Page 39 of My Fated Orc Hero

I scan the faces around us, searching for any sign of understanding. Instead, I see fear, anger, confusion. The crowd presses closer, forcing us back against the old stone monolith in the square.

Kalen and Koda push through, positioning themselves at my sides. I'm touched by their loyalty, even if they don't fully understand.

"Come on, guys," Koda rumbles. "Let's all calm down and talk about this."

But his words fall on deaf ears. The situation is spiraling out of control fast.

I lock eyes with Zoe. She looks scared, but there's a determination there too. She gives me a slight nod. Whatever happens, we're in this together.

"Why can't you see reason?" I roar, frustration boiling over. "We all want the same thing - a chance at happiness, at love. Areyou really so blind that you'd deny yourselves or anyone else that chance?"

“Heresy!” someone calls, and the crowd surges forward once again.

Something in me snaps. I will fight to my last breath if that's what it takes, and I raise my war club and bring it down with all my might as my anger boils over.

But at the last second, I flinch a little as I catch sight of one the ogre guard to my right. I realize he is not a threat, but still my sudden movement causes my club strike the corner of the stone monolith instead.

Crack!The sound echoes like thunder.

"Oops," I mutter, as the stone structure groans ominously.

"Heads up!" I yell, scooping Zoe up and leaping back. The crowd scatters like spooked rabbits as the structure collapses in a spectacular cloud of dust and loose stone.

As the air clears, a collective gasp ripples through the crowd. Where the nondescript moss-covered rectangular pile once stood, a statue has emerged like a phoenix from the ashes. I can’t help but gasp myself as I take in the figure of a human woman and what looks like an orc, hand in hand, gazing at each other with unmistakable affection.

“This is gonna change things,” I hear Elowen say deadpan behind me as I hear assorted gasps, ohhs and ahhs, arise from the crowd

"Holy shit," I breathe, hardly believing my eyes.

"Holy shit is right,” Zoe squeaks, squirming in my arms.

“That’s my Great Aunt Charlotte!”

CHAPTER 15

As if this crazy adventure could have gotten any crazier.

What the hell is a statue of my Great Aunt Charlotte doing here? And hand-in-hand with an orc no less. Her likeness is unmistakable. The mansion is full of portraits of her and her regal features.

What had initially been a chorus of gasps from the assembled crowd, has turned into a cacophony of whispers and exclamations. And it is getting louder. I feel Thokk's hand tighten around mine as we face the sea of shocked faces.

It feels like this could go either way. But then there I notice a bit of a commotion to the right.

“The elders.” Thokk apparently can see them before I can.

Sure enough, in a moment, they emerge from the crowd, having pushed their way to the front. Their expressions are a mix of awe and disbelief as they too stare up at what has been revealed. Elder Faelar, the elf-like one, steps forward, his eyes fixed on the statue. The square falls silent, anticipation hanging heavy in the air.

"My people," Faelar begins, his voice trembling slightly. "I... we... owe you all an explanation." He takes a deep breath. "For generations, we've hidden the truth about our history withhumans. We believed it was for the best, to protect our way of life."

So they knew?

Murmurs ripple through the crowd. Faelar holds up a hand, silencing them.

"But this," he gestures to the statue, "is a sign we can no longer ignore. The time has come for change."

He turns to face Thokk and me. "Thokk, Zoe, I apologize for our treatment of you. We acted out of fear, not wisdom."

The tree-person elder, Oakenheart, steps forward, his wooden face creaking as he frowns. "Are you saying we should simply throw open our gates to humans? After all this time?"

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