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Views From the Other Side
"The Column That Shows How the Other Half Lives"
by Jzhensen Sabontini

Yes, By the Gods….

It was just another day to the Ur’ghang clan of orcs; hunt for food, harass the neighboring village of humans, elves, and dwarves; fight, and make themselves stronger.

"And that’s how it always will be."Boh’rapgh told himself. Boh’rapgh of clan Ur’ghang was a simple orc. He wasn’t very important in the grand scheme of things. But then, according to his beliefs, no orcs were. But Boh’rapgh had a plan. Yes, he had a plan, and he would show them all who was important. He grunted to himself, and absent-mindedly scratched his snout.

Since history began, (or, to an orc, when he could first chase a wild rolton,) the orcan race had always been deemed as savage, stupid, nay almost imbecilic as far as the so-called "superior" races of human, elf, dwarf, and the rest of those fancy city-dwellers were concerned. But Boh’rapgh was going go change all that. Yes, by the gods and shamans and all the rest, he was! And the time to change all that was right now. He snorted and coughed up some green phlegm and spat it to the ground, but it landed on his bare foot.

For as long as he could remember, Boh’rapgh had been told that orcs were far stronger than their counterparts behind the city walls; that the orcs were infinitely better warriors than the weak humans and elves. But he’d also been told and told again that the common folk were always a step ahead; that they viewed the orcs with disdain because of their stupid savagery. He would take action and prove to the clan elders that he was worthy to lead, that he was an intelligent orc. Imagine! Boh’rapgh the Wise! It was so easy to see… . And the thought left him drooling with anticipation. The drool dripped onto his roughly stitched jerkin. He grunted and walked slowly, almost cautiously, back to his hut.

Boh’rapgh hadn’t told any other orcs of his plan. He especially didn’t tell his mate, Cahr’ug, for she would undoubtedly tell all her friends, and his plans would be thwarted. He wanted everything to be a surprise, so he could return from his mission a hero, and stand before the shocked elders who would have to bow to him in his glory. Yes, by the gods and shamans and all the rest, they would! His plan was so elegantly simple, so fiendish, that no common orc would have ever thought of it. Boh’rapgh had fashioned a steel hook to the end of a rope. He would wait until dark, and steal away to the town. Once there, he would move silently around the wall’s base until he came to an unguarded spot. He would throw his hook over the wall, scale up, and get inside… . Yes, it was perfect. He sneezed, blowing spittle and bits of his dinner onto the wall of his hut.

"I’ll show them all who is the superior one!" He smiled to himself.

Late that night, after the sun god extinguished the candle of light, and Cahr’ug was snoring soundly, Boh’rapgh tiptoed to his chest and pulled out his fine leather armor. He fastened it from head to heel, making sure all the straps were fastened, and critical areas covered. Next he fastened his trusty old broadsword to his belt, grabbed his wooden buckler, and lastly picked up 6 spears he’d fashioned himself and strapped them to his back. He also tied his rope and hook around his shoulder, and headed out his door. With a final baleful look over his hut and village, Boh’rapgh made his way into the dark forest.

He traveled some two hours into the blackness. The way to the city was well known to him and every other orc. Many times they’d traveled these paths to attack the city. He shook his head and rolled his beady eyes. "If only the entire clan was as smart as I… ." The forest was filled with all manner of plant and beast, but nothing a well-trained smart orc such as Boh’rapgh couldn’t handle. The trip passed with little incident. And there it was. His skin rippled with anticipation.

The city of Wehnimer’s Landing was a large walled city on the shore of the Great Sea. It was populated with many coexisting races…elves, dwarves, humans, halflings, giants… the usual conglomeration of such cities and towns in these parts. It didn’t matter. Boh’rapgh hated them all equally. Hated them for how often they turned back the orcan war parties. Hated them for believing his race was nothing more than upright pigs. Hated them for the disdain for which they held him and his ancestors. Hated them for how stupid they thought the mighty orcs were. "Well," he snarled to himself. "That all ends tonight."

Boh’rapgh made his way quietly around the base of the city walls. Since he’d approached it from the forest, there were no guards or gates at this point. After only a short while of searching, he found a suitable section of wall. It was maybe 3 times his height, and very dark. Not a sound anywhere. He deftly untied his hook and rope from his shoulder, swung it a few times, and heaved it to the top of the wall…. Success! He grunted with satisfaction. hese people would never know what hit them.

The wiry orc scaled the rope without difficulty. This was all to easy, he thought. Once on top of the wall, Boh’rapgh had a fair view of the city. His eyes could see well enough in the dark, and there were many fires and lanterns lighting the town in a warm orange glow. The triumphant part of his plan would have to wait until daylight, when the populace could see him in all his superior glory. For now he would climb down into the city proper, find a hidden spot, and sleep till morning. He found a small pig sty, and crawled inside. "They’d never even notice me here." He spat. A small piglet squealed nervously.

The sound of pig calls woke Boh’rapgh abruptly. He crawled to the back of the sty and waited till the burly human left the pig yard. He needed to find a cloak of some kind, so that he might make it to the city center unnoticed. "Yes… this will do nicely."He grunted. here was a dirty brown cloak hanging on a peg near the pig feeding supplies. He grabbed it, and threw it over his shoulders and head. With a final huff, he stumbled out into the busy streets of town. Although Boh’rapgh had never been here, he trusted his keen intellect to lead him to the city center. It did just that. He followed the crowds to a wide open square several blocks into the city. There were vendors of all sorts selling their wares. Many armed townsfolk, along with the town militia, strode around the square. He saw a perfect spot from which to strike from. The time to act was now!

Boh’rapgh slowly walked through the dusty square until he came to a low stone wall. It separated a small flower garden from the hustle and bustle of foot traffic. He walked around behind it and looked over his victory field. He spotted a group of 15 or so guards mingling around a pastry booth. His battle plans raced though his mind. First he would fire his spears into the heart of the group, dispatching with 6 of them. Then he would draw his sword, charge the rest, and kill them. From there he would turn and kill as many people were around him as possible. By this time, more guards would certainly be rushing into the fray, and he would face all of them, wiping them all out. At this point, he concluded, the townspeople would be scared to death of him, and would all run pell-mell into cover. That would certainly be enough to begin the stories, and legends would soon follow. He’d race back to his rope, scale the wall, return to his village, and wait for news of his greatness to reach the elders of the clan. This plan was so fiendishly simple. All it had needed was for someone of his own genius to figure it out and implement it. This town would never see the likes of this again! No by the gods and the shamans and the rest, they would not!

Boh’rapgh ducked behind the wall and removed his cloak. He untied the spears from his back and lay them against the stone. He peered above the wall and scanned the square one last time before showdown. It was all too perfect, he thought, as he gripped his first spear. He would show them who was the stupid, inferior race! He proudly stood up and heaved his spear towards the guards. It fell a bit short. "No matter," he thought, "Just another to disembowel with my sword." He picked up another spear. Now the townsfolk began to notice the orc standing in the flower garden. Someone alerted the guards. There was a yell, and the guards began running towards Boh’rapgh. "Fine," he snarled. "Let them come to their death."

With a howl of rage, Boh’rapgh leapt atop the stone wall and shouted with all his might "You will pay for your foolishness! You will fear the orcan tribes once and for all! The end is now!"

Of course, to all those around him, the shout sounded more like "Ush egid fonka la’ingh yeehakunta! Ush egid bwala blaugch (untranslatable) aughinth prsntsla! Aghh eta unchhh!"

Boh’rapgh drew his sword and with a scream, ran headlong towards the guards. Yes, by the gods and the shamans and all the rest, he would show them all!

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