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I cocked my brow at her.
“And your idea of a break is spending time in the tavern with those pitiful things?”
Carmen grinned widely, once again looking attractive in her joy and the stream of morning light, but before she could respond, we heard a similar sound of highly uncoordinated stomping.
We both look toward the bedroom door, the vibration moving along the road like a sinister wave.
At this point, both Carmen and I are used to it, but it never fails to send a chill up my spine. Orcs march past my farm and the rest of the human settlement that the vile creatures have deemed worthy of remaining intact. They invaded a while ago, and time has been slipping through my hands like sand ever since.
When I hear their brutish cries for violence, I am driven to commit my own. The orcish rule has allowed only a few to live a sustainable lifestyle that in no way resembles thriving. Carmen and I work for poverty wages while the orcs live in their own camp downriver.
“Those fuckers,” I seethe. “I’m tired of living this way. Someone needs to start a group and fight them.”
Carmen’s usual demeanor of casual amusement vanishes, replaced by panicked concern. She nearly dropped the bowl of oatmeal on the carpet as she grabbed my wrist to hush me.
“Jenna,” she said through her teeth. “Don’t let them hear you. You know they don’t need a reason to chop your head off, right?”
I stare at her hand that tightens its grip around me, then scoff.
“The orcs don’t give a shit, Carmen. Relax,” I say at average volume. “I’m sure they are very aware of how shitty their half-assed settlement has become over the years.”
I hear the stomping recede down the road, and Carmen relaxes, letting go of my hand. I return to eating my breakfast, rage scorching through me like a forest fire.
“I know you’re tired of all this,” Carmen said calmly, returning to her oatmeal. “But you have to let me know before you do anything … irrational, okay?”
Annoyance boils inside me, but I just nod. My anger isn't at Carmen, my sole remaining friend within the settlement. It sits on the shoulders of those hideous beasts who not only took away the idyllic lifestyle of my family farm but also the life of my father.
I believe they are also responsible for triggering the life-altering ailment of my mother, who now has to have constant care and is dwelling in the home of a village doctor. Many of the elderly and sick stay there where others are able to attend to them.
Nevertheless, I am not deterred from my daily routine. Once we finish our breakfast, we start off with the chores around the farm. Carmen does her best to contribute to feeding the animals and harvesting the grains before she goes off to the tavern. I appreciate any help and company she can give me, especially since she has her own demons to battle.
The road my family’s farm sits on is one of the busiest in the settlement. Because of that, I often observe both humans and orcs walking by, the orcs gazing at me unsubtly with their ugly mugs. Their interest in me is strictly primal and selfish. They want my farm, and my body would prove to be the cherry on top of the lucrative cake.
I ignore their glares and carry on. It is the only way without getting myself into trouble.
I am pulling more fruits from the garden a few hours after noon. The sky has been clear and blue all day, so the sun is scorching my exposed skin. I am wearing a headband, but sweat still manages to trickle into my eyes, and I have to wipe it intermittently.
A man in a rickshaw wagon rumbles by, and something about the items he possesses intrigues me. I see hundreds of people and orcs going by all day, but this one has trinkets and other knickknacks stored in the wagon, shining and sparkling in the sun.
My mind goes back to the world of my childhood. Books about heroes from fantasy worlds, enchanting creatures emerging from a mystical forest to take the heroine away from all of her suffering.
It is naive and absurd, but I am pulled toward it. I go back inside and wrap a cape around my head and trail him into town, driven by a strange excitement.
TWO
VERRIN
The delightfully ignorant royals dance and spin one another around underneath the elaborate chandelier. I rest my head on my hand as boredom and disappointment fill me once again.
Until I see Angramir and Daranez speaking in the corner, I shift in my seat and sit up, clasping my hands and crossing my legs. I raise one eyebrow, and a slight smile graces my face.
I can’t hear them over the loud and obnoxious music stemming from the grand stage, but judging by their pointing gestures and squared-up shoulders, I can tell they are about to deliver what I desire most.
For demons, they have a great deal of self-control, which only makes me antsier. Based on the rumor I spread about Daranez plotting to kill Angramir’s cousin, I expect it won’t take much longer.
I roll my eyes as Yeelus approaches my chair. My familiar. A helpful thing, but one I should have put more research into before I took him on as a companion. I definitely spent more gold than he was worth.
He hops onto the table and flicks his fluffy tail through the hors d'oeuvres before sighing. I scoffed at the passive-aggressiveness of this stupid creature.
