw her leaping towards him and time slowed, he saw the desperation and determination on her face, her eyes stood out in the sunlight, green with flecks of brown. They stared at each other in this moment, until her body crashed into his. He hit the ground hard and it immediately winded him, looking up at the human who was sprawled on his chest, the human who was pulling her fists back and pounding into his face.
She was surprisingly strong and her frantic punching was taking its toll on him, he could feel his conscience slipping, he had underestimated this little small tooth. His hand enclosed around a smooth rock feeling its coolness against the hot skin on his hands. He picked it up and hit it against her head. There was a brief pause. Her hands slid down from the air as her body tilted forward, they came to rest on either side of his head and her eyes locked onto his.
There were a few brief seconds that they stared at each other. A few brief seconds were they connected. He could feel her heart fluttering in her chest, the blood pounding in her legs. He could feel her confusion. The light started to slip from eyes, slowly at first and then all at once. As she was slumping forward he shrugged her off quickly. Not sure whether he had killed her or not.
He rubbed his sore face, feeling the bruises starting to form. She had not need able to harm him seriously. He sat with his head between his knees for a few minutes to steady himself before standing up.
He looked to where her slumped body was lying, it would not be hard to bring her back to camp. He could hear breathing softly and, with regret, see the bruise that was starting to form on her temple.
He picked her up as gently as he could manage and started walking. It took him a few hours to get to the edge of the large out clearing and before he disappeared into the forest he looked one last time to the pillars of smoke bellowing out into the sky. It was the last he would see of the orc camp for a very long time.