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,largemen walking up the path across from me. Well, notmen. 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. Orwho, rather. They’re orcs. Real livefucking 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 agoodfucking look.
A flush blooms over my body and somethingshiftswithin 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? Ijustcame 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.
