Everything was black as Noah’s consciousness stirred. He tried to take a deep breath but found that his lungs didn't respond to his prompting. He lifted his hand to his face but felt nothing as he tried to feel for his helmet. Panic sank in as every sense avoided his grasp. He desperately tried to breathe, but it seemed that there was nothing he could do. He began to feel hopeless as invisible walls pressed him from every side. He clenched his eyes shut but was unsure if he had succeeded as the ever-present darkness remained. Then his world exploded into light as a voice reached his ears.

  “Noah,” the voice said, sounding familiar and distinctly feminine. His heart stirred as he recognized the woman from his dreams as she drove the darkness away.

  “Are you my mother?” The words escaped from his mouth before he could have this sense to hold them back. The woman smiled warmly, and Noah could have sworn that he saw something glistening run down her face.

  “Yes, my son. I am,” the woman replied, her smile turning sad as she looked at him. “I hope you can forgive me, but unfortunately, our reunion will have to wait.” Noah wanted to protest, to demand an explanation, but seeing her face he could only nod.

  “Your time is running short, Noah. You only have a handful of months before an enemy far beyond you fulfills the vision that you first received. You need to be ready. If you fall here, so many will be lost. Do not trust the deer, she is not your ally.” The woman began to fade, and the light surrounding her dimmed. Noah reached out to her, his hands still invisible to his senses.

  “Wait, don’t go,” he cried, as a deep sense of loss settled in his soul. She smiled at him again, and her lips began to move.

  “We are all counting on you. I know you can do this, my son.” As the final words left her lips, she blinked out of existence, and darkness enveloped him.

  When Noah awoke again, he had regained his senses, something he immediately regretted as agonizing pain threatened to send him into the void again. He was lying on his back beneath a blue sky, and judging by the metallic smell, he was still on the battlefield. He tried to sit up but was unsuccessful as every muscle threatened rebellion. Through the pain, he strained his ears for any sign of approaching enemies and realized that the sounds of battle had gone quiet. In the distance he heard familiar voices, calling out his name as well as others from his tribe. Though they shouted, he was completely unable to offer a response. Whatever had happened to him had left him paralyzed, or at least injured enough to prevent movement. After what felt like an eternity, he met eyes with a kindly drakon and smiled.

  “Noah!” Recter exclaimed. Noah tried and failed to smile.

  “Un’Dal, I found him! He’s over here!” Recter called to the healer. There was the sound of boots thudding across uneven ground before more familiar faces looked down at him. Un’Dal was accompanied by Gerald and two burly orcs. Noah would have smiled with relief if he had the ability, but was happy enough to see several of his people had survived. The battle had been even more of a long shot than they had imagined, and he couldn't help but wonder if Jelene and her people had made it through. Un’Dal began to cast some sort of healing spell on him, and he groaned involuntarily as his flesh began to shift and knit back together. Another 15 minutes or so passed before Un’Dal asked if Noah could speak. Noah tentatively opened his mouth.

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  “Hello,” he croaked, unsure of what to say. Un’Dal grinned.

  “It’s working. Jelene’s spell pushed you well past your limits, and your body is suffering the consequences. You may have to take it slow for a few days,” Un’Dal informed him. Noah nodded in understanding and smiled at his friend.

  “Thank you, Un’Dal. Do you have news of the others?” he asked. The orc’s expression grew dark.

  “It is bad. Only a few of us survived, and you have already seen nearly all of us. The only other is Me’Zin, who we found just after you. Everyone else is dead or missing entirely,” Un’Dal answered. Noah took a long breath and exhaled slowly.

  “Do you know what happened to me?” he asked. Un’Dal nodded.

  “You were swept up into Jeline’s illusions, like everyone else within her spell, you turned feral and killed anything in your vicinity. The other orcs that wandered into the spell were dead within minutes. I believe it is due to your armor, and your superior stats that you managed to live through the end. You were one of the last people standing, and the battle only ended after you fought with the enemy's sovereign. It was a massive bear of a creature that towered over you like a building. All of that mass and muscle amounted to little before your hammer though, and the battle ended when the sovereign collapsed, followed shortly after by you,” Un’Dal explained. Noah took in the information but found it odd that he didn't remember any of it. He also wasn't sure what to think of Jelene’s betrayal. Could he blame her for their deaths? He shook his head. Collateral damage was bound to happen in battles of this size, it was unlikely that she was even aware that they had been ensnared.

  After some time, Un’Dal helped him to his feet. He was still unsteady as he walked, but he was tired of feeling helpless on the ground. He regrouped with the surviving members of his tribe, wrapping each of them in a hug or exchanging a warrior's embrace. He then made his way over to Jelene, who was speaking with some of her people just 100 yards away. She looked up as he approached and shifted into her human form.

  “Noah, I am pleased to see you made it through the battle. I can’t thank you enough for coming to our aid.” Jelene said. Noah gave a small smile.

  “I’m happy we arrived in time, I didn’t expect to see such a large army,” he returned.

  “Indeed, it is likely that we would not have made it without you and your people. I am aware that you lost many of those who accompanied you, however,” she commented. Noah nodded.

  “Too many. How did your side fare?” he asked.

  “I lost nearly half of my warriors, but with the addition of those that surrendered it will be a net positive,” she replied, matter of factly. Noah frowned but decided not to share his thoughts.

  “Will you stay with us while you recover?” Jeline asked him. Noah thought about it for a minute but declined.

  “After tonight we will be on our way. There are more enemies to prepare for,” he replied. They parted ways, and Noah returned to the others. They spent the rest of the day scouring the battlefield for the bodies of their fallen tribesmen. Eventually, they found those that they could and began their ritual of delivering them to their final end. For an orc, the end was supposed to be joyful, filled with tales of their prowess in battle as they were added to the legend of their tribe. Tonight, however, the small group found it more difficult than usual to sing and dance and honor their companions. Seeing this, Noah took a deep breath and gathered himself. He motioned for everyone to draw close.

  “Gather some wood and find a beast that looks edible. Let’s feast and make merry for our friends. They deserve a proper send off,” he instructed. The others nodded in agreement, and Un’Dal gave him a knowing smile. Before long, the group was gathered around a large fire, each holding hunks of meat that tasted rather beef-like. And though their hearts were heavy, they set aside their own grief and began to spin the stories of their fallen friends. As the legend began to take shape they felt their hearts lift as the familiarity of the custom and the remembrance of their companions turned their sorrow to celebration. They continued well into the night, filling their bellies as their stories turned into songs. Jelene’s people were long gone, and the dark field lost its depressing edge as the tribesmen of Ro’Kar met their final end.