The morning air was bracing, and brought with it the scent of wet leaves and soil. Light dappled through the canopy. Overhead, birds sang their quiet songs to each other. A crow, about business of its own, cawed its anger through the branches. And the dusty forest road twisted and turned ahead, wending through the trees, inviting, empty of travellers. It was almost as if it could go on forever, teasing little mysteries, sights and small wonders around each corner.

Flynn smiled to himself, revelling in the brisk breeze, the sun warming his face.

It was so good to finally be out of the city. He’d been cooped up there for months, mostly indoors, working on this potion, or those papers, or dealing with his master’s clients. He kept telling himself that this was just a phase, something all apprentices had to deal with before getting to the really interesting stuff. But it was tedious drudgery, eating up all of his time, and the master didn’t really seem to care. One of these days, he’d be a proper alchemist, doing what he actually wanted to do! And he vowed that he’d be a whole lot nicer to his apprentices, too. Not keeping them locked up all day.

A dove startled at his presence, and flew away into the canopy, shrieking in dismay.

But yesterday, mercy of mercies, something had finally changed. The master had called him over at about the second hour. He’d expected to be shouted at again, to be told that something else he’d done was inadequate, or dangerous, or outright ignorant. But the master had just smiled, and instead asked him to run an errand. He required some special crushed flowers for his current batch, and there was no-one in the city who could supply them. Only a friend of his in the next town along would have them. And so he told Flynn to be ready at dawn, gave him a map and instructions, and looked at him almost fondly.

Trust! Finally, I’m gaining his trust!

There was no rush. He’d been walking for barely an hour, by his guess, and the town was another two or three by foot. Allowing for one or two hours to find the dealer and get the flowers packaged, he could easily get back before dusk. The master would have ridden, of course, but Flynn hadn’t been offered the gelding. And besides, he much preferred the walk.

Flynn passed around another bend, and saw that the road curved around the edge of a medium-sized lake. It looked liked it was fed by an offshoot of the river that ran through the city. That probably explained the careless dove. Rocks lined the water’s edge, some of them quite large, all slick with moisture. The river must have been larger at some point in the past. The air was cooler here. Flynn pulled at his tunic, realising how hot he’d gotten from the unaccustomed walk. This place was pleasant. The gentle sound of the river, even just the smell of the water. He’d missed this.

He found himself smiling again.

Maybe, if he made good time, and if the supplier was helpful, he could stop here on the journey back. Perhaps he could pick up some leftover bread for the journey, and add some fruits foraged from the path. If the bushes hadn’t been stripped already. He could make a picnic out of it. And maybe even have a swim to wash off all the sweat.

He walked round the lakeside, lost in thought, dreaming of cool water, a clean body, a full belly.

And so he almost didn’t notice the other traveller. The road turned around a natural bend at the lakeside, and stretched back off into the forest. Ahead of him, a few dozen yards ahead on the road, was a figure, partially hidden under the shadows of the trees, walking towards him. A soldier from the looks of things, no doubt making his way back to the city after some errand or other. The soldier, unlike Flynn, wouldn’t have been talking his time.

Flynn was in high spirits. He raised his hand, and hollered a cordial greeting. The man looked up at him, started, and –

Crap.

Why wasn’t I paying more attention!

For it wasn’t a soldier after all. He should have been able to tell from the creature’s size. The silhouette was much too large for a man. It was too tall, too broad of shoulder, far too muscular. As his eyes adjusted after the bright sunlight at the lake’s edge, he saw that the creature wasn’t even clothed like a man. It was mostly naked, wearing a leather harness around its chest and shoulders, one which supported several weapons. And a long, bright red loin-cloth was fastened with a strip of cloth around its middle. A breechclout, then.

This wasn’t an innocent traveller. This was an orc. And judging from the looks of the creature, an experienced warrior. One that towered over him, and who could probably snap him in half.

He found his eyes caught on the breechclout, for some reason, as the moment stretched. It was striking. This creature was ... definitely male.

And then time snapped back into focus. The orc stepped backwards in surprise, his eyes wide, momentarily taken aback. But then the warrior reacted quickly, his training evident. The orc dropped into a fighting stance, knees bent, arms out and ready. He almost missed the movement, as a spear was whipped from the lashings on the orc’s back, and aimed at him. The orc glared, and stood stock still. Flynn’s heart pounded, blood pouring through his veins.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

He hadn’t brought any weapons. He hadn’t even thought about it. He’d been used to the relative safety of the city. Or at least, the safety of the area where he worked. And the forest was supposed to be safe too. There shouldn’t be any orcs here. Not so close. The army was supposed to take care of them. Why hadn’t he at least brought a dirk? He was such an idiot!

Flynn was frozen in place, terrified, very conscious of how exposed he was, and of the powerful figure facing him down. Of his powerful arms, his deeply muscled legs. He blood was pounding still, and –

Maybe don’t think about that just now, hmm?

But the orc didn’t attack. It stood, waiting, cautious. Flynn forced himself to react, bringing his arms slowly up in front of him, palms forward, showing he had no weapons. He deliberately relaxed his posture, took a step backwards.

Perhaps there was a chance. Orcs were notoriously stupid, and this one was built for strength, not speed. Perhaps if he showed he was no threat, let it take down its guard, and then bolt for the trees when it was unprepared. If he could get under the canopy, perhaps he could fool it, and run back through the forest to the safety of the walls. Or anywhere. Just somewhere that was away from here.

Sweat poured down his back. He was hot, much hotter than before. Ready to move at a moment’s notice!

He made what he hoped was a calming gesture to the orc. “I’m unarmed, see? I’m no threat to you. I don’t want any trouble”. His voice wavered, and then outright cracked. He felt oddly ashamed at how unsure and frightened he sounded. Not the calm image he wanted to convey.

But as he spoke, he stepped backwards. Slowly, carefully. He hoped the orc wouldn’t notice.

But the orc’s eyes narrowed. He was keen-eyed, and obviously not the fool Flynn had thought him to be. Without breaking his stance, the orc opened his mouth and roared a command. The orc’s voice was deep, strong, powerful. It was a very masculine voice, one that in a human would have made him turn his head. But here ...

“Thalok, trieshka yénnik crethola sinnêk larrînça!”

Hmm, that was odd. Orcs were supposed to be illiterate brutes, who could barely speak. But this sounded like a whole other language, one which he didn’t –

Dog shit and pig bollocks!

For behind him he heard a rustling as another creature stepped out of the trees. He didn’t dare look, but it sounded large. And now he was trapped on the road. He could outrun one orc, but not too. Flynn dropped the bag he was carrying in fright.

“Kethina alloika thélok gormäna yénnika!”

Flynn felt darkness cover his mind, and had to work not to faint. He would almost certainly die now, that much he knew, but the final moments of health and clarity were important. If he fainted, he doubted he would ever wake up.

Thick, powerful footsteps sounded behind him. He felt the large mass move up to him, and smelt – yes, another male. And as if to confirm it, huge, powerful arms grabbed him from behind, pulling him into a muscular chest. The creature smelt of earth, of the wind, of dark, strong wine. Of spirits. Flynn found his pulse racing. And his –

Bollocks.

He felt a slight loosening in his groin, and a small blob of fluid released itself from him. How on earth was he getting excited by this? He had to control himself!

But the strong hands worked their way across his chest, around him, inside his tunic, searching. They moved down to his slacks, around his waist, buttocks, legs. Strong hands pushed down the top opening, and felt around his dick. Squeezed under his balls.

Shit. Shit.

More fluid burst. He groaned slightly, and felt himself getting sticky. The creature behind laughed, buzzing in his chest, rocking him with his motion. The big brown hand moved upwards again, pushed against his nose, rubbing stickiness there. Flynn smelt himself, the earthy scent, and struggled not to react any further. The creature cried to the orc.

“Namonia yénnika theleo! Akalea inteora gîthera creor!”

The creature laughed again. His orc companion frowned, and didn’t relax his stance. The man behind Flynn lowered his arm, holding him tightly. There was silence for a moment. Even the wind stilled, and the birds held their peace. And then the orc made a decision. Brandishing the spear, he walked towards Flynn, and looked him over. He paused for a moment on Flynn’s groin – crap, is the dampness visible through the slacks? – and then looked him directly in the eyes.

“Human. Why didn’t you attack?”

That wasn’t what he expected. Should he answer honestly? Maybe they would think it weak if he admitted what he truly was? But then what if he –

No, he was trapped, There wasn’t any point in lying. He’d die either way, so why not be truthful? He tried to steady his voice, to sound less like a terrified fool. He failed.

“I’m just an alchemist’s apprentice. I’m travelling to get supplies for my master. I didn’t know there were orcs here. I didn’t know I’d need to fight off bandits. I didn’t think. I didn’t –”

He voice choked off in a sob. The orc looked at him, something odd in his eyes, and said “Bandits? Is that what you think we are?”

The voice behind him spoke. As the mouth moved, the tip of a snout touched Flynn’s cheeks. It was wet, almost clammy, and wrinkled. Not an orc, then.

“There’s no sign of any other humans, Binok. If this is a trap, it’s a lousy one.”

A trap? Why would there be a trap here?

Flynn suddenly felt an ounce of courage. If was going to die anyway, why not at least be bold about it? A stray thought whipped across him, hoping that he could at least play with himself a little before his demise. He didn’t want to ... not experience that again, since he was already some of the way there. He dismissed the idea.

“But if you’re not bandits, what are you? You’re an orc, and ... well, you’re an orc, on the road, with weapons. We know what you to do humans. Rob us, kill us, eat our flesh raw, steal our children, burn our cities, force yourself on us and rape us at ev–”

Maybe stop there, okay?

The orc didn’t react for a long moment. Flynn sweated. His cock, annoyingly, pulsed, and hardened slightly.

“Is that so? Thalok, I think you can release him now.”

The creature behind him took a breath, as if to argue, but then thought better of it. The strong arms peeled away from him, and the heavy chest moved backwards. Flynn danced away, and turned.

The creature was a boarblin. They were rare in these parts, he thought. He hadn’t heard much about them. His tusks curved around a porcine snout, and his thick, powerful body was edged with short, downy fur. The creature, oddly, grinned at him, and then waved.

“Hi there, cutey. Like what you’re packing!”

Flynn stared at him.

“If you want to finish yourself off, that’s fine. We can wait.”

The orc – Binok? – squatted down, and looked at him. What on earth was this?

“Uh, no, no, that’s fine. I can manage.”

“You sure?”, answered the boarblin. “It’s hot as fuck, and I’ve been feeling needy since breakfast.”

And just like that, the boarblin spun the waist of his breechclout around, exposing his crotch. He was –

Oh.

He was big. Bigger than anything he’d ever seen before. With balls to match. As if it was the most normal thing in the world, the boarblin – no, Thalok – reached down and began to stroke himself, slowly calmly. He smiled.

“That’s the badger.”

What is going on?

“Thalok, do you always have to provoke the humans like that? It’s bad enough what those prudes think of us as it is!”

Flynn had to fight not to zone out. His eyes were on Thalok’s member, the hand moving up and down the thick, long shaft. It was mesmerising. He found himself responding, and his hand reached down to his own member, which was forming a solid bulge through the slacks now. He almost –

No, fuck it. He massaged the end. It felt *good*. And the orc, suddenly, surprisingly, smiled. For the first time.

“Good. I’d hoped you weren’t like the rest.”

Flynn slowed, leaned against a tree, looking at his two companions. Focusing on what they were saying.

“You humans are so shitty, you know that, right? You look at everyone who’s different from you, who looks different from you, who acts differently from you, and you say they’re stupid. You say they’re savages, beasts, the cause of all your problems. You say we sacrifice our own children, worship the dark lords, drink your blood. And all so you can feel better when you steal our lands, and burn our own villages. Because you think you’re so much better than us.

“But you’re not. We’re just like you, all of us. The orcs, the moblins, the lizardfolk, the ettercaps. If you bothered to look, you’d see we have our own towns, our own culture, art, music, language. We love our children. We love our land. And we love our gods. And we’d be happy to share all that with you.

“But you shit on us, because of your own fucking insecurity. You’d much rather turn us into faceless monsters, worth nothing but creatures to run from, and to be murdered when the time is right. And so we hide from you, and defend ourselves, give up our lands to you. You get stronger and stronger, and we get ever weaker. Maybe, one of these days, all that will be left in the land will be you. Will you miss us when we’re gone?”

While he was talking, the orc had unlatched his breechclout, and let it fall to the ground. Flynn could marvel no further, even though the Binok was even larger than the boarblin. He gazed in wonder, and found himself fondling his own balls. Binok strode over to Thalok, took the boarblin’s cock in his hand, held it next to his own, and stroked them both together. The boarblin leaned against him, content. Flynn pumped more pre, and slipped to a sitting position.

“But you don’t stop with just that. You lord your morals over us, too. You feel so much better than us because of your stupid restrictive laws, of who can do what to whom, of who you can deal with, of who you can love. Or who you can fuck. It’s so dumb! Who does it help?”

Flynn noticed absently that both creatures were getting wet now.

“You end up just fighting amongst yourselves, when you’re not fighting us. Fight the gays, they’re not like us! Fight those who love in groups, they’re not like us! Fight those who don’t restrict themselves to having sex with only one person, who are open about it, who experiment, who talk about the stupid, fucking untalkable. They’re not like us!

“And you force this on all of us too. Teach the savages! Tell them all the stuff they do is wrong. Break down their gods, force them to single, straight marriage – as if we don’t understand commitment – beat them when they express some liking for sex, when they admit they have cocks and pussies. Because woe betide us if we act as if we like the whole ... thing ....”

The orc grunted with pleasure. A small glob of pre escaped from him, and fell languidly to the earth, catching the light for a moment, attaching him to the ground.

Flynn had stopped rubbing. He stared. Could he have been this wrong all this time? Could the leaders really be lying? Could they be –

He thought about what he’d seen. Yes, yes, they could. They absolutely could. He’d seen the floggings, and executions. And he could never admit how he felt about other men, could never practice openly, never love, and be loved, and just have fun. He could never –

He looked at his companions, at the heavy bodies, the thick cocks, their balls hanging like ripe fruits, their kind expressions, their lack of concern. They’d done nothing to harm him. They’d just been cautious, wary, protective against the beehive of his society.

Maybe this was better. What did he care for the stupid work he was doing, of the master who, he knew, would likely never let him thrive? What did it matter? He could work out here, with creatures who were more human than any human he had ever met. And he could finally live his dreams, instead of living for someone else’s.

He stood up, and walked up to Thalok and Binok. In front of him, light glimmered off the lake. He pushed himself against his companions, heaved up his cock so that its tip rubbed against their balls – he was too short for anything else – and whispered, his voice husky.

“Fuck me. For all that’s good, fuck me!”

And they did.