The Lonely King

Meeting my Destiny

Friendship, Mash had never heard of that word, nor did he know what it meant. That was the case until he met two families, one of royalty, and the other a broken family, trying their best. With their help, he found out what a friend was. To him, a friend was like a heart that goes strong until the bitter end. Truly, where would anyone be in the world, without a friend. Orcs were not known for their kindness, nor their loyalty, yet Mash forged his own path. He never meant to befriend anyone, he just wanted to complete his mission.

His mission was simple; He must find the man who killed their leader and stole his crown. As the burly, 6'3 half-orc stomped through the forest, cautious of who was around, he heard a gasp from beside him. He turned and saw a figure move in the bushes. "Aha!" He shouted in triumph, picking up the figure by the shirt. What he saw in front of him was not the older man, but instead some village boy. The boy's dark curly hair was barely pushed back by his split bangs, while his hazel eyes were wide with terror as he squirmed in the orc's grasp. Hidden behind a tree on his left was another young boy. The child's tousled blonde hair spilled just slightly over his eyes, and his buttoned shirt far too large for his small arms, for it had surely been a hand-me-down from an older relative. "Who are you?" He questioned them, annoyed by the disturbance. The brunet spoke shakily.

"Tobias.." The half-orc nodded and turned to the blond. The young child stepped out from behind a tree, trying to hide his fear, yet failing.

"The name is Theo. Hands off my friend kind sir." He pointed at the taller figure. Mash grunted and dropped the shorter child who ran and hid behind his friend.

"Aren't you two a bit young to be running around these woods alone? Go home." He growled at them. The duo looked at each other nervously then turned back to him.

"We got lost." Theo muttered.

"You what?" Mash asked, not being able to hear him.

"We got lost, alright? Can you help us get home please?" Tobias shouted. The orc stepped back in surprise, then snarled at them.

"You're kidding. You know, it's dangerous for some village kids to be in these woods. Lots of creatures hunting your type down." He scowled. "Alright fine, I'll help you out. Where do you live?" He huffed, blowing his light pink hair out of his face. The boys tried to remember the town name as fast as they could, noticing the orc getting impatient.

"The castle! You know, the one in Everden?" Theo informed him. The creature towering over him only stared in silence. Mash's brows furrowed as he snapped.

"You're from the castle?! Gods, how dumb are you? You're the king's son aren't you?" He grunted at the blond. The child only nodded. Mash sighed. "Alright. Hop on my back. I'll get you there safely. And please, don't squirm this time." Theo followed Tobias onto the half-orc's shoulders.

"Why are you helping us? Aren't orcs supposed to be killers?" Tobias questioned.

"Yes, we are. Now shut up and leave me alone." He growled as he continued to carry them to the town.

"Last question sir-" Theo started as Mash groaned in annoyance. "Why exactly are you helping us? You didn't answer the first time." He finished. Mash rolled his eyes at the young prince and grunted.

"Because if I left you behind, and you died, anyone could have seen me with you. With that said, your father would surely find out and he would be after my head. I would prefer to not be hunted down by King Seraph." The orc explained. The boys nodded and decided to leave him alone for the rest of the journey.

After what felt like forever, yet had only been ten minutes, the trio finally came across a large village surrounded by stone walls and a large gate. The duo hopped off Mash's back and walked up to the guards at the gate. The young knights in training aim their weapons at the trio. Theo tilted his head in confusion, then started to laugh. An older knight heard the laughter and ran over. "Woah, kids! Stand down, it's alright." She shouted at them. The teens looked at the older knight then followed her command. The oldest bowed to Theo and the others followed her lead.