--------------------------The next day

“Where are we going again?” Olivia, in her outfit, asked before yawning.

“I found a camp near us again. We need to make sure they are not friendlies.” Ajax responded.

“But why are we bringing Kyle??” Olivia asked louder, pointing at the large horse. The horse was being guided by Conrad with the reins. Kyle huffed and neighed, offended.

“…we need to ask an expert if Kyle is a girl.” Olivia informed.

“or a boy” Conrad piped in.

The trio went towards the said camp. The camp was in a small open patch of grassland inside the forest. Ajax found the camp during sunrise when Ajax was taking a nature walk. He saw some smoke rising from a distance. To figure out more he went towards the cliff. He saw that the smoke was near their camp. So, after the trio ate, they went towards the camp. Ajax managed to persuade the two into making Kyle join.

The trio continued to walk. As they neared the camp, the trio saw orcs. Orcs with death wolves. Death wolves were like wolves but bigger, they had mostly grey fur and had a large figure. They also had a much angrier demeanor and bigger fangs. Death wolves were mostly male.

Ajax saw this and instructed the two to leave Kyle ten feet away, tie up the leash near a nearby tree trunk and go to a better vantage point. They put Kyle at least 10 feet away from the camp. Slowly, they did as ordered, Ajax just waited there for the perfect time they will attack, making them surprised and attacking from behind.

The wolves are going to be a problem, they can take a hit from a Warhammer and tons of arrows. But, once you knock one out, it can be easier to knock more out. They also have a weakness which is that the wolves are also dogs. Ajax then got something from inside his cloak with his left, ready to throw once Olivia and Conrad attack.

Looking at the camp, Ajax saw that there were 20 orcs in total and 10 death wolves. Two orcs were in front of him. Three orcs were to the left, having a conversation. Five orcs were near the campfire. Seven orcs were to the far right of the place while three orcs were guarding the place where the death wolves were resting.

“It’s cold” One of the orcs said, shivering from the cold. The group did not have any winter coat nor anything that could quench their thirst for heat except for the sun and the fire.

A moment later, two arrows whizzed through the bushes, hitting two and killing them. The rest of them looked over their now dead comrades, baffled by the sight. Two more arrows whizzed through, killing two more, and that was when Ajax decided to strike. From inside the bushes, he revealed himself to the enemy, Warhammer in his hands, he bashed the one nearest to him in the head before using it again and bashing the other one next to him. He then proceeded to throw the item he had ready away from them.

It was a bone. The death wolves went crazy and rammed through the orcs that were guarding them, stampeding them in the process. Ajax then got his sword and proceeded to use that and his Warhammer to block incoming attacks.

Many more arrows flew, killing 5 more orcs. Then out of nowhere, Conrad came out of the bushes, spear at hand. He stabbed the first orc he saw. The orc was now on the ground, he then thrust it deeper into their chest, the orc wailed in agony but before long, the orc eventually died. Conrad then pulled the spear out of the orc’s chest.

Ajax, meanwhile was busy fighting off the rest of the orcs. He ducked as an orc tried to hit his head with a sword. Olivia then shot two more orcs. Conrad then came, throwing the spear into an orc’s chest. Ajax then attacked with his Warhammer, swinging it towards an orc’s legs. Ajax then continued to dodge and kill the two remaining orcs.

After the whole fight, Olivia went out of the bushes, looked at their supplies, and took it, putting them on Kyle. While Conrad took out the spear that was in the orc’s chest. Ajax was walking towards where the death wolves went to. Seeing the death wolves near the three that were supposed to guard them.

Conrad was cleaning his spear when he heard some rustling. He saw the orc Ajax hit in the legs, trying to escape. His legs were broken and bloodied, the orc was escaping using his hands. Conrad proceeded to go near him, stepping on the orc’s hand. The orc groaned in response to the pain.

“P-p-please…l-l-let m-m-me g-g-g-g-go…” The orc stuttered with a raspy voice, clearly scared for his life.

“…” Conrad did not answer, his face only showing one emotion…

…

Anger.

“P-p-please…” The orc begged with a raspy voice. Conrad only applied pressure on his foot more. The orc groaned again, tears swelling in his eyes. He was now shaking.

“…” Conrad did not reply.

“Please…Gorch’s dying…” The orc mumbled while crying.

“…”

“I-i-i-I’ll g-g-g-ive you a-a-anythin-ng…a-a-anyt-thing y-y-o-u w-w-want…” The orc begged, more desperate than ever.

“I want…” Conrad started. The orc’s sad face formed into one of hopefulness. “You dead.”

Conrad readied his spear. Aiming at the chest of the orc. The orc’s face quickly turned into fear and sadness again.

“Please! Please! I’ll give you anything! Just spare my life! Please! You want information?? I’ll give you! Ple-” The orc’s begging was cut short as Conrad stabbed him in the chest. Bloodstained the clothes of the orc.

“I’m sorry…” With the orc’s final words, he died, getting to shed one final tear before limping. Conrad removed the spear. He then put it on his back and removed his helmet. He then looked behind him to be met with a punch to the face. Ajax punched him, clearly angry and aghast. Conrad, surprised, looked at him and tried to punch him.

Ajax took a step back and then as Conrad’s punch was dodged, he tackled him to the ground.

“Why in the fuck would you do that!!” Ajax screamed, verbally pissed and angry. Conrad tried to stand up but he was being held down by him.

“I’ve got a better fucking question! Why would you even save the orcs’ lives?!” Conrad countered, giving up.

“I’ve said it many times!” Ajax replied.

“I consider that merciful!” Conrad shouted, angry.

“He was fucking wounded!” Ajax argued.

“You just don’t fucking get it, do you?! I gave him a fucking quick death! You left him to fucking die!” Ajax was silent, shocked by the angry and loud retort.

“And what even happens when you let them go!? If they’d go back to their camp they would either die because of fucking deserting or die by the hands of others!!” Conrad explained. Ajax was still silent.

“You’re just making them suffer more and more!” Conrad spat venomous words at him. Ajax stopped holding Conrad down and got up, still silent. He then looked away from him. “You were too blind to see the future! You were so fucking desperate to show them mercy, you didn’t even think of what will happen to them!”

“Shut up…” Ajax mumbled, looking down at the ground. Conrad got up from the ground.

“You see what I did? I showed mercy by giving them a quick death!!” Conrad continued.

“Shut up…” Ajax said, trying to silence Conrad.

“The world isn’t what you think it is Ajax! In this world, there is only natural selection! Survival of the fucking fittest! Kill or fucking be killed!” Conrad did not stop.

“Shut up…” Ajax said again, fists forming.

“You are just someone who wants to be different from everyone!”

“Shut up…”

“Someone who wants a fucking medal!”

“Shut…up…”

“Someone whose Ideology is utter fucking garbage!”

“Shut up!” Ajax shouted, turning to Conrad and holding him by his clothes. He then pushed him into a nearby tree. Conrad then proceeded to stop talking. Ajax’s hands started to shake furiously in anger. “Shut the fuck up. If it weren’t for me…for me and Olivia, you would’ve been dead…dead in the dirt…if I had no mercy, I would have left you and…and…Olivia to die, but I had mercy…fucking compassion to save you, help you. Do not fucking say that my motive is garbage…do not say that his ideology is fucking garbage!”

Conrad, for once in many weeks, was scared. His breathing was rapid, he was sweating and most of all, when he looked into the eyeholes of Ajax’s helmet, he could feel the anger in it.

“You can insult me, do anything to me, but never, never! Say that what he believed…was garbage…or else.” Ajax threatened someone for the first time in his life. He let go of Conrad’s clothes and went elsewhere.

“Who the fuck are you talking about?” Conrad asked Ajax.

“You don’t know me…you never will…” Ajax just stopped and replied, leaving after he was finished talking.

Conrad then composed himself after Ajax’s snap. He then went to put on his helmet back on. Ajax was silent after the event.

Olivia, who was with Kyle, appeared after the whole event, oblivious. Olivia was confused, Conrad was just there standing and Ajax was nowhere to be found.

“W-where’s Ajax?” Olivia asked worriedly.

Conrad looked at her, he then walked slowly towards her. He then passed by Olivia, not saying a word, going inside the forest where Kyle was.

Olivia was confused, albeit she knew the arguments the two had, she didn’t know how intense it would be.

Ajax was opposite where Conrad went. He went where the death wolves were eating the dead bodies of the orcs.

He sat on a nearby rock, looking calmly at the wolves. His weapons were on his back. One wolf that was done eating came near him. Seeing this, he looked at it and pat its head. He felt the fur of the wolf with his gloved hand. Soft, squishy, like a dog it sat down, wagging its tail. Even though it was a death wolf, it was still an animal. An innocent animal that was used as a beast. An innocent animal that was created to kill and only to kill. An innocent animal that never had any worth to anyone. An innocent animal that was feared for its hideous and horrifying face.

“Just like me…” Ajax mumbled as he continued to pat the wolf. He then used his other arm to rub the belly of the wolf, making it tumble. The wolf happily wagged its tail and surprisingly, huffed and stuck its tongue out in happiness. Ajax, seeing the smile, smiled happily for once.

He then heard another wolf growl. He turned to look at the nine other wolves, ready to pounce and murder. Looking carefully, Ajax saw that the ten were like a pack. He looked at the wolf he was rubbing the stomach of and smiled, although sadly.

He snapped his fingers, signaling the wolf to stand up. Doing the same as the wolf, Ajax gave one last pat on the head to the wolf.

“Go…” Ajax said, shakily. He then left the wolves alone and went back. The wolves, now together and alone, proceeded to enter deeper into the forest. As Ajax was about to reunite with Olivia, he stepped on something metallic. He looked at his foot, moved it, picked it up and saw…

A badge with an emblem of a wolf and a sword on its head. Shocked, he dropped it. He stood still for at least a minute before shaking his head and heading back.

‘No, no, it can’t be’

Inside the forest, two people were watching. They were wearing black cloaks that hid the face. The two watched the confrontation and Ajax’s snap. One of them was shorter than the other by an inch or two. The other had an average height of a human. The latter looked at Ajax as he met back with Olivia. Ajax and Olivia then went back to Kyle and Conrad, heading back to the base. With that, the two went to their horses and slowly followed.

The trio, along with Kyle, then returned home. There was no talking. Olivia could tell that the air is thin and she did not want to try and diffuse another fight if she had to. The return back was rather slow. Ajax was at the front, Olivia was with Kyle, and Conrad was behind.

Ajax was just looking down, walking and minding his own business until he saw a footprint. He stopped walking, Kyle also stopped as it bumped into Ajax. Ajax just squatted and looked at the footprint he saw.

A paw. The paw of a death wolf. The paw of a death wolf near the cave. There was more as he walked forward, seeing that the footprints go to either to the left or the right, he stopped and went to Olivia and Conrad.

“Olivia, Conrad, you need to get out of here. Now!” He said, hurriedly.

“W-why?” Olivia asked, not getting the answer.

“Enemies…” Ajax explained. “Tons of them”

“Then we fight.” Conrad replied.

“No. You guys go. This is a threat to all three of us.” Ajax said, grabbing Kyle’s reins. “You two. Get up there now!”

“Why are you so scared?!” Conrad started, questioning Ajax.

“Because the enemy…are, no…is…dangerous.” Ajax corrected himself.

“So? All orcs are dangerous!” Conrad retorted.

“Just get on!” Ajax was having none of it anymore.

“Wh-” Conrad couldn’t finish his sentence as Ajax grabbed and tugged his clothes towards him.

“If you, we…fight him…I am not certain we will all make it out alive…he is dangerous. He has brawns and brains…he has many orcs that could come at us. So, go.” Ajax said, releasing his grip on the clothes. He then told Olivia to go up the horse. Conrad hesitated then proceeded to climb onto the front seat of the horse. He then found a problem.

“Kyle doesn’t have enough room for the three of us.” Conrad informed them.

“Who’s saying that all three of us are leaving?” Ajax looked at Conrad with a hint of regret.