"You'll soon see why we saved the Orcs for last." The voice was of Tinalen, the old court advisor who had been my first trainer, in the land of Humans.

"I think it might have been useful to learn a bit about war when I was dealing with the Elector-Generals." I grumbled aloud, remembering having to fend off dozens of marriage proposals, part of my political training, or so he claimed. "Besides, you taught me how to defend myself, and I've killed before."

"That's a fight, a brawl, combat." He smiled as he produced one of the many daggers he always carried within his voluminous turquoise robes. "I taught you that well enough." I idly traced the scars along my forearm, smiling grimly in agreement. "What the Orcs do is war, child, and not to be played at."

"What's the difference?" I had been taught how to kill in hundreds of ways. The goblins taught me to kill with traps, with poisons, and herbs. I learned to stop a man's heart or rain fire on the battlefield from the Elves. To slip a dagger between the ribs, or hammer them in the Arena of Grudges. How could this be so different?

"The difference is why the Orcs are the most revered race in Kalios, as you well know." Old Tinalen smiled the crooked, calculating smile that had so often accompanied painful lessons.

"Are the First Borne really so terrible?" The Orcs and the First Borne. The Oldest War. The Eternity Struggle. The Wall of War.

"Terrible enough to drive the great magic of the Elves deep into their secret forests and the Dwarves into their mountains." Tinalen sighed heavily, remembering some far off tragedy, as he so often did whenever we spoke of the First Borne. "Terrible enough that we created the Orcs. And Heroes..." He cast a guilty glance at me, the one that made me feel like he was my grandfather looking at his seventeen-year old granddaughter, rather than the Hero of the World.

"Yet you've never even let me see one." I raised the protest that had been the cause of a hundred arguments over the years.

"You weren't ready." He swallowed heavily and looked at me guiltily. "You still aren't. But there's no time. He's coming back and you need to learn how to win a war."

"If the Orcs could teach that, they wouldn't need me." I joked half-heartedly, only to receive a sharp stare and a whispered rebuke.

"Quiet! Do not ever let an Orc hear you speak that way." He whispered with a genuine fear, and I swallowed, shaking my head.

"I was just kidding."

"Not even in jest, child!" He hissed the words. "The only reason you are alive to make such japes is because the Orcs have been dying in the thousands every year to keep you safe." He sighed, as if suddenly weary. "You'll see soon."

"Halt!" A booming voice filled my ears as a figure suddenly appeared on the path before us, silhouetted and disguised by the setting sun behind them.

Stopping in our tracks, Tinalen called out loud, "I am Tinalen of the Twelve Houses and this is Jaless, Elector-General of the Twelve Houses, Tree-Sister to Arch Druid Cosmani, Tall Queen of the Goblin Tribes, Smith Mother to Clan Firehand, Chosen Hero of the Living World and Champion of the Five Peoples!"

I groaned inwardly at the titles that had been heaped upon me and stepped forward, curtsying slightly and tipping my head, the formal greeting for one of unknown standing in the Kingdom. To my surprise, I heard only a guttural laugh before the booming voice spoke again.

"A-hahaha! White as a goat's milk and soft as cheese." The figure stepped forward and I saw it was an Orc, as evident by the deep blue skin and golden eyes, what emerged from beneath plates of gold and black armor. "And a girl to boot."

"Sir Orc, we have done the courtesy of naming ourselves." I grit my teeth and ignored the sexism.

"Sir Orc?" The voice laughed again and the figure leaned down to look me in the eyes, revealing a face as pretty and freckled as any human maiden, the freckles a darker blue than her cobalt skin. "I am Aswin Greatfist, daughter of General Fergut Greatfist."

"Pardon me, Miss Greatfist." I stuttered an apology and straightened as my counterpart roared again with laughter. How was I supposed to know? I couldn't see her face and her armor was pretty unisex!

"Oh, begging your pardon, Miss Greatfist." She laughed and mocked, before giving a sharp whistle. "You're even softer up close, but you're the Hero or whatever, so we'll be your escort."

Suddenly a dozen more Orcs of all shapes were around her, blocking the road. Each had some shade of blue skin and nearly all had golden eyes. They were separated by size and shape, but each wore the same gold and black armor, each decorated with a massive silver fist.

"Commander, we need to move if you wish to see the battle." One of the Orcs, another female, perhaps, spoke in an equally deep voice.

"Then let's hurry. We need to get the Tree-Hugger and Smith Sister and whatever else the softies have named her all trained up." The Orc named Aswin laughed mockingly and Tenalin could only smile in a strained smile of forced respect.

"I know how to fight." I had gone through this in every single nation, and I was already quite fed up with being constantly underestimated. I had fought. I had killed. I had bled and vomited and shit myself trying to hold in my fear while Cave Worms devoured my mining team. I wasn't going to be underestimated by this... savage.

"She knows how to fight, comrades." Aswin's tone remained both humorous and mocking and I felt my grip tighten on the sword on my waist.

"Care to test me? Or have you no honor?" I pulled Sharwin from her sheathe, the cold mithril runes reflecting the setting sun like red fire.

"Fine then." Aswin laughed and shrugged, before turning and hurtling something towards me.

Remembering the lessons in Drawgi's fighting pit, I sidestepped and deflected the hatchet, only to be caught off-guard by one of the other Orc's fist suddenly crashing into my face from the side. Before I could even focus on the new challenger, something struck me on my knees and I fell hard, catching a heavy boot on my chin as I did. While the world swirled around me and I felt darkness overcoming me, I felt something pulling hard at my hair and one of my eyes was peeled open to see the blurred and swimming face of Aswin, leering at me with a cold smile.

"That's how we fight, Tree Mother. Who gives a shit about honor?" With those words ringing in my ears, I fell into a blackness without sound or dream.