Luka Voltha's eyes narrowed into slits of pure suspicion. She gripped her dagger so tightly that her knuckles turned a shade paler against her ivory skin.

The Orc Queen circled Ethan slowly in the dimly lit chamber, her bare feet padding softly on the cool stone floor. Ethan was tempted to steal a glance at her beautiful ivory feet, but it was not the time.

Luka was now cautious, since Ethan's invisible power had been strong enough to manhandle her.

The boy stood his ground, his hands raised in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture. "Can we talk?"

"You," Luka hissed, with venom in her voice. "I misjudged you, Ethan Cromwell, and should have killed you at first sight. Did you think a puny human could waltz into my personal bedchamber and assassinate me? Who sent you on this suicide mission? The Elves? Or have you aligned yourself with that traitor, Garkash?"

"Does your ungrateful mother know that my army's presence has been a deterrent against his attacking Gulchtown? I should have known better than to trust a human."

Ethan shook his head quickly, trying to keep his tone as calm and reassuring. "Luka, please wait. It's me, and you were not wrong the first time. Have you forgotten about our connection at the stream?"

The Orc Queen gritted her pearly white teeth. "That memory only makes your betrayal more hurtful!"

Ethan sighed. Orcs rarely came to trust other races, more so if you're the goddamn Queen. Even more so if you belong to a rare, exotic breed. "You called me salty boy, remember? Do you sense hostility from me? I'm not here to kill you or harm anyone. I came all this way specifically to warn you about an impending assassin attack."

Luka scoffed loudly, her mesmerizing almond-shaped eyes flashing with disbelief. "That's a convenient story if I've ever heard one. Garkash has tried this pathetic tactic before. Sent in spies, pretending to be friends or allies, only to stab us in the back."

She sniffed the air. "You can't mask that pungent reek of their filthy camp. Garkash's disgusting stench is all over you like a bad perfume. I am done talking."

With no further warning, Luka lunged forward. Her knife slashed toward his throat in a swift, deadly arc.

Ethan dodged purely on instinct. His Agility points were 2/10. Wasn't it enough to twist his body away just in time?

Scratch! The blade whistled past his ear, close enough that he felt the rush of air. However, Luka dipped her hand, so that the blade slashed his shoulder. It couldn't cut the surface because of Ethan's Level 2 JellySkin, but he somehow felt pain.

"Luka, stop! I'm not your enemy—"

She didn't give him a moment to explain, spinning low on her heel and sweeping her leg out in a powerful arc aimed at his ankles. She was too fast for an Orc and much quicker than an Elf.

Ethan jumped back awkwardly, barely avoiding the trip, but she was already following up with a brutal punch. The boy couldn't dodge. The impact connected partially, forcing the air out of his lungs in a whoosh.

Ethan unleashed Ghost Hands, grabbing Luka's wrists. He twisted, making her drop the dagger. The weapon clattered noisily to the stone floor.

Ethan's phantom limbs wrapped around her arms like ethereal ropes, pinning them firmly to her sides. Luka struggled fiercely but pointlessly against the hold, her muscles bulging with raw effort as she tried to break free.

"What... what kind of twisted magic is this?" she growled in frustration. "You're not a witch! Release me right now!"

Ethan held her intense gaze. His own breath came in ragged gasps from the scuffle. Luka Voltha was incredibly fast and strong. She could probably take down an eight-foot-tall Orc by herself.

"What's wrong with you? I won't let you go until you actually listen to what I have to say. I'm not an assassin!"

The Orc Queen scowled at him but stopped struggling for the moment.

"My fellowship was caught by Garkash's search team," Ethan added. "Our witch put a disguise spell on us to look like Orcs. We infiltrated Garkash's base. He sent a team of twenty greens to infiltrate your camp here. They plan to drug you, abduct you in the dead of night. He wants to... force himself on you, claim your throne by making babies with you. I dunno."

Luka creased her forehead, absorbing the new information. "And you joined them?"

"I volunteered to join their group, but only so I could get close enough to warn you. We were given battle gear from Garkash's stocks. That's why I smelled like one of them."

Luka's struggles gradually slowed as his words sank in. Her eyes searched his face intently, looking for any sign of deceit. "Why? Why would you risk your life for me? We met only once, in that stream. It was a quick thrill, nothing more. Who asked you to read too much into it? Humans don't help Orcs. They hunt us, enslave us, or worse."

Ethan released the Ghost Hands slowly, feeling the familiar tingle of MP drain in his veins as the skill deactivated. He bent down carefully, picked up her fallen knife from the floor, and handed it back to her hilt-first.

"As we established during our last encounter, I am not like the other humans. Also, you're not like Garkash and his rebel army. You talked to me about peace back at the stream, about a better way for your people to live without endless raids and bloodshed."

Ethan stepped closer to the Orc Queen. "And... that intimate experience we shared, it meant something to me. Thank you for being a deterrent to protect Gulchtown and my mother. If we ally somehow, we could stop Garkash together."

Luka took the knife from him warily, her fingers brushing his in the exchange. Her expression softened, a flicker of something warmer creeping into her fierce eyes.

"There are very few men left in this world, Ethan Cromwell. I have heard stories of times when they used to be in larger numbers. Strong men often spoke heroically in that manner. They thought they could fix everything. Those kinds of men are dead and extinct."

Ethan sighed. "I never claimed to be strong. But like I told you, when I am cornered, I like to surprise my enemy."

Luka stepped closer to him and touched his arm where her dagger had sliced him. "My Orcish dagger barely left a mark on you. Moreover, you overpowered me so easily. No human, Orc, or Elf has ever done that before. And now you gave back my blade without hesitation… I have a hard time figuring you out, Ethan Cromwell. You are a mystery."

She touched his face, sending a spark through him. "Maybe you're different from the rest. Salty, bold, heroic... and unexpectedly kind. Maybe you can change the world."

Ethan grabbed her hand and kissed it lightly. "So... you believe me now?"

Luka nodded slowly, extracting her ivory fingers from him. "I do. For now, at least."

Her voice dropped to a softer, more intimate tone. "But you came all this way, risking your life... just for me?"

Their faces were close now, and the chamber's warmth seemed to close in around them. Ethan's heart raced, and he began to forget where he actually was. All he cared about was being with Luka. "Yeah. For you."

The Orc Queen smiled bitterly, as if he had said something ridiculous. Then she broke into a giggle. She leaned in first, her lips brushing his in a tentative kiss. It was happening again!

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