Page 3 of Agor

A sharp whistle sounded in the distance. Then a different set of footsteps came from behind me, not feet running after me this time, I realized, but paws.

A giant beast leaped on my back, knocking me off my feet. Dropping my sword, I fell face down into the moss. A jaw closed around my neck, sharp teeth almost piercing my skin.

“Don’t move,” a deep voice rumbled above me. “Or my dog will break your neck like a twig.”

Icouldn’tmove. His “dog” must’ve been the size of a bear. It stood on my shoulders, squishing me into the moist ground. Cold water seeped past my leather chest armor and soaked my linen pants and tunic. All I could do was to angle my head barely enough to keep my nose out of the moss to breathe.

The orc grunted approvingly, clearly taking my immobility for compliance.

“Now get up. Slowly.”

With a soft whistle from him, the dog climbed off me. I gathered my shaking arms and legs under me and got up.

The huge river hound stood right in front of me. Its short brown fur had a slight sheen like that of a muskrat or a nutria. It was wet. The beast must’ve gone swimming shortly before chasing after me. The dog was still panting, its maw open, saliva dripping from its sharp red fangs.

The orc, who I assumed was the dog’s owner, stood next to the animal, his burly arms folded across his equally massive chest. Unlike the bald heads of the bog orcs I’d seen before, this one had a bunch of long, pine-green hair on the very top of his otherwise clean-shaven head. The hair was tied into a slick ponytail with a scrap of what appeared to be a patterned snakeskin. A ribbon of snakeskin tied his long beard too.

The two other orcs panted behind him, holding on to tree trunks and gripping their sides. I smirked with some satisfaction. I got no chance to kill them, but at least I made it hard for them to catch me. If it wasn’t for that beast of a dog, I might’ve even gotten away.

“Let’s see what we have here,” the dog owner growled, raking his eyes over my body.

I shifted uncomfortably under his attention, adjusting my leather breastplate and yanking down the hem of my tunic. I’d left my sword on the ground where it’d been knocked out of myhand. It lay only a couple of paces away from me now, too far to reach it before he grabbed me.

“Why are you red like the fire newt?” he asked suddenly.

“Red?” I touched my cheek. Despite the mid-autumn chill, my face had heated during the fight and the run.

“I mean your hair.” He tipped his chin at my head. “It’s the color of autumn leaves.”

I blew away a copper-colored strand hanging over my eyes. “Yeah, well...why are you green like a fucking frog?”

His skin had a muted shade of sage green, not exactly as bright as a frog’s. But my comparison seemed to offend him, which gave me another burst of satisfaction.

He winced and turned away from me to ask his buddies, “Is she the one who killed Urug?”

Both glowered at me.

“She is, chief. We can still catch up with Urug’s men if we hurry.”

The dog’s owner nodded, and the two orcs left, leaving me one on one with their chief and his dog.

Chiefthey had called him. He was their clan chief. And now he knew I’d killed one of his men.

My already miniscule chance for survival dropped down to zero. With nothing left to lose, I jumped for my sword.

The dog barked. His owner grabbed for me. Evading his hands, I left the sword where it was and sprinted away instead.

If I had to die, I preferred the quick death from the monster-dog’s teeth to whatever slow, torturous death the chief might choose for me.

Instead of the dog’s paws hitting the swamp ground, however, its owner’s heavy stomping came after me. This guy was built like a mountain. How could he even run?

Sadly, the distance between us wasn’t great to begin with. The chief’s legs were longer than mine. He caught up with me way too soon.

A yank on my shoulder sent me into a spin. I would’ve fallen had he not gripped my arm, holding me up. I twisted in his grip, freeing myself. But his massive palm immediately wrapped around my other arm, not letting me go.

“Fast and slippery like a fucking newt in the water,” he cursed, panting.

I had no breath to spare to snap back at him. My heart beat in my throat. Panic shook me. With my arm trapped by him, I kicked high with every bit of strength I had left. I focused on my aim, getting the toe of my boot right in the center of his crotch.

---