An eerie fog permeated through the forest air, the moisture leaving a damp chill on Shel’s back. Immediately behind her the sounds of slow trots and armor clanking, but out in the forest not a single sound could be heard. Her horse led a group of four men at a steady pace, as she rode she recounted the events leading her here. Reports of missing children from a nearby village were certainly concerning, but it also provided her an opportunity to get away from the bureaucracy and courts of Xoroku. The recently crowned leader of the Orcs had discovered that slaying the Dreadwyrm Zerux was the easy part of uniting the tribes of Izdrag Or. Appointing advisers and settling petty tribal squabbles proved to be the real issue for her. Finding the prospect of returning to the capital a stressful one, Shel rubbed the bridge of her nose before putting the thought of it completely out of her mind.
“Not much further now my lady!” Sawfang shouted from behind her.
“I’ve told you this before, but you can stop calling me ‘my lady” Shel responded, adding a mocking tone to the much too formal title.
Sawfang was a top notch warrior and adviser. An old man, 58 to be exact, but despite his age he kept up an impressive physique. Still standing at 6’5, he was beginning to hunch over in his old age but still kept a lot of muscle. Scars from the previous Battle Of The Tribes marked his dark green face and arms. A loose plain clothes shirt tucked into leather pants hid what other scars he had. Over time combat had taken chips and bits of his tusk causing them to resemble an old saw, hence the name. Not a single hair was to be found atop his head but he swore this was a choice. His left eye was blue contrasting his right eye which had grown dull and white, a byproduct of a battle he likely didn't even remember, partially because he had fought in so many. While old fashioned in his ways Sawfang had proven to be an excellent retainer of house Agronak and served Shel well.
“As you wish ‘my lady’,” he replied sarcastically, “in a few moments we should be where the kidnappers vanished.”
Currently her party was on the southern tip of Izdrag Or, the forest located close to the fort of Newport, a location she’d much rather be at. Her mind wandered to thoughts of sitting around a warm hearth with her friends, falling further down the rabbit hole of her thoughts she began to wonder what part of the world their adventures had led them to. Catching herself daydreaming, Shel refocused on the mission at hand. Little was known about the kidnappers, reports mentioned that a cloaked, decrepit, old woman lured them out of their homes in the night without any fight. When a night patrol man spotted the woman she proceeded to blow a mysterious powder into his face knocking him unconscious. A second, much more frightened, patrol man watched from afar and proceeded to follow the woman and children deep into the woods where they seemed to disappear without a trace.
“I bet it’s Baba Yaga” Gnarg said confidently, his arms casually crossed on the horn of his saddle.
“That’s a fairy tale, nothing more” his brother Tnarg said back, although the way he said it might lead some to think he didn’t even believe what he said.
Gnarg and Tnarg were twin sons of the chief of Clan Kegth. Nestled on the eastern coast of Izdrag Or their clan was the only one to believe that the Agronak line would return one day. After Shel had taken the throne their father assigned his 18 year old sons to her court. Both sons had been trained well and proven to be good fighters. Gnarg however showed to have a better aptitude for fighting whereas his brother was clearly the smarter one. Unfortunately Orc culture places much less stock in one’s intellect, something which seemed to destroy Tnarg’s self esteem.
“Hush now, you might give away our position,” hissed Bolar, “what if the witch is nearby?”
“Then you’ll have to patch me up after I slay her” Gnarg teased leaning towards her.
Bolar was Shel’s court physician. She had recently finished a tour with the Valentino Mercenary Group and opted not to extend her contract after hearing that Izdrag Or had a new leader. She pledged her scalpel to Shel’s court upon returning and came highly recommended by her fellow soldiers.
Before Bolar could give a reply to the sneering boy, Sawfang spoke up, “Quiet now, there’s something wrong.”
Almost as if on command the fog began to thicken, making it impossible for the group to see even their own hands.
“Stay close!” Sawfang shouted, “Assume a defensive formation!”
Shel pulled hard on the reins of her horse and stopped to circle back around. She narrowly missed Sawfang’s steed in the fog.
“I’ve never seen a fog this thick ever in Izdrag Or. I believe this to be magical in nature, stay close,” Sawfang said to Shel maneuvering his horse to the front of hers, “Twins, hold the rear! Bolar stay with Shel!” he barked. A good reminder to Shel why she kept him around. His ability to take control of a situation had always been calming to her.
“Stay vigilant, I don’t think we’re alone out here” Sawfang said, peering out into the mist.
Normally Shel would think he was a paranoid old coot. But today she thinks he might be right. Echoing through the fog is not just the sound of wind through trees. There’s something else, almost imperceptible. Something out of place.
“I don’t hear a damn thing, you must be going se-“
“Hush and listen you fool!” Sawfang berated Gnarg
Shel stayed quiet and stared towards the source of the sound. Focusing on slowing her breathing she could begin to distinguish the noise through the howl of wind.
“I-I can hear it,” stammered Tnarg with a panic.
Finally the noise hit Shel’s ears. She knew exactly what it was and it only made her more afraid.
“Creator have mercy…” Bolar murmured.
“I still can’t hear a damn thing!” Gnarg exclaimed.
“It’s…” Shel swallowed her fear before continuing, “the cries of children.”
Slowly the wailing of children rose into a twisted chorus.
“We’ll wait until the fog breaks and then move out,” Sawfang commanded.
“Fuck that, they’re in danger!” Gnarg said, punctuating his statement with the crack of his reins.
“Gnarg wait!” Sawfang yelled in vain. Gnarg blew past on Shel’s right side leaving nothing but a gust of wind behind. “Stay close and follow me!”
Shel cracked the reins on her horse, commanding him to gallop behind Sawfang. They cautiously rode through the fog as it slowly began to break. Past the veil of fog was an alien world. Frost covered pine trees had been replaced with willows adorned with fluorescent pink petals. Where there once was a soft moss covered ground was now grass of an unnatural dark shade of blue.
“Where are we?” Shel said softly, the beauty of the fauna taking her breath away.
“That can wait,” Sawfang pointed at horse tracks in the mud, “for now we need to catch up to Gnarg.”
At Sawfang’s command the four Orcs commanded their horses into a sprint. Trees and strange colored bushes became a neon blur as they followed the trail. Eventually the bright colors gave way to a dark and twisted growth of trees. Approaching a structure of dark bricks the group slowed. Gnarg’s horse was anxiously tied to a tree just outside. Looking around Shel felt her unease grow. Gnarled masses of roots rose up through a swampy ground like hands trying to claw out of a shallow grave. Trees reached towards a blackened sky, their bark pockmarked with knots that Shel swore looked like faces in agony.
“Form up on me, we proceed slowly,” Sawfang said as he dismounted his horse and drew his long sword. Shel drew her sword and mounted her shield on her arm. Bolar and Tnarg drew their arms as well, covering the rear. Sawfang crept down the stone stairs, trying his best not to slip on their wet surface. Seemingly at random the stairs twisted and turned before finally ending with a door on the left side of a hallway. Peeking around the corner, Sawfang surveyed the room on the other side for a short time.
“That damn idiot,” Sawfang cursed under his breath before pivoting around the corner. Following his lead Shel took up a position on his right side. Before them was a flooded room with shin high water. About sixty feet deep and thirty feet wide, symmetrical pillars of carved rock stood every ten feet to hold a ceiling of rock and dirt in place. In the center of the room stood Gnarg, sword in hand.
“Release those children at once! Or I’ll be forced to kill all three of you!” Gnarg’s voice echoed off the water soaked walls. In front of him at the far end of the room lurked three old women in front of an altar.
They cackled and howled, “Look! Another Orc child for our master!” The one in the center shrieked.
“I assure you I’m no child, and I sure as hell don’t fight like one.” Gnarg rushed forward, the tip of his sword gliding across the surface of the water as he let out a war cry.
“Watch out!” Sawfang cried to Gnarg. His warning came just in time as Gnarg jumped backwards. Shooting up from the murky water a large snake just barely missed capturing him in its maw. Bounding off the ceiling the snake coiled around until it stood in front of Gnarg. Water dripped from its scaled brow fifteen feet into the pool of murky water. Its eyes narrowed in on Gnarg, sizing him up.
Sawfang turned to Shel, “Take Bolar and Tnarg, move up the right and attack the witches at the end of the room. I’m going to help Gnarg slay that beast.” His calm demeanor helped to quell Shel’s own panic. “We can do this, I know we can.”
Gripping her sword tighter she motioned to Bolar and Tnarg to follow her. Together they quickly moved up the right column of the room. Sawfang sprinted forward towards Gnarg, who was deftly dodging the snapping jaw of the snake. Gnarg, seeing the others, began to lead the snake towards the left side of the room. Positioning himself behind the snake Sawfang lunged forward sticking his sword in the beast who responded with a pained hiss before swatting Sawfang back towards the front of the room with its powerful tail. Tumbling across the flooded floor Sawfang came to a stop near the doorway. Unfortunately for Sawfang he underestimated the serpent, unfortunately for the serpent he’d only do it once.