Iorrjaer

Chapter 36

Alan, sensing that he hit a spot that finally and actually hurt his opponent, someone that could stop their plan of saving the world from itself, continued to pummel Häsmæl. He struck hard and continuously, aiming solely for Häsmæl's left eye. Häsmæl tried to block but Alan's many arms made it hard to block as Alan would grab and wrestle the orc's arms away and still have two to continue the strikes. Alan felt empowered and embarrassed. Embarrassed that he had originally ignored the orc but he relished that he had the chance to make up for his oversight. He could not believe that he now had the power to overpower such a being as the orc that he now had pinned.

Obscured by the insectile legs on his face, Häsmæl could all but watch as Alan worked tirelessly at punching his face. Alan's massive body moved around as he continued to pummel to position his rhino-like horn. It had started as an inch and grew to be five-inches and was more of a pointed spike. Alan continued his pummeling while he repositioned himself to find the perfect angle that aimed perfectly at his chest. He knew that Alan meant to skewer his heart, to shove that ugly horn into his chest and most likely through it.

His left eye was starting to hurt. Alan had finally broken through the natural defense and was now actually inflicting continuous damage. He could feel blood seeping into his eye and clouding it. He could feel the strikes breaking and weakening the flesh around his eye. His mind flashed to when his eye was first injured: Hämäyl.

He had been down in the caverns, exiled by Hämäyl and their father, Häsmoday. Down in the caverns he had been raised by the goblins and by a few defecting members of the horde, Ulu, wife turned tutor and mentor, Claire, human slave, LügLüg, the kindly ogre, and Kÿr, one of Häsmoday's original advisors. Kÿr had been Häsmæl's teacher, teaching him about survival and the meaning of his orcish and troll heritage. It was his lessons that he pulled from when faced with difficulties in the outside world. Ulu had been Häsmoday's favourite wife but had turned to Kÿr for guidance when Häsmoday started to show mental instability, which lead her to become a confidant and when Claire was brought on, she convinced Häsmoday to breed a protector for her and Claire, someone that Hämäyl would steer clear from. LügLüg was bred and tasked with the simple tasks of keeping Ulu and Claire safe. Claire's addition to the horde was Häsmæl's mother, Phæ's, final wish for Häsmoday to follow. Someone that could teach Häsmæl the human side of life.

Häsmæl's exile came from Hämäyl, who was the leader of the Käbb Orcs - Häsmoday's War Orcs - thirteen specially bred orcs that were the epitome of violence and war. Hämäyl, seemingly under some kind of outside, dark influence, wanted Häsmæl killed. He thought of Häsmæl as an imposter and believed himself to be the reincarnation of Jörcnir. He attempted to murder Häsmæl several times and was always thwarted by Kÿr and LügLüg. He finally convinced Häsmoday that Häsmæl was irrelevant for their plans of conquest over the humans and before Häsmoday could decree for Häsmæl's execution, Claire and Ulu pleaded for exile instead.

Häsmoday agreed, in his last semblance of his true self. Häsmæl was to be sent into the caverns to work and die. The goblins took Häsmæl in and slowly, Claire and Ulu, LügLüg following and finally Kÿr, joined him. One more decided to follow him into the caverns: Siph. She was the daughter of the stronghold's blacksmith and had been born at the same time as Häsmæl. They had spent their youths together and when Häsmæl started to grow and come into his own, she had realized his potential.

Hämäyl and his Käbb Orcs, growing ever more violent and hungry for blood, decided to take action and kill Häsmæl themselves. Hämäyl's paranoia had grown to such that he believed that Häsmæl's very existence was a threat to his standing as the true reincarnation of Jörcnir. Deep in the caverns, it was a massacre. Goblins threw themselves at the invading Käbb Orcs, sacrificing themselves to buy Häsmæl and his followers time to escape.