BALLAD OF THE ORC PALADIN

A Game of Shadows

Kaito's head throbbed, his body aching as he slowly regained consciousness. His hands were bound again, but this time by thick iron chains that cut into his wrists. The cold stone floor beneath him felt unforgiving, and the distant murmur of voices echoed through the cave. The smell of damp earth mixed with smoke filled the air, adding to the suffocating atmosphere.

Kaito forced his eyes open. He was in a cave, dimly lit by torches that flickered against the jagged stone walls. His captors were gathered around a table nearby, hunched over a map, speaking in low, hushed tones. He strained to make out their words, but his focus kept slipping back to the heavy chains that held him in place.

A new sense of unease settled in his gut. These people weren't just a group of random mercenaries. They were part of something larger. Something dangerous.

Grushak, the orc leader, was closest to him, sharpening his massive axe. His hulking form looked even more menacing in the low light, his yellow eyes occasionally flicking toward Kaito as though assessing whether he was still a threat. The elf, Sylvara, stood by the entrance of the cave, her keen eyes ever watchful. The dwarf, Borin, sat sharpening his hammer's head on a whetstone, his grumbling voice barely audible over the scrape of metal. Nerik and Mara, the two human mercenaries, were deep in conversation, their voices too low to overhear, but Kaito caught enough to sense the tension between them.

The fact that they hadn't killed him immediately was both a relief and a warning. They hadn't figured out what to do with him yet, and that made him nervous. He shifted his hands subtly, testing the chains, but they held firm. His mind raced—he needed a way out before they decided his fate for him.

Grushak noticed his movements and approached, looming over Kaito with a grim expression. "Still thinkin' of escaping?" His voice was a growl, but there was something almost amused in his tone. "You'll have better luck talkin' your way out."

Kaito met his gaze, swallowing the rising panic. "I wasn't trying to escape."

Grushak snorted. "Then what? Waitin' to be executed?"

"I'm not your enemy," Kaito said, his voice firmer than he expected. "I've been on my own. I didn't come here to fight anyone."

"On your own, huh?" Sylvara's cold voice cut in as she stepped closer, eyeing Kaito with distrust. "An orc wandering alone in the wilds? Either you're a fool, or you're lying."

"I'm neither," Kaito replied, locking eyes with her. "I'm looking for something. Something that's bigger than just survival."

The group went quiet, and Grushak's expression darkened. "And what would that be?"

Kaito took a deep breath. This was it—his chance to turn the tables. "The temple. The one in the north. I need to reach it. I'm not here to spy on you or cause trouble. I just need to get there."

The room was silent for a moment, then Borin let out a rough laugh. "A temple? You're after a fool's errand, boy. That place is cursed."

"It's more than a temple," Kaito pressed on, his desperation growing. "There's something there. Something that can prove I'm not just an orc."

Grushak stared at him for a long moment, his eyes narrowing. "You're after the gods' favour, aren't you? Tryin' to make yourself more than what you are?"

Kaito nodded slowly. "Yes. I need to become a paladin."

Borin snorted. "Paladins? You're dreamin', lad. No god's ever gonna bless an orc."

But Kaito didn't back down. "Maybe not, but I have to try. I'm not like other orcs."

"You sure about that?" Grushak muttered, his voice low and dark. "The world don't care what you think you are. Orcs are orcs. That's how it's always been."