1
SERIS
The gates of Azhgar rise before me like the ribcage of some ancient beast. Steel spikes jut from crumbling concrete, and bone totems hang from rusted chains that clatter in the bitter wind. Smoke billows from forges built into the hollowed remains of what might once have been office buildings, and the acrid smell of molten metal mingles with the sweet stench of roasting meat.
I press one hand against my belly, feeling the child shift restlessly beneath my ribs. The weight of him—or her—pulls at my spine, and my back screams in protest after days of walking through frozen wasteland. My boots squelch in the muddy slush that pools before the massive iron gates, and I can feel the guards watching me from their perches atop the ramparts.
The wind cuts through my threadbare cloak like a blade, and I pull it tighter around my shoulders. Every breath forms a white puff in the frigid air, and my fingers have gone numb despite the worn gloves I wear.
"You there!"
The voice booms down from above, harsh and guttural in the way of all orc speech. I crane my neck to see two guards leaningover the wall, their tusks gleaming in the weak afternoon light. One spits, and the glob lands uncomfortably close to my feet.
"Move along, human. This is no place for your kind."
I shake my head, the simple movement making my vision swim with exhaustion. "I can't."
The guards exchange glances, and one barks out a laugh that echoes off the stone. "Can't? What's that supposed to mean? You got legs, don't you?"
"I'm with child." I cradle my belly with both hands now, feeling the baby kick as if responding to the tension in my voice. "I need shelter."
Their laughter doubles, cruel and mocking. The second guard slaps his companion on the shoulder, nearly sending him toppling from his post.
"Not our problem, soft-skin! Find yourself a human settlement if you want to birth your spawn."
Heat flares in my chest despite the cold, and I straighten my spine as much as my condition allows. "I'm carrying the child of Vargath."
The laughter dies as if I've slapped them both across their scarred faces. The silence stretches between us, broken only by the distant clang of hammers on anvils and the low murmur of voices from within the settlement. One guard's hand drifts to the hilt of his weapon, while the other leans forward, squinting down at me with newfound interest.
"What did you say?"
My heart hammers against my ribs, but I force my voice to remain steady. "Vargath of Azhgar. This child is his."
The guards lean forward, their expressions shifting from mockery to something darker. Recognition flickers across their scarred faces, and one nudges the other with his elbow.
"That's the translator. The one who worked the summer negotiations."
"Aye, I remember her now." The second guard's voice drops to a growl. "Thought she looked familiar."
Relief floods through me, warming my frozen limbs. They know me. They remember my service to their clan, the long hours I spent bridging the gap between their tongue and mine during the territorial disputes.
"Then you know I speak truth. Vargath and I?—"
"We know what you are." The first guard spits again, this time hitting the ground directly at my feet. "A human whore who spread her legs for our warleader."
The words hit me like a physical blow, stealing the breath from my lungs. My hands tighten protectively around my belly, and the baby responds with a sharp kick that makes me wince.
"That's not?—"
"Save your lies for someone stupid enough to believe them." The second guard hefts his spear, the iron tip catching what little light filters through the grey clouds. "Vargath's to be mated to Korrath's daughter come spring. Think we'd let some human bastard-bearer ruin that alliance?"
"But the child?—"
"Means nothing." The first guard's tusks gleam as he bares them in a snarl. "Could be any human's spawn. Could be a dozen different fathers for all we know."
Rage burns through the exhaustion that weighs down my limbs. I take a step closer to the gate, ignoring the way my swollen ankles protest.
"You ignorant fools! I was there when your precious negotiations nearly collapsed because neither side could understand the other's demands about water rights. I was the one who?—"
