//------------------------------// // The Battle's Finally Begun // Story: The Greatest Treasure // by Evowizard25 //------------------------------// I wanted to run. Get out of here. Everyone was screaming and the rocks just kept coming. Sometimes, I swear I could hear people’s bones break as a rock smashed into them. Maybe I’m just hearing the crack of the wooden houses. Yeah, that’s it. Splintering wood sometimes made squishing sounds. Most definetly food. I couldn’t run though. The Master wouldn’t let me. He’d send his other soldiers and hunt me down. So I had to stand. Stand and watch over this place while he evacuated his treasures. Most of his guards were piling as much gold into the boat as possible. They were even getting a second one. I couldn’t help anyone, or escape. I was just here to stand guard while the world crashed around me. I should have just ran off like that Bard fellow. I could just say I was keeping an eye on him. The master wouldn’t have anything against that. Why would he? He hated Bard. Well, a lot of people hate Bard, but more like him well enough. I like him, but I will never say it out loud. I’d be kicked out of the guard the moment I said Bard was a nice guy. That’s the best case scenario. So I kept my mouth shut and just let him run. He had his own family to take care of. Me? I had an old fat man to guard. Life is unfair like that. The rocks kept coming though. Over and over they crashed into town, some of them were even on fire. They were getting closer. The urge to run was growing stronger and I doubt anyone would blame me if I did. The Master wouldn’t know in all this chaos. That’s when I heard footsteps. They were loud and each one had a small ‘crunch’, like the wood was breaking underneath them. The obvious thing to do was to turn and meet this person. Something was wrong. It was like death itself was walking towards me. Shaking like a leaf, I slowly turned to greet whoever it was. He was a tall, well dressed man. Nothing out of the ordinary with nobles. That is until I got to his eyes. I was fixed in place, unable to do anything. They were like mini infernos, trying to burn everything in their way. “Where is your master?” The man growled. His voice was just as fiery as his eyes. It was almost inhuman with the rage that lied underneath. I gulped, trying to stop my armor was rattling. “He’s busy. Come some other time.” The man didn’t say anything. He just kept walking. “I said, come some other time. He’s busy.” I grabbed the hilt of my sword. I know I shouldn’t draw it on a noble, but there was something bad about this guy. “Don’t make me repeat myself.” He still said nothing as he advanced. “Sir, I said, you can come la-” His hand gripped my throat. He did it so quickly, I didn’t have any time to draw my sword. The man just lifted me up into the air and squeezed. I tried to catch a breath of air, but that was for naught. He just kept squeezing my throat, choking the life from me. I had to get my sword. I just had to. When I reached for it, he just shook my like a doll. “Look at me,” the man said with a fierce growl. I couldn’t disobey him. I looked into his face, into the fiery abyss that was his eyes. He was death. My vision was starting to blacken. Spots covered it as I choked, clawing at his arm. He just grinned and- ____________________________________________________________________ It’s the little things in life that make it worthwhile. I had almost forgotten how it felt to watch prey squirm in my grasp before I killed them. The beasts around the mountain were too small for me to properly enjoy it in my dragon form and the trolls had all since left. They seemed to have an ounce of intelligence after all, but I will miss slaughtering them. So perhaps this form isn’t that bad. Of course, even now I chuckled at the fragile nature of humans. All I had to do was flex my thumb and this human’s neck snapped. Such a beautiful sound. Pity I don’t have any time to snack however. I had bigger prey to hunt. I sincerely doubt I will like his taste. He looked putrid. The very smell of him made me want to gag. A good burst of flame should do the trick. His guards, however, might make for something tastier. Hopefully this form doesn’t change their flavor. Humans are tolerable at best. I’d rather have some fresh dwarf. I kicked the door, sending it flying inside. I could hear it smash into one of the humans. Whether it killed him outright, or just dazed him I care not. They were going to die one way or another. Celestia wouldn’t approve of this. Heh, as if I care what she thinks of me. She is my property. She is to follow my command. So what if I can’t stand to see her cry. My things shouldn’t be upset. They should be happy and wear that lovely little smile of hers. Laugh that charming little laugh that sounds like wonderous bells. Accursed mare. I’m supposed to be focusing on my kills, not her appearance. This is some sort of enchantment she’s placed on me. A sort of charm to make me think her attractive and bow to her whims. I shan't fall for it. She is an alicorn and I a dragon. We do not mix, no matter how could she feels against my scales...GAH! She’s doing it again. “What are you doing here?” One of the guards snarled, while the rest reached for their weapons. “No one’s supposed to interrupt the Master while he’s busy.” Oh good, human soldiers. I needed something to get my mind off that alicorn. Of course, I wanted to laugh. Their armor was no more effective than a coat of leaves. Their swords fairing as good as giant toothpicks. This wouldn’t be that fun, but killing is killing. I’d get something out of it at least. “Leave or we’ll make you leave.” I chuckled. “Do you really think you have the strength to stop death?” One of them made the move to charge me. I stood my ground, amused by this greatly. Just as he reached within distance, which took a few seconds, I struck. The human stared at me in surprise, his mouth agape in silent pain. Such a splendid look. My hand was embedded in his chest and I pulled it back. His still beating heart was clenched in my hand. I was surprised the man was still standing, so I softly blew a bit of air at him. He fell to the ground like a rock. “Any others?” I grinned and took a bite of my prize. They were terrified, but they would still fight. Their armor was still so flimsy and laughable. This might be more fun than I originally thought. ________________________________________________________________________ Humans are weak. Humans are tasty. They will all die. Oh yes, they will all die. That’s what I was bred to do. Kill and destroy. I am but a lowly orc, but I was going to shed the most blood. All the man flesh here was going to be mine. Azog himself was going to be impressed with my killing spree. He’d make me a general in no time. I’d be up to my neck in man flesh. Sweet, sweet man flesh. It’s almost as good as elf flesh, but we don’t get much of that nowadays. Elves are tricky and fast. Men are easier to hit and they are more fun to fight. They fight almost like orcs, but have this whole ‘order and honor’ thing that I just don’t understand or care. We follow orders, but we’re orcs. Outside of battle, it isn’t needed. We live to fight and everything else is just boring stuff to do before the next battle. I hoped there would always be humans to fight, but the Dark One seems to want to just get rid of all men. Oh well. I’d make the most of it. My ship finally made it to the city. “Finally,” I growled as I jumped out of the boat. “Gonna find me something to kill. You think they have some of them small ones?” “‘Course they do, stupid.” Another larger orc grunted as he stepped onto the wooden surface. “Humans gotta be small sometime.” “I’m not stupid, you idiot.” I snarled and brandished my sword. I was a second from lopping his head off. “I just wanna know. Them small ones taste sweet.” “Then you can have them,” the other replied. “They don’t got much meat on their bones for my liking.” I grinned and started my way into town. The rocks had just stopped, so I didn’t have to worry about them crushing me anymore. That happened to a lot of orcs during our last fight, but I didn’t care. Orcs look out for themselves. I was going to show everyone how a true orc acts like. I was going to show Azog the might we could wield. The humans were screaming. Such joyful sounds. Screams are music to our ears and I wanted to get closer. I ran, faster than any of the others. I had to get closer. These were my kills. Mine! Then I saw some humans running by. Finally, time to kill. I chased them. They ran and screamed some more. Yes, scream for me. Let your blood flow...Wait, why is this one human not screaming or running? This human female just walked out of a alley and stared me down. Well, us now that some of the other oafs had caught up. The human made sure to stand between us and a group of children. She was wearing some fancy dress and jewels, probably some noble. That didn’t matter, but I couldn’t look at her all that well. She seemed to glow with power, like the sun. It hurt. We orcs hate the sun. We love to fight under the moon and the night. The moon never hurts our eyes. I stopped and sneered. She held up a hand and said, “I will give you one chance, monsters. Leave now and you won’t be harmed.” We laughed. I jutted my sword at her. “Stupid human. No one tells us orcs to do.” “Orcs?” She scrunched up her brow. “I had thought you tall goblins.” I growled. “What did you call us?” “No offense was meant,” she bowed her head. “Now, I would kindly suggest you to leave once more. I don’t want to kill you.” “I’ll be doing the killing, human.” I made to charge her, but some golden light threw me off my feet and into the others. It blinded us, but I pushed myself up to my feet and growled. I stopped growling and my jaw dropped the moment I got a good look at what was in front of me. The human was gone and in her place was some winged unicorn. “I see now the hatred from which you were spawned, orcs. The right thing to do is to kill you,” she lowered her horn. “Know that this doesn’t sit well with me. May you find peace in the afterlife.” “DIE!” I threw my sword at her. Her words were nothing. Hate would guide my weapon through her skull, maybe her heart so I can have her head for myself. The weapon never reached her. A bolt of golden magic escaped the unicorn’s horn. ________________________________________________________________ “No please-” The woman’s pleading stopped the moment I smashed my mace into her side. The sweet sound of rent bone and flesh was music to my ears. This was as about as boring as I thought it would be, but I would do what my master commanded of me. That and killing is what I was born to do. So I would take at least a little pleasure in destroying these humans. They think it is the age of man? Ha! I will show them the truth. This isn’t their age anymore. Orcs will destroy them. Our time has come to take the world. It is our age. So I would hunt down all these humans here and kill them. None of them could be left alive, or the master’s plans would be revealed. Before I could kill again, I felt a surge of good magic fill the area. It hurt, almost like the sun itself. It was just so pure and good that it made me sick. I turned to see a small flare of sunlight. A part of me wanted to scowl. Magic users were always so annoying to deal with. None of them were true wizards, just humans playing with powers they couldn’t understand. This felt more controlled and older. I grinned instead. My target was close by. I would take her to my master, alive or dead. “Boss,” one other orcs spoke up. “What are we going to do?” “Bring me that magician,” I pointed my mace to the origin spot. “Alive or dead, I don’t care. Just bring them to me.” My victory was assured.