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Chapter Four

Rainn

The next day, I wake up to a crisp morning. It’s so beautiful out here, the sounds of nature waking me from my slumber. It didn’t rain yesterday or even overnight, so I’m not sure what Tanner was on, but whatever. I still got to hike and stretch my legs, so I’m not complaining.

I crawl out of my tent, close my eyes and tip my head back, breathing in the crisp scent of the morning air with a smile on my face. I love it out here. If it were up to me, I’d live here for the rest of my life.

Well, maybe not. I might say I want to live in the wilderness, but I wouldn’t be able to give up the comfort of four walls and central air. Though it would help me save money.

My mom left me and Theodore a sizable inheritance when she passed, which is the main reason I can afford to write full time. Living in a tent would keep my bank account full…

..though there would be nowhere for me to store my dildo collection. Yeah, nevermind, I’ll stick to living in society.

Sighing, I open my eyes, then frown. Fucking large as fuck cumulonimbus clouds dot the sky, looking gray, puffy and ominous. “Son of a bitch,” I mutter as I stand and post my hands on my hips. I really fucking wish I had service so I could check the estimated start time for the storm that is sure to come. The smart thing to do is to climb back in my tent and hike another day, but I don’t want to. My blood is thrumming through my veins, the thought of a miles-long hike making my shoulders relax.

I’ve camped in the pouring rain before and wrangled out a plot after a day or two. But nothing gets my creative juices flowing as well as stretching my legs and pushing my endurance to the limit on a long trek.

Fuck it, I’ll chance it.

After I wash my face in the nearby stream and brush my teeth, I cook a breakfast of fish I caught and some of the food I packed and enjoy sitting in the brisk morning for a while.

Once I’m finished eating and clean up my site of any food that may attract animals, I check my bag to make sure I have my notepad and some pens. Locating the items, I zip my backpack up, tie my boots tighter, and start my hike. The morning is heating up, so maybe the rain will hold off for a little while longer.

Early morning hours are my favorite time of day. Everything seems so still, almost like even the very trees are taking a rest to recharge for the day. Small animals scurry about, the sounds of their footfalls or rustling calming me like only nature can.

Before I left my tent, I checked the map to see how far I would have to hike to reach Sumner Cave. It’s about five miles away, further than I’m used to hiking, but a doable distance. I’ll just have lunch in or near the cave before I head back.

As I hike, flashes of a plot come to mind, not really coming together, but giving me hope that it won’t be long before it all makes sense. It’s not until I’m about halfway to the cave that the plot starts to play through my mind like a movie. I hustle to pull out my notebook and pen to jot it all down.

I lean against a large beech tree and prop my notebook on my knees so I can rest comfortably while I plot. Some people would use their phones as it’s easier to walk and type or even to dictate, but the plot unfolds better when I write it by hand.

My hand moves across the paper at lightning speed, smudging some of the ink as I try to get the words from my head down on the page. The worst thing about being a lefty is I always have ink on my hands when I’m writing quickly. Any other time it would irritate me, but right now, I’m too excited to care. A smile stretches across my face as I scribble down the notes in my head.

Once I finish plotting, I grin down at the paper. I filled in six pages in my notebook for the second book, and three for the third book. I’m sure I’ll add more for them both, but right now, it’s enough that I have the overall plot. I even know how the series will end.

I read over my notes one more time, satisfied with what I have. It’ll make for a good series. And the main characters will fuck in chapter three, so I’m really thrilled about that.

After Kai showed me the measuring tape for fifteen inches, I gave my alien a twelve-inch schlong. Alien book dick and real human dick are different, so book dick can be a foot long and my MC will take it like a fucking champ.

Happy with my words, I stuff the notebook back into my bag and continue my hike. I could turn back, since I have what I need, but I want to see Sumner Cave.

Like Kai said, it’s been rumored that the people who’d gotten lost or disappeared here entered Sumner Cave. There have only been two confirmed missing person’s cases—one person was found dead from an animal attack and the other was found with a broken leg miles from his campsite days later—but that doesn’t stop the rumor mill from churning, making up all kinds of stories of monsters and serial killers stalking the woods and snatching up unsuspecting prey.

Give me a fucking break.

I push through the break in the trees where the cave is and behold it in all its creepy glory. It’s nestled on top of a steep hill, the entrance wide and a little scary looking. But none of the stories of the cave are true, so I’m not worried.

Planting my hands on my hips, I look up at the sky…

…and a droplet of rain lands in the center of my forehead. As if satisfied with the small warning of what is to come, the skies open up and dump rainwater on me like I’m a fucking beacon for bullshit.

“Fuck,” I shout, hopping over a few rocks to get to the cover of the cave. I slip once and roll down a few feet, but catch myself before I can go down too far.

I push myself off the ground and hop over the rocks—successfully this time—and dash into the cave. I’m soaked by the time the lip of the cave shelters me.

When I’m shielded from the storm by the cave walls, I pull my pack from across my back and reach inside, checking that my notebook is dry. I let out a long breath when I find my outline safe from the downpour. Ink bleeds and a heavy dose of rain would ruin all the progress I made for these notes.

Stepping back to the mouth of the cave, I take a look out over the forest below. Though the rain is coming down hard as fuck, it’s beautiful. The sun is still shining through one of the fat gray clouds, causing a shaft of light to drift through to the ground. A rainbow reflects off the sheets of rain, the bright colors making me smile despite myself. Everything is illuminated, making the world look brand new. The scent of pine needles, fresh earth, and the clean air surround me like a blanket.

It’s fucking perfect.

I take a seat at the mouth of the cave, bringing my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them.

Watching the rain always makes me think of my mother. She told me when she was pregnant with me, I kicked like mad whenever it would storm outside. It was her favorite story to tell me, and it never fails to make me smile when it storms.

I sigh and look out over the landscape. The trees lean a little to the side from the force of the wind and the strength of the rain, but it’s not scary. I feel safe under the cover of the cave. Besides, storms never bothered me much. They mean cleansing and the start of something new.

After about twenty minutes of the rain showing no sign of letting up, I figure I can explore the cave for a bit. It’s what I came here for anyway. Besides, if there is something in here that will ravage me, who am I to deny them their meal?

Or their pleasure?

I brush the dirt and grass from my pants and pull out my flashlight before I shoulder my backpack once more.

The bright light illuminates the walls of the cave with shadows dancing and reflecting from the beam. Some of the walls are interspersed with roots growing through the cracks, giving it an eerie, yet beautiful aesthetic. I stop and pull out my phone, snapping a few pictures of the uninhibited growth of the grass and roots and other wild things.. No matter what, the grass will find a way to grow, even through the tough cave walls. It’s admirable.

I wish I could send the photos to Kai. He loves it when I get excited about stuff like this. When I get service, I’ll send them to him, even though I’ll be on my way home.

Slowly, I trek through the cave, the smell of the earth getting stronger. I breathe in deeply, holding it in my lungs for as long as I can as I continue forward. The further in I walk, the more the air smells stale, a slight hint of mildew and decay in the air. But it’s the natural scent of the cave, so I enjoy it, glad I get to experience it.

About twenty yards or so into my exploration, the cave splits off into two different directions. I can either go left or right. When I reach the junction, I shine the light down both directions. From what I can see, both go further than twenty yards, but I don’t see other offshoots, so I doubt I’ll get lost going either way.

I’m not sure which entrance to take, so, under my breath, I say, “Eeny, meeny, minny, moe,” flicking the flashlight over each entrance. When I finish the little nursery rhyme, my light lands on the right. “Right it is,” I say, and walk in that direction.

As I walk down the cave, I shine my flashlight around, hoping to see something neat, like a small section off-the-beaten-path that I can explore. But there’s nothing. The path forward is straight and seemingly never-ending.

I almost turn around, but before I do, I come to another junction. Alarm bells tell me not to proceed further, that I’ve done enough exploration, but my curiosity gets the better of me and I prepare to do my eeny, meenie, minny, moe game again. But when I look to the right, I see a pinprick of light at the end.

“The fuck?” I whisper, my feet moving in that direction on their own.

Is this another entrance? But how could that be? For as long as I’ve lived in Destiny and heard tales about Sumner Cave, I’ve never heard about a second entrance. Now I’m really curious.

The light on the other end is dazzling now as I get closer and I throw my hand up to protect my vision. Is this passageway another part of the national park? It’s so confusing because the forest in front of me looks more green and more vibrant, more…wild.

Blinking rapidly to clear my eyes of the tears gathering from the sudden brightness, I look out of the segment of the cave, taking in the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. God, it’s fucking picturesque. The trees are large and lush, the air smells like rich soil and the flowers. Holy fuck, the flowers.

I inch forward, trying to make out the plant in front of me with the plump red bulb. It doesn’t resemble a plant I’ve ever seen before and I’ve explored a lot of places and seen a lot of foliage.

The shape of the bulb is odd, almost like the shape of a heart with pointed tips. The interior is purple, unlike any plant species I’ve seen or heard of. It’s…breathtaking.

I quicken my footsteps, wanting to take a greedy pull of the fragrance from the beautiful flower in front of me. God, what if I’ve discovered a new plant species?

When I walk through the mouth of the cave, the same cold sensation that passed over me when I washed my face in the stream passes through me, but I pay it no mind. I’m already on my knees in front of the plant, staring at it in wonder. The aroma coming off it is so intoxicating, I sit there drawing in deep lungfuls of the scent before I even look around at my surroundings.

It’s probably not the best idea to breathe in its fragrance so close. But, for some reason, I can’t pull myself away from the flower. It’s like it has ensnared me in its beauty and won’t let me go until I’ve fully appreciated it.

I don’t know how long I sit in front of the plant, staring at its unusual color combination and design, but before long, I hear voices. But they’re not speaking English. I tip my head to the side, trying to catch some of the words, but I can’t make sense of them.

Is it German? Swedish? It’s like no language I’ve ever heard before.

“Mensi virnu cmlaru je’e.”

What the hell? What are they saying? I’m not the type of person that feels like I need to know what a bi-or multilingual person is saying, but something about the language seems… not human .

What a strange thought. Of course they’re humans. I’m still somewhere in Destiny. Bears and fucking wolves can’t speak, so these are clearly human beings.

My heart thuds as the voices get closer, growing in volume. I turn around and my breath catches when I see three large, large men walking up the path across from me. Well, not men . They can’t be men. They’re green. Emerald fucking green and large. Did I mention large? So huge that I can’t really fathom it initially.

With a jolt, I realize what I’m looking at. Or who , rather. They’re orcs. Real live fucking orcs .

The one in the front is the one who’s speaking, his hands tucked behind his back as he looks around. The two men— orcs —flanking him look thoughtful, nodding, and adding a few tidbits here and there.

I’m not sure if I make a noise to alert him to my presence because the lead orc looks up at me, confusion crossing his features.

Holy fuck, he’s hot. Are orcs supposed to be hot? Well, this one is. He has a heavy brow with a circlet sitting atop it. Is he a king? Even though I’m a good distance away from him, I see his eyes are violet, like a shocking purple that’s unbelievable. A broad nose, full lips, and tusks that jut from his lower jaw complete the look. And fuck, it’s a good fucking look.

A flush blooms over my body and something shifts within me. What the fuck? I feel almost faint as I stare at him, something passing between us that I can’t name, but feels… old. Old, but somewhat familiar and comforting. Like I instantly feel at home, though I’ve never been to this place before.

“Fegli xamgu erve? ” he asks—or at least I think it’s a question, judging by the inflection in his tone.

When he speaks, it breaks whatever weird hold he had on me, snapping me into action. A ‘ meep’ sound leaves my lips and I turn to run back the way I came…

Just to run headlong into a solid barrier, and fall onto my back, my forehead throbbing in pain.

“Fuck,” I groan, holding my face. How is that space solid? I just came through it.

The orc with the circlet enters my field of vision and either I’ve knocked all my good sense from my head or his good looks have me mesmerized. I smile at him and surprisingly, he smiles back.

Swallowing roughly, I say, “Did I pass out?”

The sexy green man’s— orc —smile widens, showing even, but slightly sharp-looking teeth. The tusks coming from his mandible flash and I have the insane urge to reach up and touch them.

He shakes his head as if to clear it and I keep my hand firmly to myself.

“Where am I?” I ask. Yeah, all my good sense is gone because of a good looking orc. I should be scared out of my wits, but instead, I’m inquiring about my location.

He says something, and, initially, I’m fixated on how his mouth forms syllables. Then I realized that what he said wasn’t in English or any language I understand. “Huh?” I ask, sitting up and pressing my back to what was supposed to be an entrance but is now solid.

The sexy orc sighs and snaps his fingers. One of the orcs behind him drops something in his hand. A necklace? He motions for me to open my hand, so I do and he drops the necklace into my palm. Some part of my brain unlocks, a part that I didn’t know existed.

“Better?” the orc asks in English, making me jump. I already knew his voice was deep and rumbly, but hearing him enunciate words in English is…fuck. Like a cool stream of water flowing over rocks. I close my eyes and nod, hoping he’ll say more. He doesn’t disappoint. “You are in the country of Belzod. This city is called Daz Vrorkrad.”

“Not in Kansas anymore,” I murmur, rubbing over the knot that’s rapidly rising on my forehead.

His rumbling laugh sparks something inside me. Why is he affecting me so much? I shouldn’t lean into him just because he laughs . “No, Not Kans-ass. I am afraid you may never see your homeland of Kans-ass again.” He looks broken up about it, but I can’t really tell since his features are foreign to me.

My head feels a little floaty, either from my headlong rush into the barrier or from the overwhelming nature of being in another world.

“It’s okay.” I wave him off with a chuckle, my body feeling heavy and light at the same time. “I live in Maryland anyway. Never been to Kansas.” He tilts his head as he assesses me. I can’t read the look on his face, so I don’t know if he’s curious about my words or if I suddenly look delicious. “Are you going to kill me? Roast my body over an open fire?”

I keep my scoff to myself. It’s kinda late to ask that question. If he wanted to, he would have done it anyway. My brain is finally catching up to the fact that this handsome man isn’t a man, but an orc . As I write them, they’re scary creatures that like to take humans captive and use their bodies roughly until they bend to their wills. Though that last bit would not be a hardship for me. I’d bend over right now if he asked me to, audience be damned.

A half smile crosses his lips as his violet eyes flash. “I am not. I do not eat humans. I hear their meat is tough.”

I gasp and gulp, my eyes widening as I search his face. When I see his eyes twinkle, a laugh tumbles from my throat. “I hear the same. Zero out of ten, would not recommend.” I crack a smile and the orcs standing behind my orc laugh as well. And okay, yeah, they’re also hot as fuck, but don’t have the magnetism that my orc does.

Not my orc. The one speaking to me right now. That orc.

“Can I help you up, human?”

“Rainn,” I say, grasping the hand he holds out for me. A jolt goes up my arm, making my eyes peel wide and meet his. His violet orbs are just as wide, a look of surprise crossing his features. My heart thunders and I feel a deep connection to him, even though we don’t know each other.

What the fuck?

After he clears his throat, he stands to his full height, pulling me up with him. Damn, he’s tall as fuck. I’m only five-eight and this orc has to have more than a foot on me. Not only is he taller than me, but far bulkier. I thought Kai was big, but he has nothing on this orc. His arms are thick and corded and his long linen pants—are they linen?—pull at his thick thighs. He doesn’t have on a shirt, so his abs and heavy pecs are on display, looking good enough to eat. Or for me to run my tongue all over them, getting a taste of that green skin.

The orc tips his head back, a look of confusion crossing his face as he stares at the sky. “No. It has rained in days past, but the weather is clear for the next week or so, according to our weather experts.”

My brain is sluggish as I take in what he says. Then it clicks. “Oh, no. That’s my name. Rainn. With two n’s.”

“Such an odd name,” he says as he looks back down at me. “I am Emperor Axum Yagnatz. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Axum is an odd name too.”

His smile seems permanently etched on his face. “So it is, to humans.” His open expression shutters and a look of concern replaces it. “Are you well, Rainn with two N’s? You do not look so good.”

My head swims and my vision blurs. When I gaze up at him, I see two Axums. “I’m…I..”

With that, I fall to my knees and my vision darkens. The last thing I remember is rough hands catching me before I hit the ground. Then nothing.