Chapter 1

Orzesh

3 months ago

Isat on the floor of my small cell and closed my eyes.

”Yffek, god of war, I am your weapon. Your axe. I will fight any battle you choose.”

I waited. The seer of my tribe said a sign would come to me when the gods judged I had paid my dues. Then I could leave this small, gray place.

I had a small window. It looked out onto endless dark forests and marshes that I couldn”t get to. My legs ached to run. My arms to swing my great axe. I had learned how to wait in this place, but it was torturous. There was only waiting. I hadn”t fought in battle for a ten year now. I hadn”t let a rage take me for over a twelve month. It made my body itchy. But I waited. I looked at my blood red leader sash, hanging on the wall. The only bit of brightness around here.

Every breath pulled dust into my lungs. I wrestled down the feel of a sneeze. At least I didn”t have to waste time sitting in the pallid therapy room with that whining, scrawny little man anymore. I”d won that battle. He”d wanted to hear about my life, my crimes, my tribe. He wasn”t worthy to hear such things, and he”d given up.

My stomach roared with need. Never enough food in prison. They liked to keep you weak. Feeble. It caused fights. I wouldn”t do my tribe the dishonor of stealing food from the hungry. But the writhing inside me was enough to distract me from thinking. I stood and stretched out.

”Maybe tomorrow.”

*thud*

My muscles tensed, and my focus sharpened. It was barely even audible, but I”ve trained my ears for battle. A small spike of adrenaline shot up my spine. I spun towards the window, balancing my weight across my feet. I”d kill whoever had intruded. Nothing. I waited quietly. Listening. After a moment, a small gray shape appeared through the bars and fell to the ground. Wings flapped, but it couldn”t get back up again. A small bird lay tired on the floor. It looked like it was still a baby. I reached to pick up the wretch. It didn”t even have its feathers yet. Pink skin shone through its gray fuzz. It pecked at my finger and screeched at me.

”A mighty attack for such a small creature.”

I scooped it up while it continued its exhausted assault on my hands, drawing blood a couple times.

”You have the spirit of an orc. And you have travelled far, tired one. The wetlands would seem hundreds of miles for a bird your age.”

I held it up to my face. We stared at each other for a moment. It squawked again. A pathetic sound. But it didn”t matter. This was it. My body tensed with excitement. My muscles twitched. This was the sign. I had paid my dues. It was time to take my freedom back.

My stomach roared again. The bird”s tiny eyes widened and its beak hung open.

”Don”t worry, my brave little friend. No one will eat you here.”