Hybrid's Dominion

 ***Chapter 5: Into the Wild***

The wilderness beyond the Bloodfang Mountains was a vast, untamed expanse of dense forests, jagged cliffs, and winding rivers.

 It was a place where only the strong survived, and the weak were quickly devoured. 

For Paul, it was both a prison and a promise—a prison because it was the only world he had ever known, and a promise because it held the answers he so desperately sought.

As he ventured deeper into the forest, the weight of his ostracism pressed heavily on his mind.

 The tribe had never accepted him. From the moment he could walk, he had been treated as an outsider. 

The other children avoided him, their parents pulling them away with hushed whispers of curses and abominations. 

The elders had denied him knowledge of the world beyond the tribe, refusing to answer his questions about the lands, the people, or the history of the world he now inhabited. 

Even the warriors, who respected strength above all else, had looked at him with suspicion, as if his very existence was a threat to their way of life.

Paul clenched his fists as he walked, his golden eyes scanning the dense undergrowth for any signs of danger.

 He knew he was different, but now, more than ever, he felt the sting of that difference. He was alone in a world that had no place for him.

After hours of walking, Paul came across a clear, rushing river.

The water sparkled in the sunlight, its surface reflected the towering trees and the endless blue sky above.

 He knelt by the riverbank, his massive frame casting a shadow over the water. For the first time in his life, he truly looked at himself.

His reflection stared back at him—a face that was both familiar and foreign. His skin was brown unlike the orcs of his tribe, a testament to his mixed heritage.

His black hair, wild and unkempt, framed a face that was more angular than the rounded features of the orcs. With tusks which were more smaller than an Orcs.

But it was his eyes that stood out the most—golden and piercing, glowing with an intensity that seemed to defy the world itself.

Paul reached out, his fingers brushing the surface of the water, distorting his reflection.

Seeing himself so clearly now, he couldn't help but wonder:

'Who am I?'

Was he an orc, bound by the traditions and brutality of his mother's people? Or was he something else entirely, a product of two worlds that were never meant to meet?. If the world would not accept him he would force the world to accept him. 

He splashed water on his face, the cold shock pulling him out of his thoughts. 

There was no time for doubt. The wilderness was unforgiving, and he needed to keep moving before the sun went down.

As Paul continued his journey, with time the forest grew darker and more foreboding.

The trees seemed to close in around him, their gnarled branches twisting like claws. 

The air was filled with the scent of decay, and the distant howls of beasts sent shivers down his spine.

This was the first time he had ever ventured out on his own. 

It wasn't long before he encountered his first real challenge.

A pack of rabid beasts emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with a sickly green light. 

These were no ordinary animals—they were twisted, corrupted versions of the creatures that once roamed the forest. 

Their fur was matted and patchy, their teeth bared in snarls that dripped with froth. They had lost all sense of reason, driven mad by some unseen force.

Paul tightened his grip on his greatsword, his golden eyes narrowing as the beasts circled him.

He could feel their hunger, their desperation, but he also felt something else—a primal rage that mirrored his own. 

These creatures were outcasts, just like him, but they had succumbed to their madness. 

Paul would not make the same mistake.

The first beast lunged at him, its claws slashing through the air.

 Paul sidestepped the attack, his greatsword swinging in a wide arc.

The blade connected with the beast's side, slicing through flesh and bone with ease. 

The creature let out a guttural scream before collapsing to the ground.

The rest of the pack attacked in unison, their movements frenzied and unpredictable.

 Paul moved with a precision that belied his size, his greatsword cutting through the air like a whirlwind.

 Each strike was calculated, each movement deliberate.

He fought not just with strength, but with a clarity of purpose that set him apart from the mindless beasts.

By the time the last beast fell, Paul was breathing heavily, his body covered in scratches and bruises.

 But he was alive. He had survived.

As Paul stood amidst the carnage, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

 For the first time in his life, he had faced a challenge entirely on his own terms. 

The tribe had always doubted him, always looked at him with suspicion, but out here, in the wilderness, none of that mattered. 

He was free to forge his own path.

But the encounter with the rabid beasts also left him with questions.

What had driven these creatures to madness?.

Was it some natural phenomenon, or was it something more sinister?

And more importantly, how many other dangers lurked in the shadows, waiting to test him?

Paul wiped the blood from his blade and continued on his journey, his resolve stronger than ever.

 He didn't know what lay ahead, but he knew one thing for certain: he would not stop until he found the truth. 

About his father. About the world he now inhabited. And about himself.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the forest in shades of orange and red, Paul felt a flicker of hope. 

The wilderness was vast and dangerous, but it was also full of possibilities. And for the first time in his life, he was ready to embrace them.