--The girl was confused by Zarak’s willingness to talk with her, and even more so by his interest in anything Orkish. Humans tended to behave exactly as she described to him just now, so she’s never before interacted with them if drawing blood wasn’t involved. Regardless of the uneasiness this new context introduced her to, she decided to keep the conversation going.

-Well, some five years ago, a Dragon spoke to a shaman, Praxitel. As this wasn’t something that happens all too often, the shaman of course obeyed the dragon’s command, and he began a voyage that would take him to all four corners of the known world. He travelled to meet with the various chieftains that led the Orkish tribes scattered about. His quest was to unite them against the humans, and lead an all-out war to end all wars. But since Orks do not normally speak to those weaker than themselves, and Praxitel was the lowliest sort of Ork imaginable, he shouldn’t have been able to get the chieftains to listen to his pleas at all. However, Praxitel carried with him weapons and armour that were rumoured to be magical; gifts from the dragon lord himself. So, armed with the credibility and the allure of shiny goods, Praxitel assembled the Ork tribes at the heart of the known world, in the place Orks call The Valley of Triumph. Once there, a leader was required. And it certainly wouldn’t be Praxitel… He may have been the prophet that gathered them all, but there wasn’t a chance in hell that such a weakling could hold sway in their hearts. No, the Orks had always been led by the strongest, and the chieftains were now fighting over which one of them it would be.

--Both Zarak and the crowd at the terrace felt entranced as the girl spoke on with surprising eloquence. To them, the tale was, without exaggeration, otherworldly.

The girl continued -- As the in-fighting threatened to end the conquest before it ever began, a solution was devised; one that was in line with the Ork way of going about things. The chiefs would hold a single battle royal in the open plains. And the last Ork to remain standing? He would have earned the glory of leading them all! Forty-seven tribes were gathered on that day. Thousands of Orks watched on as the forty-seven chiefs displayed horrific prowess at war. Each and every one of them was the mightiest in their tribe, and had a unique way of annihilating their foes. In the end however, only one was left standing. Of the forty-seven chieftains, after eight days of incessant battle, forty-six had fallen and the one who was left standing on top of their corpses was none other… Than Kord, king of all Orks!

-I’ve seen too many “strong” people torn like paper to care about claims like that. – Zarak said.

Agitated, the Ork girl replied -- Don’t make me laugh! You don’t know the first thing about true grit.

-There are many things that interfere with the outcomes of battles, and the ones left standing are seldom the best or the brightest of the bunch. –He remained unamused.

-Of course. I’m not talking about someone who runs in head first and takes the world on. Such fools don’t live long. They aren’t truly strong. I’m talking about the kind of person who knows how to endure. One who knows when to show their teeth; but also, when not to. A mind like that, one who isn’t brittle, is most dangerous.

Zarak, while casually stretching to relax -- Maybe. I guess we agree.

--They were both silent for a while. In the meantime, Styx, who was standing behind the others, readied his bow, visualizing a clear shot at the girl. He was aiming at her legs, but he didn’t draw yet. He didn’t yell with the others just now either. Instead, he was curious to see how this talk unfolds.

-Most Orks would let that thought slip by them. I’m Myzrael. What is your name, strange one?

-My name is Zarak.

--The crowd at the terrace was puzzled. Why is Aidan lying about his name?

-Very well, Zarak. As much as I think it will get you killed, I respect your will. -- She pointed northeast -- If you follow that gorge, you will find a cliff face that resembles a wolf’s maw. Climb it, and you should be able to scout them out. They ought to be passing nearby, just as you get there.

--The audience at the terrace was at wit’s end. Not only did Zarak, much to their dismay, not kill the girl, it appears they are about to face the Horde. Up until now, they failed to see the reality of this concept. They were shaken. Shaken by two weeks of gruelling combat with the hostile landscape, and now even more so by the idea of facing Orks again, in battle. Most of them were just peasants wielding farm tools, with little chance of surviving such an encounter. But at the same time, memories of those lost had flooded their minds, and they felt haunted, and unable to sway. That is why they started this journey in the first place. Others were grieving, rebuilding their homes and trying to get on with their lives. But to them, there was no home or life to return to. It was lost forever. The rage that blinded them just now was gone, and silent contemplation was in place. Even Styx had lowered his bow.

--Zarak thanked Myzrael and watched her walk away. Her direction was opposite of the Horde. Her skin had numerous scars from blades or maybe a whip; but he paid little attention to this before as he’d noticed Orks typically bear many scars. Perhaps she was a slave, trying to escape? He had heard about people seeing former Ork slaves living in Wurzan. “Freemen”, they called themselves... Myzrael took cover as soon as she could, and probably ran from there on, to make sure she gets away. Once she was out of his view, Zarak looked towards the canyon to the northeast, and he felt a familiar fire burning in his belly. He felt joyous anticipation, as it was almost time. Time to do battle!

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--Thank you for reading. Next update will be no later than next Friday. This week taught me that my update schedule was over-ambitious when compared to my regular obligations. I'll try and update faster, but I'd rather not promise you early dates and then fail to deliver.

--On a different note, the new site set-up lets me see more stats. So, not only are we close to 300 average views, but this story is hovering around rank #840 right now. Help me grow support for this story guys! If you liked my work, please rate, follow or favorite. And some day, maybe I'll become a full-time story teller and not have to make compromises between the stories I want to tell you, and having to put food on my plate. Until next time, go out there and fight for what you want from life!