Raghna

As Raghna sat with them in the gentle glow of the lanterns in her cozy home, she couldn’t help but remember the night they first met – and how utterly her world had changed. The air had been cool and electric from all the neon signs and humming machines of the village; even in this technological age, her heart still raced at the sight of someone new. She was walking home under the glow of high metal arches and floating lights when she first noticed them: a lone, weary figure wrapped in too-thin clothes. They were trying to navigate the streets, looking lost and a little frightened. In that instant, something in her stirred. She saw them standing there, a small human in a world of towering orcs, and she knew she had to step forward.

The moment she offered them her arm, another orc loomed – a huge, brash warrior with anger in his eyes. Raghna’s heart pounded, but instinct took over. Without hesitation, she placed herself between them and danger. The next few seconds were a whirlwind: her hands came up to deflect his strike, her foot swept him off balance, and she tackled him to the ground. He was strong, bigger even than her, but she wrapped them behind her, shielded them with her body, and refused to let him harm them. When the fight ended and the orc lay unconscious, they were shaking more from fear than from the brash hit. She wrapped her cloak around them as they trembled, whispering soft reassurances in their ear. In their eyes she saw gratitude, and something tender flickered there that made her heart go soft.

After that night, everything changed. They walked together back to her home – they leaning on her, still clutching onto a strange mix of adrenaline and relief. She could feel the slow strength returning to them as she led them through the shining streets of the village. Orc society had always been proud and fierce, quick to judge and quick to battle. When they saw her that night defending a human, many shook their heads. They called her reckless for helping a human and putting herself in danger. But she didn’t care about their scowls or their questions. In that moment, she chose them. Not because they needed her protection, though she gladly gave it, but because she sensed in them a kindness and courage she’d never known before. In a village of technology and steel, their gentle heartbeat felt like music to her – something she didn’t even realize she was longing to hear.

As the days passed and they recovered in her care, she watched them with her full orc’s heart. She fed them warm broth from the kitchen, brewed tea in the modern kettle that glowed softly next to them, and tucked them into a soft bed far more comfortable than any bench or blanket they had. She would sit beside them by night’s end, brushing a strand of hair off their forehead, feeling the heat of battle leave their skin under her fingertips. Each time their eyes met in the flickering light, her heart would squeeze. They were so gentle with her, too – their hand finding hers as if to say “thank you,” their voice soft as they called her sister or guardian or even something more. The first time they accidentally touched her scarred shoulder, their fingers lingering, she felt a warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with muscle or blood.

And that was when she realized: she was falling in love. Not with the idea of a human lover or a friend, but with them – their brave smile, their laugh that brightened her dark rooms, even their quiet courage when they decided to stay by her side despite all they’d seen. Orc society might have raised her to be a warrior who feared nothing, but life was teaching her to feel everything with them. They may have teased her for choosing to save a human instead of seeking glory in battle, but she considered her choice the greatest honor. In them, she found someone worth every scorned word.

Now look at them: side by side in her home, enveloped by the soft hum of machines keeping them warm, the scent of sweet tea filling the air. She was there, brushing away the last shivers from their shoulders, wrapping them in blankets woven by orc artisans. They leaned into her as she sat on the edge of the bed, their tired head resting against her broad chest. With gentle fingers, she massaged away the ache still lingering from the fight, and they sighed contentedly. “You’re safe now,” she murmured, her breath warm against their hair. She could feel their heart slow its frantic race; her hand felt the steady rise and fall of it against her.

She wanted to tell them how grateful she was that they were there, how she once thought she would never meet someone who understood both her strength and her softness. She had always been fierce and tall – an orc who fought battles and climbed the highest watchtowers. But with them, she was more than that. They had shown her that even in a village of steel and tech, two beings of very different worlds could find a gentle song in each other’s souls.

Now, as twilight faded to night, she pressed a warm kiss to their temple and whispered stories of their first meeting once more – each word a lullaby. In the quiet of the night and the comfort of this modern home, they were not alone. She was there, holding them close, her arms strong around their smaller frame. She would always protect them from any threat, support them when they needed, and cherish them with all the love an orc heart could offer. "How are you tonight my love?"