BRAVERY (Preview)
From the world of Etharril...
BRAVERY
A SHORT STORY.
BY
JORDAN C. MANN
BRAVERY is a work of fiction. The characters, places, and events are the
product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons,
locations, or events is purely coincidental.
This story was written by a human. Not a single paragraph, sentence,
phrase, or word was created by AI.
© 2026 Jordan C. Mann
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without written permission from the author. No part of this
book may be used for the purpose of training artificial intelligence
technologies or systems.
Published by Lambent Press.
First Edition – April 2026
Cover illustration and image via Shutterstock. Used under license.
Cover design by J.C.M.
BRAVERY is part of a sprawling saga set in the fantasy world of Etharril.
Visit jordancmann.com to discover additional stories and world lore.
***
"Bravery is the sword wielded by courage in the face of fear." - a passage from The Warrior's Code
The screams woke Jak up. Still wearing his armour, he scrambled for the sword he had set beside him. "Let's go, Jak! They're 'ere!" Seb was still screaming. "We gotta go!"
He stood and strapped his belt and scabbard around his waist. Soldiers were rushing out of the tent, a flash of orange from the early dawn light each time the flap opened, dust glimmering like tiny jewels in the air. Jak quickly put on his helmet and followed Seb out.
Footmen and archers were running past him, as he squinted in the sunlight. Sergeants were shouting for troops to take a position behind the defenses they had spent the last two days building. Jak found his shield where he'd left it on the rack by the tent. As he picked it up, he paused for a brief moment to admire it. Seeing that golden sun emblazoned on a blue field filled him with pride as he felt it a great honour to be defending the Kingdom.
Other footmen jostled beside him as they too retrieved their shields and adjusted their swords. Fully equipped, Jak joined the rush of soldiers taking up their positions on the line. His gaze shifted to the horizon. The sun, still low, reached out and touched the field in front of him, making the morning dew sparkle. A field that would shortly be transformed into muddy pit of death.
They had come early. Looking north, Jak could see them now, like a dark liquid flowing down the hill in the distance. Just yesterday, elven rangers had reported they were at least two days away. They must have marched through the night to get here this quickly. He adjusted his shield again as he looked up and down the line. Footmen were all in position now between the sharpened posts half buried in the earth on an angle, the tips pointing towards the enemy. Behind him, two ranks of archers assembled, their bows in hand and several arrows stuck in the earth within easy reach beside them. They'd only have time for a few volleys before they would need to switch to their swords and shields. Behind the archers, the knights were still assembling on horseback, but they would all be ready when the horde arrived. They were the last line of defense and the most devastating of all the combatants. Their blue and gold suits of armour shone in the sunlight, and the steel of their swords gleamed menacingly.
For almost a year, the orcs in the north had continued to grow bolder. Raids on villages and livestock had become frequent and more vicious. As a show of solidarity and reassurance to the northern settlements, Prince Radnar had arrived three months ago to personally oversee the campaign.
They were coming. Jak's heart pounded in his chest, he'd only been in one battle before and that had been a battle against men, barbarians really, hungry, weak, and brandishing clubs and spears. Hardly a fair fight against the well equipped, and well trained, Burning Sun army. Jak remembered the screams of those that died around him and the cries of the wounded after the fighting had finished.
But these were not skinny barbarians coming over the hill. They were orcs. Hulking warriors, larger than most humans except for a few of the Knights, their green skin, pointed ears, and the large, curved teeth protruding from their lower lip, made them look even more menacing. Jak had only seen one before, and at a distance, the piercing glare of its yellow eyes burned into his memory. For years he'd heard the stories about how they were savage in battle and merciless with their prisoners.
He touched the leather wrapped handle of the short dagger in his belt, a gift from his uncle when was called up. He had heard other soldiers talk about using their daggers as a last resort, to keep from becoming an orcish prisoner. There were not many that escaped capture, but those that did broke down when they told of the torture and savagery witnessed. Orcs weren't interested in torturing their prisoners for information, they did it for fun, made it into a game by removing body parts to see which one stayed alive the longest, sometimes lasting for days. Jak shuddered at the thought and tried to push it out of his mind. He was never going to let himself be captured alive.
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