《The Land Beyond》


 In the unknown

    "Hurry up! We need to reach the canyon before sunset and only then can we rest."


    The gusts of wind that brushed against my juvenile face prompted me to slowly open my eyes. It was only then that I had a grasp of my surroundings. The never-ending jewel-blue sky and the beaming sun were surreal; with each breath, the brisk forest air filled my lungs.


    "Jett, you can go back to sleep. I''ll wake you up when we arrive."


    The man who had just spoken was a tall, dark-skinned man wearing a deer pelt cloak; he was my father.


    "It''s okay dad, I can rest later."


    Our convoy consisted of thirty members; the children and the elderly were on horseback while the rest undertook the journey on foot. The continent was divided into three parts: the human kingdom, the elven kingdom and the beast land. Each of the territories bordered the others. A great battle had taken place thousands of years ago and ever since then, no attempt was made to communicate and the knowledge of the other kingdoms wasn''t passed down.


    Our village was located on the edge of the human kingdom, next to the beast land. News of barbarians ransacking other tribes reached our ears. It was certain that the king would not bother helping us because we were seen as mere peasants and outcasts, therefore, a consensus was reached. We had to relocate.


    The adults were used to moving but as I was only five years old, this was a new experience. My mother had passed away while giving birth to me and the only keepsake I possessed was a necklace. I inherited most of my looks from my father, from my tanned skin to my white hair. My walnut-brown eyes were drawn to my left, peering at the beast land.


    The hickory trunks seemed to pierce heaven itself; the branches and leaves formed grand domes that did not seize to amaze me. The trees were so compact that no matter how hard we tried, we couldn''t see beyond the border.


    "Dad! Dad! What kind of beasts reside there?" I asked while pointing to the left.


    "What kind of stupid questions are you asking?"


    The person who had just spoken was Megan; the latter was around my age and we grew up together.


    "It''s a perfectly fine question. Truth is we don''t know and we don''t want to know. The mere mention of their name still terrifies us to this day," dad replied.


    A drop of water fell on my cheek eliciting me to raise my head. I extended my arm, palm facing the sky. Water hit my hand and slid down. Lady luck was not on our side; rain was the last thing that we needed. The sky flashed and thunder roared, shaking us to our core.


    "Don''t stop or you''ll get left behind! Be careful not to slip."


    The soil beneath our feet absorbed the water and soon enough, we were walking on mud. The horses had trouble moving due to their weight and the carriage dug itself into the ground. The downpour intensified and thunder began roaring, harbinger of doom. The pitter-patter of the rain on the leaves muffled most sounds, but could not attenuate someone shouting.


    "THEY ARE THERE!"


    Our heads swiveled back to find the source of the voice. What we saw sent cold shivers down our spines. Father''s mouth was wide open and his face turned pale. The barbarians were a hundred meters behind us.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Enter the beast land!"


    Our chances of survival were significantly higher in the dense forest rather than in the open. Without a trace of hesitation, father dismounted the horse and grabbed me. His legs moved as fast as they could and he sprinted into the forest; the others soon followed suit.


    "DON''T LET A SINGLE ONE ESCAPE!"


    My hands were trembling and my teeth gritted against each other. A blood-curdling scream along with slashing sounds echoed throughout the forest; the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.


    "Stay strong son," father whispered.


    We ran with all of our might as our lives depended on it. Cuts and scratches filled our bodies as we made our way through the dense vegetation. After five minutes of uninterrupted running, we reached a small clearing. By this point, only fifteen of us remained. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The noise of crunching leaves surrounded us; the bandits had encircled us and were closing in. Running was futile...


    "Jett, don''t come out no matter what. Remember, I''ll always be with you in your heart. I love you."


    He placed me inside a bush as quickly as he could before rejoining the others; Megan''s dad tried emulating father but his efforts were in vain as the bandits were already here. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I muffled my cries with my hands. The raiders numbered ten; their previously shiny swords were now stained red with blood. Their faces wore the sickest smiles imaginable; this was my first encounter with people who took pleasure in killing.


    I was useless. I was pathetic. The only thing I could do was pray.


    "KILL THEM."


    It was a one-sided massacre. Blood splattered everywhere as bodies fell to the ground. My tribesmen did not have a glimmer of hope; deep in my heart, I wanted father to run away. However, that was not the type of man he was. His feet pushed off the ground as he leapt forwards, baring his fist. His punch landed flush against the jaw of one of the bandits. The latter was propelled backwards and was knocked out cold. Despite having never received traditional martial arts training, father was still the tribe''s best fighter.


    A smile emerged on my face as I thought that we stood a chance, but I couldn''t have been more wrong. Father dropped to his knees and blood spewed from his mouth. His wet hair covered most of his face, but I could see that he was in excruciating pain. Behind him, a muscular man gripped what seemed to be a hilt and pulled a sword out of his back. With a shake, he removed the blood and water that was covering the blade.


    "Since you''ve fought so valiantly, you need a proper send off. Grab his arms."


    Two men grabbed my father''s arms and extended them.


    "Since you hit one of us, this is only fair."


    With a swing of his sword, the barbarian cut through his right arm like a hot knife through butter. Vital fluids gushed out of the open wound and flowed down the side of his body. Father bit his lower lip to not make a sound. I tried to close my eyes to not bear witness to the horrific scene but I couldn''t miss what might have been the last time I saw him. The man lifted his blade and brought the sword down once again, removing his other arm. Father couldn''t resist the pain and let out a spine-chilling scream.


    "That''s better," the man said while laughing.


    The remaining people including Megan had been captured and were forced to watch this gruesome scene.


    His screams ceased. My eyes went blank and my skin was void of color. The leaves on the ground crunched as something rolled towards me. My face was scrunched up as I cried my eyes out. It was my father''s severed head. His lifeless eyes seemed to stare into my soul.


    "Take the rest of them with us, we have better uses for them."


    Within a minute, I was left alone with the corpses. I rocked back and forth unable to remove the macabre execution from my mind. The memories of my late father raced through my head. He had been with me through every step of my life. I could not fathom that my hero had been snatched from me. It was unforgivable...


    My mourning was cut short as I sensed something in front of me. I lifted my head and let out a scream. Three giant figures were peering at me!

 Orc tribe

    The three humanoid figures stared at me in confusion, unsure of what I was. Their skin was a vivid green and they possessed tusks that protruded from their lower jaw.


    Being over two meters in height coupled with their impressive physiques, anyone in their right state of mind would flee when faced with them. Their skin was rough and parts of their flesh were exposed; only a piece of fabric covered their lower half and their great swords were latched onto their hips.


    My body was frozen and my mind went blank; these creatures could kill me with ease.


    "What are you doing here, human?" one of them said.


    "W-We were running away from bad people and everyone was killed."


    "Return to your family in the human kingdom and don''t set foot here again," he replied.


    My eyes immediately teared up upon hearing his words; I wiped the tears using the back of my hands while trying to gather my words.


    "I don''t have anyone. My only family is there," I said while pointing to my father''s corpse.


    They started mumbling amongst themselves for ten minutes; I tried to eavesdrop on them, but my efforts were unfruitful. I was already surprised that we spoke the same language and wondered if this was also the case with the elves. The monster who had previously spoken turned around to face me.


    "What''s your name boy?"


    "It''s Jett."


    "We can take you in if you want, but keep in mind, there is a good chance that you will be shunned by the others," he replied.


    "I''ll stay in the beast land," I said with a stern expression.


    "My name is Hunter and these two ugly ones are Xavier and Jasper. Follow us."


    My legs were already exhausted beyond belief and I was bone-tired but I couldn''t afford to be left behind. The beast land was as magical as I had envisioned; the trees imposingly towered over us and the leaves were brightly colored. The smell of damp moss filled my lungs as we made our way through the forest; my mind was blown away each time I saw a new species of animal that seemed to be in complete harmony with its surroundings.


    "Your eyes are nearly popping out of their sockets. Are you that surprised?" he said while laughing.


    "This is all new to me," I replied.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Be surprised all you want, but close your mouth, you don''t want to have a fly as your next meal," Jasper said.


    Keeping up with them was challenging even though they slowed down for me; after all, I was a quarter of their size! Along the way, I received information about them. The beast land was shared between three species: the orcs, the goblins and the ogres. The three of them were orcs.


    "What are the ogres and the goblins like?"


    "No need to rush. You''ll learn about them in the future."


    "Are we far away from your home?" I asked.


    Hunter smiled before speaking.


    "Not far at all, in fact, we''re here."


    I wore a perplexed expression. We were still in the middle of nowhere. It became even more surprising when I began seeing buildings. Even beasts had buildings! I couldn''t seem to wrap my head around that fact. Their houses might have been of lower quality, but I expected them to sleep on the ground.


    The rain ceased and rays of sunlight began to seep through the thick clouds. The droplets of water acted as mirrors and reflected the glimmers of light, illuminating the forest. The environment was akin to something out of a fairytale.


    A gravel path connected all the buildings together and was being trotted on by several orcs. They shot confused glances at us. This was to be expected as it was the first time that they had seen a human!


    "Hunter, why are the buildings different sizes?"


    "The size of your house is determined by your strength. The stronger you are, the bigger your residence."


    "Then those two massive houses must belong to the two strongest?" I asked while pointing in the distance.


    "I''ve heard that the man who lives in one of them is a fat and ugly bastard who can only stuff his face," Jasper said while giggling.


    "I''ve even heard that he is into men," Xavier added.


    "Haha, very funny. You have a better shot at being a comedian than a fighter," hunter replied.


    "One of the houses belongs to me and the other belongs to my brother, the soon to be chieftain."


    My eyes were sparkling in admiration; I was eyeing him down. Hunter must be an incredible warrior!


    "Why are you staring at me like that kiddo."


    "Oh, I apologize. Can you show me where I''ll be staying?" I asked.


    "You''ll be staying with me until you''re old enough to look after yourself," Jasper said.


    After that exchange, we split up as it was getting dark; to my surprise, we were walking away from the center. Jasper looked back and smirked.


    "Yes, I am a weak orc. Despite me hanging out with Hunter, I am nothing like him. Unlike his older brother, he doesn''t discriminate against others on the basis of strength."


    Our footsteps led us to a rundown shack covered in moss; the wooden planks were rotten and were in dire need of repair. Jasper kept on apologizing for the lack of accommodation, but how could I complain when I was a stranger that he had just met. The rusted hinges squeaked as the wooden door swiveled open. The inside was far cozier than what I had expected, never judge a book by its cover! The interior was lit using candles mounted on the walls and the floor was covered with a plush and luscious rug that brought warmth to the house.


    Upon seeing such a homey environment, memories of my late father popped up in my head and tears began rolling down my cheeks. Jasper attempted to hug me without crushing my bones; his embrace felt comforting as I leaned into him.


    We sat around a wooden table in the center of the room; the pieces of furniture were up to par with what the humans could make. A massive pot was placed in the middle of the table; despite having an additional wooden block under my buttocks, I still couldn''t see what type of delicacy was prepared.


    I lifted myself using my arms and managed to sneak a glance inside; I saw a head... I was going to be staying here, it was better to adapt!

 Lucas

    My eyes slowly opened as the softened sunlight beamed down on my face. I attempted to turn my body but hit a wall, it was Jasper''s back. He was sleeping right next to me. We dozed off on the rug; I also didn''t think that human beds could handle the weight of one of these monsters.


    Using my frail hands, I shook him with all of my might but he did not budge. Plan A had failed. Plan B was up next. I strolled to the other side to face him. My fingers gently poked his eyes. As that didn''t seem to work, I put more strength into it.


    "What the hell are you doing!" he said.


    He woke up suddenly and stood up.


    "Do orcs wake up this late?"


    "No we wake up before the sun rises to hunt, now let me go back to sleep," Jasper said.


    Before returning to his slumber, he turned around and looked at all of the windows before coming to a stark realization. The sun had been up for quite some time.


    "Shit, I''m late. I had plans to go hunt with the others."


    "Can I come with you?" I asked.


    "Not today, we still have to ask the other group members if they are fine with you joining us."


    "Does everyone hunt together?"


    "No we have several groups that hunt. I''m running late. Don''t venture out too much and wait for my return," Jasper said.


    His humongous body squeezed through the door and sprinted away. My eyes wandered around the house and a question popped up in my head. What was I supposed to do in the meantime?


    I arranged a makeshift breakfast with whatever I had at hand; despite it not being tasty in the slightest, it did fill my stomach. The meat was barely edible at this point and was on the verge of being rotten. An hour later, I was bored and had nothing to do. I was still unfamiliar with this place. This tribe alone was several kilometers in diameter; I hadn''t even seen a small portion of it yet! I set foot outside and cautiously walked on the gravel path.


    "Please stop, I''m sorry."


    My body swiveled to face the direction of the voice. A young orc was kneeling in front of three others, his back against a wall. Tears filled his eyes and flowed down his scarred body. The young beasts were not that much taller than me, so I reached the conclusion that humans and orcs were of similar heights during childhood. But what happened during adolescence that changed them to such an extent?This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    The young orc was bleeding from several cuts on his face and arms. His cheeks and eyes were severely swollen; it was truly a sad sight.


    I considered helping him, but after using simple logic, I decided otherwise. Orcs were still stronger than humans and if I lent him a helping hand, both of us would be beaten to a pulp. I didn''t yet have the strength to do what I wanted. I also didn''t know the victim and what he might have done to infuriate them.


    Step by step, I edged closer to try to hear what was going on.


    "Sorry isn''t going to cut it. Why haven''t you prepared my food yet?" the group leader said.


    "I-I''ll bring it now Arthur. Please let me go."


    Arthur placed his hand on the orc''s neck and slowly tightened his grip before lifting him up. The beast''s legs were seesawing as his hands grasped his assailant''s wrist in a last ditch attempt to survive. His mouth was wide open, desperately gasping for air; he would perish if he stayed in that position.


    "I''ll let you go today. Don''t make the same mistake again."


    He released his grip causing the victim to plummet to the ground, struggling for air. The other two laughed hysterically before leaving with Arthur. As soon as the coast was clear, I rushed to see the young orc.


    "W-Who are you?" he asked.


    "My name is Jett, I just joined this tribe. What''s your name?"


    "Lucas."


    "Come, I''ll treat your wounds," I said.


    Lucas was rightfully wary at first but my sincere body language convinced him that I meant no harm and he followed me to Jasper''s house.


    "He must have something somewhere."


    "What do orcs use to treat wounds?"


    "There must be some leaves around; those are Atolla leaves and they have medicinal properties," Lucas replied.


    The leaves were stored in a wooden box along with some rolls of makeshift bandages. After wrapping up his arms and torso, it was time to obtain some clear answers.


    "Why were they attacking you?" I asked.


    "I- I''m their servant. The food wasn''t served fast enough and Arthur was enraged."


    "Did you say anything to the higher ups?"


    "What good would that do? He''s the chieftain''s grandson," he replied.


    "Is he Hunter''s son?" I asked worriedly.


    "No no, he''s hunter''s nephew."


    I heaved a sigh of relief; such a kind individual couldn''t have raised a bully.


    "I''m sorry to have troubled you, I''m taking my leave before they get wind of what you did," he added.


    My face wore a sad expression as Lucas passed through the door. What a pitiful life he has; having to serve someone who has been terrorizing him for so long must be grueling.


    I sat on the floor contemplating about life. Beasts were not that different from humans; the strong trampled on the weak. That was the conclusion of a five year old who didn''t even have any experience in the real world.


    Long hours passed before the wooden door swung open and a massive figure wearing a wide grin walked in; it was Jasper.


    "Was the hunt successful?" I asked.


    "Oh very, but that''s not why I''m happy. I have two pieces of good news to share. Everyone agreed to bring you hunting in a month''s time."


    "You just need to strengthen yourself as much as possible despite you being smaller than my forearm," he added.


    "Was the last part necessary, you fat beast," I replied.


    "How am I supposed to get stronger?"


    "That''s the second thing. The one who''ll be in charge of overseeing your training will be yours truly," he said with the most Machiavellian look imaginable on his face.


    "Training starts tomorrow at dawn."


    "You can''t even wake up on time; you''re that lazy."


    "You little brat, come here!"

 Training

    "Go to bed early, you''ll need every ounce of energy you can gather. After training, you''ll be attending the academy," Jasper said.


    "An academy? Orcs have that?"


    "Do you think we''re monsters or what," he said while laughing.


    "Young orcs go to the academy to learn about our heritage. Despite you not being of our kind, you still need to increase your knowledge."


    With that surprising fact in mind, I laid down on the rug to get some well deserved shut-eye.


    The feeling of drowning took my body by storm as I jolted up and spat water out. My eyes were bulging out and stared at Jasper who wore a wide grin.


    "It seems that using a bucket of water works well."


    "You asshole, how could you wake my fragile body up in such a crude way," I said in a sarcastic tone.


    "Shut up and let''s go."


    I grabbed a bite to eat before heading out with the orc. The latter brought me further away from the tribe to a remote clearing in the middle of nowhere. The gentle breeze brushed through the lush grass making it rustle. A musky and fresh smell permeated the air around us.


    Yawningly, I stretched my arms out. Jasper and I stood face-to-face a couple of meters away from each other.


    "Orcs fight using their strength. Our swordsmanship is crude and lacks substance. We use our swords merely to express our strength."


    "As you''re still young, it''s the ripe time to fortify your body," he added.


    "Back in the human kingdom, we only exercised to improve our strength. What do the orcs do differently?"


    "We do have a secret method that you''ll learn towards the end of the training. For now, you''ll be exercising that scrawny frame," he said.


    He began showing me the movements that I''ll be practicing this week; they were your basic push-up, pull-up and squats.


    "Get to work you lazy shit."


    The session was nothing short of torturous; he pushed me to the extreme and didn''t let me rest. Whenever I thought I had reached my limit, he demanded more. Huffing and puffing, I kept on progressing.


    By the end, I was lying on the ground gasping for air; I reeked of sweat and the palms of my hand were bloodied.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ''Is this how orcs train? No wonder they are so strong!''


    "To end off, we''ll be doing some aerobics. As it''s your first day, I''ll be kind."


    A sigh of relief was heaved; my body couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Run thirty laps around the clearing."


    "Great...you want to kill me now," I said.


    My feet were sinking deeper in the dirt as time passed. I could only cope with 20 laps before I slumped against a tree. Muscles that I didn''t know existed were aching.


    "Are you going to stay weak?"


    My father''s final moments flashed through my mind and a new-found determination arose. I couldn''t afford to give up. With my composure regained, I battled through the last ten laps.


    Jasper gave me a satisfied nod. It seemed like I had passed his test and gained his approval. We sauntered back home. Fortunately, the orc walked slowly allowing me to catch my breath; I took in the peaceful environment. The beast land seemed to be the total opposite of the human kingdom, free from tumult. The animals moved unhurriedly as the gusts of wind glided between the tree trunks.


    As soon as we arrived home, Jasper began roasting some meat.


    "How much do orcs eat?" I asked. After all, it was only three hours since we last ate.


    "We eat approximately five times a day. When train this hard, your body will crumble without sufficient nutrition."


    "Now shut up and eat," he added.


    Jasper handed me a set of clothes that could only be described as rags. According to him, to fit in better in the academy, I should wear proper attire; I donned the cloth and looked nothing short of ridiculous. With everything taken care of, we headed on our way.


    The orc and I walked side by side on the gravel path. As expected, the academy was located towards the center of the tribe. The houses progressively became more grand and luxurious; I also started seeing shops and merchants; everything from food to weapons was for sale. Crowds of pedestrians were walking down the streets; multiple orcs bumped into us. My ears were already saturated from all of the blathering around me.


    I was subject to the odd glance, but I wasn''t shocked. I was different from them and there was nothing I could do to change it.


    "How are you, little one?"


    I turned to face the voice and was pleasantly surprised to see Hunter.


    "How do you find your new teacher?"


    "Very lazy," I replied with a grin.


    "I''m sorry, I need to go. I have to meet the chieftain. Have fun at the academy!" he said before running off.


    A couple of minutes later, we arrived in front of gargantuan walls enclosing a colossal building crafted out of sandstone. The walls had turrets in the corners and had a wooden gate in the center; the structure towered over the forest.


    ''wow! That''s the academy.''


    The institution was comprised of 2 floors and was next to a battle arena for the students to spar.


    "I''ll leave you here, enter straight into the building, they''ll guide you from there." Jasper said.


    I ambled along the stone path through the gate into the yard. Hundreds of young orcs my age were waiting for classes to start; I brushed past them and entered the building. At the front desk, an old lady was reading a book. I slowly approached her in order not to startle her; her piercing eyes looked up at me as soon as I made the first step.


    "What do you want?"


    "It''s my first day at the academy," I replied.


    "What''s your name and age?"


    She analyzed my face and body language with great scrutiny; it made sense after all, I wasn''t an orc but a human. If I was a spy, it could spell the doom of the beasts.


    "It''s Jett and I''m five."


    After she was done writing her notes, she stood up before uttering,


    "Follow me, I''ll bring you to your class."


    She led me down a multitude of hallways all lined with pictures and accolades before arriving to my class.


    I was nervous; I was about to meet my new classmates.

 The Orc Academy

    As the orc pushed the polished wooden door with the palm of her hand, it smoothly swiveled open. While I was speaking to her, classes had already begun; therefore, I was greeted by the stares of all of the students. Step by step, I entered the room and walked towards the teacher; the man looked at me for a moment before speaking.


    "Introduce yourself to the rest of your friends."


    As I faced the entire class, my heart was racing and  sweat dripped from my pores. I took a deep breath to calm down.


    "Hello, my name is Jett and I''ll be your new classmate. Let''s get along well!"


    My introduction received a lukewarm response. No one seemed to want me in there. The teacher guided me to my seat which was all the way back. After sitting down, my eyes wandered around and saw a familiar face; it was Lucas! In fact, the group of bullies was also in the same class; luck seemed to be on my side...


    Time slowed down, school was as rumored, extremely boring; my eyes were mostly shut and I nearly dozed off. Every time I closed my eyes, my father''s smiling face appeared in my mind; his extended hand was asking me to accompany him. Every time I tried reaching for his hand, his figure disappeared, fading into nothingness.


    The sound of the ringing bell startled me; it was lunch time.


    One by one, we exited the classroom and sauntered to the yard. Students were already duking it out on the battle arenas with crowds of people spectating around them.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Lucas sitting on the ground next to the wall; I walked towards him and sat down. His worried stare landed on me.


    "Go away, they''ll pick on you too."


    "Why would they do that?" I asked.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "They always bully the weak."


    "Lucas you piece of trash, did you do the chores?"


    That voice belonged to none other than Arthur. Accompanied by his group of ruffians, he approached us. The color vanished from Lucas'' face and his hands began trembling. His teeth gritted against each other as he tried to form any semblance of words.


    "A-Arthur, I''m sorry. My mother was sick and I had to take care of her."


    "Is that my problem?"


    His focus shifted to me causing me to gulp.


    "Who do we have here?" he said with an eerie grin.


    I barely had any time to react and could only brace myself as his foot landed on my chest; the impact made my insides feel like they were being crushed. My body crashed against the wall, my spine nearly shattering. The orcs were a force to be reckoned with. Arthur''s torso swiveled as his shin cut through the air and landed flush against Lucas'' face; blood spewed out of his mouth as his body collapsed on the soil.


    A group of onlookers were gossiping and cracking jokes at us; their smiles and laughter would be forever etched into my mind. This was the real world. After my father''s demise, I promised myself that I would no longer be a victim. My hand scoured the ground and got hold of a rock; I gripped it waiting for the perfect opportunity. Arthur turned around and before he could even take his first step, I lunged forwards.


    My arm moved in arc-like motion aiming for his head. His head spun around but he was not granted enough time to defend himself. The stone struck the side of his head, just barely missing his eye; his body tumbled over.


    His arms were stretched to prevent his face from smashing into the ground. His eyes widened as he saw the blood dripping from the wound onto the ground in front of him. His head turned towards me and stared at me in shock; he couldn''t believe that anyone dared to hurt him. He steadily got up still eyeballing me.


    He darted to me as his knuckles moved towards my gut. Suddenly, time slowed down. I could feel the flow of air around me; I felt the change that Arthur''s movement was causing to the streams of air around him. These streams showed me where and approximately when his strike was going to land. This was an entirely new sensation; I felt as if I was connected to the wind.


    I moved my body away from the punch''s trajectory and launched an attack of my own. Guided by the wind, my leg harmoniously swiveled, passing over his striking arm and made contact with his exposed jaw. As the air around seemed to push my leg, my kick had more power than usual.


    I put his lights out; his knees struck the ground before his head thumped down. He laid down face first on the cold and humid dirt. His friends approached his motionless body before shaking him; as he wasn''t waking up, they took his body away. The two of them shot angry looks at me before leaving the scene.


    "Wow that was so cool," Lucas said.


    I was so focused on the fight that I had forgotten about the orc. Truth be told, something else had my attention. I could still sense the wind and I could also see it. The streams of air appeared around me as white lines. A river of lines was present all around me; it was truly a marvelous sight.


    "Ah it was nothing much," I replied.


    The bull rung once again; it was time to head back to class. We were the last to enter the room; my eyes raced across the room and there was still no sight of Arthur. Our classmates'' chattering ceased as soon as they noticed me. The topic of their conversation shifted towards the fight.


    A smile popped up on my face as walked to my seat. Lucas also appeared more relaxed than usual; his burden had been lightened. I thought that the ruffian would change his attitude, but I couldn''t have been more wrong.

 The way of the wind

    The trip back home was uneventful compared to the rest of my day; I stopped by a couple of shops to see what they were offering, but I didn''t have any money. After what seemed like an eternity, the shabby wooden cabin came into view; the usual closed door was wide open.


    I felt the sharp change in airflow before a loud thud echoed from the house. With all of my might, I ran towards the entrance. I barged in and was surprised to see Jasper laying on the floor; however, he wasn''t hurt. In fact, he was smiling. There was another figure with an extended fist; it was Hunter. Xavier was behind him laughing hysterically.


    "Why did you have to hit me with such power, I only lost a simple bet. No need to try to kill me," Jasper with while giggling.


    "It''s funny seeing you suffer, you little shit," Hunter replied before turning to me.


    "Welcome back, how was your day?"


    A smile appeared on my lips before walking towards the group; I recounted what had happened at the academy without leaving out a single detail. Hunter''s facial expression changed drastically upon hearing Arthur''s name. After all, I had pummeled a member of his family and the grandson of the chieftain; I could be in serious trouble.


    "So you beat my nephew up?"


    "Y-Yes," I reluctantly replied.


    The other two orcs also wore serious expressions and stepped towards me; I began backing away. My body had only moved a couple of meters before my back was against the wall. The three of them encircled me.


    "Do you know what that means?" Jasper asked.


    "N-No."


    Out of the blue, they lunged at me and held me in their embrace; to say the least, I was surprised. After noticing my puzzled face, they burst into laughter.


    "It means that we are proud of you brat," Jasper said.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "My brother along with his family has always been extremely arrogant and obnoxious, so, I''m happy that you put Arthur back in his place," Hunter added.


    "Won''t your brother or the chieftain attack me?"


    "For the orcs, strength is everything therefore, they will not act. You''ll only have to worry about Arthur and his goons."


    I heaved a sigh of relief; at the very least, I did not have to worry about being attacked by the adults. I had yet to tell them about the new power that I had obtained. I kept debating whether or not to inform them, but after careful consideration, I did not have any reason not to trust them. They saved me, fed me, trained me and did not care that I beat the chieftain''s grandson. Their chatter was interrupted by my words.


    "There''s one more thing I need to tell you guys."


    "During the fight with Arthur, I acquired something. I seem to be able to sense the streams air around me."


    "How is that-"


    Their eyes widened as my words reached their ears.


    "Does he have-"


    "No way, that''s not possible."


    "I did not think anyone else could have that."


    "Let me test it out," Xavier said.


    "Close your eyes Jett. You tell me where I have moved," he added.


    My eyelids shut like curtains and I was immersed in darkness but the river of lines was still present.


    "You will move your arm to the right."


    Xavier had just begun moving his arm and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.


    "You really do have it."


    "Can I at least know what I have," I jokingly said.


    "The power that you possess is known as the way of the wind. I do not know if humans can even have it. Very few beasts have this ability; the lucky few are trained from a very young age and achieve great strength." Hunter added.


    "How many orcs have this power?"


    "No more than thirty. But keep in mind that there are millions of orcs."


    "The orcs have nine tribes and a capital tribe that oversees the rest. All of the chieftains and higher ups have the power," he added.


    "Do you have it?" I asked.


    "Are you trying to rub it in," he said with a grin.


    "No I don''t. My father and brother have it."


    "How can you keep up with them without it?"


    After a lengthy explanation, I learnt that Hunter had to train diligently to even compete with them; he had to be almost perfect in every other aspect. I had new-found respect for the orc; his dedication truly moved me. I aspired to be like him in the near future.


    "You need to keep this hidden."


    "If you were an orc, you''d be hailed as a talent, but you''re a human. You may be hunted by jealous orcs or even by the chieftain himself."


    "We''ll attempt to train the power to the best of our abilities, leave it to your uncles," Jasper said while laughing.


    I knew that I was in good hands so I laughed and joined in their celebrations; our bellies were full of meat that they had brought back from their hunt.


    "Jasper you may have to stick to hunting rather than cooking," I said.


    "Oh keep it quiet."


    I learnt about how the orcs partied. As expected, orcs also drank alcohol, even more so than humans. Gallons of booze was drunk and they even gave me, a five year old, some to drink. My head started spinning and I was seeing double. The orcs tried their best to not laugh at me but failed. My rosy cheeks paired with my droopy eyes could only mean one thing; I was inebriated.


    "I-I''m so thankful for-for you guys you know."


    "You''re so sweet when you''re drunk," Jasper replied.


    "Go to bed. You better wake up on time for training tomorrow or the consequences will be dire," he added.


    Suddenly, the ground seemed to approach my head. Xavier grabbed my body to prevent me from falling; he lifted me and carried me to the sleeping area. He laid me down before leaving.


    "He''ll have a tough journey ahead," Hunter said with a serious face.