B
Literature
Broken, Not Unbeaten: A World of Aiers story Runa’s father hated humans. He hated how they looked, how they smelled, how they made so much noise, they’re machines and so called “innovations.” This was all she heard from her aging father as she sighed and just kept nodding and humoring her aging Schlobohmi Orc father as she continued to work on the commission she had been tasked to work on. “I tell you Ruru, humans will be the death of us all!!!” Runa’s father ranted to his daughter as she kept hammering the metal spokes of the wagon wheel, reinforcing it in her blacksmith shop and getting it ready for the customer, her just laying out the finishing touches before she slid the wheel onto the axle of the reinforced wagon. “I hear you papa…but despite all that…humans sure do pay well.” Runa finished as she wiped the sweat and grease from her brow and looked at her handiwork. The new ironwood wagon she had made was a work of art, with intricate carvings of reindeer and bears with other noble animals now had beautiful gold filigree formed around the outlines of the works. She was truly proud of this piece and hoped Lord Raan would be impressed. She knew her father, known as Old Man Gruune, would have been, that is if he still had his sight…the old wood carver had since retired when he lost his sight and his daughter had taken up his spot, she did her best to make him proud. “Ok papa, I’m gonna take the wagon to my client. Don’t stay up too late.” Runa said as she walked over to her father as she put on her fur lined cloak and kissed her fathers cheek as he sat in his rocking chair by the fireplace. “Ahh I probably will. Now take care Ruru! Don’t let those dirty humans get they’re hands all over your hard work!!!” He yelled before she gave a light chuckle and patted his head. “Bye papa!!!” Runa called as she closed the door behind her and then got onto the wooden wagon before she snapped the reins as her large boar squealed as it began to walk down the dirt road from her shop. Soon she began heading towards the main road that eventually led to the City of Reeta, The Vanolosé City-State that gave all nearby the best sources of income…and the one place she could never tell her father she was going. ~~~~~~ Reeta was once almost nearly just populated by goblonoids and the like, but ever since they’re new human “stewards,” had arrived with they’re army…the newer city had become more open towards elves, half-elves and a multitude of other humanoid species. Runa and other Antorian Orcs still had they’re main uses as sheep herders and mercenaries but a few had gone into more “modern,” jobe like blacksmiths and carvers like Runa did. She took pride in her occupation and knew she was the best at it…but she still hated how the humans had gone and changed so much so fast…especially how they had been the ones responsible for blinding her father. But she pushed these thoughts down as she drove the cart up to the gates of the fort and the human supervisor looked her and the cart over before the golems came over to inspect the cart thoroughly as these artificial soldiers were just another “innovation,” that the humans had introduced into they’re community and ecosystem, which had put many living people out of work. “Ok your clear to head on in. The lug is coming in.” A human called while Runa pouted and ignored the comment about her size then rode on through, eying the black and gold golems with narrowed eyes. ~~~~~~ “Hmm…” Lord Raan said as he stroked him chin in ponderance as he walked around the cart he had ordered that Runa had brought to him after he had commissioned her to get it done for him in less than two weeks, and she had delivered it in less than one. She held her hands behind her back in apprehension as she waited for him to deliver judgment on her work…hoping she would have enough money to help pay for a new tool set. “It’s perfect.” Lord Raan said with a smile as the blond haired human looked to her as Runa sighed out in relief as she walked over to him as he handed her a bag of coins and she smiled as she opened it. She began to count the coins as her smile made its way into a perplexed expression as she finished counting all the coins. “Um, Lord Raan, forgive me but it would seem that I’m missing about…maybe half of the gold coins than what I was originally promised, is there a problem?” She asked as he looked at her. “Hmm? Oh no there is no mistake, I simply refuse to give you that amount.” Lord Raan said to her as Runa looked agast that he was stiffing her on the job she had put so much thought and energy into. “But…I worked day and night to make you this!!! You can’t just give me the wrong amount we agreed too!!” She protested before the golem guards came over to her to stop her from getting any closer. “We did…but now the deal has changed because I want to. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable knowing it hasn’t been properly inspected. You will have to wait for the rest once I get in looked over, then I will consider giving you the rest.” Lord Raan said as she growled and was waved off. “Be gone. You're starting to stench up the place.” He said as Runa growled then simply just walked out…not pushing her luck. ~~~~~~ Runa sighed as she walked down the streets as she headed to the stables to pick up her boar but along the way she saw a couple of hoodlums in an alleyway kicking and beating a defenseless harpy that whimpered and curled into a ball as Runa growled and went down the alley. “Hey!!! Leave her alone!!!” She roared out as she threw the people off the harpy girl and punched them down, her overbearing size and stamina before two ran away as Runa growled at the last one. He was a human…all three of them had been humans…beating down a poor defenseless young harpy chick who couldn’t defend herself and just squawked in distress. Her left leg was swollen and bent awkwardly as Runa growled then pulled the one human up by his shirt collar before she was about to pummel him. “Just because your human doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want!!!” She shouted before she punched him but her fist was caught the second time as her right arm was pulled backwards as a golem held her. “Maybe…but being human affords me a bit of an advantage. Golem, this brute assaulted me and my friends. Make sure she can’t punch me anymore.” He said as the golem nodded and snapped Runa’s right arm backwards as she screamed out in pain then collapsed as she held her arm at the elbow and glanced to see it was limp and useless. “You…son of a-!” She was about to say before the golem backhanded her face with its fist, Runa slamming into the hard stone wall as she began to black out and saw the human walk off with her gold and she groaned as she collapsed on the dirty alleyway floor before the golem stomped on her before it all went black. ~~~~~~ Runa slowly began to regain consciousness as she groaned and her eyes began to flutter open and she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Through the blurriness of her previous unconsciousness she began to notice the color white around her, more importantly the white color of the sheets and blanket over her body then she saw a large white thing to her right. She tried to move her right arm to touch it but was greeted to throbbing pain as she groaned then realized this white thing was her right arm, wrapped in a plaster white cast, the medical shell covering her whole arm past her elbow and ended at the halfway part of her upper arm. “What the…?” She questioned aloud as she touched the medical shell embracing her right limb with her left but saw her left arm was also in a cast, this one only covering her wrist and forearm and she gasped as she noticed she had a broken left wrist as well then frumped. “Ah you're awake!!” A human nun asked as she approached Runa’s bed with a smile as Runa immediately growled lowly at the human woman. “Who are you? What did you do to me? Why can’t I move my arms?” Runa asked, concerned and slightly angry as she couldn’t use her hands but the nun frowned and spoke to her. “Easy…I am Sister Eclia, member of the Order of Saint Creöle here in our Reeta Abbey. You were brought here by some guards who thought you were some homeless drunk but we took you in to heal your injuries.” Sister Ecilia said with a sympathetic smile as Runa narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You're…human? I don’t understand…why would a human or any of you care about an Orc like me? All you humans…you lie and cheat and steal. Just like my father always said.” Runa muttered as she looked away from Ecilia and was angry and upset, upset she had been hurt and humiliated by humans, swindled ans now she assumed robbed. “Hey.” Ecilia said as she knelt to her bedside and leaned on an elbow. “I understand your distrust of humans…we can be cold, cruel, deceitful and unforgivable. But my father said the same of other people like Ozcuras and the non-human races. But you know what I’ve seen being a Nun? No matter what species…we all have a capacity for either great kindness or great cruelty. You just gotta choose which you want to put back into the world.” She said as Runa blinked a bit as she analyzed those words…thinking back to what her mother used to preach before she died…to be tough but kind no matter what. “Now…want to eat some beef stew?” Ecilia asked as Runa saw her hold up a wooden bowl of the stew and a spoon as she sniffed the air then licked her lips and then saw her arms and had flushed cheeks and sighed. “Yes…please feed me?” She asked as Ecilia began to spoon feed the injured Antotian Orc Blacksmith, who accepted the stew in mouthfuls as she began to soften up after all that had happened today. She began to think…maybe…humans weren’t all bad after all… ~~~~~~
