All Hallow's Eve

Outside the squad said nothing. I had trained them well and they would stand at attention until dead or dismissed. The guards outside the tent were obviously in discomfort, refusing to stand at ease while mine and Urlok's troops stood in battle formation. I chuckled, knowing my squad—and Urlok's as well—had better training than the guards and would not move until death claimed them.

This particular squad had stood thusly for eight days one time, me forgetting about them after a particularly troublesome wound. When I exited my tent half a fortnight later they were still standing where I had left them, inwardly proud as I took a piss outside and dismissed them, before returning into my tent.

More to cause the tent guards further discomfort than any protocol, I stood next to my squad also at attention.

Several hours later the tent guards had given up, standing at ease and leaning upon their pikes, although still carefully watching us. I hated their lack of discipline, knowing they would be yesterday's meal crapped out of us by now had they been mine.

'And they will end up that way if my plans with the Laga-hai come to fruition,' I thought smugly.

"Enter!" the unmistakable voice rang through my head, all thoughts of plans and future erased as I immediately walked forward, passing Urlok who was making his exit.

I glanced at my friend seeing something I had not seen in his eyes in the several hundreds of years I had known him—fear.

Entering the tent the voice commanded me to stand in front of him and disrobe. Reluctantly I took off my gear, though not out of shyness. Instead, my reluctance was due to the thought of being vulnerable before him, even knowing the hooded figure could kill me with a thought, armored or not.

Once I was naked, the wizard explained he was going to perform an incantation on me, as he had done with Urlok. The end result would be to link our souls to him, so he knew when our task—again not telling what it would consist of—was complete.

"You will be traveling into the future. A future very unlike our own where orcs and elves are but legends and myth," the voice hissed. "As such you need to be completely discrete. I will be expending a tremendous amount of energy to have you go to this Age," the voice explained. "You will stay unobserved, you will KILL NOBODY YOU ENCOUNTER, and you will scout out the settlement of Men. Once your task is completed you will return to me, the incantation manifesting itself at the appointed time," the voice said enigmatically, not explaining any further.

And then the pain began, my jaw clenched from uttering a single word, knowing I had heard nothing from Urlok and not willing to be less than he...

*********************

Four days later the dozen of us stood on a cliff of a mountain overlooking the army encampment. This was the best place for the incantation to proceed, Zaugoth explained.

I did not want to think about the previous visit with the mage. I had never been so terrified or in as much agony ever, and if I had to go through it again I would gladly disembowel myself to avoid it. Glancing at Urlok, his face mirrored mine and knew he had shared a similar fate.

Zaugoth rode up to the group, dismounting fluidly from his black steed as the Laga-hai's guard kneeled around us, the twelve of us unmoving as we still stood at attention. Mine and Urlok's troop would not kneel to anybody without direct orders from us and Zaugoth nodded his understanding and respect.

The ground was covered with runes. I recognized both elven and dwarven runes, but there were others I was not as familiar with. Reading was not a warrior's pursuit, so beyond recognizing their origin, I knew not what else they stood for. In the center was a burning fire, the haze of heat causing the sky above us to shimmer magically.

My urks knew I was terrified, as a result so were they; however, we stood our ground in front of the Black Lord. I glanced at the Laga-hai, remembering two nights ago as I slit an assassin's throat, knowing he had sent them. Meeting his eyes as he kneeled before Zaugoth, I smiled as I stood above him, seeing hatred and contempt on his face towards me.

I also read fear, as I had taken the assassin's body and placed it in the Laga-hai's own bed, next to the sleeping shaman. I had disemboweled the assassin, stringing his entrails throughout the tent before leaving unseen as I had entered. To know I could enter his quarters at any time, and leisurely disembowel his own urk obviously had him unnerved.

"As this will be a most powerful spell, it requires a life essence," the voice from Zaugoth broke the silence. "Grim'tak!" he hissed, my bowels to the point of release—had I had the stomach to eat anything the last four days. "You have the luxury of choosing the victim."

Without thinking my mind thought of the shaman kneeling before us and I heard the Zau Goth laugh, the sound chilling me in the heat of the day.

"So be it!" he shouted as he raised his hand, the robe sliding away.

I stared stunned, having not seen any physical aspect of Zau Goth's body previously. The hand exposed from the sleeve of the robe was that of an ebon human, similar to those I had observed in the southern armies, my mind wondering at the ironic thought of the Black Lord having black skin. Although I knew he was a maia—having said as much previously—and could take the form of anything he wished, I found it oddly striking his form, as that of most maia, was of the race of Men.

However, unlike the race of Men, Zaugoth's hand was dry and brittle, as if that of a corpse, and yet the fingers moved nimbly in an intricate pattern.

"Master?" I heard the voice of the Laga-hai gasp. "I have done nothing but serve you! No! You cannot!" the voice gurgled.

"You have defied me one last time insect!" The voice of Zaugoth now had a dreadfulness to it I had not heard previously, causing two of Urlok's uruk to visibly shake with fear.

I sneered my contempt at his lack of discipline hidden behind my helm, knowing my urks were stronger willed.

"Not only have you schemed behind my back," Zaugoth explained, "but knowing these uruk-hai were doing my bidding you sent an assassin," the voice hissed the word in contempt, "to attempt to end one of their lives? Your own personal agenda was placed above mine!" the Zau Goth shouted, the voice echoing across the valley and through our very bones.

By now even my own squad was trembling in fear, and I knew they would break shortly, prepared to disembowel my own self at their shame.

Suddenly Zaugoth lifted his hand, clenching his fist as immediately all sound ceased. The shaman clutched his throat, a muffled gurgling sound escaping his mouth as he fell backwards, directly into the fire. The smell of acrid burning flesh immediately caught my nostrils as Zaugoth began speaking in a language I had never heard, coarse and guttural, while my eyes played tricks on me, seeing the surrounding cliff-side start to swirl around us.

The smoke of the burning shaman's corpse stung my eyes, causing the world to go dark, as the echoes of Zaugoth's incantation filled my ears...

*********************

When I awoke I was in a wooded glen, mine and Urlok's urks lying around me. I went to Urlok, shaking him awake.

Easily blocking the dagger that attempted to sever my carotid, I hissed at him, "It's me you cur!"

Recognition hitting his eyes, I helped him up.

"Did it work?" he asked, still groggy.

"What the fuck do you think undur kurv?" I asked. "Does any of this look fucking like any place you have been?"

My cursing disguised the fear I was feeling, as well as anger. Anger at Urlok's weakness. Even in a time such as this I could smell his fear. I should have been dead having woken him, and yet I had easily blocked his attack. My contempt towards him knew no bounds as I realized he had gotten soft leading his army, no longer worth my attention.

I looked around, not recognizing anything familiar in the surrounding landscape as we kicked our squads awake. Urlok gained some redemption breaking the arm of one of his uruk as he kicked him awake, the unfortunately urkling's unarmed retaliation having bruised Urlok's leg. Immediately the larger uruk kneeled upon the arm of the just woken urk and bend it at an impossible angle, the sharp crack of bone the only sound as the urk's training kicked in, thoroughly admonished by his commander.

*********************

'And now we are here,' I thought to myself as I made my way back to the camp after relieving myself.

After we had awakened, we took stock of our bearings and instinctively Urlok and I knew we had to head west. Knowing such instincts were part of whatever incantation the Black Lord had laid upon us, we tried to blot the thought from our minds.

We had traveled the entire day, covering several leagues effortlessly, mysteriously knowing we were farther from the settlement of Men than originally intended. By evening we had come across a strange road made with a hardened black substance composed of small rocks and black tar, wondering what strange world we had been thrusted into; however, it was a passing thought as we made our way across the road. A warrior's thoughts should be on battle, not what a made up a fucking road.

Several times we saw local wildlife; however, our orders to not kill anything we encountered meant we were forced to eat the moldy hardtack we had stocked our packs with before coming to this wretched time.

At one point we also observed a strange contraption, moving as if by magic faster than a horse on one of the oddly paved roads. The smell of the machine after it left lingered in the air, reminding me of burning pitch from a siege engine, but other than avoiding it, we paid it little heed. We avoided all contact, stopping only for quick drinks before moving on.

Finally we 'felt' we were near our destination, the late night moon shining down on the woods as we prepared to break camp, a fog slowly rolling into the forest as I went to relieve myself.

Urlok glanced at me after returning from my piss, but said nothing. We both knew there was nothing to say. We would move to the settlement and if lucky, return to our Age, knowing this area was as foreign to us as nothing else in our lives.

Feeling it more than anything, I knew the settlement of Men was near. We had covered twelve leagues since arriving and still did not know what to expect; however, years upon years of training had made us what we were, and I silently signaled the squad to break camp, wiping all traces of our brief stay from the area.

I took point, Urlok close by as we moved west and slightly north, the odd moonlight of these woods showing more light than we were used to.

I did not know what to expect, nobody did. I did not know what the wizard had done to me nor what we were looking for; however, I knew one thing, before we returned Urlok's blood would be on my blade.

I had thought about much the last few days—watching the irresponsible manifestation of fear on Urlok's urks at the incantation, his inability to get a successful attack when I woke him, and now his quiet acceptance of me leading the squads.

All signs of weakness.

Yes, it was Urlok's time. He had grown soft, and I would see his blood spilled before we left. The wizard has explicitly stated we were not to harm anything we encountered; however, he had said nothing about those already amongst us.

Lost in my thoughts I almost did not catch it, but my sharpened reflexes immediately signaled the squad to stop and take cover.

There it was, the soft scent coming from up ahead. It was only good fortune we were not downwind as the scent again drifted across my nostrils, my cock instantly hardening.

"What is it?" Urlok's voice hissed, my contempt for him almost causing me to place my blade in his black heart right there.

I sniffed the air softly, Urlok finally noticing it.

"Elves? What the fuck! Zaugoth said there were no elves in this Age!" he hissed.

I smiled, "And if they were downwind, they'd be saying the same thing about Yrch," I told him, using the Elven word for our kind.

Urlok returned my grin as I gave out the silent orders to flank the elves, keeping ourselves against the wind to avoid detection as we moved stealthily forward.

Again I noticed with repugnance Urlok had allowed me to order the squad, detesting his weakness.

Slowly we made our way towards what appeared to be a small clearing, the moon shining easily within the treeless space. The other uruk now were smelling the elves' presence as I once again assumed point, knowing the others were flanking on both sides, staying slightly behind as I made my way to a bush and looked into the clearing.

It took a second for my eyes to adjust from the pitch black of treed night to the light of the clearing, made bright by both the moonlight and unnatural glow of elven bodies.

There were two. Both females.

One was dressed in typical elven warrior gear, the unnatural glow of her body stirring me as I gazed upon her. Her hair was dark, the contrast of it against her pale glowing body stirring my loins as my mind flashed to knowing she once had shorter hair.

I shook my head, wondering if the magic I had been exposed to was making me crazy as I looked at the warrior's companion.

The other noldor was wearing a noble's robes, the glow of her body also causing my gaze to linger over her female form, shining seductively through her robe. In contrast to the warrior, this one had fair hair, lending her an elegant, noble beauty as my cock stirred even more, knowing I had to have her.

Both were armed, the warrior dual wielding twin elven blades and a bow, while the noble carried a single blade and dagger. Thankfully they had not detected our presence, and even more fortunate, did not have their blades drawn, as elven blades glowed when our kind was near. As such, they were still unaware of our existence.

Based upon their weapons and movements I knew the warrior would be the most difficult; however, the noblewoman could not be discounted—all elves were proficient with weapons. Other than Urlok, Unk'tar, and myself, I was not aware of anybody in either squad able to match an elf blade for blade, one-on-one. With this knowledge, Urlok's orcs would be charging first, as their deaths would provide enough time for my group to close the distance and subdue the elves by numbers if not proficiency.

The vanguard's death would serve another purpose as well—it would mean fewer of Urlok's guards to subdue should the opportunity to slit my mentor's throat not prevent itself and I would have to take him by force.

"Do you think Zaugoth anticipated this?" Urlok sneered next to me. "At least we're lucky in that they're females, so it's less tempting to kill them outright," he grinned as I smiled back.

The hatred of our races would have made it difficult to explain to the squad not to outright kill the elves, thus maintain Zaugoth's orders to not speak of our mission or of killing anything we encountered. Had the elves been male, their lives would serve little purpose, and our orders of capturing them live would fall upon deaf ears. Females, on the other hand, had other uses, which Urlok was hinting at, and my stiffening cock was agreeing with.

Although I had never had the experience, elven women were notorious for their sexual prowess. Outwardly they were cool and aloof, but I had learned early on they did not manifest desire as did uruk and mankind. Instead, they were naturally never aroused, being unwilling subjects—until penetration. Once that occurred, elven women were reported to be insatiable, their wanton lust having no bounds once breached, fucking anything and everything that could move.

I had heard cats had similar proclivities, the females only becoming fertile once the male entered them; the male having sharp barbs to rasp against the walls of the female forcing her to ovulate. And elves were similar, the females welcoming anything that could fuck them—again once they were penetrated—supposedly becoming fertile the more they were fucked.

Having never fucked an elf or cat, I did not know the truth, but I was not one to turn away the opportunity to—learn—I thought with a lecherous grin.

Elves were also more durable and sturdier than human woman, one of the reasons they made good breeding stock for Uruk-hai. Most women I had the pleasure of partaking usually died by the twelfth or thirteenth urk ravaging them. In fact, I had caused the death of many women myself, the size of my own cock piercing their womb and causing them to bleed out; however, there were legends of elven female slaves serving an entire urk garrison and wanting more!

It was rumored the only reason Arwen had escaped the Zau Goth citadel had been because she herself had fucked the whole battalion sent to guard her, thereby fatiguing them enough for her escape while Zaugoth was away.

Again, as I had not had the pleasure, I was uncertain as to the validity of that legend, but Urlok himself had been with an elven slave once and had told me the stories, and I had no reason to doubt his credibility, even at this point of his weakness.

No, the squad would not think anything unusual at the orders of us capturing the females alive and not outright killing them; however, what to do with them afterwards beyond the obvious was still unknown to me. First thing first, we had to capture them, then fuck them, then worry about what came after.

Initializing the hand signals to instruct Urlok's group to move first, I again stressed the need to not kill them. Urlok watched as I gave the silent orders, staring at me as I instructed his squad to be in the vanguard, but not saying a thing.

Was he so daft as to not realize I was weakening his defenses? The stupidity in his acceptance made me want to kill him right there, but I needed his swordplay if we were to succeed in capturing the two elves. No, Urlok's death would be soon, possibly tonight, but not yet. He could even die from the elven blades before us, although that would prevent my own satisfaction of feeling his heart silenced by my own blade.

We moved forward as quietly as possible. Unfortunately it was not to be an easy capture, as we all heard the audible snap of a branch to our left—one of Urlok's crew announcing our presence.

I cursed at Urlok's weak uruk in my head as I watched the elven warrior reflexively draw her blades.

Immediately the clearing was lit by the bright glow emitting from the weapons.

"Yrch!" she hissed to her companion, who likewise drew her blades, both assuming a defensive position back to back.

I gave the order to charge...

Three of Urlok's uruk died instantly, arrows protruding from their skulls as I applauded their silent demise, not uttering a single cry as they fell. The remaining two uruki closed the distance, causing the warrior to drop her bow, both hands holding her glowing swords with expertise as the two of them engaged her.

Urlok had engaged the noblewoman, giving the rest of us a chance to move in. Before getting within striking range I saw another of Urlok's uruk drop, black blood spewing from his partially severed head as I closed the remaining distance. The final one of Urlok's uruk was holding his own, and I was impressed at his expertise, silently deciding to spare his life once I took over and offer him to join my own ranks if he lived.

I was joined by two of my squad, while the other two and Unk'tar joined Urlok to fight the noblewoman. Silently I applauded the elven warrior's skill, as she deftly held off all four of us with her dual blades.

Although we surrounded her, she was in every place at once, not only defending herself but taking the offense many a time.