Page 3 of My Fated Orc Hero

"Seriously?" I sputter, brushing cobwebs out of my hair. As I bend to pick up the mess, something catches my eye. It's an old map, the edges crumbling with age.

I squint at it in the dim light. It shows the wider region around the museum, but something's off. The estate is actually at the edge of a vast government owned wilderness. But on this strange map, where there should be just rolling mountains, hills and valleys, the map depicts a whole town.

"What the..." I mutter, looking at a little blow-up section, highlighting it, tracing the unfamiliar streets with my finger. A shiver runs down my spine. What is this? I turn the map over as if the answers might be on the other side. There is nothing of course.

According to my grandmother, my great aunt Charlotte had a kind of catch phrase. It flashes through my mind now. "The world is full of hidden wonders, you just have to know where to look."

Aunt Charlotte was an archaeologist back when female Indiana Joneses were practically unheard of. Her wild tales of adventure fired up my imagination as a kid. Looking at this bizarre map, I feel that old spark of excitement flare to life again.

I carefully tuck the map into my bag, determined to investigate further later. For now, I still have doorknobs to find.

Sigh.

But as I round another corner, a cool breeze hits my face.

That's odd.

Out of curiosity, I follow the source of the air current, rounding boxes and dodging piles of bric-a-brac. Pushing aside a heavy shelf, my breath catches. Behind it, I discover a hidden archway carved into the stone wall. Above it, barely legible letters spell out: "Enter all who still believe."

Enter? Enter what?Archway or not, there’s nothing but a solid stone wall here. Which doesn’t really explain the breeze either, but there’s definitely a breeze. I still feel it, coming straight off the wall.

This is getting odder by the minute.

My heart races. This is straight out of one of Aunt Charlotte’s stories. Part of me wants to push the bookcase back in place and hightail it upstairs. But a bigger part—the part that’s seen too many movies probably—begins to examine around the edges.

I read the sign again.

Should I?

Don’t be ridiculous, Zoe.

But maybe…

No, it’s silly.

Oh, hell…

"I still believe," I whisper aloud to the empty room as I touch the weathered stone.

Suddenly the breeze intensifies, whipping my hair around my face as the archway takes on a faint glow.

I inhale sharply. "What’s happening?" I take half a step back.

I need to get someone else down here to see this. But who? Olivia? Before I can turn tail and beat feet, I'm struck by a strong blast of wind followed by a deafening crack of thunder.

And then everything goes white.

CHAPTER 2

Islam my fist on the ancient oak table, silencing the bickering council members instantly. "Enough! While you squabble like harpies over a carcass, our borders remain vulnerable! This is ridiculous! We need to strengthen our defenses now, not sit around debating like a bunch of pixies at a tea party!"

The assembled monsters—a motley crew of mythical beings that would give any human nightmares for weeks—fall silent. Good. Maybe now we can get somewhere.

“If nothing else the recent incursion over in Monitor Township should be a warning to us all!”

"Thokk," Elowen, our resident elven witch, sighs. Her wrinkled ancient face is a mask of exasperation. "We've been over this. The protective wards are holding strong. We are in no danger of suffering the same problems as Monstertown. Besides, rumor has it that was due to an epic screw up by their spell-caster Tabitha."

"That may be so.” I cut her off with a wave of my hand. "But still we put too much faith in such things. Spells, charms, it's all smoke and mirrors. We need real security. Walls! Guards! Maybe a moat.

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