Last Stand

With a cry I drop into shelter behind the parapet, hearing arrows shatter against the stone. The castle has been under siege for two days, utterly cut off from the outside world, and all of us are running on fumes. With a startled yell a woman a few places along the wall falls out of position, an arrow jutting from her shoulder. I look away as she is turned into a pincushion, there's a heavy thud as she lands in the courtyard, and risk peeking at the besieging force.

It's my first time seeing them, things are now so desperate even the maids have been put on the walls, and my eyes widen upon looking at the veritable sea of green. I've heard of orcs, heard of their savagery, but never seen one until now. They seem massive, bulky. Their lack of clothing only emphasizes their musculature and I wonder how humanity has ever stood against them.

An orc, taller by at least a head, bullies his way to the front and everyone's eyes are drawn to him, recognizing power. His eyes sweep across the battlements, piercing gaze seeming to dig deep into us, before letting out a blood-chilling roar. His men charge, I spot crude ladders being carried towards us, and again I have to duck to avoid a ragged volley of arrows.

It's while I'm trying to gather my wits that I hear the squelch of spikes being driven into mud, hear the creak of wood as it's lifted. I take a step back from the parapet, hefting the sword I'd been given, and gulp as metal hooks clang against the short stone wall. An orc appears a moment later, scaling the ladder unnaturally quick, and batters a guardsman aside before scrambling onto the walkway. The sword slips from my nerveless fingers, clattering against the stone, and then I feel a sharp tearing pain.

The orc is impossibly close, if he were human it would be improper, and it takes me a minute to realize the truth. My hands are sticky with blood when I touch my ripped-open stomach and I clutch at the orc while he withdraws his blade, my grip failing as I drop to my knees. I topple sideways as the orc moves on, breath leaving me when someone falls atop me, and can only moan as my life slips away...