Training

"Go to bed early, you'll need every ounce of energy you can gather. After training, you'll be attending the academy," Jasper said.

"An academy? Orcs have that?"

"Do you think we're monsters or what," he said while laughing.

"Young orcs go to the academy to learn about our heritage. Despite you not being of our kind, you still need to increase your knowledge."

With that surprising fact in mind, I laid down on the rug to get some well deserved shut-eye.

The feeling of drowning took my body by storm as I jolted up and spat water out. My eyes were bulging out and stared at Jasper who wore a wide grin.

"It seems that using a bucket of water works well."

"You asshole, how could you wake my fragile body up in such a crude way," I said in a sarcastic tone.

"Shut up and let's go."

I grabbed a bite to eat before heading out with the orc. The latter brought me further away from the tribe to a remote clearing in the middle of nowhere. The gentle breeze brushed through the lush grass making it rustle. A musky and fresh smell permeated the air around us.

Yawningly, I stretched my arms out. Jasper and I stood face-to-face a couple of meters away from each other.

"Orcs fight using their strength. Our swordsmanship is crude and lacks substance. We use our swords merely to express our strength."

"As you're still young, it's the ripe time to fortify your body," he added.

"Back in the human kingdom, we only exercised to improve our strength. What do the orcs do differently?"

"We do have a secret method that you'll learn towards the end of the training. For now, you'll be exercising that scrawny frame," he said.

He began showing me the movements that I'll be practicing this week; they were your basic push-up, pull-up and squats.

"Get to work you lazy shit."

The session was nothing short of torturous; he pushed me to the extreme and didn't let me rest. Whenever I thought I had reached my limit, he demanded more. Huffing and puffing, I kept on progressing.

By the end, I was lying on the ground gasping for air; I reeked of sweat and the palms of my hand were bloodied.

'Is this how orcs train? No wonder they are so strong!'

"To end off, we'll be doing some aerobics. As it's your first day, I'll be kind."

A sigh of relief was heaved; my body couldn't take it anymore.

"Run thirty laps around the clearing."

"Great...you want to kill me now," I said.

My feet were sinking deeper in the dirt as time passed. I could only cope with 20 laps before I slumped against a tree. Muscles that I didn't know existed were aching.

"Are you going to stay weak?"

My father's final moments flashed through my mind and a new-found determination arose. I couldn't afford to give up. With my composure regained, I battled through the last ten laps.

Jasper gave me a satisfied nod. It seemed like I had passed his test and gained his approval. We sauntered back home. Fortunately, the orc walked slowly allowing me to catch my breath; I took in the peaceful environment. The beast land seemed to be the total opposite of the human kingdom, free from tumult. The animals moved unhurriedly as the gusts of wind glided between the tree trunks.

As soon as we arrived home, Jasper began roasting some meat.

"How much do orcs eat?" I asked. After all, it was only three hours since we last ate.

"We eat approximately five times a day. When train this hard, your body will crumble without sufficient nutrition."

"Now shut up and eat," he added.

Jasper handed me a set of clothes that could only be described as rags. According to him, to fit in better in the academy, I should wear proper attire; I donned the cloth and looked nothing short of ridiculous. With everything taken care of, we headed on our way.

The orc and I walked side by side on the gravel path. As expected, the academy was located towards the center of the tribe. The houses progressively became more grand and luxurious; I also started seeing shops and merchants; everything from food to weapons was for sale. Crowds of pedestrians were walking down the streets; multiple orcs bumped into us. My ears were already saturated from all of the blathering around me.

I was subject to the odd glance, but I wasn't shocked. I was different from them and there was nothing I could do to change it.

"How are you, little one?"

I turned to face the voice and was pleasantly surprised to see Hunter.

"How do you find your new teacher?"

"Very lazy," I replied with a grin.

"I'm sorry, I need to go. I have to meet the chieftain. Have fun at the academy!" he said before running off.

A couple of minutes later, we arrived in front of gargantuan walls enclosing a colossal building crafted out of sandstone. The walls had turrets in the corners and had a wooden gate in the center; the structure towered over the forest.

'wow! That's the academy.'

The institution was comprised of 2 floors and was next to a battle arena for the students to spar.

"I'll leave you here, enter straight into the building, they'll guide you from there." Jasper said.

I ambled along the stone path through the gate into the yard. Hundreds of young orcs my age were waiting for classes to start; I brushed past them and entered the building. At the front desk, an old lady was reading a book. I slowly approached her in order not to startle her; her piercing eyes looked up at me as soon as I made the first step.

"What do you want?"

"It's my first day at the academy," I replied.

"What's your name and age?"

She analyzed my face and body language with great scrutiny; it made sense after all, I wasn't an orc but a human. If I was a spy, it could spell the doom of the beasts.

"It's Jett and I'm five."

After she was done writing her notes, she stood up before uttering,

"Follow me, I'll bring you to your class."

She led me down a multitude of hallways all lined with pictures and accolades before arriving to my class.

I was nervous; I was about to meet my new classmates.