The Mistakes Of Misfits
Chapter 8

I turned and picked up Varrin by his neck. The mage hadn't been expecting the attack so he didn't have time to stop me as I lifted him off of his feet with my one good arm. This had to be magic. What other way could we have traveled a week's journey in such a short time. He was the only one who could have done such magic to me. It was his fault we were here. "What did you do, mage?" I demanded. My body was consumed by rage as I squeezed on his throat.

Varrin squirmed a bit trying to break my grip. "I didn't do anything." He told me. "Don't... know how we got here." He looked down at me with those bright blue eyes. He looked scared at my sudden anger.

I gritted my teeth. "You're telling me that magic didn't send us halfway across Tayrin? You expect me to believe that?" It had to be him. He must have teleported us at some point to get me to a secluded spot. It was the only explanation.

Those scared eyes went soft as his right hand was engulfed with flame. "Not my magic." He managed to say between short pained breaths. "Sumi... don't make me do this." My attention finally went to the fiery hand. He was waiting to attack. I don't know if it was out of genuine care or just the shock of him using my actual name but I put the mage down and let go of his throat.

Varrin rubbed at his throat and that cocky mask returned within moments. "Thank you... now we can properly figure out what the fuck is going on." I stared out at the mountains. I hoped to maybe find something to show we were wrong in our observation but this was clearly the Alabaster mountains. We were indeed on the other side of Tayrin.

"If it wasn't your magic, then how the hell did we get here?" Varrin took a moment racking his brain for any kind of magic that could have caused this. Before he could answer a voice called to us from the top of the tunnel.

"Please, do tell. I'm so interested to hear the details." We both turned to see a large orc man sitting in a chair above the tunnel. He sat with a cup of either tea or coffee expectantly at what we would say next. He was surprisingly old. His hair had started to gray and his beard while thick and well kept started to show signs of age as well. He did not wear any tribe insignia. Instead he wore a bright blue robe like I had seen priests wear.

I pulled out my shortsword. I felt Varrin stiffen as he put his hand out to stop me from charging the orc. "We are just lost travelers." He told the orc. "We don't mean any harm." His voice was firm but caring, making sure to step around any conflict that might arise. The orc put his cup on the arm of the chair and stood up. He was far enough above us that he would have to strike first. I wouldn't be able to reach him without leaving myself open.

"A mage and an orc working together?" He mused. "Such a peculiar combination. Perhaps your masters have some outdated information." He walked right up to the edge of the platou. Just one more step. If he came down here I would rip him apart.

Varrin shrugged and smiled, attempting to put on as much charm as possible. "We have no masters. We simply need to point us in the direction out of here and we will bother you and your people no further." Varrin put his hands up in a sign of peace but the old orc didn't seem to take the bait.

The orc kept a monotone expression. "You will be going nowhere. I have so many questions to ask you. But not here, not in the open." He started to pace back and forth on the ledge.

I snarled at the orc. "We are going nowhere with you." I spat in his direction. The orc broke his solemn expression and smiled at me.

"It's cute, you think you get a choice." That was apparently some kind of signal because a small dart hit my neck, then my arm, then a third in my back. I tried to react, I wanted to face the attacker's but before I could even spin around my vision went dark and I fell to the floor.

When I woke I felt the cold of stone underneath my knees. My arms were chained behind my back and my legs seemed to be shackled to the concrete. I looked around the room but darkness met my eyes. The only thing I could see was the similarly shackled figure of Varrin. "Great negotiating ace." I spat at him.

Varrin turned to me. "What the hell was I supposed to say? Hey we tried to kill each other, fell to our deaths. Now we're here." His voice was sarcastic and spiteful.

I shrugged and glared daggers back at him. "Maybe use some of that all powerful weave magic to charm him instead of babbling like an idiot." He had all the power in the world and he just didn't use it. It infuriated me. He could have blasted the orc with fire, turned invisible to get away from our ambushers, turned them all into harmless bunnies but instead he just stood there and tried to talk the old orc down.

Varrin attempted to slink out of his binds but was held tight. "That's not how magic works. It's very complicated and a thousand things could have gone wrong if I used it." He scoffed at my lack of knowledge about his magic.

I simply rolled my eyes. "It seems like you made the right decision, ace. Look how well we're doing right now." my voice was coated in venom as I spat the sarcastic insult.

A single light turned on and that same orc sat in a similar wooden chair to the one he had on top of the tunnel. He had no tea in his hands, this time he just sat back with his hands in his lap. "Oh, please don't stop on my account. It was all getting so interesting.'' His voice was monotone and almost bored at our squabble. Neither of us moved at the orc's words. He was so close. If I was free I would rip his head clean off his shoulders. The orc sighed. Well I guess we'll get down to business then."

He sprung up from his chair and walked around each of us slowly. "I do not want to hurt you. If you are innocent in this then you will be let go when this is all done. You have my word." The orc put his hand on his heart and did a small bow. My skin recoiled. I knew how this ended. From the look Varrin gave me he did too. We weren't leaving here alive. Orcs didn't take kindly to invader's from other lands.

"Why should we believe a word out of your mouth?" Asked Varrin, not bothering to hide the spite in his voice. The orc walked around us one more time taking in our bodies and the holsters.

He stopped in front of Varrin. "Where are you from, mage?" He asked sternly. His posture was ridged as he knelt down to eye level with the mage.

Varrin chuckled. "You know where I'm from... but I guess I have been staying with your mother most nights." The orc moved with surprising speed as he backhanded the mage. I saw a bit of blood hang from Varrin's lip.

The orc kept his eyes locked on Varrin. "Like I said. I do not wish to hurt you... but I am very, very good at it." He put his hand on the knife at his belt and leaned towards the mage. "Where are you from boy?"

Varrin looked annoyed by the question. "I'm from Alexandria, where the fuck else would a mage come from?" The orc nodded at Varrin and moved to me. He unsheathed the knife and held it toward me.

"Now, what were you two doing in that tunnel?" He asked me. "And don't try to lie to me... I'll know." I thought he might be bluffing but then again I needed to buy time. I needed to give him a bit of truth like I did Varrin.

"We fell in, right outside Alexandria." I replied. The orc looked puzzled as he studied my face. I actually believed he had some kind of artifact that could tell if I was lying because he looked surprised at my statement.

"Are you trying to tell me you two survived in the abyss of the depraved for weeks and traveled all the way to our borders?" He was dumbstruck. He knew I was being genuine but he was looking for a way we could be lying to him. I made another move for my shackles but to no avail.

Varrin piped up next. "That's the strange thing, we were only in the abyss for a few days. We... We thought we were going to find the Jorhasian plains but we exited here." The orc once again looked to both of us in stunned surprise at what he knew was the truth but he couldn't believe.

"Well. This changes a few things." He said as he knelt down in front of me. "My name is Otah. What might I call You?" I didn't know whether to answer him or not. I looked at Varrin and he tried to cast a spell but his hands were bound much tighter than mine and he didn't have the room to channel. So I decided to play along. "I am Sumi. The mage is Varrin." I did not give him our surnames that would be info I would rather die than give.

Otah circled us in his bright blue robes. "Varrin and Sumi." He repeated, feeling the names on his tongue. "How did you two become such good friends under the mountain? It's been a long time since orcs and mages could stand each other enough to work as one." He stopped in front of Varrin but I answered first.

"We are not friends." I said with a scoff. "We both were just smart enough to realize we couldn't get out alone." My words were true but Otah cocked his head at me as if there was more to what I had said. He knelt down in front of Varrin.

"What do you think mage?" He asked. Before I could react he brought that knife up to Varrin's throat. I reacted out of instinct and tried to move to save him. Of course my chains stopped me from moving but I pulled on them as much as I could. I was left gapping at Otah who had stopped a mere inch from Varrin's throat.

Otah smirked at me, the first bit of emotion he had given this entire meeting. "Quite the concern for someone who's not your friend. He challenged. He had played me like a fool. I sagged in my chains a bit. He had played me so damn easy.

Varrin looked down at the knife. "We needed each other to survive down there. It was a necessary alliance." Otah surveyed the two of us for a moment, taking in every detail.

"I guess we have more to talk about. Serena will be pleased to meet with you." He snapped his fingers and three torches illuminated the room. In that moment I realized we never would have stood a chance. I saw seven different figures all dressed in black robes similar to the garments Otah wore.

Varrin looked at the figures who now made this way to us. "So... you're not going to kill us?" He asked. There was no anger in his voice, just genuine confusion.

Otah let out a chuckle, and even that sounded monotone somehow. "No, my leader ordered that if you were somehow innocent then I would bring you to her. She will decide your judgment."

We were let out of our chains and Varrin turned to Otah. "Who are you?" He asked. Admittedly the same question was on my mind as well. The men in robes were human, not orc. What kind of group was this?

Otah gave us a small bow. "We are simply servants of our gods will. We are the order of Surin." Surin. I knew very little of the gods but I knew the name. Surin was the god of war and we... We were in his temple.

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