The Once and Future Nerd.

Book 1, Princes of Jordan.

Chapter 4, Monsters.

Now, to understand much of what follows in our tale, you will need to know a bit about what had been happening in the West with the Rebel General Traft. I wish there were a better

time to explain this, but soon things are going to get very interesting indeed for our

party of travellers. So, best to tell you about Traft now.

You'll recall the unfortunate blacksmith who has taken prisoner on his way back to the now

ruined castle, Iron Hertz. What? Well, you didn't think I'd introduce you to a man

just as tragedy befell him only to never

speak of him again, did you?

What sort of lunatic would do such a thing?

In any event, we rejoined the blacksmith as his cloaked captors led him through the ruins

of his hometown.

He wept for the devastation he saw and for the many mutilated

bodies of the men charged with the defending the town. Then they came to the town square.

The Smith had, of course, heard stories of orcs before, but had counted himself fortunate that he had never seen

an ork. Until now. Now he saw pointed teeth and ashen skin and gruesome war paint.

In short, he saw everything the stories warned of, which is of course

the great power of stories. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Though the rest of the surviving townsmen were encircled by several dozen orcs, the

Smith was led past them towards a recently erected tent. This was

General Traft's command tent. In it, Traft had counsel with chiefts of the various

...