Behind the orc, the cages were nearly barren, remnants of splattered flesh and blood littering the floor. But one cage held a young elf girl, no more than ten, quietly sobbing as she hid her face in her hands, trembling. Her white-blonde hair was matted with blood, and she wore tattered rags, her arms and legs marked with cuts. The orc hummed a chilling tune as he continued his gruesome work. Above, more cages dangled from the ceiling, and the pitiful whines of smaller creatures echoed in the air. One cage contained a tiny three-tailed fox, its light blue and white fur the softest I had ever seen, but the orc's bloody work continued to splatter across its delicate coat.
I perched atop the massive cage that held the elf girl, a narrow gap separating the cage from the ceiling above. Below, the orc was deep in his gruesome task, and I decided to unleash my finger guns. I'd never tried this as a bat before, but I figured it had to work similarly. Thankfully, my bat form had distinct arms and hands separate from my wings. I fired off finger guns from both hands, unleashing yellow light lasers that zipped toward the back of the orc's head. He halted, surprised, and touched the two tiny holes that had appeared. But just as quickly, he returned to his grisly work, hacking away at human remains. My heart sank as I stared at those holes, but then something strange occurred: a yellow glow began to emanate from the edges, and the holes started to expand.
The orc paused its labor, scratching the back of its head with a puzzled grunt. It turned sharply, spotting the little girl cowering in the shadows of the room. "Reeak!" With a swift motion, it grabbed the keyring hanging from its belt and unlocked the cage door.
"St..stay back!" the girl cried, retreating to the farthest corner of the cage. She thrust her hands forward, unleashing a burst of green energy that sent twisting vines snaking from the ground, wrapping around the orc's massive ankles.
The hulking beast glanced down, unimpressed, and with a grunt, it stepped forward effortlessly, shaking off the vines like they were mere cobwebs. Desperate, she unleashed another wave of green light, but it was as futile as her first attempt to fend him off.
I exhaled sharply and fired another volley of lasers into his chest. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the small, glowing punctures that began to pulse with a fierce yellow light, expanding like the ones in his head. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he turned back to her, then boldly advanced another step. I darted away, aiming for the orc's neck. The creature hesitated, feeling the light emanating from its neck in a strange direction. It pivoted, finally catching sight of me.
"REEEEAAAAKKK!!!" Its lone red eye flared to life, glowing with a deep, vibrant red, and in a heartbeat, it moved with a speed I'd never anticipated. It bolted back to its counter, grabbing its colossal meat cleaver, and with a powerful swing, it launched the cleaver at me with relentless force.
I narrowly escaped with my life, just grazing the edge of my wing. The orc turned back to its counter, yanking out a massive basket and slamming it down. Inside, a chaotic assortment of knives awaited, each one gleaming menacingly. With a furious screech, the orc snatched a knife in each hand and hurled them at me. I dodged just in time, but not without a few fresh scratches that made maintaining my speed a challenge.
As the orc paused to grab more blades, I fired off some finger guns for good measure. I summoned my healing magic, which stitched up my wounds, though not completely—some minor scratches remained, but I felt more agile. That's when I noticed the knives nearby glowing with a yellow light, the same hue as the wounds I'd inflicted on the orc.
Seizing the moment, I yanked a small knife from the ceiling and unleashed my upgraded Yeet power, sending the glowing blade hurtling back at the orc. He caught it mid-air, but then his hand erupted in light, and the knife clattered to the ground. Where his hand had been was now just a bloody stump.
"Rea! REEE!" With a fierce determination, it snatched another knife and hurled it at me with its remaining good hand. Just then, I caught sight of the little girl stealthily slipping out of the cage. She snatched a necklace the orc had carelessly tossed into a basket beside his counter, along with a small brown backpack. With a swift motion, she slung the bag over her shoulder and wore the necklace. In a bold move, she grabbed a hefty knife and struck at the back of the orc's knees.
The beast whirled around, brandishing a massive knife, ready to take her head off. But I wasn't about to let that happen. I unleashed a barrage of light lasers, targeting the wounds on his knees. The magic surged into the gashes, spreading like wildfire. In a blinding flash, his knees erupted in a burst of yellow light, sending him crashing to the ground. Yet, in a shocking twist, he clutched his mangled legs, and his decaying flesh began to knit itself back together. Zombie orcs had a nasty trick up their sleeves.
Seizing the moment, I grabbed another glowing knife and launched it at the distracted orc. It grunted in pain, and suddenly, the entire creature radiated a brilliant yellow light before exploding into a swarm of tiny, floating lights that shot straight into my chest and vanished. I was left wondering what those lights were and how they would affect me.
The young girl shot a wary glance at the orc, then turned her gaze to me, suspicion etched on her face. Uncertain of my identity and intentions, she bolted for the door, escaping the room in a flash. I could only hope she made it out unscathed, avoiding any further danger. As a bat, my options were limited, and I couldn't really stop her. I focused on healing myself once more, swiftly extracting the core from the orc before applying another healing spell. The foul stench of the zombie orc dissipated, leaving me refreshed. I soared up to the cage containing the adorable three-tailed blue and white fox, and as I opened the door, the little creature greeted me with a joyful lick on my face.
Coming Next Time: Continuing with a New Companion