Cyrus' dream: Malicious Malach

Cyrus was awoken from the rumbling on the floor beneath him. The heavy steps of hundreds of Orcs, running right towards him as he saw he was in the middle of a battlefield. 

In a panic he scrambled to his feet and tried running away from them, only to see an army of forest Elves rushing from the opposite direction. They were closing in on him, he was scared and stuck in his tracks as he wasn't sure what direction to go. 

He ducked with a scream as an orc smashed their axe into an elf that was about to collide with him, Cyrus weaved through the clashing bodies, the screaming and harsh sound of metal crashing rang in his ears. 

He crawled on the floor, blood splattering him, he crawled over bodies that fell before him. His body was shaking, a fear within him he had never felt before. He was just sleeping in a tent, how did he get to be in the middle of a battle? 

He finally crawled away into the forest line, he stuffed himself into a bush and watched the battle. He didn't know where the other elves he came with were. He searched the battlefield for an orc he knew. 

His eyes went wide as he saw what he believed was Malach. He threw a huge spear into a forest elf warrior, which went right through their chest and into the leg of one behind them. 

Malach was yelling orders, and slaughtering the elves. His axes tore through them as he viciously swung and bullied his way through the battlefield. 

Cyrus held onto his collar, watching in a paralyzed fear. He was baffled. The elves tried fighting the orcs off, swords, arrows, they conjured plant beasts to aid them.

The orcs quickly overpowered them. It was as if the Elves didn't even affect them. Or perhaps Cyrus just didn't understand battles. 

He nearly lept out of the bush when he saw Malach and the other orcs get tangled up in vines and branches that sprouted up from the ground. His heart was pounding, watching the branche's thorns dig into the orcs bodies and strangle them. 

Malach struggled against the vines. They wrapped over him completely and dragged his large body to kneel upon the floor. 

An Elf with dark skin, wearing intricate armor adorned with plant like jewelry walked up to Malach from the remaining army of the elves. 

Holding a dagger to Malach's throat the elf smized a grin. Cyrus held his mouth and screamed as Malach's throat was slit.

He scrambled backward in the bush. He felt sick to his stomach. 

"You spawn of the devil!" Cyrus heard the elf scream and choke. 

He peeked back through the bush, his eyes widened in horror as Malach was choking the Elf. His arms were bleeding and thrashed from the thorns, his large hand was crushing the elfs throat. And in what seemed like mere seconds Malach used his tusks to gouge his eyes out. 

"How… how is he still alive?" Cyrus was trembling as he questioned. 

Malach ripped the branches off of him, it was clear that they did a lot of damage to his body as his armor was falling off of him. 

Cyrus thought for sure he was going to die. He was terrified, he didn't even know the orc well but he did save him. 

He panicked and before he realized it he was running to him. "Stop! Stop please!" 

Cyrus almost tripped over some of the bodies and the vines but he got to Malach and stood before him. 

"Malach please stop!" He gasped as he saw wounds closing on his skin.

 The gashes from the thorns closed and disappeared, some leaving scars upon his teal skin, his dark red blood covering his body. Malach looked down at Cyrus, his piercing blue eyes were different than before. More menacing and cold. 

Malach's hand took hold of Cyrus' neck with a quickness that knocked the breath right out of him. Malach lifted Cyrus up, the strength of his grip was enough to crush his neck if it weren't for his collar Cyrus was sure he would have broken his neck. Malach stared at him as he yanked his axe out of the thorns. 

His unmasked face was close to his, blood spilled from Malach's mouth as he spat the eyes of the elf at Cyrus. 

Cyrus gagged and cried, kicking at Malach as he was helpless in his grasp. 

Malach tossed him onto the ground. The orcs behind him started breaking free of the vines and gathered beside him. Malach pointed his axe to him. 

"Make well with your gods as you will be going home to them tonight." 

Malach swung his axe right at Cyrus as he screamed and moved back desperately. 

—--------

Cyrus jolted up on the furs in the tent with a blood curdling scream, covered in sweat and trembling like a leaf. He saw Malach kneeling before him with the elves behind him and he desperately scrambled away from him as his heart thundered with fear.

"No! Please! Don't kill me!" He screamed with a strained voice, tears pouring from his eyes as he looked at Malach with true horror. Cyrus could hardly breath with how much he was panicking. 

The elves were worried about him as they stood behind Malach. Malach looked at Cyrus with sad eyes. He pulled his hood up and stood up, causing Cyrus to become hysterical. 

"We leave in 2 hours." He looked at Shireen before leaving the tent to stop upsetting Cyrus. 

Shireen rushed to Cyrus and made him look at her. She pet his face and shushed him. 

"It's okay, you are safe Cyrus." Cyrus' harsh breathing started to relax as he watched Malach leave. 

" I saw him.. He.. There was a battle. I-I.. I was stuck. He tried killing me!" 

Shireen held his head in her chest as she cradled him on the floor. The other elves gathered around to comfort him, hugging in a group. 

"You must have had a nightmare Cyrus, you are safe I promise." Shireen kissed his hair and Cyrus shook his head in disbelief. 

"it was so real…" he whimpered, and began sobbing. The images burned in his mind. The way Malach looked at him. He felt sick to his stomach about it. 

—-----------

During the night Malach kept guard over the elves. Keeping his senses constantly searching for anything that could be dangerous. 

The sun was rising when he sensed something seriously wrong with one of the elves. A sudden spike of panic and fear caught his attention. He looked inside the tent and saw Cyrus whimpering in his sleep. 

When Cyrus threw his arms around he woke up the other elves and told them to move aside so he could make sure Cyrus was ok. 

He couldn't wake him up, and he was startled when he suddenly screamed and looked at him. 

Cyrus looked at him with such terror and pain. Malach was the reason for his night terror. It was confirmed when he begged him not to kill him. 

Malach knew leaving the tent was the best he could do. Though he normally didn't care if he was feared, it deeply upset him when he saw Cyrus look at him that way. 

The same way many have looked at him. Like a monster. How could he really blame them? He didn't have the best reputation. He is an Orc. Most people feared them on principle. 

Trying to just give the elves space he ordered Thera to handle their needs and began packing up the camp. Shireen had told him they wished to go with the Orcs. 

He made his way to speak with Leo before they departed. 

"What happened? I heard the screaming, Are the elves okay?" Leo had asked him as they rolled up their tent leather. 

Malach nodded as he helped them. "Bad dream…" 

Leo looked at him questionably. Malach sounded more glum than normal, if that were possible.

"What about?" Leo packed their stuff onto one of the caravans the humans brought.

Malach sighed, tying straps over some items to keep them bundled. "Me… I guess. No surprise there." 

Leo gave him a pat on the shoulder and looked up at him. "Hey, you aren't who you once were. They will see that." 

Malach shrugged their hand off. Feeling guilty for dismissing them he looked at them. "Whether or not they do doesn't matter. They.." He huffed roughly. Shaking his head. 

"I am to them the stories said of me. A savage Orc. I don't need them to think any differently." 

Leo looked at him with a sad expression. "But you want them to." 

Malach harshly huffed with a turn of his head. "Don't be foolish." 

Leo sighed and hugged Malach. Despite his attempt to get her off of him she held him tight. 

"Don't pull that shit with me Mala. You aren't a monster, a savage at times yes, but not a monster." 

Malach's shoulders slumped and he returned the hug to Leo. Then he wiggled free and ruffled their hair. To which they gave him the stink eye as they fixed the short chestnut hair back to being neatly slicked back.

"Be sure to torture Stein for me."  Malach said casually.

"Don't change the subject." They swatted his hand away with a laugh.