29. Irix

29

IRIX

I stand over the fallen orc, chest heaving, blood dripping from a cut on my brow. The satisfaction of the kill courses through me, but my eyes lock onto Laia, crumpled and breathless. Relief floods me. She's alive.

“Had a feeling you might need me,” I say, grinning down at her.

Laia stares up at me, still catching her breath. "Irix,” she gasps, her voice trembling with both gratitude and disbelief.

I extend my hand, firm and steady. She grasps it, and I pull her to her feet. Her fingers are cold, trembling. The sight of her beaten form stirs something deep within me—an urge to protect, to keep her safe from the horrors that lurk outside.

“No time for thanks,” I say, my grin fading as I glance toward the entrance of the cave. “The orcs are closing in. We need to move.”

Her eyes widen in fear, but she nods, gripping my hand tighter. We don’t have a moment to lose.

Laia’s heart sinks. “What about Thalos and Kael?”

My eyes darken, but I force a smirk. “Tied up right now. So it’s my job to get you out of here.”

Before she can argue, the sound of orcish war cries fills the air. They’re here.

I grab my axe, my grin returning, albeit bloodier. “Stay behind me.”

We charge through the cave entrance, orcs swarming toward us like a tide. My axe becomes an extension of myself, slicing through flesh and bone with brutal efficiency. Blood splashes across my skin, but I don’t slow. Each swing is precise, and each kill necessary.

Laia follows close behind, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. She’s strong, but this isn’t her fight—it’s mine. How can her small body fight off an orc almost three times her size? Physical strength is never a human’s strength, whereas orcs draw on it.

A roar echoes in my ears as I cleave through another orc, their body crumpling to the ground in a heap of twisted limbs. The metallic tang of blood fills the air, mingling with the stench of sweat and fear.

But then—out of the corner of my eye—I see an orc sneaking up behind me, blade raised.

“Irix!” Laia screams, grabbing a broken weapon from the ground and hurling it.

The makeshift projectile flies true, striking the orc on a shoulder wound and causing it to stumble back with a pained grunt. I turn just in time to deliver a final blow, my axe splitting its skull with a sickening crunch.

I glance back at Laia, her chest heaving with exertion and fear. She’s pale but resolute, standing her ground despite the chaos around us.

“Nice throw,” I say, grinning at Laia, blood streaming down my face. Her eyes widen in surprise, and something like pride flickers across her features.

But then her smile fades, replaced by a look of sheer terror. I follow her gaze and see it—an arrow, already loosed, flying straight toward her.

My eyes widen. I move without thinking, every instinct screaming to protect her. I throw myself in front of her just as the arrow sinks into my shoulder. Pain explodes through me, white-hot and searing. I drop to my knees, gasping.

“Irix!” Laia rushes to my side, panic rising in her voice. Her hands flutter around me, unsure where to touch without causing more pain.

I grit my teeth, trying to focus through the agony. “Get… out of here…” My voice is rough and strained. The arrow is poisoned.

“No,” she says fiercely, tears glistening in her eyes. “I’m not leaving you.”

Her stubbornness is both maddening and touching. I manage a pained smile. “Stubborn human.”

Laia’s fingers brush against the shaft of the arrow, and she winces as if feeling my pain. She’s shaking but determined, and there’s a fierce light in her eyes that tells me she won’t abandon me.

I try to stand; the poison is already spreading. My legs buckle beneath me. Laia catches me, her slender frame straining under my weight but holding firm.

“We have to move,” she whispers urgently. “They’ll be here any second.”

The sounds of battle grow closer—the clang of steel, the guttural roars of orcs—and I know she’s right. But all I can think about is keeping her safe.

“Laia…” My voice falters as darkness edges my vision.

“Don’t you dare give up,” she snaps, more forcefully than I’ve ever heard from her before.

With a strength that surprises us both, Laia manages to pull me up enough to lean on her shoulder. She’s small but fierce—a survivor and warrior in every sense of the word.

We stumble forward together, each step a battle against the pain and fear threatening to consume us both.

Pain sears through my shoulder, the poison seeping into my blood like fire. I grit my teeth, my vision blurring at the edges. “I’ll protect you... no matter what,” I manage to rasp, each word a struggle against the agony.

Laia shakes her head, tears stinging her eyes. “Stop it. You don’t have to?—”

I force myself to my feet, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. My legs tremble, but I steady myself, raising my axe high. The orcs close in, their laughter echoing like a death knell. “You’re not taking her,” I growl, defiance fueling my strength.

The orcs laugh louder, circling us like wolves scenting blood. They think they’ve won.

My eyes flicker to the trees behind them, and a bloody grin spreads across my face. “You’re all dead,” I say, the words dripping with dark satisfaction.

From the shadows of the trees, Thalos and Kael emerge, their eyes blazing with fury. The orcs’ laughter dies in their throats as they realize that my brothers are here.

The tables have turned. And now it’s our turn to strike.

Thalos and Kael arrived, their massive forms moving through the trees like shadows. They hit the orcs with the force of a storm, cutting through them with brutal efficiency. Thalos's axe cleaves through flesh and bone, each swinging a deadly arc. Kael moves with a grace that belies his size, his blade slicing through the air with precision.

I try to keep up, my vision blurring as the pain in my shoulder intensifies. But every movement sends searing agony through me, and I know I'm running out of time.

Laia stays close, her eyes wide as she watches the battle unfold. She's seen us fight before, but never like this—never with such raw, unrestrained fury.

Thalos's roar cuts through the night as he brings his axe down on an orc, splitting its skull with a sickening crunch. Kael is beside him in an instant, his blade flashing as he takes down another attacker.

The orcs don't stand a chance. They fall one by one, their numbers dwindling under the relentless assault. Blood splatters across the ground, mingling with the dirt and leaves.

As the last orc falls, I feel my strength finally giving out. My legs buckle beneath me, and I drop to my knees. The world spins around me, the edges of my vision darkening.

“Irix!” Laia is at my side in an instant, her hands trembling as she checks the wound. Her fingers brush against the shaft of the arrow, and she winces as if feeling my pain.

“The poison...” I manage to gasp, my voice rough and strained. “It’s spreading…”

Her eyes widen in fear, but she doesn’t hesitate. She tears a strip of cloth from her tunic and presses it against the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. “Stay with me,” she whispers fiercely.

Thalos and Kael rush over, their expressions grim as they take in my condition. “We need to get him to safety,” Thalos says, his voice tight with urgency.

Kael nods, already moving to lift me. His touch is gentle but firm, his strength a comforting presence even through the haze of pain.

Laia stays close, her hand gripping mine tightly as we make our way back to safety. The last thing I see before darkness takes me is her face—determined and fierce—and I know that no matter what happens next, she’ll be there for me.

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