6
One sword came from above, aiming for her shoulder, while the other thrust low. The staff twirled, batting the thrust to one side. Aurelia spun, evading a downward strike slicing through the air by just an inch. She continued the turn, her staff whirling. The swords sliced, trying to block, but they were too slow. The staff cracked against Harruq’s forehead.
He staggered backward, his eyes going wide and blank.
“You could fell an ogre with that hit,” he said.
“Very funny,” Aurelia said. She smiled. “That was my first good hit of the day. Mind if we make it the last?”
“I’m doomed,” Harruq said, ignoring her. “Oh, the agony. What a way to die.” He collapsed, his arms splayed wide and his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
Aurelia giggled. “Never thought a half-orc dying could be so adorable.”
His eyes flared wide.
“I’m not!” he insisted.
She slid over beside him, her long hair cascading toward his face.
“Oh, but I think you are,” she said. “Since you’re down here, how about I--”
“I’m fine. I’m fine.” Harruq sat up, breathing heavily even though the sparring match had been relatively casual. The elf smirked and trotted away.
“Hey, Aurelia,” Harruq said.
“Yes, Harruq?” She turned around.
Harruq tapped his fingers against the hilts of his swords and glanced about the clearing.
“I…you still want to hear that story?” he asked.
The playful atmosphere vanished into the trees. Aurelia returned and sat on her heels. She placed a hand on his shoulder. He tensed and jerked away, then blushed at his reaction.
“Sorry,” Harruq stood up, his face burning red. “This is stupid. I’m leaving.”
“Stay, please,” Aurelia said. The half-orc halted, turned, and sat back down. His face was still beet red but the elf paid it no mind.
“Alright,” Harruq grumbled. “No interrupting, and no saying a thing. I just want to get this over with. Don’t even know why I’m telling you this.”
“Because you must,” she said, a bit of her stubbornness returning. “Because I need to know.”
The half-orc nodded. He began his story.
“The only money I ever made was working for the king,” Harruq said. “This was after the orcs attacked Veldaren about a year ago and busted up the walls. They were hiring everybody to help rebuild and I was just as strong then as I am now. They weren’t paying much, but you got to remember we were stealing food to live. Those few coins they gave me were a treasure.
“Most didn’t mind me working with ‘em. I worked hard, harder than most, and I kept my mouth shut if you can believe it. Only one guy there hated me, and I mean hated. Perry was his name. Always calling me names, trying to make me lose my balance while lifting and carrying things. Then he did something stupid, Aurelia. He did that in front of Qurrah.”
Harruq thrust out his chin and squinted.
“This was how that Perry guy looked. Seen dogs look more human. He was strong, and I think he was the strongest before I showed up. I told him about this contest me and Qurrah made up, some arm wrestling thing. Guy was drunk out of his mind, so when I told him we could win four gold coins he should have figured something was off.
“We met after work, just past sundown, and I led him straight to Qurrah, who cast a spell on Perry then, kind of like you did with the guards. He shouted until his head turned purple but made no sound for the effort. Then Qurrah cast another spell that made him go all tough and rigid. Felt like I was holding a stick. We took him inside and put him on the floor.
“He wasn’t supposed to die,” Harruq said, staring right into Aurelia’s eyes so she would know he spoke the truth. “We didn’t mean to have what happened happen, but well... Qurrah put a bunch of meat on Perry’s face. It was old and rancid. Poor guy still had to keep smelling it though, and then Qurrah cast his spell.
“The meat started bubbling and turning watery. It ran down his face, getting into his eyes. It burned him. His skin turned black, like it was rotting. He called me dogface all the time, Perry did. We were making him just like what he called me. A dogface. But it went wrong. I yelled at Qurrah to stop, and I think he wanted to, but he kept shrieking more of that curse. Then he…”
Harruq rubbed his eyes and refused to meet Aurelia’s gaze.
“And then Qurrah removed the spells that kept him from talking and moving. He screamed and screamed and he just, he just…he tore off his own face. He reached up and yanked that mess off him. He died. Qurrah fell over, too weak to stand. Never seen him so scared in my life. He kept staring at that guy’s face and blubbering, saying he didn’t mean to. That’s all he said, over and over. He didn’t mean to. He tried to stop. We burned the body and haven’t ever talked about it since.”
Silence filled their clearing as Harruq’s story ended.
“I asked for the first time you killed,” Aurelia said after an agonizingly long pause.
“I know,” Harruq said. “And I did. I brought Perry to Qurrah. I failed to stop him when I saw something was wrong. If there is blame, it falls on me.”
The elf stared off into the forest, her brown eyes seeing nothing. Harruq and Qurrah’s relationship could not be clearer to her mind. Qurrah directed, Qurrah ordered, and then Harruq bore the guilt and the blame. Did Harruq ever consider disobedience? She didn’t know.
“We done here?” the half-orc asked.
He left without giving her a chance to answer.