Page 53 of Mountain Orc Daddy

I hear screams. The blasts of magic. The thunder of charging feet. The clash of weapons. I can’t tell who’s winning, but I know I need to get back to my feet to help. But how? I can’t even move.

Then, through the chaos, I can hear her. Blair. In my current state, I can’t make out any of the words, but I’d recognize that voice anywhere. The most incredible sound in the world. Then it hits me, this means she’s still on the battlefield.

A rage starts coursing through me. She doesn’t have me there to protect her. She could be in danger. I need to get back on my feet now! I’ll destroy anyone who dares to hurt my Blair!

Suddenly, my body starts listening to me again. My rage is helping me, giving me the strength to keep going. Slowly, and still very painfully, my arms and legs start to move on my command. Then, the pain starts to fade ever so slightly. I’m getting better. I’ll be back on my feet, and back in the fight, in no time.

My eyes finally fling open and I’m greeted by a beautiful and clear blue sky. I’m taken back to that day in the park with Blair, what feels like an eternity ago. It all seemed so simple back then. I never imagined it would all lead here. But I have no time to reminisce. I need to get up!

The pain is still slowly fading, is this all my rage? No, something else is helping me. A figure pokes their head into my blurred vision. Blair? I’m, again, back in the park, with Blair’s beautiful smile looking down at me.

But it’s not really Blair, I can hear her voice coming from somewhere else on the battlefield. Who else could this be? My vision clears a little and I see Jade looking down at me.

Jade has one hand pointed over somewhere behind me, magic flowing violently from it. I wouldn’t want to be whatever rogue witch is on the receiving end of that. Her other hand is pointed at me. This time, the magic is flowing very gently towards me. She’s healing me.

That’s why I can finally move. Why my pain is fading. It’s not my rage coursing through my body, but her magic. Giving me the strength to get better.

I finally have the strength to move my head and look directly at her. She notices that I’m awake and gives me a wink.

“Thank… you…” I try to say more but find I’m still too weak.

“Don’t say anything,” Jade responds. "You’ll need all your strength. Just rest.”

I haven’t interacted with Jade much before. Honestly, just about all my focus has been on Blair since I met their family. From what I have seen, she and Remus seem to spend a lot of time teasing and taunting Blair, which hasn’t sat right with me.

Yet, here she is, helping me. Their whole family is here. Helping my family.

It warms me on the inside seeing this. They could’ve easily not come up the mountain. They could’ve run at the first sign of danger. But they have not only stood their ground but have been fighting as hard as any orc.

Of course, they are fighting with us. It’s Blair’s family, I refuse to believe that she could’ve been raised by anything less. A woman as strong and selfless as her definitely comes from similar stock.

The Morgan family will forever be friends of the Broken Maws Tribe. No matter how today ends, I’ll be sure to never forget that.

I can still hear the unmistakable sound of battle around us. But I can’t move enough to look around and see if we’re winning. I need to know if Blair, and my tribe mates, are okay.

“Are… we… winning?” I barely manage to say that much. As much as Jade’s magic is helping, I still feel a sharp pain with every movement.

“Please, Uzul, let me heal you.” A few days ago, Blair taught me a human game called poker, I’ll have to remind myself to never play with Jade. She is stone faced, giving me no clues to what’s happening, beyond simply being happy that I’m not dead.

I think I’ll have to come to terms with the fact that I likely won’t be getting back in this fight. Jade’s magic has kept me from dying, but it isn’t getting me back on my feet very quickly. But I’ll live, and that’s good.

Blair’s voice still manages to cut through the chaos of the battle. Unfortunately, it’s too far away to truly make out what she’s saying. But she is talking, which means she’s alive, and at least somewhat well. Jade also doesn’t seem concerned or scared, so maybe Blair is kicking a lot of ass.

Jade’s healing magic continues to course through me. I feel like I might be able to sit up, and look around if I tried. I have to try.

I need to see Blair. I know I can hear her but I also need to see her. I need to see with my own eyes that she’s okay.

With great effort, I swing myself forward and manage to sit up. Such a simple movement brings excruciating pain and leaves me out of breath. I guess Jade decided not to fight me on this, because she helps steady my body, so I stay upright.

“Fine, Uzul. Sit up, but please, I need you to stay still.”

“Blair?” Again, that’s all I have the strength to say. Jade’s eyes shoot off to the side at the mention of her name. I start to follow her eye line when, for the first time since I got knocked down, I hear Blair’s voice clearly.

“NOW!”

33

BLAIR

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