Page 10 of Charmed By the Orc
I had traded my morning shirt for my usual vest, enjoying the sunshine on my exposed chest—and the glances of admiration I’d caught from my little human. A moment had passed between us in that kitchen, an unspoken desire neither of us named, but felt all the same. I sensed it in the way she looked at me as I caged her in, my arms bracketing her curvy figure. With her back to the counter, it would have been the work of a heartbeat to hoist her onto its smooth surface and press her body to mine. Her lips would be soft, yielding, and a moan might have slipped past. I could imagine the glorious feel of her beneath my touch, and I had to clench my hands into fists in the present.
Groaning at the fantasy, I broke the silence between us without meaning to.
“Guruk?” the center of my desires called two paces ahead. Sammy had knelt to examine the flowers, but now rose to stare at me. “Everything okay?”
“Yes,” I said with far too much gravel roughening my voice. “Great.”
Her round brown eyes narrowed in my direction. “You sure?”
Inara whinnied her suspicions in solidarity with the human.
I cleared my throat and strode past as if nothing bothered me. “Yes, just daydreaming.” It wasn’t a lie. With her traveling here from another world and trying to get home, I couldn’t expect a happily-ever-after. The connection we shared had been so instant and felt so right, I allowed myself to forget our differences temporarily. But the reality was that we could never be more than a fantasy.
“Oh, it’s a perfect day for that.” Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Sammy spun in a circle. “The flowers, the sunshine, the company,” she looked from Inara to me, “it’s all like a dream.”
“The best dream,” I agreed, searching over every inch of her face to commit it to memory.
A pink hue adorned her cheeks, matching the under layers of her hair. She hummed in response.
We resumed our stroll, walking in step with each other. The itch to reach out and take her hand in mine was palpable but I resisted the temptation. Giving in now would only lead to heartbreak later.
As the village came into view, the cobblestone streets bustled with activity. Inara neighed at me toward the grazing fields that encompassed the left perimeter. The area was well-guarded,serving as both park for the villagers and food for the animals. “Yes, my friend,” I took her snout with infinite care between my hands, “but we may be awhile. Stay here until we return.” Her horn glowed with her assent and she gently licked my palm before bounding into the fields.
“Will she be okay on her own?” Sammy asked, her eyes widening as she watched Inara trod along the grass.
I smiled, my little human’s concern for the alicorn warming my heart. “She will. No one would dare try to harm her here.”
Once assured of Inara’s safety, Sammy and I continued onward. We took the main road leading towards the town square, where a fountain gurgled at the center.
“Oh my gosh,” Sammy cried, pointing at the fountain, “is that a narwhal?” With a curious tilt of her head, she inspected the statue from all sides. “No, wait, is it a mermaid?”
I laughed good-natured at her curiosity. “We call it a ‘tusknara’.”
“Hmm,” she said, studying me and the fountain in turn. “It does have tusks like you.”
“Indeed,” I placed my palm at the small of her back, unable to resist the chance to touch her, “but come, I’ll tell you more about our sacred animals as we go.”
Guiding her through the square, I spoke with her about the importance of the sacred beasts to our world and how they kept the magic thriving. Sammy had a ton of questions, which I did my best to answer, while keeping pace to the council meeting place and Highlighting various points of interest as we went.
“Over there is the bookstore and thrift shop run by my friend Thad.” I waved to a brick building adorned withintricate carvings—a sunshine yellow dragon coiled around the doorframe and wise snow owls perched on the window ledges. Above the door, a hand-painted sign swung in the wind, bearing the shop’s name, “The Dragon’s Hoard,” in elegant, swirling script. Ivy climbed the brick walls, adding a touch of nature, while artful flower boxes brimming with red and orange blooms adorned the sills.
Sammy’s eyes lit up with that inviting golden brown light. “Oh! We have to go in.”
“Well, Thad might have a book that could help you.” I offered the excuse for this side quest, but in truth, I would deny her nothing.
We peeked inside, spotting the shelves filled with dusty tomes and curious trinkets. As we stepped through the heavy wooden door, an inviting scent enveloped us—like aged paper mixed with hints of spice and the faint aroma of burning embers.
Thad stood behind a grand oak counter, his crimson scales glinting in the light from the windowpanes. He was engrossed in a thick, ancient book, his rectangular glasses perched on his snout and his eyes narrowed in concentration. As the bell above the door chimed, he looked up, a smirk spreading across his maw. “Ah, my favorite visitor! Come in, come in!”
“How are you, Thad?” I cupped his shoulder in greeting. “Any new treasures?”
The gleam in his sharp gaze spoke of his finds. “Always, my friend.” He inclined his head at Sammy. “But tell me, who is this sparkling gem?”
A part of me bristled at the compliment to my human, but I held my jealousy in check. Thaddeus Thornscale was a creature of the ancient world and my friend for many years. Often too seriousfor his own good, if he could exchange easy pleasantries with us, rather than his usual surliness, I’d make do.
“I’m Sammy,” she said brightly, her hand extended in greeting.
“She’s from another world. We think she unintentionally came through the veil.” I took her offering palm, before Thad could grasp her forearm, and placed her hand under the crook at my elbow. She gave me a questioning look but didn’t comment. “We’re going to speak with the council, but any ideas of how this might have happened?”