Page 3 of Fated to the Orc

“What?” Madelyn’s squeal is somewhere between outrage and disbelief. “Youhave to! This is everything you’ve ever wanted! Science! Adventure!Money!So much money!”

“Yeah, but what about you? Who’s going to take care of you?”

Madelyn’s expression shifts. Her excitement fades, replaced instantly by anger.

“Oh no,” she says, crossing her arms. “You arenotthrowing away your dream job for me. I’m an adult now. I can take care of myself.”

“You’re eighteen, Maddy. That’sbarelyan adult.”

“Okay,grandma,” she scoffs. “Youdorealize Mom had you when she was eighteen, right?”

I groan. “That’s different.”

“Not really,” she counters. “I can take care of myself. I can get groceries delivered, I can cook, I can clean. I’ll get a job, maybe one where I can work from home. Yeah, sometimes I’m tired. Sometimes it sucks. But I’m not going to let you put yourentire lifeon hold for me. Not anymore. You’ve done that for the past decade. You’ve paid your dues. It’s time you chooseyou.”

“Maddy—”

“Justtryit,” she pleads. “Go. If it doesn’t work out, if Ireallyneed you, I’ll tell you. But youhaveto stop treating me like I’m still a child. I’m not, Eve.”

I lean back in my chair and let out a deep sigh.

She’s not wrong. This job could change both our lives for the better… but can I really leave her? I’m not just moving to a different city — this is anotherplanetwe’re talking about! Even with the hyperjump, I’ll be at least a full week of travel away, if not more.

“Are you sure about this?”

“One hundred percent,” Maddy says.

At that moment, a little pop-up appears in the corner of my laptop, signaling a new email has landed in my inbox.

URGENT: Rent was due last week!!

I feel a jolt of anxiety in my gut. What’s the alternative? Keep on struggling? It’s not like life is exactly working out right now.

Perhaps this is the sign I’ve been waiting for.

“Okay,” I say. “Okay. Maybe you’re right. Maybe… maybe it’s time. I’ll have to do some more research, make sure this offer is legit, but… I’ll give it some serious thought.”

Madelyn lets out a victorious squeal and launches herself into my arms. “Thank you, sis! I love you!”

“Love you, too, Maddy. Nice speech, by the way. How long have you been practicing it?”

“Only every day since my birthday,” she grins. “How was it?”

“Pretty impressive.”

For the time in a long time, I feel something I haven’t felt in ages. I think this feeling is calledhope.

Varkul

They camefrom the skies in metal birds.

Humans.

One bird became many. In the old days, our unstoppable horde would have crushed them like insects beneath our boots. Our axes would’ve tasted their soft flesh. Their skulls would have adorned our thrones.

It would have been glorious.

But the old days are gone.

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