Eliss hesitated fot a moment. "It's... I still think we should listen to her," she said, her voice cracking slightly but growing stronger. "I heard that she was loyal to you for a long time. Don't you want to know why? Don't you want to understand why someone so loyal to you, someone who fought by your side, would turn her back on you?"
Naguk didn't turn to face her. Then he said harshly. "Quiet! She doesn't want to speak. Two of my people have died because of her actions. Our hope of having a seat on the council is dead. You can't possibly understand how much that means to us as orcs."
Eliss flinched slightly, but she didn't back down. "I might not understand everything," she admitted. "But I understand enough to see the pain in your eyes. If it's so important to you, don't you at least want to know why? Doesn't it matter to you why she did this?"
Naguk's face tightened, and for a moment, it seemed as if her words had reached him. But then he turned back to Ghak, with an expression of heartbreak. The truth was, he didn't want to execute her. His loyalty to his people and his rage at her betrayal demanded it.
"I have no choice," he said, his voice quieter now "The tribe needs an example. If I don't act, what message does that send? She betrayed us. Whatever her reason, it cost us lives—people who trusted me to lead them. There is nothing that can justify that."
Eliss hesitated, biting her lip. She glanced at Amukelo, who stood quietly nearby. "Amukelo," she said, pulling on his sleeve urgently. "Say something. You know him better than I do. He'll listen to you—please."
Amukelo shifted uncomfortably, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "I'm not the one to say what is right and wrong. I did—" he began, but Eliss cut him off, her voice rising in frustration.
"Stop trying to escape this with excuses!" she shouted, drawing startled looks from some of the orcs. Even Naguk turned his head slightly, surprised by her outburst. "This has nothing to do with your past. Do you want her to die just like that? You saw how eager she was to help Naguk! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
Amukelo froze from her response. For a moment, his mind flashed back to the times he was consumed by revenge. He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his damp hair, and sighed. "Fine," he muttered. "You win."
Then Amukelo began walking towards Naguk. "Wait," Amukelo said. He stopped a few feet away. "She's right, Naguk. Eliss is right. It might not change the decision, but I think you should hear her out. Not for her sake, but for yours—and for your people's."
Naguk stared at him. "She doesn't want to speak. What's the point?"
Amukelo stepped closer, as he continued. "When I tried to unchain her earlier, she wasn't concerned about herself. She could've escaped if I freed her. But instead, she told me to leave her and free the others. That doesn't seem like someone who wanted us to die, Naguk. That doesn't sound like someone who wanted to betray her brothers."
Naguk's grip on his axe faltered slightly, and his gaze shifted back to Ghak. For a long moment, Naguk said nothing.
"She has one chance," he said finally. "One chance to speak her truth. If she won't, then there's nothing more to say."
Then Ghak turned her head to the side and said, "Like I already said. I have nothing to justify what I did." Naguk's grip on his axe tightened, but before he could do anything Amukelo crouched next to Ghak.
Then he began. "Do you want to die here? Just like that?" he asked as she looked straight into his eyes. "After what you did, you might think you don't deserve to live. And maybe you're right. But you know what? So do I. I've done things I can't undo, and made mistakes I can never make up for. And yet, for some reason, I keep holding onto this life. Don't you want the same? Don't you think there's something left for you, some reason to keep going?"
Ghak met his gaze, she trembled as Amukelo showed her compassion. She looked away as if trying to shut him out, but her mind betrayed her. Memories she had buried deep came rushing back, pulling her into a time where she was just as hopeless as now.
It was during the last phase of the war between humans and orcs. It was when Ghak and her younger brother, Thorkan, were hiding in the ruins of once a great city. The ruins of the town stretched endlessly. Smoke from distant fires lingered in the air.
They had been hiding in the ruins for days, living off scraps of food and sips of water scavenged from abandoned homes and stores. Ghak's clothes were torn, her boots caked with mud and ash. But she stayed strong for Thorkan even as exhaustion clawed at her. Thorkan clung to her side holding with his small hand a plush bear that was missing one of its arms
"Don't worry, Thorkan," she said softly, crouching down to his level and patting his messy hair. "Your sister is with you. I won't let anything happen to you."
Thorkan clung to her, burying his face in her chest. "I'm scared, sis," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I don't want to be here anymore."
Ghak held him tighter. "I know," she said.
Then they heard a loud explosion from far away. Ghak trembled from fear, but then forcing a faint smile, she said. "We need to move. It's getting noisy here. Let's find a quieter place, okay?"
Thorkan nodded, and they began to move again. Days passed in this grim routine. Ghak and Thorkan searched for food and water through abandoned buildings. Every time they found something felt like a victory. But the victories were fleeting, and the hunger gnawed at them constantly.
On the third day, the ruins were quieter than usual. Ghak led Thorkan through the shell of what had once been a market. Broken stalls lined the square, their wares long gone or rotting in the open air. The sky was gray and heavy, threatening rain but never delivering it.
Thorkan tugged on her sleeve, pointing ahead. "Look, sis," he said, his voice hushed. "There's someone lying there."
Ghak followed his gaze to a figure sprawled on the ground a few yards away. The person was motionless, partially obscured by a fallen wooden beam. They were human, judging by their frame and tattered uniform.
"Is he dead, sis?" Thorkan asked, clutching his bear tightly.
Ghak's eyes narrowed as she studied the figure. "I don't know," she said cautiously, taking a step closer before stopping herself. "But we're staying away. He's a human."
Thorkan shifted uncomfortably, his grip on the bear loosening as he stumbled slightly, knocking a few loose rocks from a nearby pile. The noise echoed in the stillness, and Ghak's heart jumped. She quickly caught Thorkan by the arm and pulled him close.
"Careful," she whispered. "It's okay. He probably can't hear us anyway."
But as she turned to lead Thorkan away, a faint voice reached her ears, weak and raspy.
"Is... someone there? Please... give me some water... I haven't drunk in three days..."