He stood in the middle of the horde, we waited outside the base of the kurultai. It had been a day since the horde had arrived and now they were to receive the address of the Khans. The hot sun beat down upon our backs as we waited, anticipation thick in our bodies and minds.

Then finally the Khans appeared, he didn’t know who started it but soon everyone was stomping with all of their might, causing the ground to quiver and shake under the might of Orcish feet.

We continued to pound the ground with our feet, the noise only rising in both speed and intensity until the Khans, as one, raised their arms.

We stopped, the silence that ensued was more deafening then the noise of before. Takarn stood their surrounded by the largest army to have ever been assembled by his people, and for the first time in his life he was nervous, he was nervous as he knew that his future would be decided in the next few minutes.

A large powerfully built orc walked forward from the line of Khans and began to speak in a deep smooth voice.

“Greetings warriors of the plains!” He roared at us and we roared our ascent back.

“You know why you are here. You are here to break this entrapment! For too long have the realms of men kept us hemmed into this, our last bastion, the plains. For too long have their so called ‘adventurers’ ventured into or holy ground and spilt orc blood. But I say, no more!” He yelled the words at us and we once more roared our ascent back at him.

“No more will it be our blood that is spilt, no more will we have to hide from the humans. Soon my brethren, soon it will be there bodies that litter the fields, their men will die in droves, their women will be raped and mewl for mercy and we will eat their children.” The crowd was in a frenzy at this point, Takarn just looked upon the man in front of him with admiration.

“Soon we will feast until our stomachs can hold no more, so I ask you. Brothers. Sisters. Are. You. Hungry?!” We yelled an affirmation back at him louder than any other chant before but he just shook his head.

“I can’t here you. I’ll ask again. Are. You Hungry?!” The sound was deafening, a lesser species may have fainted just form the sheer cacophony of noise that assaulted the ears of all who stood on that field.

“Good. All of you who wish to be Bogdans assemble back here at noon.

With that the Khans dispersed back into the camp and the orcs soon followed suit, stripping the area clean of vegetation in order to makeshift shelters.

But not Takarn.

Takarn just stood on the field, the earth had been flattened and hardened by the empowered stomps of the Orcish horde.

Here, on this hallowed ground is where I shall become a Bogdan, here is where my future will begin. He thought, before shaking his head and walking off to build a shelter before all of the resources were gone.

-----

Hundreds of orcs stood under the hot noon sun, only the strongest would try to become Bogdans, for the competition was stiff and if you showed weakness you would not leave this field.

The Khans stood in front of the assembled orcs, ready to address them.

“Welcome back.” Said a short squat hairy looking orc as he smiled mischievously at them.

The powerfully built orc walked up to the crowd again and now that he was closer Takarn could distinguish the man’s features. He had a strong jawline and a prominent brow, coupled with thick bushy eye brows and a pitch black top know. He was handsome and had the tell-tale scars of a warrior, a true orc.

“Yes, welcome back. You are the crème of the crop.” He said gesturing to all of the assembled orcs. “You are the meanest, biggest, strongest motherfuckers out there are you not?” He asked questioningly, we all roared back at him.

“You say this, but where is your proof?” He asked again. “You come here wishing to become Bogdans, commanders, leaders. But to do that you must show us that you are indeed as capable as you say. So I ask you once more, are you the toughest, meanest, biggest, strongest motherfuckers in both this world and the next?!” We yelled our affirmation at him once more.

“Show me!” He yelled back before and older but still muscled and fit looking orc explained the rules of the fight to us.

It was a battle royal, they split the crowd roughly down the middle and made us two teams the muds, and the cleans. Takarn was one of the Muds so he did as was ordered and bent down, smearing mud all over his body.

The rules were simple, the teams would go onto either side of the field, charge each other and then battle until only one side was left standing. During this battle the Khans would be watching, waiting for anyone to distinguish themselves. After the battle the Khans would each choose 50 Bogdans.

With the rules explained the two sides moved to either side of the field.

Takarn was in the third rank and could smell the sweat and anticipation on the orcs beside him. He grinned and reached down to adjust the bracers on his onyx black skin.

A chant started somewhere down the line and it was soon picked up by all of the Muds, it was the war song of Thuul Doom. And while staring down their enemy Takarn and his comrades sung their defiance.

Thuul Doom, Thuul Doom a sprtiz ze walder, Thuul Doom vei arma spritz arma phree.

Thuul Doom, Thuul Doom a sprtiz mor weiler, Thuul Doom vei arma spritz arma phree.

The chant continued, gaining volume until the entire battle line was vibrating was noise and tension, it was all ceased as a single note cut through the chant.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmm!

It was the war horn, both sides charged in a storm of rage and flesh, we screamed cries of pure primal rage as we approached, and then with a deafening roar, battle was joined.