Page 37 of X’nath (Dark Orcs of Helfallow)

37

The Bitter Brew

X’NATH

M y boots pounded steadily against the earth as I made my way toward Old Barak’s shop. The clan was alive with activity, each member focused on their tasks. Warriors prepared for patrols, strategizing for potential attacks from rival clans. The rest of the people were busy with the day’s duties—hunting, bringing back trade from passing vagabonds, gathering supplies.

The sounds of the bustling village blended with the calls of local merchants hawking their wares. Amidst the familiar cacophony, my thoughts were consumed by one thing: Gracie. Her nightmares had only worsened, and the tea that was supposed to ease her mind had failed her. Something wasn’t right, and I intended to find out what. I trusted my instincts, and they were screaming at me to dig deeper.

The bell above the door jingled as I pushed it open, entering Barak’s shop. The old orc was hunched over his counter, fiddling with some worn trinket, his thick fingers deft despite their age. He looked up from his work, his good eye squinting at me.

“X’nath,” he quipped. “What brings you here? Don’t tell me you’ve need for potions to keep your cock working? By the sounds that came out of Gracie’s home, one would think you were doing a job well done. Shouldn’t you be rutting her now to make sure your seed catches in her womb?”

I grunted, uncaring how many people heard me pleasuring my mate, crossing my arms. “I’m looking for Garbock. Do you know where he is?”

Barak raised an eyebrow, an amused smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Garbock, eh? Last I heard, he’s grown restless lately. I believe he was out in the hills, hunting something. But you didn’t come here for that, did you?”

I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing. “The tea he gave Gracie... it’s not working. She’s still having nightmares. I think something’s wrong with it.”

Barak’s face shifted into something unreadable. He set down the trinket and folded his arms, studying me for a long moment before sighing. “Garbock’s a peculiar one, always looking for ways to make a profit. He’s an excitable orc, one that finds a fascination with alchemy the moment one of the travelers introduced him to the trade. That tea? It could be just what he says it is... or maybe it’s not. Can’t say I’ve ever had a lot of trust for that one. He doesn’t deal in things that don’t benefit him.”

I clenched my jaw, the pit of my stomach deepend. I knew it was a gamble, and yet, I’d taken it anyway. I didn’t have much of a choice. Garbock was the only one with the skill to mix these kinds of concoctions. Barak’s knowledge of herbs was vast, but it only went so far—rooted in the ancient wisdom passed down from our clan’s elders. Sometimes, it wasn’t enough.

“Where is he? I need to find him.”

Barak gave a long, slow nod, as if weighing the decision to tell me. “He’s staying out in the hills, as I said, near the old mines. Seems he ran out of a few of his raw materials. But you should be careful, X’nath. You’ve got a close bond with your mate, I can see that. But Garbock... he’s a different kind of orc. Watch your back.”

I straightened, an unsettling feeling lingering. There was something in Barak’s tone that made my instincts flare even higher. He was warning me, but there was an undertone there, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Almost as if he was hiding more than just information on Garbock.

I nodded sharply and turned on my heel. As my hand gripped the door handle, I paused, letting my words hang in the air. "Let this serve as a warning—not just to Garbock, but to any orc who dares cross me. Gracie is mine. If I have to go to great lengths to make that clear, I won’t hesitate."

Barak didn’t say anything more, but the look he gave me lingered, heavy with something unspoken. I stepped out of the shop, my suspicion sharpening with each passing moment. There was more at play here than I had realized, and I couldn’t afford to let Gracie—her soft body, her affections—distract me. Protecting what was mine was of utmost importance, even from my own people if it came to that.

Garbock’s tea was only the surface of whatever game he was playing, and I wasn’t about to let him get any closer to Gracie than he already had.

“What are you saying, X’nath? You think Garbock’s been messing with Gracie?” Vakgar asked, his expression serious. His female, Kelly, had recently voiced concerns about her friend, though he didn’t need to elaborate on that. His response was sharp and intense, not just for me, but for the sake of his own mate as well.

Vakgar paused, his brow furrowing as the weight of the situation settled on him. He could see the bigger picture now—if one wayward orc was willing to cross those boundaries and mess with someone else’s mate, who was to say others wouldn’t follow his lead?

“This isn’t just about Garbock, is it?” he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as he turned to meet mine. “If this is happening, we need to be ready. We can’t let others think it’s okay to do the same.”

I nodded, locking eyes with him, the message clear without a word. We needed to make an example of someone, and Garbock had just volunteered for the role.

The land around us was silent as we quietly made our way, with only the wind whispering through the trees. The jagged hills stretched before me, bathed in the soft, fading light of the late afternoon. The mines were well beyond the village’s edge to the far east.

I made sure to leave clear instructions for Yargol to keep an eye on Gracie while I was away.

As we neared the mine, my unease grew. Every step felt wrong, like we were walking deeper into a trap. Vakgar, ever the observant one, stayed close, his eyes scanning the surroundings as the sun began to hang low in the sky.

The shadows were long in here, with a flickering torchfire at the entrance that illuminated the dark interior. Garbock was there, sitting cross-legged by the fire, sharpening his weapons. He didn’t seem surprised to see me.

“X’nath,” he greeted me with a nod, his voice smooth but too calm. “What brings you way out here?”

"Nightshade tea," I said, my voice low, carrying a hint of danger. "As much as I appreciate your discretion with deliveries, it seems I've been wrong to focus on its lack of potency. Perhaps it's time I start questioning you instead."

Garbock’s expression remained unchanged, though his eyes narrowed slightly, as if assessing me. "Oh? You know I’ve put my best effort into this, using all the tricks of the trade. I might've added a few things to boost its potency. It’s unfortunate the blend hasn’t had the desired effect on Gracie. Maybe my measurements were off. But it’s just a mix of herbs, X’nath. Nothing sinister, if that’s what you're implying."

I didn’t buy it. There was something off in his tone, a calculated calm that made my blood simmer. I wasn’t a fool.

“You’re a liar, Garbock,” I said, my voice low and cold.

What else had he picked up from the traders—what other vials of concoctions he might be brewing in his cave. Love potions, perhaps? Something stronger to try and pull Gracie away from me? The thought made my fists clench. No one would steal what was mine, not while I still breathed.

His grin faltered for just a second, but he quickly regained control. Too quick. That was all the confirmation I needed.

Vakgar stepped forward, his towering frame casting a shadow over Garbock as he moved into the firelight. His voice was low, but the threat in it was unmistakable.

"If you think you can play games with a warrior’s mate, you’ve made a grave mistake," Vakgar said, his tone colder than the mountains that barricaded our village.

Garbock swallowed, his calm facade cracking slightly as he tried to step back, but Vakgar was quick to close the distance, his large hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.

Before he could respond, my gaze caught something on the floor—something that shouldn’t have been there. A scrap piece of fabric that I recognized all too well. One of Gracie’s human undergarments.

The torchlight flickered, casting harsh shadows on Garbock’s face as I slowly crouched down to pick it up. Her scent lingered on it, unmistakable and strong, with the addition of what looked like fresh male spend.

My blood boiled.

Garbock’s eyes darted to the evidence in my hand, his calm demeanor faltering, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “That’s not what you think it is. See, I found it. I mean, it was on the ground and I happened to pick it up?—”

My hand shot out and grabbed Garbock by the throat, dragging him flailing behind me out of the entrance of the mine. He wouldn’t be allowed to slink away like the coward he was. No, he was going to face his punishment where the gods could witness it.

“X’nath,” he choked out, struggling for air.

But I was beyond the point of listening. I dragged him in front of me and lifted him off the ground with a snarl. “You chose to play a dangerous game, Garbock.”

If he thought he could manipulate her with his concoctions and witchcraft, he had another thing coming.

Vakgar emerged from the mouth of the mine shortly after, his nostrils flaring. “I would tell you that you’re lucky I didn’t find anything tied to Kelly, but X’nath here might disagree.”

My grip around his throat tightened until one of the blood vessels in his left eye popped, making me grin. I slammed his body onto the hard ground, an audible crack reverberating around us as Garbock moaned in pain, stunned for a few moments.

Vakgar circled around him, pulling out a jagged hammer, ready to bash his head in. I signaled for him to wait, coming up with a much better idea, one that will follow him for the rest of his days.

“Start a fire,” I instructed Vakgar, who looked at me perplexed.

“Right now?”

"Yes, right now," I growled, never breaking my gaze from Garbock as I drew one of my smaller blades from its sheath.

Vakgar quickly did as instructed and watched with curiosity as I began to heat up my blade. The moment I commanded him to rip off Garbock’s pants, his own grin grew.

I signaled to wake him up and Vakgar proceeded to kick him until Garbock’s eyes fluttered open.

“Wha—Ahhh!!”

The scent of burnt flesh wafted into my nars as I sliced my heated blade through his sack, making sure he would never pose as a threat to anyone’s mate again.

Vakgar took a step back as I finished him off, pressing the flat of my reheated blade against the wound to double down on his punishment. Garbock’s screams were short lived as consciousness quickly fled from the intensity of the pain.

Wiping my blade against the fabric of my pants, I bent down to grab the scrap of fabric that once belonged to Gracie, now tainted.

“I wouldn’t want to leave you without a proper thank you for the tea, Garbock, so I won’t take this back. Gracie wouldn’t want it anyway,” I taunted, shoving the item into his open mouth, hoping he choked on it before his consciousness returned.