The Invasion Of The Sombers. Jordi Villalobos

great power can do something like that. I would not want to attend your funeral instead of your wedding," replied Baldrich, afflicted.

      "Baldrich! You've always hated orcs without measure, and that can cloud your judgment. I will be alert, although I cannot doubt the purity of Lirieth, I have not seen any dark area," complained the prince.

      "My mental sight is much sharper than yours, young man, and I have not spoken of any dark area, but of one that I have not been able to explore because your precious princess has not allowed me access and that can only be done by someone with an important mastery of magic and who wants to hide something. I warn you for your own good," Baldrich scolded him fondly.

      "Sorry, Baldrich. I'll be careful…, I promise. Lirieth has already confessed to me that she is an excellent sorceress and has given me this amulet enchanted by her. She told me that she would protect me from the magic of the sombers and give me new strength when I needed it," said Syriel, trying to repress his enthusiasm to hide him from the elf, albeit without success.

      "If I have been given/she has given (me) something like this, it can't be bad, can it?" said the prince in a reproachful tone.

      "I'm telling you again, I didn't say she was bad, just be careful because she might hide something. However, I admit, I recognize that I gave you this gift, it shows at least that the orc princess doesn't wish you any harm," Baldrich conceded.

      And among many hesitations and shyness, Syriel finally dared to ask:

      "Have you seen if she… is… in love…as well?"

      "Even if I had seen it, my dear prince," the elf interrupted his pupil amusedly, "I would never reveal such information about a lady. You'll have to find out for yourself, maybe it's in that hidden area."

      Once kings and princes had been reunited with Baldrich, Baldrich communicated to them:

      "Majesties, Highnesses, excuse my rude irruption on this day of celebration, but when I explain the reasons you will understand that the seriousness of the information, I carry justifies my boldness excessively". He looked at all the attendants, taking a fresh breath, to capture the full attention of his regal listeners. "By means of informants of my absolute confidence, it has come to my ears that the dark ones are preparing a very well-armed army. This army would still not represent much of a threat to the Alliance that has been agreed upon today. But I have also been informed that the sombers intend to undertake an expedition to the Badlands to recruit dragons or other creatures into their troops. If only they could recruit a few dragons, the dark ones would be a serious threat to all of Frienia. And while it is very difficult to control them, Nigriel and her daughter Elenir who has become a powerful sorceress and perhaps more perverse than her own father, might well be able to do so.

      After a significant silence, Gulrath gestured:

      "Well, we'll have to stop them and even take the lead in trying to recruit any ally that could help us."

      And while it is very difficult to master them, Nigriel and her daughter Elenir, who has become a powerful sorceress and perhaps more perverse than her own father, might well be able to do so.

      After a significant silence, Gulrath gestured:

      “Well, we'll have to stop them and even take the lead in trying to recruit any ally that might be useful to us," proposed the Orc king with deep concern.

      "A group of men should go along with a group of orcs to begin to show our alliance, I will command the group of humans," proposed Syriel with determination.

      "And I will command the group of orcs," Lirieth said with enthusiasm and fierce assurance.

      "You have no experience in battle, it will be very dangerous for you," denied Gulrath forcefully.

      "I will rely on Syriel's experience. I may be necessary when it comes to mastering dragons, I think I know how to do it, but I hope to have Baldrich's teachings along the way, if he accepts me as a pupil…" proposed Lirieth.

      "It would be an honor for me to exchange my humble knowledge with those of Her Highness regarding the domination of dragons," Baldrich pleased conceded. "But I'm afraid I won't be able to teach much, though I know a magician who could help us with that."

      "Well, let's get going. If no one has a better plan, we will leave in three days, we will prepare an expedition of men and orcs and we will go to the Slanted Mountains of the dwarves to help us access the Badlands through the Peaks Pass," proposed Syriel. "Baldrich, where is this magician?"

      "The White Magician calls himself, the last time I heard of him he was in Belvichu, almost halfway to the Slanted Mountains," replied the elf.

      The plan to intercept the somber's expedition was outlined in a few minutes and accepted by all. In addition to recruiting creatures from the Badlands who might be useful for the upcoming battle against the dark ones more and more imminently, friendly relations between humans and orcs would also begin to develop.

      Turgarok hated humans with an energy and a force he could hardly control. His father, King Gulrath's greatest general and best friend, with whom he had always encouraged the end of the war and the alliance with humans, had died at the hands of men. Some said that the arrow that killed him was thrown by the hand of Prince Syriel, and also in a treacherous and cowardly way: from behind and without any honor. Turgarok most wished to end the life of the human prince, in the event that he confessed to him that, in effect, he has been the one who ended the life of his father.

      From a good height, he gazed at the tiny castle of Lorimar, which increased in size as the enormous hawk on which he was riding approached his destination, practically in a dive. The falcon, in spite of its colossal size, which would allow it to carry two enormous orcs on its back without any problems was capable of boarding a castle without anyone detecting it, since it could fly in absolute silence and avoid, with its extraordinary sense of smell, all the sentinels or any creature that could discover it.

      Quick Beak, the lord of the hawks and mount of Turgarok, the lord of the birds came as close as possible to the castle to allow the rider to jump over a balcony while it followed the flight to hide until its master needed it again.

      The orc wizard snuck into the balcony room unseen and advanced stealthily, his hand resting on the grip of his dagger, towards the bed.

      But a voice behind him said:

      "I've been smelling you for a while."

      "For some reason you are the king of the orcs, my lord," answered the troubled Turgarok as he turned and melted in an effusive embrace with his sovereign.

      Gulrath promised his best friend, Turgarok's father, that he would look after the boy as if he were his own son if he were ever missing, and so he did: he looked after and loved Turgarok as if it were his own blood.

      Initially, Gulrath had desired his protégé to continue his father's military career by one day becoming his most valued general. But as a child he showed an innate ability for sorcery, especially when it came to the domination of beasts.

      But now, turned Turgarok into the greatest orc sorcerer, as well as lord and dominator of all birds, he felt very proud and fortunate to have at his disposal his countless and fabulous powers, which made him commission extremely useful missions that no other orc would have been able to carry out even with the largest army.

      "Turgarok, my son," Gulrath said to his adopted son, "we have crystallized an alliance with humans that will be sealed with the marriage of your sister Lirieth to Prince Syriel. I know you will not approve of this alliance; however, I hope that at my request and in memory of Gariath, your father, you will abide by it and defend it with the same honor that you have always shown. And believe me son, this alliance is convenient for us, since now the enemy is not the humans, but the dark ones, who threaten us all and what they want most would be to see us continue weakening in the useless war that we have just concluded with this agreement."

      "My Lord, I will not deny my reluctance to this alliance, but if this is your will, you can be sure that I will give my life if necessary, to