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Description

Let me get this out of the way. Yes, I know that by using AI I've joined the dark side. No, it does not make me an artist. I wanted to play around with Bing Image Generator to see if I could make some references and I did get some interesting results.

Based on GabrielRaven and his world of New Epoch, the Cataclysm that created the New World created many monsters and dangers for the people who survived it to deal with. Once they were men and women, now they are monstrous, strong beings for whom might makes right. It's unknown if the Orc scourge consisted of people whom were already rotten thugs, maybe there are those out there who could be reached and reminded of their former humanity? Regardless, as a rule, do not try to reason with an Orc. They operate with the subtly of a Biker gang and do as they please. As per "the creed of the Orc is simple: 'Malvakoth por noth, thin na Kraz.' It roughly means 'Live your life for the moment and as you wish.' Their style of living, if left alone, would be anarchy made real."

While brutish and boarish, it is unfair to call them dumb. It's more along the lines of simple minded. Simplicity rules the day. If you cook you're the cook, if you fight you fight. The biggest and baddest leads, and you stay in your lane and follow the rules. Every other race in the NE were either fodder for fightin' or slaves. It's a savage world, so why not embrace the savagery?

New Epoch starts here: New Epoch IntroductionThe year was 2042. It would go down in history as the year that the old world died…and it would be the last year of the A.D calendar. After that, the dates would we start at year 1 NE, the New Era.
There were no signs or warnings to the coming of the New Era. The year began like any other. Perhaps we would have noticed…had we not been lost in our technological trance. It seems so ironic that the price of knowledge is a loss of touch. As Adam and Eve took their first bite of the Tree of Knowledge, they were awakened to the truths and realities of the world, but were thus expelled from their paradise. Perhaps then, it was inevitable, that when mankind entered this age of technology and information, we too would be expelled from our paradise of comfort and luxury.
The event that would drag humanity into the New Era was known as the Great Calamity. It would occur over a period of one month: The month of April. On the first week, geological events shook the world. Floods and tsu The orcs feature in the story: New Epoch: Trials on Magnolia MountainHello! This is a gift for my friend @GabrielRaven based on his series New Epoch, link in the description since they won't let me in the body of the new upload ha! XD----------2042, a year that no one will ever forget. It started the New Epoch. If it took seven days to create the world, the seven days of the Great Cataclysm were hell on Earth and destroyed it. It now started the New Epoch, year 1. Chaos reigned and the impossible became possible. The Earth itself experienced disasters of seismic shifts, floods, and typhoons. Animals became monsters and human civilization was upended. Magic and monsters became real, and man’s feats of technology were undone in hours. Civilization was reset to the Dark Ages.As if that wasn’t bad enough, many survivors changed. While most people would remain the same, others had their bodies altered. Some changed in minor ways as they shifted from right-handed to left-handed. Others woke up with their genders changed. Finally, and most drastically, others became races of myth and legends such as Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, and even Orcs!Many of these changes would be uncomfortable as people were forced to be taller Elves, shorter Dwarves or Halflings, or have body parts become bigger such as uncontrollable hair growth or Halfling feet. New instincts and impulses filled their heads good and ill. Their bodies were wracked by pain as their entire body would be morphed into these new forms, some beautiful and some repulsive.Most turned to God as the church that had survived so many cataclysms before this now leads in this one. They were a lasting institution that dealt with a new challenge. Although, they favored humanity so those who were left or often forced to fend for themselves. Of those who endured into the new age, these are some of their stories.----The sound of ax split wood rang throughout the woods. A large, brutish man swung the ax. He possessed an athletic thick build and a strong, paunch belly like a sumo wrestler. He had earthly clay red skin and an obsidian horn poked out of his head. His hair was wild and milky white and he looked like an Ogre or an Oni.He was shirtless and wore ripped, old khaki pants and no shoes left his large feet bare. Like an Oni, he wore a necklace of large red beads made for him kind of like the classic image of one. They made for great training weights that kept him strong and poised he liked the pain and wait on his body. His canines were sharp as well to match his fierce appearance as he used the old wood-cutting ax for firewood. He used a robe to tie a bundle together and carried it through the woods into a clearing that had an old house clearly from pre-cataclysm.John Bolton the Red Demon refused to give up his human name. It was his, and to give that up admitted that he was truly gone. Not only that, but he refused to give up the mountain summer camp for children before the world was shattered. There were four wooden cabins. One was half destroyed. One had a tree fall on it. That left a few bunk cabins and a councilor cabin with a kitchen. There was a bathroom but with all the electronics down the plumbing did not work. John had to build and maintain an outhouse. Finally, not far from the camp, a single-room church rested in a clearing so light could shine through the stained glass.John was not alone here. On the porch of the councilor’s cabin sat a freckled, fair-skinned woman with youthful features. Two elfin points poked out of her cascade of long, fiery red hair. She wore a headdress that sported deer antlers, and to strengthen her Celtic appearance she had a green dress that was well-maintained with traditional washing methods. She wore brown boots that were more suited to the rugged wilderness, and her leather glove-adorned hands held an old book. She rocked in a rocking chair, staff at her side as she flipped through the pages at peace with the world.This Elf chose Haya as her new name once she was transformed into an Elf in the New Epoch. Haya was once a man of service. They were a volunteer firefighter, soldier, and police officer in their previous life. The loss of their muscles as they became a slender elf woman and weaker bodies rendered most of that useless. However, EMT knowledge like CPR and first aid as well as self-defense was invaluable in this new world.Furthermore, the Elves’ strong affinity for magic gave Haya not just a new identity but new opportunities to help. She learned and experimented with magic to help others heal and became druidic with new medicines from all the new flora and fauna of the world. She became known as the Shamaness of Magnolia Mountain.John placed the firewood by the porch and without saying a word turned to go back and get more. The red-headed Elf put a bookmark in place, set her book aside, and stood up to stretch, “That's enough for now, John. You don't need to get more. Stay here while I cook dinner." John let out a gruff sigh, "You're going to want it when winter hits Hadrian... sorry, sorry Haya."Haya crossed her arms as she glanced over to the hulking Ogre unfazed by his size, "It's just the start of September. We are not going to have winter for several months."John grumbled to himself as if he wanted to say something but suppressed it. He turned around and put his hands on his hips, "I thought Boy Scouts were always prepared. The world is so different now we don't know if it's going to be winter next month."Haya shook her head, "Look, I can do a lot of things now, but I assure you the sun will rise tomorrow and you can get more wood." John bowed his head in frustration, but then raised it with a smirk that showed off his sharp canines, "It'll be an improvement, maybe then people will leave us alone." Haya rolled her eyes, "Oh come on! You don't want to be trapped in a cabin with just me. I know you love to talk to people."John snorted and mirrored Haya as he crossed his arms. A frown replaced his smile, "Yeah, assuming I can find someone to talk to someone like me."Haya's eyes flashed as she gave him the stank eye, "Look, John, I know the world is different. I used to not be an elf chick, but we got to face reality. I heal people, so of course they like me. And okay, I'm an elf so I look like a supermodel. I still need you, John. If anyone says anything to you, let me know so I can roast 'em like a turkey!"John let out a booming laugh, "Who's the monster here, me or you?" John turned to go back into the woods. Haya picked up her staff and spoke a word of command. Vines took on a life of their own and snaked between the trees to cover the entrance to the trail's path. John tilted his head back to see Haya, and he was unfazed by this magical gesture.Haya let out a deep breath of exertion, "John Bolton, I'm starting dinner. Come inside, I'll need your help."There was something about someone who barked orders to John that irked him. Not to mention, she used his full name like she was his mother or something, “So, you’re the ‘oh so wise, high and mighty elf maiden’ right? Everyone just has to listen to Miss Magic over here?”Haya gasped, “Where is this coming from?”John threw up his hands and his anger rose, “Let’s face it since you became an elf, you’ve been acting all high and mighty: a pompous, pointy-eared, prick!”Aghast, Haya covered her mouth and then placed her hands on her hips, and leaned forward to assert herself over the Ogre twice her size. John noticed that Haya stayed on the porch as she retorted, “That’s a hell of a thing to say considering all I’ve done for you.”John gritted his teeth and crossed his arms, “Forgive me if I don’t bow to the Queen of the Forest for imparting her wisdom.”Haya took a deep breath, clearly angry but trying to rein it in, “I see the big picture.”John threw up his hands exasperated, “I guess I’m just stupid then.”Haya stomped her foot, “I didn’t say that John! You’re being a dickhead!”John winced at the insult, but he smirked, “Maybe so, I do have a horn. I’m going for a walk.”John then cut through the vines with one clean swing of his ax. It embedded into the soil and left it there, "And some stupid vines won't stop me."Haya stopped her protest as the Ogre walked off, “Fine! Act like an Ogre Shrek!”John heard the door slam behind him. Undeterred, he went into the forest and immersed himself in the sounds of the birds and crickets to soothe his anger."I don't know where Haya gets off acting like that. It's not like she's my wife or girlfriend. Hell, he was a guy before... Before all this..."John looked at his hands with sharp fingernails. They were stronger than he could ever hope for as a human, but why was he cursed with this savage skin? His old friend who became Haya was someone who he talked to on the internet for hours about all sorts of things: the latest movies, anime, and video games were gone now replaced with a black woman elf. He was now a completely different person! If Haya thought she could scare John with magic, she had another thing coming…Haya was a martial arts enthusiast in her previous Life. She loved Muay Thai, wrestling, and karate. John wondered at the strange irony of how Haya could get physically weaker but have access to magic while John himself became this hulking brute of a man. He was so weak and pathetic before his sudden bulk-up. John wished he could get the nightmares of his muscles swelling beyond anything humanly possible. Blood dribbled from the horn sprouted out of his head. It reminded him that despite his strong body, he was still a scared and helpless little man cursed with a beastly body. Truly, John and Haya had become beauty and the beast.John saw a tree that he had been practicing on under Haya’s tutelage. Bark was broken off and impacts of punches and kicks as he hardened his body and vented his steaming temper. Haya lost her muscle strength, but she still had the knowledge that she could impart. In a fit of rage, John punched the worn tree in the middle. The crack of wood sounded as the tree was cut in half. Reinvigorated, John chuckled, "Gonna’ need a new training tree." John traversed the woods and found a new solid tree to be his new punching bag. He had ropes and tape in a sack on his back to protect his fists. He took the wrappings out and wrapped them around his fists so he could do some exercises. The Ogre stretched and braced himself as he struck the tree, and then he kicked the tree. He continued to do various strikes to the tree with his limbs, knees, and elbows to harden his stout body.The exercises liberated his spirit. He preferred to be alone, but he relished the martial arts now that his body craved it. John sweated and his body ached from the wood chops and tree training. However, he felt satisfied, so he walked back to the lodge where he left Haya. He smelled smoke, not unusual for cooking, but no food smells? It's been some time since the sun started to set. Surely, Haya had started by now.John saw the smoke rose high. John knew Haya didn’t need that much smoke for food, so he ran as fast as his large body would carry him back to the lodge. What he saw before him made his heart sink, the cabin he called home was smashed open and there was a fire!John rushed in to stop the fire and smelled something repugnant. His blood ran cold when he saw a large, fat green-skinned man with an under bite and carried a foul stench. He drank from John's wine gourd that Haya made for him. This Orc tilted back in a chair and munched down on the food Haya prepared for herself and John.John shook with fury. He clenched his fists so that his fingernails dug into his palms until they bled, but he was beyond pain. This Orc violated his home, and they were never alone. The foul beasts always traveled in a gang or even a horde. Since John saw no Haya, this Orc's buddies no doubt took her. No doubt this Orc noticed the massive Ogre in the room with him drunk or not, and the terrified greenskin drew a machete that no doubt saw a lot of action, "Now, now big and ugly, we got your little elf girl and we're going to chop her into pieces unless you come quietly, right?"Without saying a word, John stepped forward. The Orc tried to swing the machete at John, but the arc was wide, and John simply caught the Orc's thick wrist. However, the Ogre’s massive hand wrapped around the wrist all the same. He squeezed hard to make the Orc drop it. When this didn't motivate the Orc to comply, John headbutted the ugly thing with John's Ogre horn and it took the brunt. The Orc dropped his weapon and held his hand in pain, but it couldn't get away from John's grip. John stared at the Orc with a savage fury, "Where is she." The Orc whimpered, "Please... Don't kill me... I'm just doing what the High Orc says... I got to obey or he'll gut me..." John's steel gaze was undeterred. "I will break every bone in your body and leave you for the wolves if you don't tell me where she is." The Orc sniveled as his eyes filled with terror, "A mile away ... Old gas station..."John rewarded the Orc an elbow to his head and the warty face freak slumped over. He checked him, unconscious not dead. John went to work. First, he put the fire out. Likely, Haya attempted to defend herself. She would not go down without a fight, even overwhelmed.Second, he used ropes to tie up the Orc and put out the blaze outside. It didn't consume the buildings and was likely a fireball from Haya herself to fight back before she was overwhelmed by numbers. Night fell, and it covered John's movements. He knew the gas station was off the main path. John knew he bled all over. He knew that he was not at 100%. However, John knew that every second he wasted was a second that Haya’s situation worsened. He already had his fist protection on, so he put on protection for his knees and elbows, "Hang in there Haya, I'm coming for ya’."John followed the obvious trail from the Orc band and remembered that it was about a two-mile hike to the skeleton of a gas station picked clean of anything useful. It rested at the foot of the mountain by a destroyed bridge over a creek he liked to fish in with Haya. As he moved through the dark woods lit only by moonlight, he recounted in his mind what travelers who came to Haya for healing said about them. Travelers who sought help from Haya often spoke of the terror of the Orcs. It’s hard to believe that they were once humans who the Great Cataclysm turned into brutes. The barbarians came like a plague. They took what they wanted, killed who they wanted, and enslaved the survivors. Organized and determined resistance could beat them back, but the Orcs never forgive or forget. Any who fight them off can guarantee that the Orcs will return to pay back in blood. Orcs were almost universally male. There were rumors that women who turned into Orcs when they changed became male as well. Therefore, they must raid to gather females of all races for… all the more reason for John to hurry!There was a confirmed High Orc. They had tusks to identify them, and they typically commanded respect from lesser Orcs because of their tusks and size. Bigger was always badder after all. A High Orc Boss handpicked Grooks to be their lieutenants. They would oversee discipline and do important tasks such as enforced discipline, brewed grog, or butchered food to keep the Orc warband happy. Orcs are simple-minded and often cowardly without their leadership. John prayed that the often-depraved Orcs would see the value in Haya as not just a slave but as a healer...John fumed as he ran his mind rattled with questions. How could he leave her alone for so long? How could he have it where this could ever possibly happen? If he had just stayed like she wanted, then this would never have happened! By the time he saw the overgrown gas station, he saw the Orc camp around it. There were about eight of them he could see, but others might be out of sight. They each were dressed in torn clothes and leather jackets like some kind of biker gang. They had campfires lit and laughed as they drank their grog. He saw make-shift wooden cages where they likely kept their prisoners. The dull light illuminated the shapes within that showed a lot of skin and worn rags if anything.John’s rage overpowered all other urges. He had no idea where this surge of power came from, but it guided his body. His sweat turned to steam on his body as something inside of him broke. Fury came to the surface and gave him a power that he did not comprehend, but it did not matter. He only saw red. The Ogre ran down without any attempt at subtly with a roar of rage!The orcs, stunned, backed away in fear at the sight of the red demon that charged them without any regard for itself. Their leader, the High Orc, who had was the biggest and baddest of them all. He had a stout belly with biceps the size of melons! He sported a formidable set of tusks in their mouth almost curved back to their head. He sat on a worn recliner that they must carry around with them, and he grunted in disgust at the intruder to their party. He snapped, “Kill the Red Devil, and you keep its horn.”The two Grooks, marked by their trophy-adorned helmets, prepared to attack the nigh feral beast. Besides, this Ogre was mortal with or without even a weapon. One Grook held a sledgehammer and the other held a baseball bat with barbed wire around it.The two Orcs charged into the Ogre and there was a brutal melee as the flurry of fists, elbows, and knees found their mark on the green-skinned brutes. Each punch from the Red Demon struck like a hammer and each elbow and knee was like a knife. Instinct guided his movements. He dodged the sledgehammer only to take a hit from the bat. The Ogre howled in pain as the barbed wire cut into him, but took the bat from its owner and broke it over the Grook’s face. The Ogre then stabbed the stub into the sledgehammer wielder and drove him to the ground. When the former bat-wielding Grook tried to rise, the Red Demon stomped him back down.The other Orcs murmured in fear as the Ogre panted and looked at each of them like a cornered animal that dared another attacker to try. The High Orc rose and approached the Red Demon. He had a sword in his hands. The fat Orc stabbed his sword into the ground and beat his chest in a challenge, “Come and take me, Ogre, if you dare!”John charged forward like a rampaging bull, but the Orc seemed to count on this. He caught the Ogre as they locked arms and then the Orc slung the Ogre aside! The confused Ogre stumbled only to get a backhand from the Orc! The Orcs cheered and one even threw a bottle at John which smashed on him and drew more blood.John, disoriented, was brought of his fury. He felt his head and saw the blood on his fingers. He grew so weary he could barely stand. He felt dizzy… a result of the blood loss? This Orc treated him like a Matador treated a bull. The smell of blood brought John back to his rage as he felt a surge of fury again. and he went back to the High Orc. The smug Orc braced himself again. However, instead of another grappling match, the Ogre grabbed the High Orc on both sides of his head and used this to lift his knee and smash the Orc in the face! The blow knocked the Orc down, and it did not get back up. A tusk was broken off to signal his defeat.The Ogre stood with his body and knee aching, weak from the loss of his blood, and aches from the blows. However, the Ogre remained upright. He limped… bumped and bruised… The Orcs lost all will to fight and scattered without their leaders. They abandoned the camp and slaves! John panted as the adrenaline started to fail. He stumbled to the cages and peered into them. The beings inside were bound and gagged. They whimpered and made muffled pleas, and they were easily as scared of the Ogre as the Orcs… except one, a red-headed elf…With the last of his strength, John opened the door before he blacked out.----Finally, John had a rude awakening. He was exhausted, and his entire body was shot. He was covered in bandages and casts. He had never felt so drained as he did now. He could not even lift a finger. John was not paralyzed. He wished he could stop this pain. He lay still as the morning light peeked through the trees. The songbirds sang in the morning. He was bandaged, and people walked and spoke around him. He woke up with a start, “Haya!”He winced and groaned from his wounds, and the people around him froze scared. The Humans, Dwarves, and Halfings watched John as if he would rampage against them as he did the Orcs. They were terrified of him, but Haya approached and smiled. Her green dress was torn and muddy from mistreatment, but she still carried herself with a poise. She knelt beside John, and she placed her hands on John’s wounds. She spoke magic words and poured water on the injuries. The water then grew cold to soothe the aches. She kissed John’s cheek, “Be still. The Orcs are gone. You saved us. Thank you.”The other former prisoners echoed the thank you, and John closed his eyes to try and rest, now satisfied, “Not John… Now… I’m Hanu...”

Description

Let me get this out of the way. Yes, I know that by using AI I've joined the dark side. No, it does not make me an artist. I wanted to play around with Bing Image Generator to see if I could make some references and I did get some interesting results.

Based on GabrielRaven and his world of New Epoch, the Cataclysm that created the New World created many monsters and dangers for the people who survived it to deal with. Once they were men and women, now they are monstrous, strong beings for whom might makes right. It's unknown if the Orc scourge consisted of people whom were already rotten thugs, maybe there are those out there who could be reached and reminded of their former humanity? Regardless, as a rule, do not try to reason with an Orc. They operate with the subtly of a Biker gang and do as they please. As per "the creed of the Orc is simple: 'Malvakoth por noth, thin na Kraz.' It roughly means 'Live your life for the moment and as you wish.' Their style of living, if left alone, would be anarchy made real."

While brutish and boarish, it is unfair to call them dumb. It's more along the lines of simple minded. Simplicity rules the day. If you cook you're the cook, if you fight you fight. The biggest and baddest leads, and you stay in your lane and follow the rules. Every other race in the NE were either fodder for fightin' or slaves. It's a savage world, so why not embrace the savagery?

New Epoch starts here: New Epoch IntroductionThe year was 2042. It would go down in history as the year that the old world died…and it would be the last year of the A.D calendar. After that, the dates would we start at year 1 NE, the New Era.
There were no signs or warnings to the coming of the New Era. The year began like any other. Perhaps we would have noticed…had we not been lost in our technological trance. It seems so ironic that the price of knowledge is a loss of touch. As Adam and Eve took their first bite of the Tree of Knowledge, they were awakened to the truths and realities of the world, but were thus expelled from their paradise. Perhaps then, it was inevitable, that when mankind entered this age of technology and information, we too would be expelled from our paradise of comfort and luxury.
The event that would drag humanity into the New Era was known as the Great Calamity. It would occur over a period of one month: The month of April. On the first week, geological events shook the world. Floods and tsu The orcs feature in the story: New Epoch: Trials on Magnolia MountainHello! This is a gift for my friend @GabrielRaven based on his series New Epoch, link in the description since they won't let me in the body of the new upload ha! XD----------2042, a year that no one will ever forget. It started the New Epoch. If it took seven days to create the world, the seven days of the Great Cataclysm were hell on Earth and destroyed it. It now started the New Epoch, year 1. Chaos reigned and the impossible became possible. The Earth itself experienced disasters of seismic shifts, floods, and typhoons. Animals became monsters and human civilization was upended. Magic and monsters became real, and man’s feats of technology were undone in hours. Civilization was reset to the Dark Ages.As if that wasn’t bad enough, many survivors changed. While most people would remain the same, others had their bodies altered. Some changed in minor ways as they shifted from right-handed to left-handed. Others woke up with their genders changed. Finally, and most drastically, others became races of myth and legends such as Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, and even Orcs!Many of these changes would be uncomfortable as people were forced to be taller Elves, shorter Dwarves or Halflings, or have body parts become bigger such as uncontrollable hair growth or Halfling feet. New instincts and impulses filled their heads good and ill. Their bodies were wracked by pain as their entire body would be morphed into these new forms, some beautiful and some repulsive.Most turned to God as the church that had survived so many cataclysms before this now leads in this one. They were a lasting institution that dealt with a new challenge. Although, they favored humanity so those who were left or often forced to fend for themselves. Of those who endured into the new age, these are some of their stories.----The sound of ax split wood rang throughout the woods. A large, brutish man swung the ax. He possessed an athletic thick build and a strong, paunch belly like a sumo wrestler. He had earthly clay red skin and an obsidian horn poked out of his head. His hair was wild and milky white and he looked like an Ogre or an Oni.He was shirtless and wore ripped, old khaki pants and no shoes left his large feet bare. Like an Oni, he wore a necklace of large red beads made for him kind of like the classic image of one. They made for great training weights that kept him strong and poised he liked the pain and wait on his body. His canines were sharp as well to match his fierce appearance as he used the old wood-cutting ax for firewood. He used a robe to tie a bundle together and carried it through the woods into a clearing that had an old house clearly from pre-cataclysm.John Bolton the Red Demon refused to give up his human name. It was his, and to give that up admitted that he was truly gone. Not only that, but he refused to give up the mountain summer camp for children before the world was shattered. There were four wooden cabins. One was half destroyed. One had a tree fall on it. That left a few bunk cabins and a councilor cabin with a kitchen. There was a bathroom but with all the electronics down the plumbing did not work. John had to build and maintain an outhouse. Finally, not far from the camp, a single-room church rested in a clearing so light could shine through the stained glass.John was not alone here. On the porch of the councilor’s cabin sat a freckled, fair-skinned woman with youthful features. Two elfin points poked out of her cascade of long, fiery red hair. She wore a headdress that sported deer antlers, and to strengthen her Celtic appearance she had a green dress that was well-maintained with traditional washing methods. She wore brown boots that were more suited to the rugged wilderness, and her leather glove-adorned hands held an old book. She rocked in a rocking chair, staff at her side as she flipped through the pages at peace with the world.This Elf chose Haya as her new name once she was transformed into an Elf in the New Epoch. Haya was once a man of service. They were a volunteer firefighter, soldier, and police officer in their previous life. The loss of their muscles as they became a slender elf woman and weaker bodies rendered most of that useless. However, EMT knowledge like CPR and first aid as well as self-defense was invaluable in this new world.Furthermore, the Elves’ strong affinity for magic gave Haya not just a new identity but new opportunities to help. She learned and experimented with magic to help others heal and became druidic with new medicines from all the new flora and fauna of the world. She became known as the Shamaness of Magnolia Mountain.John placed the firewood by the porch and without saying a word turned to go back and get more. The red-headed Elf put a bookmark in place, set her book aside, and stood up to stretch, “That's enough for now, John. You don't need to get more. Stay here while I cook dinner." John let out a gruff sigh, "You're going to want it when winter hits Hadrian... sorry, sorry Haya."Haya crossed her arms as she glanced over to the hulking Ogre unfazed by his size, "It's just the start of September. We are not going to have winter for several months."John grumbled to himself as if he wanted to say something but suppressed it. He turned around and put his hands on his hips, "I thought Boy Scouts were always prepared. The world is so different now we don't know if it's going to be winter next month."Haya shook her head, "Look, I can do a lot of things now, but I assure you the sun will rise tomorrow and you can get more wood." John bowed his head in frustration, but then raised it with a smirk that showed off his sharp canines, "It'll be an improvement, maybe then people will leave us alone." Haya rolled her eyes, "Oh come on! You don't want to be trapped in a cabin with just me. I know you love to talk to people."John snorted and mirrored Haya as he crossed his arms. A frown replaced his smile, "Yeah, assuming I can find someone to talk to someone like me."Haya's eyes flashed as she gave him the stank eye, "Look, John, I know the world is different. I used to not be an elf chick, but we got to face reality. I heal people, so of course they like me. And okay, I'm an elf so I look like a supermodel. I still need you, John. If anyone says anything to you, let me know so I can roast 'em like a turkey!"John let out a booming laugh, "Who's the monster here, me or you?" John turned to go back into the woods. Haya picked up her staff and spoke a word of command. Vines took on a life of their own and snaked between the trees to cover the entrance to the trail's path. John tilted his head back to see Haya, and he was unfazed by this magical gesture.Haya let out a deep breath of exertion, "John Bolton, I'm starting dinner. Come inside, I'll need your help."There was something about someone who barked orders to John that irked him. Not to mention, she used his full name like she was his mother or something, “So, you’re the ‘oh so wise, high and mighty elf maiden’ right? Everyone just has to listen to Miss Magic over here?”Haya gasped, “Where is this coming from?”John threw up his hands and his anger rose, “Let’s face it since you became an elf, you’ve been acting all high and mighty: a pompous, pointy-eared, prick!”Aghast, Haya covered her mouth and then placed her hands on her hips, and leaned forward to assert herself over the Ogre twice her size. John noticed that Haya stayed on the porch as she retorted, “That’s a hell of a thing to say considering all I’ve done for you.”John gritted his teeth and crossed his arms, “Forgive me if I don’t bow to the Queen of the Forest for imparting her wisdom.”Haya took a deep breath, clearly angry but trying to rein it in, “I see the big picture.”John threw up his hands exasperated, “I guess I’m just stupid then.”Haya stomped her foot, “I didn’t say that John! You’re being a dickhead!”John winced at the insult, but he smirked, “Maybe so, I do have a horn. I’m going for a walk.”John then cut through the vines with one clean swing of his ax. It embedded into the soil and left it there, "And some stupid vines won't stop me."Haya stopped her protest as the Ogre walked off, “Fine! Act like an Ogre Shrek!”John heard the door slam behind him. Undeterred, he went into the forest and immersed himself in the sounds of the birds and crickets to soothe his anger."I don't know where Haya gets off acting like that. It's not like she's my wife or girlfriend. Hell, he was a guy before... Before all this..."John looked at his hands with sharp fingernails. They were stronger than he could ever hope for as a human, but why was he cursed with this savage skin? His old friend who became Haya was someone who he talked to on the internet for hours about all sorts of things: the latest movies, anime, and video games were gone now replaced with a black woman elf. He was now a completely different person! If Haya thought she could scare John with magic, she had another thing coming…Haya was a martial arts enthusiast in her previous Life. She loved Muay Thai, wrestling, and karate. John wondered at the strange irony of how Haya could get physically weaker but have access to magic while John himself became this hulking brute of a man. He was so weak and pathetic before his sudden bulk-up. John wished he could get the nightmares of his muscles swelling beyond anything humanly possible. Blood dribbled from the horn sprouted out of his head. It reminded him that despite his strong body, he was still a scared and helpless little man cursed with a beastly body. Truly, John and Haya had become beauty and the beast.John saw a tree that he had been practicing on under Haya’s tutelage. Bark was broken off and impacts of punches and kicks as he hardened his body and vented his steaming temper. Haya lost her muscle strength, but she still had the knowledge that she could impart. In a fit of rage, John punched the worn tree in the middle. The crack of wood sounded as the tree was cut in half. Reinvigorated, John chuckled, "Gonna’ need a new training tree." John traversed the woods and found a new solid tree to be his new punching bag. He had ropes and tape in a sack on his back to protect his fists. He took the wrappings out and wrapped them around his fists so he could do some exercises. The Ogre stretched and braced himself as he struck the tree, and then he kicked the tree. He continued to do various strikes to the tree with his limbs, knees, and elbows to harden his stout body.The exercises liberated his spirit. He preferred to be alone, but he relished the martial arts now that his body craved it. John sweated and his body ached from the wood chops and tree training. However, he felt satisfied, so he walked back to the lodge where he left Haya. He smelled smoke, not unusual for cooking, but no food smells? It's been some time since the sun started to set. Surely, Haya had started by now.John saw the smoke rose high. John knew Haya didn’t need that much smoke for food, so he ran as fast as his large body would carry him back to the lodge. What he saw before him made his heart sink, the cabin he called home was smashed open and there was a fire!John rushed in to stop the fire and smelled something repugnant. His blood ran cold when he saw a large, fat green-skinned man with an under bite and carried a foul stench. He drank from John's wine gourd that Haya made for him. This Orc tilted back in a chair and munched down on the food Haya prepared for herself and John.John shook with fury. He clenched his fists so that his fingernails dug into his palms until they bled, but he was beyond pain. This Orc violated his home, and they were never alone. The foul beasts always traveled in a gang or even a horde. Since John saw no Haya, this Orc's buddies no doubt took her. No doubt this Orc noticed the massive Ogre in the room with him drunk or not, and the terrified greenskin drew a machete that no doubt saw a lot of action, "Now, now big and ugly, we got your little elf girl and we're going to chop her into pieces unless you come quietly, right?"Without saying a word, John stepped forward. The Orc tried to swing the machete at John, but the arc was wide, and John simply caught the Orc's thick wrist. However, the Ogre’s massive hand wrapped around the wrist all the same. He squeezed hard to make the Orc drop it. When this didn't motivate the Orc to comply, John headbutted the ugly thing with John's Ogre horn and it took the brunt. The Orc dropped his weapon and held his hand in pain, but it couldn't get away from John's grip. John stared at the Orc with a savage fury, "Where is she." The Orc whimpered, "Please... Don't kill me... I'm just doing what the High Orc says... I got to obey or he'll gut me..." John's steel gaze was undeterred. "I will break every bone in your body and leave you for the wolves if you don't tell me where she is." The Orc sniveled as his eyes filled with terror, "A mile away ... Old gas station..."John rewarded the Orc an elbow to his head and the warty face freak slumped over. He checked him, unconscious not dead. John went to work. First, he put the fire out. Likely, Haya attempted to defend herself. She would not go down without a fight, even overwhelmed.Second, he used ropes to tie up the Orc and put out the blaze outside. It didn't consume the buildings and was likely a fireball from Haya herself to fight back before she was overwhelmed by numbers. Night fell, and it covered John's movements. He knew the gas station was off the main path. John knew he bled all over. He knew that he was not at 100%. However, John knew that every second he wasted was a second that Haya’s situation worsened. He already had his fist protection on, so he put on protection for his knees and elbows, "Hang in there Haya, I'm coming for ya’."John followed the obvious trail from the Orc band and remembered that it was about a two-mile hike to the skeleton of a gas station picked clean of anything useful. It rested at the foot of the mountain by a destroyed bridge over a creek he liked to fish in with Haya. As he moved through the dark woods lit only by moonlight, he recounted in his mind what travelers who came to Haya for healing said about them. Travelers who sought help from Haya often spoke of the terror of the Orcs. It’s hard to believe that they were once humans who the Great Cataclysm turned into brutes. The barbarians came like a plague. They took what they wanted, killed who they wanted, and enslaved the survivors. Organized and determined resistance could beat them back, but the Orcs never forgive or forget. Any who fight them off can guarantee that the Orcs will return to pay back in blood. Orcs were almost universally male. There were rumors that women who turned into Orcs when they changed became male as well. Therefore, they must raid to gather females of all races for… all the more reason for John to hurry!There was a confirmed High Orc. They had tusks to identify them, and they typically commanded respect from lesser Orcs because of their tusks and size. Bigger was always badder after all. A High Orc Boss handpicked Grooks to be their lieutenants. They would oversee discipline and do important tasks such as enforced discipline, brewed grog, or butchered food to keep the Orc warband happy. Orcs are simple-minded and often cowardly without their leadership. John prayed that the often-depraved Orcs would see the value in Haya as not just a slave but as a healer...John fumed as he ran his mind rattled with questions. How could he leave her alone for so long? How could he have it where this could ever possibly happen? If he had just stayed like she wanted, then this would never have happened! By the time he saw the overgrown gas station, he saw the Orc camp around it. There were about eight of them he could see, but others might be out of sight. They each were dressed in torn clothes and leather jackets like some kind of biker gang. They had campfires lit and laughed as they drank their grog. He saw make-shift wooden cages where they likely kept their prisoners. The dull light illuminated the shapes within that showed a lot of skin and worn rags if anything.John’s rage overpowered all other urges. He had no idea where this surge of power came from, but it guided his body. His sweat turned to steam on his body as something inside of him broke. Fury came to the surface and gave him a power that he did not comprehend, but it did not matter. He only saw red. The Ogre ran down without any attempt at subtly with a roar of rage!The orcs, stunned, backed away in fear at the sight of the red demon that charged them without any regard for itself. Their leader, the High Orc, who had was the biggest and baddest of them all. He had a stout belly with biceps the size of melons! He sported a formidable set of tusks in their mouth almost curved back to their head. He sat on a worn recliner that they must carry around with them, and he grunted in disgust at the intruder to their party. He snapped, “Kill the Red Devil, and you keep its horn.”The two Grooks, marked by their trophy-adorned helmets, prepared to attack the nigh feral beast. Besides, this Ogre was mortal with or without even a weapon. One Grook held a sledgehammer and the other held a baseball bat with barbed wire around it.The two Orcs charged into the Ogre and there was a brutal melee as the flurry of fists, elbows, and knees found their mark on the green-skinned brutes. Each punch from the Red Demon struck like a hammer and each elbow and knee was like a knife. Instinct guided his movements. He dodged the sledgehammer only to take a hit from the bat. The Ogre howled in pain as the barbed wire cut into him, but took the bat from its owner and broke it over the Grook’s face. The Ogre then stabbed the stub into the sledgehammer wielder and drove him to the ground. When the former bat-wielding Grook tried to rise, the Red Demon stomped him back down.The other Orcs murmured in fear as the Ogre panted and looked at each of them like a cornered animal that dared another attacker to try. The High Orc rose and approached the Red Demon. He had a sword in his hands. The fat Orc stabbed his sword into the ground and beat his chest in a challenge, “Come and take me, Ogre, if you dare!”John charged forward like a rampaging bull, but the Orc seemed to count on this. He caught the Ogre as they locked arms and then the Orc slung the Ogre aside! The confused Ogre stumbled only to get a backhand from the Orc! The Orcs cheered and one even threw a bottle at John which smashed on him and drew more blood.John, disoriented, was brought of his fury. He felt his head and saw the blood on his fingers. He grew so weary he could barely stand. He felt dizzy… a result of the blood loss? This Orc treated him like a Matador treated a bull. The smell of blood brought John back to his rage as he felt a surge of fury again. and he went back to the High Orc. The smug Orc braced himself again. However, instead of another grappling match, the Ogre grabbed the High Orc on both sides of his head and used this to lift his knee and smash the Orc in the face! The blow knocked the Orc down, and it did not get back up. A tusk was broken off to signal his defeat.The Ogre stood with his body and knee aching, weak from the loss of his blood, and aches from the blows. However, the Ogre remained upright. He limped… bumped and bruised… The Orcs lost all will to fight and scattered without their leaders. They abandoned the camp and slaves! John panted as the adrenaline started to fail. He stumbled to the cages and peered into them. The beings inside were bound and gagged. They whimpered and made muffled pleas, and they were easily as scared of the Ogre as the Orcs… except one, a red-headed elf…With the last of his strength, John opened the door before he blacked out.----Finally, John had a rude awakening. He was exhausted, and his entire body was shot. He was covered in bandages and casts. He had never felt so drained as he did now. He could not even lift a finger. John was not paralyzed. He wished he could stop this pain. He lay still as the morning light peeked through the trees. The songbirds sang in the morning. He was bandaged, and people walked and spoke around him. He woke up with a start, “Haya!”He winced and groaned from his wounds, and the people around him froze scared. The Humans, Dwarves, and Halfings watched John as if he would rampage against them as he did the Orcs. They were terrified of him, but Haya approached and smiled. Her green dress was torn and muddy from mistreatment, but she still carried herself with a poise. She knelt beside John, and she placed her hands on John’s wounds. She spoke magic words and poured water on the injuries. The water then grew cold to soothe the aches. She kissed John’s cheek, “Be still. The Orcs are gone. You saved us. Thank you.”The other former prisoners echoed the thank you, and John closed his eyes to try and rest, now satisfied, “Not John… Now… I’m Hanu...”