Page 4 of My Fated Orc Hero

My best friend Kalen, a minotaur built like a brick shithouse, snorts. "A moat? Around the entire village, really?"

I glare at him. "You got a better idea, beef breath?"

“If you want a wall, you’re building it,” he retorts. “The spells have never failed us. One little blip over in Monitor and everyone freaks out. Still, I can’t argue with your point. We can't risk human discovery. One Instagram post and we're done for."

“Insta-what?” Elowen inquires.

“Oh, you remember, that picture thing. It can spread an image of us in seconds to the whole human world.”

“No one would believe it anyhow,” Koda, a hulking sasquatch, booms.

I wince. Even talking about human technology makes my head hurt. Although I will admit, television has its place.

I clear my throat,trying to regain the group’s attention. "Obviously this warrants further discussion. Point is, we need to take this threat seriously. Humans are crafty, always poking their noses where they don't belong. We must be vigilant.'"

"But would it be so bad to mix with humans? My cousin in Monitor says—” Koda begins in his booming voice before being cut off by Nox.

“Your cousin must be delusional!” Nox’s reddish skin turns an even brighter shade of crimson. “They are playing with fire. Mark my words!”

“Watch what you say about my kin!” Koda snarls.

“Ah relax, you big ape. I’m just saying time will tell if they are foolish or wise. I bet on the latter,” he spits back as he makes as if to polish one of his horns.

"I must agree. Monstertown," I spit the name out like it's poison, "is a joke. They are indeed playing with fire. We will not follow their example."

As the council erupts into another round of arguing, my mind wanders.

Where is that damned cat?Othrix has been missing for days now. Not that I care, of course. He's just a cat. A small, furry, incredibly soft... No. I'm an orc warrior. Othrix is an efficient means of pest control, nothing more.

"Thokk?" Elowen's raspy voice snaps me back to attention. "Regardless, I will strengthen the wards on the perimeter.”

"Definitely," I reply.

“I hope your defensive spells work better than your mate summoning ones do,” Koda growls.

Gasps and a few muffled laughs instantly break out as the assembled group goes quiet. Elowen's face turns a rather impressive shade of scarlet at the comment and I wince.

“Very funny.” Elowen’s arms cross defensively. “I was just trying to help. And I don’t think it’s fair to say it didn’t work just yet...”

Deciding it’s a good time to make my exit, I stand abruptly, nearly knocking over my chair. "If that's all, I have important... uh, warrior things to attend to."

Before anyone can object, I stride out of the council chamber, my heavy boots echoing on the stone floor. Elowen’s ceremony was little more than a distraction as far as I’m concerned. I’m in no real need of a mate after all. I have my duty as protector.

And I have Othrix. Wherever he is.

Regardless, her efforts clearly didn’t work. The town is still, as it always has been, virtually barren of potential mates.

Outside, the sky is just starting to darken. Our little village—hidden from human eyes both by magic as well as their lack of belief—sprawls before me, a hodgepodge of ancient architecture interspersed amongst the trees, pathways and ponds. The settlement extends up the sides of the nearby mountains and down into some of the neighboring valleys. Here, right alongsidethem, we have been hidden from prying human eyes for centuries.

My feet carry me to Murk's Magical Menagerie, the local pet shop. The bell jingles as I enter, and the owner, Murk, a portly dwarf with a beard that could house several families of birds, looks up from his ledger.

"Ah, Thokk! Here for more treats for the little furball? These just came in,” he says as he holds up a small pouch. “Herb-infused salmon bites. Othrix's favorite, if I recall."

"Fine." I toss a gold coin on the counter. And then, fearing Murk might view me as a softie for buying cat treats, I add, "But only because his hunting skills suffer on an all-mouse diet."

As Murk bags up the treats, my eyes fall on a plush cat bed in the corner. It looks ridiculously soft.”

"An excellent choice!" Murk beams. "Othrix will love it."

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