The Find - Prologue 2.

Autumn.

The lands Farque. The Winter Palace. On one of the outcrops next to the airdocks, stands Dorc da Orc. Who with his eyes closed is enjoying the cold breeze that's buffering the small citadel that's sits atop the thousand foot high tor.
That thrusts up out of the ground, less than five miles from the coast, here in the west of the lands Farque.
Though the breeze might be cold for others, it's barely cool for the large ork.
Nevertheless, he's still enjoying it. As it's helping to keep his body cool this, otherwise fine autumn day.
The ork warleader then grunts as his quiet solitude is interrupted by young voices yelling and shouting.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world then scowls as the voices get closer.
"Krom" mutters Dorc da Orc who then opens his eyes, and turns around as the shouting and yelling gets even closer.
The ork weaponsmith who is a general in the armies of Farque spots a couple of youngsters running down some of the steps from the main building that makes up most of the citadel that's the Winter Palace.
"Fucken humanlings" mutters Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle, which is his given name. Not that anyone calls him that, with the exception of lord Farque, and then only occasionally.
The warleader of the ork race spots another youngster, a child really. Run out of the main building, in pursuit of the two older boys.
Who the large ork sees are twins, identical twins as well. The weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks grunts as he recognises them.
They're the children of Kreece Van Der Linden, and Sephiryn the elemental.
And if Dorkindle remembers rightly, the twins aren't human at all. One sniff confirms that as they turn from near the airdocks, and run this way, towards the outcrop where the ork general is standing.
The youngster infront, waves an arm and calls out to the big, burly ork from the bottom of the world "Out of the way ork!".
Dorc da Orc who has no intention of getting out of the way, then blinks in surprise as the youngster infront yells out in perfect orkish "Move cunt!".
The ork warleader is taken so much by surprise, that he actually moves, stepping to the side so he doesn't take up most of the outcrop.
And he watches in disbelief as the youngster runs by him, and leaps off the outcrop.
Dorkindle spins around, steps forward, and looks down, expecting to see the youngster falling to his death.
The weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks is in for another surprise. As he spots the youngster gliding, with wings from his back, outstretched.
As he floats away to the left, circling around to the east side of the tor that the Winter Palace sits upon.
"Cheater" sourly says a young voice beside the large ork, who looks down to his right, and sees the other twin standing beside him on the outcrop.
The ork who is a general in the armies of Farque, hears the youngster murmur "I know where he comes in".
Then Dorc da Orc watches the twin step back, off the outcrop, and onto the more solid, and even part of the tor top.
He then nods at the large ork, and say "Warleader". Which Dorkindle always likes being called. Infact he prefers it to general.
Then the big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world blinks in surprise again as the twin sinks down, like he's merging into the surface of the tor, finally disappearing.
"Da fuck" mutters the son of the previous matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks.
Who then grunts as the young girl runs up to where he is, and says "Drats".
At least this one smells human to the ork warleader, unlike the other two. Who definitely didn't smell human in the least.
Then the girl looks at Dorkindle, and the large ork would swear she's looking right through him. Or more precisely, right into him. To the very core of his being.
Then the young girl faintly smiles, before she suddenly vanishes into thin air.
The ork general blinks in surprise once more, as the young girl didn't smell like magic at all.
Infact, Dorc da Orc is certain there's nothing magical about her at all. And she's not an elemental like her siblings the twins.
But nevertheless, she just went and disappeared into thin air like it was nothing.
"Krom" mutters the ork weaponsmith, who then adds "Fuck that". And he vows never to have any offspring. Unlike Kreece Van Der Linden the mage, and Sephiryn the element.
And that's only three of the fuckers, Dorkindle thinks to himself, as he knows the mage Van Der Linden and the elemental Vaitrelle have an older son, a young teen, who like his father, is a mage.
Not to mention, Sephiryn Van Der Linden nee Vaitrelle is pregnant with another child.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world shakes his head in disgust, then he looks towards a nearby bench, and says "You see any of that fucken shit?".
He refrains from adding cunt, as he recalls they don't like being called that.
One of the undead wardogs of Farque. Dorkindle isn't sure which one, but it's either Anvil or Hammer.
Who is lying next to the bench, pops his head up, and looks at the ork weaponsmith, and barks once for yes.
"Fucken crazy eh?" says the ork who is a general in the armies of Farque.
The undead wardog just huffs in reply to that, before lying back down.
Dorc da Orc shakes his head, then briefly thinks about standing at the edge of the outcrop again, to enjoy the blustery wind that's hitting the top of the thousand foot tor, which the Winter Palace is on top of.
The ork warleader gives up on that idea, and instead turns and heads towards the main building, that makes up a lot of the small citadel, that's the Winter Palace.
The large ork heads inside, trying not to think about the odd offspring of Kreece Van Der Linden the mage and Sephiryn the air/earth elemental.
A little bit later, and inside the main part of the Winter Palace, the ork general is on the top floor.
Making his way along what's essentially an open hallway. Every so often along the hallway, on the right side, that faces to the south, and overlooks the airdock, and the outcrop that Dorkindle was on a short time ago.
Are a number of alcoves, that are like small balconies, open to the elements.
The big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world, enjoys the cool breeze that blows into the hallway every time he walks by one of the open balconies.
Alcoves that have statues, and busts in them. That the ork warleader has learnt are previous lords and ladies of Farque.
Dorc da Orc when he's bothered to have a closer look at some of them. Has seen plaques in the walls of the alcoves, with other figures on them.
The large ork sourly smiles, then scowls as he walks by one of the doorways on the left as he heads down the hallway.
He knows what's behind that door. One of lord Farque's training rooms, and in that particular one is a pool.
The ork warleader has been forced into the water of that pool a number of times over the years. Which he detests each and every time.
The weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks, quickens his pace as he walks by that closed door.
Even the thought of what's behind that door, is disgusting to the big, burly ork who is from the frozen bottom of the world.
As he gets towards the end of the hallway, the ork general suddenly smells, and hears something behind him.
Dorkindle looks back, and sees it's the undead wardog who was down near the outcrop the ork warleader was previously.
He finally recognises it as Hammer, who has more square looking head than Anvil.
Whose head is more rectangular looking. While Axe, who is also here in the Winter Palace, head is more pointed.
Though the three largest of the Farqian undead wardogs are of a similar size.
Dorkindle has spotted a fourth undead wardog here as well. Not that he knows they're undead.
The fourth is smaller, he suspects is a female. Who turned up with the Van Der Linden family, who arrived a few days ago from The Citadel, the capital of the lands Farque.
The large ork doesn't know it. But the Van Der Linden family are here for the last few months of Sephiryn the elemental's pregnancy.
As here at the Winter Palace, is the most comfortable she is in the lands Farque.
It's the place where she and Kreece were married. And the place she considers home in the lands that bare the name Farque.
The ork who was named warleader of his race a number of years ago by lord Farque.
Gets to the last door in the hallway, and goes to knock on it. As he knows he can't just open this door.
But before he does, he grimaces then mutters "Fuck me". As a growl comes from behind him.
The large ork steps quickly to the side, out of the way of Hammer. Who barely glances at the ork general. Before he butts his head against the door.
The massive canine doesn't have to wait long, as the door opens up, and he enters the room.
After another of the undead Farqian wardogs, who Dorkindle recognises as Axe. Has a quick look out into the hallway, and lets his brother into the room.
Dorc da Orc goes to follow Hammer, then suddenly says "Me just fucken wait out here instead".
As Axe stares at him, and growls. The wardog who stands six and half foot tall at the shoulder, and weighs over fifteen hundred pounds. Twice the wait of the large ork. Then closes the door with his head.
"Fucken mutt" the ork weaponsmith quietly mutters to himself, who then winces as he hears a rumbling growl from the otherside of the closed door.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world hurries across the hallway, into the alcove opposite the room he wanted to go in, and decides to wait in here.
At least there's a breeze blowing in from outside into the alcove, which helps to keep the large ork cool, on what's a clear and sunny autumn day, here in western Farque.
Dorkindle looks at the statue in the alcove for a few moments. He's looked at this one a lot over the years. As he's waited in this particular open balcony quite a number of times while here in the Winter Palace.
Though the lord and ruler of the lands Farque hasn't mentioned it to him.
Dolsyn, one of the undead commanders has briefly mentioned in the past to the ork warleader.
That the statue in this alcove is of lord Farque's father, the previous lord and ruler of the lands that bare the Farque name.
The ork general who over the years has seen the current lord Farque's face a number of times.
Can definitely see the similarities between him, and the statue of his father.
The big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world grunts after studying the statue for a bit.
Then he looks at some of the plaques on the alcove walls. Plaques that have etchings of scenes and people.
And though some are still in good condition, most have been worn away by the elements over the years.
The large ork spots one he's never really looked at before. It's partly obscured by one of the two small trees in the open balcony.
The ork weaponsmith pushes the stone pot the small tree is in to one side, so that he can get a good look at the brass plaque.
The etching on it is in fairly good condition. And when Dorkindle looks closely at it, he frowns. Then he blinks in surprise as he looks at the two figures etched into the plaque.
Dorc da Orc swears that they're orks. Even though the scale of the etching is difficult to truly tell. In comparison to the other plaques on the walls of the alcove. He's pretty certain that these figures are orks.
One he would assume is fairly large for ork. Similar to his own size and height.
Though the one next to it, is a true giant of an ork if the size of the figures on the plaque are correct.
Dorkindle would guess that one to be around eight foot tall, and weigh around eight hundred pounds.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world. Knows of only one such ork in the history of ork kind.
Infact pretty much all orks know of that particular ork. One who is from the same tribe Dorc is from himself.
"Grond" murmurs the large ork from the wolf tribe, who names the last warleader of his race. The warleader of the ork race from hundreds of years ago.
The ork weaponsmith shakes his head as he wonders who the other ork is next to Grond on the etching.
And he wonders why there's an etching of the famous ork warleader from centuries ago, in this alcove with a statue of lord Farque's father.
Dorc da Orc just stands there for quite some time, just staring at the brass plaque that has the etching of the two orks.
Before he finally wanders around into the next alcove, the last open balcony in the hallway.
This open balcony is the smallest one by far, only half the size of the others. There's no plaques on the walls, as they're just bare stone.
While there's a smaller statue on a plinth in the middle of the alcove.
Dorkindle has never had a close look at this statue, he's only ever glanced at it in the past.
He takes a close look at it now, and he's surprised to find the face of the statue is smooth with no features.
He briefly thinks it isn't finished, but by the weathered state of the walls here in this alcove. He suspects this statue is the oldest one of the lot in the open balconies along this side of the hallway.
The ork warleader spots a small brass plaque on the plinth just below the figure of the statue.
He bends down to get a closer look, and he sees there's writing on the small plaque.
It takes him a few moments to read the etched writing in common. He's an ork after all, and it's miracle he can read at all.
"Farque" murmurs Dorc da Orc, who then adds "Founder". As he reads out what's on the small brass plaque.
He grunts as he stands back up, and it takes him a little while to recall that the word founder in common, can also mean, the first.
The first Farque? Dorkindle thinks to himself, as he looks at the faceless and feature less statue again.
The ork weaponsmith's attention is interrupted, as he spots movement out of the corner of his eye.
He turns and looks out of the open balcony, and spots an airship to the south approaching the Winter Palace.
It's a small, single masted vessel that the ork general immediately recognises.
The ork weaponsmith quickly crosses the hallway, and knocks on the closed door he attempted to go through earlier.
"Hey Farque!" calls out Dorc da Orc, who then adds "They fucken back".
There's a moment's pause, then the door opens, the ork warleader then enters the room . . . . . .