“My king we have a report about Unq’Rul. His latest experiment failed, and he has died my king.” The first of the two kneeling orcs that were shivering in fear before Ruk’Kesh related to the massive orc.

“I did not know he had an experiment scheduled for today.” Ruk’Kesh leaned forward in his throne taking the two orcs fully into his sights.

Quivering harder the second or hastily added, “Yes my king. He has been hiding a human mage. He was going to use the human to augment his own great mind.”

“Interesting.” Ruk’Kesh sat back into his throne rubbing his hairless chin. Then, “Show me.” He rose from his throne. Taking a step forward toward the two that were almost at his feet.

The two orcs hesitated; they were expecting to be executed.

Before they could fully rise Ruk’Kesh was in front of them. “Well, Show me!” He bellowed deeply; the two orcs felt it deep in their chests. Having lost his patients, he reached down to the first stunned orc lifting him by his upper right arm. Then threw him easily across the chamber. It impacted the wall with a wooden clunk, its skull popped like a melon hit by a sledgehammer. The second orc exploded to his feet and began to hurriedly move toward the orc mages laboratory. Ruk’Kesh easily keeping pace with his much larger size.

Once the two orcs made it to the laboratory there was only one body laying on the ground inside the intricate circle. A dried-up husk of the human. Still with the needle stuck in its head and silvery cord attached.

“Well. Where is Unq’Rul?” The king orc looked to his guide with an even tone.

“He was right here my king.” The orc pointed to the now empty skull plate.

“So, did he just up and walk away after dying? Are you sure he was dead?”

“There was no doubt my kind. Unq’Rul looked just like this human does now.”

Ruk’Kesh again rubbed his chin in thought. “Would one of his helpers moved him?”

“Uh, No my king. We two were the only ones to know about this work. No other orc was to come here until tomorrow by Unq’Rul’s order.”

Ruk’Kesh started to move around the large room he had been in to witness a larger ceremony. The many table stood like quiet sentinels defying his orders to speak of the happenings here.

“Find his body.” Ruk’Kesh ordered the orc as he passed him heading back to his own room.

“Yes, my king!” The orc bowed his head and did not lift it until the massive juggernaut finally exited the dimension space.

The solo orc slowly spun, looking into the tomb quiet pristine laboratory that was created from dimensional space. It was nothing like the dark, dank caverns the rest of the tribe lived in. He moved toward one of the side doors, Unq’Rul’s own personal quarters. If the mage had survived, maybe he had dragged himself there.

The orc opened the door and saw the dried-up husk of Unq’Rul laying upon his bed. His chest barely moving, taking in tiny wheezing breaths.

“My mage!” The orc rushed over to the bed side. “We thought you dead!”

Unq’Rul whispered something to the orc. He leaned closer to hear what the orc mage was trying to say.

A hand with cracked and dried up skin grabbed the orc by the face, causing it to stiffen and let out little grunts of pain. Even the orcs newfound strength was useless against the power of the mage’s magic. Slowly the orcs life force was pulled from his body, oh so slowly.

“Yes, I could drain you faster my servant, but then I could not enjoy this new experience of feeding on your life force.” The mage’s dried-out facial skin that was now dark grey split a little here and there as it smiled with dark humor.

Unq’Rul watched the struggling orc as it was slowly becoming just as dried out as himself. At one point, even though there was still life in the prune like body, the orc had gone limp, its eyes rolled up into its head.

Once the newly acquired spell came to an end. There was no life left inside his servant. With a flick Unq’Rul sent the body tumbling o the side. Then beyond what his body looked like what was capable, it being dried out and cracked all over, some pieces of skin even falling away as he moved. Unq’Rul rose for the first time in his life feeling truly strong. He wondered if this was the strength of his king. He flexed his hand looking at tendons and dried out muscles not contracting. His body not moved by his will in a different way. He no longer moved with muscle memory, he now moved with nothing between his thoughts and his movements. There was no delay. Everything he did was faster. His bones which were no longer held together by flesh felt ten times stronger. He struck his arms together as hard as he could. While he felt no pain, and there was a loud clack in the room, he instead felt a mental drain.

“Interesting. So, my body no longer feels pain. The damage I should have sustained is instead a draw upon my mental fortitude.” He took the flesh off his right arm, just simply pulling it away without care. He examined the spot where he had slammed his arms together seeing small cracks. The micro cracks were slowly repairing themselves, though he felt no new drain upon his mind.

“Ahh, it pulls upon me mentally to repair my bones. But nothing when I pulled off my old flesh. Then the flesh is not needed to survive. Still, I shall leave it in place. It looks better this way.” He looked over what he could see of himself. Dried out dark grey flesh sagged against bone, except for his one arm that was now just bones protruding from his upper arm flesh. “Yes, much better.” His voice was now a raspy thing like he was trying to drag in his last lung rotted breath.

“I have lost control of my old magic. Pity.” He could no longer pull the power inside of himself to cast his spells. He could no longer feel the connection there. Instead, there was something else. An innate knowledge, a feeling of a different power. He moved to the lump of saggy flesh that was his helper. He brought out his hand above the corpse. “Rise!” His intoned with a wheeze. The orc twitched at his call and began to stand itself upright with slow deliberate movements.

“Hmm. A zombie then. Because he still had flesh I assume. I could have done something more, greater, but this will do for a first trial.” He smiled in satisfaction. The skin around his mouth still obeying his commands. “Come.” He commanded more than said to his new toy. He felt it was a command to the zombie, not just a spoken request.

He moved to his main lab, and over to the entrance. He then concentrated on removing the door. To his delight the door obeyed his command and removed itself from the mortal plane. He was now safe inside his created space. Free to explore his new body and abilities. He turned to go back to his study, then started as the zombie orc was right there before him. “MOVE!” He screamed. Ashamed of the small fear he felt. He had turned to see that his zombie had obeyed his words to the letter and followed him close behind. He had not expected it to be right there behind him. ‘Damn thing is quiet’ He thought. Moving again with purpose to his study now that the zombie was out of the way.

“I will need to learn all I can about what has happened. Hopefully there is something in these books I have acquired. If not, I will have to get more.” Then turning to see the zombie just standing idly where he had left it, “And more servants. No, an army. And I have the perfect place to acquire one from.” He chuckled his laugh an evil raspy thing.