The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells (latest ebook reader TXT) 📕

understand was what had driven Pelecia to insist on his accompanying Amantius. Would she not want me here with her? She would be safer if I was around.

“Oh, Ulam,” Pelecia said, interrupting his thoughts. She walked over and hugged him tightly, her small arms not long enough to wrap completely around his body. “I regret sweeping you into this mess.”

“It is not your fault,” Ulam replied, laying a huge palm on her back gently, “You did not murder anyone, or cause a civil war. Besides, there is a huge world out there. I might even find another Orc.”

Pelecia smiled. It was a warm display, though grief remained in her eyes. “You want to find other Orcs, do you not?” She let go and took a seat on a long sofa. She sighed, her expression now completely ruled by sadness. “I knew no matter how hard I tried, I would never be your mother. I always knew that someday you would want to leave, to find others like you. I just did not expect that day to come so soon.”

“You are right, I want to find others like me.” He walked over to her and kneeled, putting his eyes at the same height as hers. He took her hands in his; two delicate, caramel hands engulfed in his sea of dark green. “You did not give birth to me; you had no obligation to care for me. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been raising an Orc, especially while you carried the secret of Amantius’ lineage inside. There is no way I could ever repay you for the kindness and love you have shown me throughout the years. No matter what happens, for as long as I live, I will always consider you my one, true mother.”

Pelecia smiled. “And you, Ulam, will always be my son.” Her expression changed, the smile faded away. She turned her attention towards Amantius’ chambers and tensed, Ulam feeling the difference like a cold breeze on a warm day.

“Watch him, Ulam. Take care of him. Make sure he doesn’t do anything too reckless. Amantius is naïve, and in a lot of ways, he is still a child. I was too soft on him; I made him too dependent on others.” She turned her ocean blue eyes towards him, the same color and shape as Amantius’. “Promise me, Ulam, promise me you will protect him.”

“Of course I will,” Ulam said as he hugged her.

“Promise me,” Pelecia said, her voice muffled by his shoulder. “Say the words.”

Ulam hesitated. A moment ago he was excited to see the entire world. He wanted to hunt dragons, drink the finest wines and beers, lay eyes on ancient cities, and experience many other things he had read in adventure novels. But now that excitement had vanished, and was replaced with the same sense of entrapment that he felt living in Accaria. He was torn. He felt selfish for wanting all these things for himself, and Pelecia’s wailing did nothing more than intensify the guilt growing within him. What she said was true, Amantius could not survive in the world by himself. Even here on the island, where every vicious monster had been slain generations ago, Amantius still found trouble in the most foolish of places.

Ulam knew what he had to do, and knew there could be no other way. The wind in his sails had disappeared, stolen away by a sense of duty and responsibility. In a way, he even felt embarrassed for allowing himself to dream.

“I promise.”

Pelecia’s crying subsided, his oath having an instant effect on her. As Ulam stared at the wall behind her, he felt the weight of a new burden slowly piling onto his massive, Orcish shoulders.

Chapter 7

Amantius

“Amantius, it is time,” Ulam said as he stood in the doorway, his expression as grave as always. “We must go now.”

“Why?” Amantius yelled. “Why must we leave? No one knows the truth, no one will suspect Mother or me!”

“We have been over this,” Ulam grunted, “It may seem as though no one knows, but there are those who remain. Nursemaids that were present during your birth, who have remained silent throughout the years.” Ulam sighed deeply, “Humans are ambitious creatures. Whoever wins this war will look to eliminate any potential threats, any other claims to the throne…”

“But I don’t want the throne!” Amantius interrupted. He had no ambition to be a leader of any kind, let alone to be a king. The idea was absurd to him; he was as much of a monarch as he was a pelican. “Why do you not understand that? Surely both Varian and Zeno can understand, if either of them were to discover my heritage. And even if they came to arrest me, I would just flee to Mount Meganthus! They would never find me there! I could live with the shepherds until all this ends.”

“And you would condemn them all to death,” Ulam retorted. “Innocent men, women, and children would be slaughtered on the slopes of Meganthus. Amantius, the only way to survive this is to leave the island completely. Maybe in a handful of years, we could return…”

“Years!?” Amantius shouted in disbelief. He could not imagine being away from Accaria for longer than a week, let alone multiple years. As he waited for Ulam to reply Pelecia slipped into the room.

“Come Amantius,” she said warmly, though the authority in her voice could not be mistaken. “Enough talk, it is time to leave.”

Amantius reluctantly grabbed his travel bag and hoisted it over his shoulder. He tried having heavy feet to slow down their progress, but Ulam had gripped him by the forearm and was dragging him like a ragdoll. The Orc’s grip was so strong Amantius thought the bones in his arm were snapping; he had always forgotten exactly how powerful Ulam was. The pain convinced him to walk faster, as he had no intention of experiencing dismemberment.

After carefully navigating the back alleyways of the city, taking extra precautions to avoid