“It’s easy Tiny, all you have to do is just put pressure from the back of the neck and they’ll be out like a light.”
The human cleared their throat once more and tugged at the hem of their shirt, “Listen, I don’t mean any trouble.”
“Oh, my god! I didn’t mean for you!” Aquarus pressed the center of his palm in the middle of his forehead, “I meant to get out of here!”
“We can escape? How?”
“These chains at our ankles were made by humans, not Orcs, they’re far too thin. I think I can break them and then I might be able to work at the cage a little if you keep watch at the two guards in the entrance. The guards have already had beer by now, so it should be relatively easy.”
“Okay, and what were we going to do after we escape Mr. Plan?”
The Orc glared at the human, “I guess you’ll have to get on my back- I’m much faster than you and we’ll just run.”
Tiny nodded and both of them broke into a smile. Aquarus tugged at the chains and within a few seconds they snapped. Tiny nodded for him to keep going since the guards seemed unalarmed with the clang of the chain hitting the stone floor. Tiny and Aquarus laughed as they heard the guards singing an old folklore song about Siren’s with their slurred, drunken voices. Aquarus then broke Tiny’s chain and began to work at the cage door.
“Be careful, the guards are sleeping in the watch chairs now.”
Aqaurus nodded as he grunted with the tug of the cage bars. He gave it three pulls before it even budged and eventually slid off. His breath was a little heavy and he set his hands on his knees. His hair had flung down his shoulders and waved in his face like a flag. Aqaurus set down the door nicely up against the cage walls, making sure it would not slide down and clang against the floor. Aquarus slowly creeped up to the entrance on his tippy-toes, careful to make any note of small twigs that could possibly be crushed under his weight and wake the guards. Aquarus did not know how long he remained in that cage. It seemed like hours, but it could have been years. He lost hope until his cellmate entered the room for he could not escape without someone else to keep an eye on the guards.
Aquarus glanced back at Tiny and whispered, “Ready?”
Tiny nodded and just like that the two had sprung into action mode. Aquarus took the guard on the right and Tiny was on the left. Aquarus was surprised at how quickly Tiny managed to do it with their petite frame. He chuckled at the way Tiny had pounced on the guard almost flying in the air in the process while Tiny adjusted their glasses.
“Wow, Tiny, so you are good for something!”
Tiny glared at him as a smile spread across their face. Aquarus tried to hide his blush by turning his back towards them, kneeling down on one knee- using his hands to steady himself, and waited for Tiny to get on his back.
“We have to be quick with this Tiny. We want to get as far away from here as possible before they wake up and send their search dogs after us!” Aquarus felt Tiny cling to his shoulders and wrap their legs around his waist before taking off.
Vyn had felt the way the air hit their face. Vyn’s ginger hair flung in the swift movements of the wind, dancing amongst the song of low whistles coming from the forcefulness of the breeze. They were just glad it no longer hung over their eyes where they had to fumble with it every five seconds to get it to stay back. Aqaurus was right- he definitely ran faster than they did. Vyn saw the flashes of tall pine trees move past them and smelt the grass and moss below them. At one point, Aquarus took a sharp right and in front of them appeared to be a stream of some sort.
Aquarus let Vyn drop down, “We need to take a bath, so the hunter-dogs don’t catch onto our scent.” He was breathing heavily, clearly worn out from running.
Vyn nodded and as they began to set down their glasses, they caught a glimpse of Aquarus pulling his pants down, he was naked. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What?” he responded.
“Why are you naked?”
“Is it not something that’s common?” Aquarus’ brow furrowed. He was actually serious.
“Not with my people!”
Aquarus snarked, “Well, your people are human.”
Aquarus walked down into the stream as Vyn stood there in shock. Not knowing what to do, they took off their white tank top that was covered with dirt and their ripped trousers, along with their boots- only keeping on undergarments and hesitated before hopping in the water themselves. Vyn made sure to keep their distance from Aquarus.
Aquarus started, “Awww it makes me ever so happy you don’t want to get yourself killed.”
Vyn splashed water at him and after a few moments of silence eventually asked, “So, why did you save me?”
The calm water glistened in the moon light. The croaking of frogs and buzzing of bees surrounded them. Water lilies poked out on the far edge. The moon’s light reflected delicately on the Orc’s green skin. His hair catching glimpses of the shininess reflected upon him. Vyn noticed the way strands of his hair were soaked in the water- clinging to his chest. Vyn felt at peace with the Orc’s presence.
Aquarus seemed thrown off and lost in his train of thought before answering, “I guess I didn’t want anyone else to end up like me- experience what I have.”
“So, how can I repay you?”
Aquarus smirked, his right bottom canine tooth curving with his lips, before bursting out laughing, “You can kiss me.”
            Vyn shrugged and swam up to Aquarus, placing a small peck on his lips before pulling away. Aquarus looked stunned and stumbled back in the water. His movements creating little ripples in the stream- water splashing similar to the way water lilies grow and cling onto one another.
“Uhm- we should get back. You know, set up camp and everything.”
“Oh, okay.” Vyn replied.
Aqaurus was left flustered and full of wonder as he put his clothes back on. Why did they kiss me? They know I was joking, right? He watched as Vyn pulled out a blanket from the bag they were carrying. He was surprised the prison guards let them keep it. After all, the guards did steal just about anything and everything. Aqaurus started a fire with branches he picked from the trees around them and the matches Vyn carried in their bag. Aquarus felt the warmth of the fire as it grew when he felt Vyn tapping his shoulder, pointing the blanket in his direction.
“Oh, no thank you. You keep it. You're smaller than I am, I can handle a bit of cold.”
“Fine, then.” Aquarus’ body tightened as Vyn wrapped the blanket around both of them. He felt Vyn laugh besides him and smiled a little.
“We should get some sleep if we want to start our journey right tomorrow.”
“You mean you’re going to stay with me?” Vyn raised their eyebrows.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of dangerous things in these woods. You really haven’t been around here much, have you?”
Aquarus saw Vyn shake their head and lay it on his shoulder, letting out a yawn. It was not before long that they both felt the overwhelming arms of sleep take them. The sound of crickets chirping and the cackle of the fire disappearing.

“So, what’s your village like?” Vyn asked.
“Well, Orcs have a very different way of order than your village- I bet that’s for certain.”
Vyn poked him, “So, tell me!”
Vyn had a glint in their eyes, waiting for a response from Aquarus. The sun beamed down upon the pair. It’s hint of gold reflecting off of Aquarus’ complexion. The shine in his hair was more prominent now and Vyn just wanted to reach out and touch it- just to feel how soft it is. Meanwhile, the sun was less forgiving of Vyn. Vyn had to squint when looking at Aquarus from this angle and using their hand as a shield did little to nothing. The grass below them glowed and the dirt seemed to slowly dry with the heat. Leaves crunched underneath their footsteps.
“Well,”, Aquarus started, “Orcs are divided by clans. Mine was called the Blood Lunarex.”
“Was?”
“Let me explain eager beaver, my father, Faelar, ruled the clan for fifty years, then one day there was a major war. One of the rival clans had overtaken a part of our territory, so per protocol we defended ourselves. My dad got backed up in a corner when trying to face the enemy, or so we thought.” He cleared his throat and looked out onto the distance.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah I can finish. Anyways after the war, my uncle, Orion, came away from that same corner my father was in and he had my father’s crown. My father was dead, but it wasn’t at the hands of the other clan, it was at the hands of his own brother and that’s when things shifted in the clan. Orion is greedy, selfish, and manipulative. He turned the whole village into what everyone already thought Orcs were- raging beasts. My only solution was to leave and go to the next few villages over where no one could find me, Tristan.”
“I barely know what to say.” Vyn looked over at Aquarus concerned.
“It’s okay. Not a lot of people would.” Aquarus sighed, “So, tell me about your village.”
“Well, I was abandoned by my parents when I was young. My guardian tells me I was left at the entrance of the Fairy Village in a basket wrapped in a blanket with a note.”
“Wait, they left you at an enchanted village? You’re human!” Aquarus interrupted.
Vyn nodded their head, “Apparently they were human too, but they were born as servants to the Queen of the Mystiques- the one who rules the Centaur villages- and they weren’t allowed to see each other out of fear a relationship would distract the workers, but they loved each other and couldn’t help it. When the Queen found out she exiled both my parents and set me up, a human, to live in an enchanted village as punishment.”
“For? You weren’t the one who decided to would be born.”
Vyn chuckled, “Well, she knew that because I’m a human I’d be treated differently and as I’m the direct result of my parents’ relationship it made sense to her. I often pick my flowers nearby the village, but in this season, they aren’t around much, so I ventured off and that’s how I got caught.”
Vyn was about to recreate an imitation of the whole thing- mocking the Queen- when Aquarus shushed them. Vyn looked up at him confused and a little upset that he stopped them from speaking when he whispered in a low voice, “We’re being watched- I can smell whoever it is. Stay close to me, Tiny.”
            Aquarus and Vyn took a few more steps, but it did not take long for whatever was in that forest to find them. There was a loud rush of rustling leaves and branches, but it could not be signified where they started it was if whatever it was circled the area. Vyn felt their breath getting heavy, their heart racing, and their forehead began to sweat. They looked at Aquarus who looked as if he was ready to fight. Vyn gulped at the thought of fighting something, feeling like they were about to pass out when it lunged out of the woods.
            “Issssss there ssssomething you’re looking for?” the stranger laughed.
            It was strange truly. It had half the body of a human and half of a cobra. It hissed when it spoke and flicked its tongue. Vyn felt mortified at the sight of the stranger. Their focus remained on the way the scales seemed to follow each other on its body whenever it moved closer. Its eyes shone brightly with the shades of gold and brown that seemed to pull Vyn in like the way a predator would play with its prey before attacking. It moved in uniform swinging one side of its tail from the other.
            “I know thissss isssn’t much of an introduction, but I’m Demetrisssss and I think I’ll start with you”, Demetris looked at Vyn, “and then I’ll move onto your little friend.”
            “Tiny, run! I’ll hold him off!”
            Just liked that Vyn darted at the sound of Aquarus and Demetris lunging at each other. They could hear the grunts and groans of both of them as the fight escalated. Vyn felt as if they were flying over a calm stream trying not to crash onto the plant life below as their legs did nothing but try to tell their body to escape. Tree branches had hit Vyn’s face. At one point, Vyn tripped over a vine and had to take a few seconds to find their glasses. Vyn kept running until the clash of Aquarus and Demetris had escaped Vyn’s mind. Vyn stopped at a local village entrance to catch their breath. Vyn was unfamiliar with this part of the woods. It had not come to them to ask where they were going. All that had mattered to Vyn was that Aquarus was there. Vyn stood up against the mountain wall a little way from the village. It did not seem right for them to seek shelter when Aquarus promised to return. It was not until nightfall that Vyn heard footsteps approaching and someone yelling for them.

“Tiny, there you are!”
            “Hey! You made it! Wait, you’re injured, like badly.” Vyn frowned and reached out towards Aquarus’ neck. He pulled away. “Come on, let me look at it. It’s the least I can do.”
            Aquarus took his hand away from his neck. The sting of the bite was coursing through his veins, “Demetris got a slice of neck from one of his fangs.”
            “You really need some medicine. I can go look for some herbs. I’ll be right back.”
            Aquarus awoke the next morning with a surge of pain coming from the wound. The sun beat down on him, forcing him to pry his eyes open. He put his hand on the ground to steady himself but found himself clinging to Vyn’s leg instead. Had they let me sleep on their lap?  He barely remembered much before passing out. Aquarus touched his neck and found a thickly placed bandage. He looked up to find Vyn staring at him.
            “Now, we’re even.” They spoke.
            “I owe you my life, Tiny.” Vyn rolled their eyes in response.
            Aquarus could hear a tune of familiar music playing. The smell of the bakery he went to every morning felt like it was just on the other side of the mountain wall. The noise of children playing and running around danced in his ears. Aquarus followed the noise. Can it be? It only took him a few moments to reach the wooden sign he called home. In messy, cursive letters read, “Welcome to the town of Tristan!” It was hung unevenly with the left side pulling more weight. Aquarus remembered that was the day a young Orc had clung to the sign for just a tad bit longer than expected.
            “Tiny, come here! I want to show you something!”
            Vyn followed him into the village. Aquarus noticed the way their eyes lit up at the peace that surrounded them. Folk music played with the soft keys of the piano and the bang of drums. Vyn smiled at a little dragon and played games with them. Aquarus chuckled and got them breakfast when Vyn was not looking. He admired the way Vyn had tried their best to make the young one happy whilst on the extravagant adventure. Vyn and the little girl were playing hide and seek. When the little girl was called by her family, Vyn was given a crown made of  fiery-colored flowers and dragon seeds as a gift. Aquarus nearly stopped in his tracks at the way the flowers added a certain softness to Vyn he had not noticed before. He felt his heart flutter a little just before Vyn scooped one of the muffins out of his hand.
            “So, what’s the plan for today partner? Going to show me around, or what?” Vyn gleefully smiled.
            “I may have a surprise or two.” Aquarus winked and started walking.
            They ended up at a nearby stream. It was not like the one they had gone to before. This one has crystal clear water that allowed small koi fish to peak through. Lily pads had touched the surface of the water. Forest green circles surrounded the tall pure-white flowers. Vyn felt themselves gasp at the beauty. They were gleefully smiling with the way a weight seemed to be pulled off their chest. Peace had infiltrated their thoughts, but that quickly turned sour. Out of the blue, Vyn felt as if eyes were on them and it was not Aquarus.

Then, a loud, raspy voice emerged out of the depths of the trees, “Aquarus, your uncle summons you.”
            Aquarus knew who it was, “What do you want Delvin?” It was his childhood friend.
            “Orion, Leader of clan Blood Lunarex summons you to feast. If you do not come, we will find you and your special friend.” Delvin disappeared back into the woods surrounding the village.
            “Look, I don’t know how they found me, but we better get going if we don’t want our flesh torn off.” Aquarus said.
            Whilst on their journey, Aquarus broke the silence, “So, Tiny, I’ve been meaning to ask you, why did you kiss me that one time. I mean, you had to know I was joking, right?”
            “You’re kind of cute.”
Aquarus felt thrown off, but perhaps what was more surprising was the soft touch of Vyn’s hand intertwining with his. Their hands had very little texture whereas Aquarus’ were calloused and rough. He felt his heart flutter on how tightly Vyn’s hand held his. Aquarus felt himself blushing as he took their hand and planted a small kiss on the back of it.
He shyly said, “Thanks.”

It was not merely but a few days before they reached Aquarus’ clan. The gate to the entrance was rusted and decaying. Noises of hungry Orcs clung into the air as Delvin opened the gate for the two of them and revealed three Orcs scrambling over a piece of meat. A twisted dark, cryptid hallway lit by fancier torches than the ones in the prison led them to the main course table. It was long with food scattered all around it- the smell of barbeque reeked. Orcs were clawing at whatever they could get. At the head of the table sat Aquarus’ uncle. He rang his spoon against the wine glass and started a toast.
“Everyone, welcome back my dear nephew Aquarus- or as we know him- the Beheader! Come, here nephew, how about you and your friend enjoy a little wine?”
The table around them rang out in excitement. Both of them took a sip, Vyn felt like they were walking on eggshells. Something did not feel right. It was the wine- something was different and tasted weird. It stung in the back of their throat.
Orion laughed, “You fools, you’ve been poisoned! Now you must fight the bear in the battle ring with the tonic in your system! Delvin, why don’t you put our friends in the cage while we set up to watch them die.”
Vyn’s breathing quickened and they could feel their heart coming up their throat. All they wanted to do was take Aquarus’ hand and run towards the exit, but Vyn knew they had no choice. They were weakened by the tonic which made them feel like slushy and it became almost impossible to move. Vyn looked over at Aquarus and noticed he seemed only slightly affected by the tonic. He was much bigger than Vyn was and unlike Vyn did not drown himself in wine, so it made sense. Suddenly, a gate in the ring opened and came out was horrifying. It was a large bear-like animal, but still not fully a bear. It had long claws and razor-sharp teeth. It was missing parts of flesh where a mysterious liquid oozed out of its corpse. The most bizarre thing was not the way it looked though, it was the way a necklace with a sapphire crystal hung over its neck almost as if the creature had studied human delicacies and taken the darn thing from one of its victims.
“Vyn, get behind me!”

The monster lunged and Aquarus moved to fight it off. He moved swiftly blocking every attack the monster attempted. Aquarus was elegant like a swan the way he tried to beat down the raging beast before them. The monster tried to attack from the left shortly after knocking Aquarus to the floor, but Aquarus slid out of the way just in time before the monster brought its fist down creating a fissure in the floor. Aquarus knew what he had to do next. When the monster was distracted, Aquarus jumped onto its back and successfully broke the necklace off. He watched as it turned from a bear to one of Orion’s prisoners- failed human experiments more likely. Orion looked as if he was seeing red. His face scrunching up into a mix of panic and fury.
“Attack them!” he shouted.
“Wait!” Aquarus pleaded, “Delvin! Come on, you’re my childhood friend. You’re practically my brother. Don’t you remember how this place used to be? Don’t you remember how my father was killed? You know the truth! So, do something!”
With Delvin’s encouragement, the clan grouped together and started to attack Orion. Vyn and Aquarus were let free and the prisoner was sent to the clan’s hospital to try to be cured. Orion’s screams rang out similar to the way an animal yelps when it is distressed.
“Here’s your crown my Lord.” Delvin kneeled in front of Aquarus.
“No, you keep it. You’ll run this place the way it should be. I have faith in you. It is not my duty to run the clan. I can’t keep it merely as civilized as you could.”
Delving looked at Aquarus with confusion, “How can you be so sure?”
“Remember all the things we did as kids?”, Aquaurus and Delvin chuckled, “My dad would be proud that I’m following my dreams of becoming a blacksmith- creating things, not destroying them.”
“You’ll come visit, right?”
Aquarus nodded as he gave his childhood friend a hug. He knew the pain his friend suffered these past years was unimaginable. There was no way of telling how cruel his uncle truly was to the clan. Aquarus himself still carried the marks and bruises. Aquarus headed over to Vyn’s side and gave them a gentle peck on the cheek.

“Ready to go home, Tiny?”
“Home?” Vyn said with one eyebrow lifted. Aquarus loved this confused expression on their face as Vyn’s lips curled upwards to the side.
“Yeah, why don’t I take you to my cottage? We can rest up there and you’ll be able to pick all the flowers you want! You won’t have to worry about people in your village judging you!”
“What about the Queen?”
 Aquarus smirked, “We’ll figure that out. I am the son of a fallen King after all- I still have power by blood.”
Vyn giggled, “ Oh? I didn’t know that’s how it worked.”
Aquarus leaned in waiting for Vyn’s answer, “Okay, okay! I’ll stay.” They said.
“Good because after that fight those are the exact words I need to hear.”
Aquaurus softly smiled and helped Vyn to their feet. He felt those same butterflies when Vyn looked up at him with bright beady eyes. Vyn looked as if they were at complete ease as Aquarus and Vyn left the clan’s village and put the night behind them. At the exit of the clan, Aquarus pulled Vyn in for a passionate kiss. His lips were smooth and brushed ever so slightly against Vyn’s. The smell of the liquor still echoed into the air. He was surprised at how fond he grew of Vyn, for no one had ever tried to get close to the Orc before. Vyn was exhilarated and felt cozy as Aquarus continued to accept every part of them. Aquarus and Vyn welcomed the night stars with open arms and for the last time the two went out into the woods searching for home similar to the way water lilies cling onto each other in hopes of finding a soulmate. Both travelers knew their love was just beginning to blossom.