"Axes!" I ordered. "On the hinges!"
My warriors and I struck the cage's hinges. The metal groaned, but it held. The High Fae swarmed around us, and I had to turn to defend the cage from them.
Sweat stung my eyes, and my body began to feel the weight of exhaustion. However, the sight of the Autumn Court banner draped over the cage reignited my fury. I would not fail, not after everything we had risked.
I surged against the Fae with renewed fury, my axe acting as an extension of my will. I cut down three more, clearing a space for Drak to approach. He charged toward the cage and raised his axe, using all the brute force he possessed to strike the latch. The instant the metal touched the lock, a flash erupted.
The magical impact thundered through the air, throwing Drak backward as his body slammed violently against the ground. He groaned, rolling over, while the shockwave made my ears ring. The runes on the cage glowed with an aggressive gold, pulsing like a living heart.
For a moment, everyone—including the High Fae—paused, staring. When the runes finally dimmed, the silence shattered: a scream pierced the air, and chaos erupted, blades clashing as orders rang out amid smoke and blood.
The High Fae, seeing the failed attempt to break the spell, attacked with renewed fury. I realized they were fighting to defend the cage with more fervor than they would defend their own lives.
"Fall back!" I shouted to my warriors. We couldn’t focus on the cage and the Fae at the same time.
We pulled away, retreating to the edge of the clearing where the forest cover offered us an advantage. They followed us, falling right into the trap. The woods began to whisper to us once more, and my warriors used the trees as both shields and platforms, cutting down the enemies one by one.
Drak recovered from the impact, leaning against a tree, his face pale with pain. Kreshak and Grik returned to my side, their axes dripping with blood.
"We can't break the protection," Kreshak panted, his chest heaving with the effort. "It’s strong magic."
I stared at the cage, observing the faint glow of the runes. I couldn't break it. But there was a way to take it from Ceilte.
"We don't need to break it," I said, a cold smile spreading across my face.
The remaining High Fae were few and disorganized. The battle dragged on for hours of relentless violence. Using brute force, we pushed them back toward the center of the clearing, eliminating them until only their bodies and the scent of death remained.
I stood over the last High Fae, who was crawling on the ground, and he stared up at me with animal terror in his golden eyes. I raised my axe, and the blade came down, ending his life and the sound of battle.
When it was over, I looked around, assessing the damage. My warriors were exhausted, covered in sweat, dirt, and blood, but none of them were seriously injured. In the forest, the advantage was ours.
"Clear the area," I ordered, and they obeyed immediately, wiping their weapons and gathering anything that might be useful.
My gaze, however, was already turning to the silent cage.
We had won a battle, but something told me that the true war was yet to come.
Chapter 16
The days slipped over one another like fine rain. I woke, trained, took Okshakai lessons with Kalisha, and in return, taught her everything I knew.
Although my training with Malek was irregular—the Ruk’hai spent long periods away from the village on patrol—my determination never wavered. I devoted myself to the axe, practicing until the ache in my arms was no longer an obstacle and the movements became second nature.
Kalisha was a fast learner. In the cold dawns, before the sun touched the sky, we headed to the clearing. Her body, though never previously trained for combat, carried the strength of an Okshai orc, and her movements, once clumsy, gained precision with every session.
The hand that had sparked the rejection of others didn’t limit her; on the contrary, it only reinforced her iron determination, which hardened with every blow and every time she stood back up with her head held high.
Our relationship improved a lot, and with her by my side, I didn't feel so lonely. Malek had been away on a mission for days, and Drak also disappeared at times, leaving me to train alone in the meadow. The other orcs, though friendlier than they had been at the start, had their own tasks, and not all of them spoke Common. Still, with everything Malek and Drak had taught me, I kept practicing until they returned.
The bow and arrow weren’t my strongest weapons in this body. On the other hand, the axe became almost an extension of my arm. Despite its weight, the weapon was effective and allowed me to move with speed.
Kalisha surprised me with her handling of the bow. She was very good, a natural, just like Drak, the male she was in love with. Our constant chats proved to be valuable. In a short time, I was able to speak with her without resorting to my mother tongue, which made my integration into the clan easier. More than that, our daily practice transformed our partnership into something close to a genuine friendship—one forged between training sessions, cold dawns, and quiet confidences that required few words.
After another training session, we sat side by side on a log to quickly eat some kuruno. The dried root paste was warm as we ate it. The sun barely peeked through the trees, and the air remained frigid.
"Do you miss it?" she asked unexpectedly.
"Miss what?" I took the axe from my lap and placed it on the ground beside me.
