Recovery Journey

Evening time in the slums.

Rohan and V stood beside each other in a secluded alleyway while watching Andrea eat large amounts of food. V leaned closer and said, "I feel like we should've seen this coming."

Rohan looked at him and said, "Yeah, recovering dramatically like she did. I should've known her body would demand nourishment."

Andrea looked at them sadly and said, "I'm sorry! I felt like I hadn't eaten in a month."

Rohan smiled at her and said, "Eat your fill. Don't worry."

After thirty minutes, Andrea finished eating and approached them while grinning. Standing proudly before them, she said, "I feel like a new woman! I feel like I can battle human legions on my own!"

V crossed his arms and said, "Well, Andrea. We might run into trouble soon; if things get messy, we'll protect you."

Andrea frowned at him and snarled, "Moon's curses upon you, blue man! Do you think I'm weak!?"

Rohan laughed, then said, "I like her."

V shrugged and said, "Just remember what I said."

Andrea placed her hands on her waist and asked, "I never asked. What's the goal of our task, Servant Rohan?"

Rohan leaned against the wall and said, "The task was to unite the orcs, but I soon figured out things were complicated." He looked at Andrea and asked, "How did the orcs get robbed of their kingdom?"

Andrea sighed and looked at the floor. She looked at Rohan and said, "It all began when the orcs founded this kingdom; we dreamed of making ourselves a force on the world stage, much like the Djinn and Elven empires. But to become a mighty force, you needed an independent weapon production sector and an edge over others; we didn't have both."

V smirked and commented, "I can predict where this is going."

Andrea chuckled and said, "The orcs started with trade, but that wasn't enough. Soon, we began to employ diplomacy to figure out our next move. It became clear to us what we lacked. In terms of funds, advancements, and weaponry, we were comically lacking until one day. A human political envoy came to us. They offered to make the kingdom stand on its feet and improve its position. In return, they demanded five percent of the kingdom's income as payment."

Rohan cringed and commented, "Bad move."

"After accepting the humans' offer, they moved in and lived within the kingdom. They had their districts, hospitals, and schools and never shared with the orcs. As time went on, humans became wealthier and more powerful. The orcs had their share of benefits, but it was a mere fifth compared to humans. It didn't take long before they monopolized our markets, and the orcs were forced out. The only income we could've earned was either the measly trade we used to do or joining the military," Andrea said.

"Classic case of Je―," V muttered. Rohan covered V's mouth and snarled, "The novel barely started. Do you want us to get canceled!?"

V swatted Rohan's hand and said, "Technically, if I placed the blame on their puppet state, it's okay. Since they managed to turn that country into a joke."

Rohan pointed at him and snarled, "No real-world mentions! Do you want the Author to get shit on by intelligence operators with hundreds of social media accounts!?"

V crossed his arms and said, "Does it matter what we say? Our Author isn't famous."

Rohan hummed, pouted and said, "You're right." He looked at Andrea and said, "Andrea, I get the whole story. How about you lead us to the most known orcs in the kingdom and persuade everyone to migrate back to Chief Anders's village?"

Andrea smirked, rubbed her arms and said, "We would've done that already, but the distance is long, and we're too poor to travel."

"I don't want to say it, but this is a textbook case," V commented.

Rohan sighed and muttered, "This novel won't get past the first part." He looked at Andrea and said, "Will you please trust me, Andrea? Just take me to them."

Andrea walked away and gestured to them to follow her.

Later, at a brothel.

They stood before the renowned establishment and stared at it. Rohan placed his hands on his waist and said, "I never thought our first stop would be this."

V held Rohan's shoulder and said, "The downfall of all civilizations starts with whores. Unless the whore's name is Cleopatra, then she's a role model for fatherless girls."

Andrea looked at Rohan and said, "We must be careful inside. There's a lot of informants."

Rohan looked at her and asked, "Who do these informants belong to?"

"Whoever pays, I assume," Andrea replied.

Rohan took the lead and entered the establishment. The scene he saw was less obscene than he expected it to be. The entrance hall was well-decorated, like an English brothel. The carpets and drapes were light red, lined with gold stripes. It only had a reception desk and waiting seats filled with bored or sexually tense orcs and humans.

Rohan approached the reception desk and asked, "Is the owner around?"

The human at the reception looked at him and said, "Third floor, last door at the end of the hall. Don't forget to declare you're a human."

Rohan looked at him in confusion and said, "Thanks…"

He climbed the stairs, approached the door and knocked. He heard a deep voice saying, "Who is it?"

"Rohan, a human," He answered.

Soon, he heard thumping and a skinny orc opened the door for him. He smiled at him with a cocaine nose and said, "Human! Please come in!"

Rohan nodded and entered. He saw the orc in question, the king of sensual pleasures, Casper.

Casper was a fatty and a drug addict, much like your childhood friends. But unlike him, your friends are broke. He wore fancy, color-matching, tailor-made bright robes and gold accessories, unlike your friends, who probably wear clothes from the dollar store. He had a neatly trimmed beard and a bald head. Like your friends, because that's the only hairstyle available after passing the age of twenty.

Rohan stood before Casper and said, "Moon's blessings upon you, brother."

Casper rubbed his cocaine nose and asked, "Is this some new code? The upper echelon didn't tell me about it."

Rohan asked him if he could sit down, and Casper gestured his approval. He sat, crossed his legs and said, "Casper, I've heard what the faithful are suffering from in this kingdom. I came here to return them to their forefathers' land and unite the orcs like they used to be."

Casper leaned back, stared at Rohan and said, "Is this a trick?"

"No, I'm a servant of the moon," Rohan said.

Casper exhaled heavily, rubbed his cocaine nose hard, licked his lips and said, "Then you've heard wrong, Servant Rohan. The faithful aren't suffering here."

Rohan pointed at Andrea and said, "I know the orcs have a strict code of honor. Would it please you to know that your sisters are suffering in the streets of a kingdom built by their ancestors?"

"Those sisters brought it on themselves. They took those drugs and suffered the consequences," Casper said.

Andrea approached and said, "Curses on you! You lie before a servant!? Aren't you a cog in a machine built to drain the orcs of this kingdom? Your business is built upon desperate women who want to feed their families."

Casper glared at her, slammed his fists on the table and growled, "Accusations! False accusations!!"

Rohan extended his hand and said, "If she lied, then I assume you have no problem holding my hand. One cannot hide the truth from a servant."

Casper leaned back, crossed his arms and said, "I'm not gay, servant."

Rohan smirked and said, "Neither am I. Matters like this become fruity if it makes you feel…different."

Casper glared while he was uncomfortable, and he failed to comply. Rohan retracted his hand and said, "I'm sad, Casper. What made you turn on your people for the sake of greed?"

"Get out of my brothel, Rohan; never show your face to me again," Casper said.

Rohan stood and said, "I will, after I collect the women you used and send them to their homeland."

Casper stood quickly and snarled, "I respect you enough, Servant Rohan, to let you leave here alive. Ruin my business, and I will end you."

Rohan glared at him and said, "You're a disgrace." He turned, approached V, leaned closer and whispered, "Make him sniff the whiff of death, then capture him." He left and pulled Andrea out with him. They stood outside the door and waited as the screams and squeals came from the office. Soon, V stepped out the door, covered in blood from head to waist.

Andrea looked at V and asked worriedly, "Where's Casper?"

"Sealed, he'll be released once we return to Anders," Rohan said.

The End