Chapter 6
Seeds of Doubt
Not all humans welcome this discovery. Commander Valerius schemes to exploit the orcs' ability for power, while some orcs eye Aris with deep suspicion.
The air in the grand hall of the Academy of Lingual Sciences crackled with a different sort of energy than Aris was accustomed to. Gone were the hushed murmurs of students poring over ancient texts, replaced by the anxious buzz of hushed conversations and the sharp clink of polished boots on marble. Commander Valerius, a man whose presence always seemed to cast a long, cool shadow, stood at the head of a gathering of stern-faced military officials and influential scholars. Aris, invited to observe, felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He recognized the glint of ambition in Valerius’s eyes, a sharp contrast to the gentle curiosity that fueled his own research.
“The implications are… significant,” Valerius’s voice