Chapter 72: The Nameless Orc!
Kraghul was standing right in front of the enemies, and the two goblins on horseback didn’t look surprised.
They knew the orcs wouldn’t give up on them so easily, and there was no way the goblins behind them would get the job done. These were orcs and they wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, there was no way they would lose to them.
They were clearly in no rush either, or they wouldn’t have waited for night to fall.
Kraghul stood before them, and the goblins noticed they had managed to conceal their scent.
"Where is Vrognut?" Kraghul asked, but he didn’t need a verbal response as a goblin soaked in blood walked out from the direction they had just come.
There was no doubt he had just slaughtered the horse they rode in on, but something told Kraghul he had also eaten it, judging by the piece of flesh hanging from his teeth.
"I’m here," Vrognut responded with an eerie smile that would send chills down anyone’s spine.
Kraghul knew this goblin had no honor and would use every trick in the book to win if he saw someone as an enemy.
"I see you found my horse," Kraghul said with no emotion, even though he had owned that horse for quite some time.
It was a necessary loss if he was going to reach his goal, and Vrognut chuckled at his calm reaction.
"Ugar sent you?" Vrognut asked, surprised that the orc would send someone this important to him.
"That is correct, but I’m not here to take your life," Kraghul revealed, and the orc beside him was shocked to hear that but dared not show it.
Kraghul had told him to follow his lead, so he had no choice but to trust everything this orc did.
"Take my life? Many have tried, boy..." Vrognut mocked him, and the goblins snickered, but Kraghul wasn’t fazed by the intimidation.
"That is correct, but to show how serious I am, I will take the life of this orc beside me," Kraghul said, and the orc looked stunned for a second. There was no way he could stay calm if Kraghul truly meant to kill him.
"W-What are you doing, Kraghul?" the orc asked, but Kraghul didn’t even look at him before jamming a dagger into his chest.
The orc fell to the ground instantly without a sound. He was dead, and Vrognut was confused as to why he would do something so reckless when it put him at a disadvantage.
He was already outnumbered, so this was a suicidal move.
Vrognut smiled and began walking toward the fallen orc to confirm he was dead, but something was wrong with his vision.
"Huh?" Vrognut muttered, clutching his chest as his legs grew weak.
"Maybe don’t eat everything you come across. Who knows what nasty diseases they might carry?" Kraghul said. He knew his horse was nearing the end of its life and had wanted to give it one final ride before it passed. Luckily, it hadn’t affected the horse’s performance.
He had no idea Vrognut would try to eat his horse; that was just a lucky twist that worked in his favor.
Kraghul only needed to keep them busy long enough for it to take effect, and what better way than betrayal?
Vrognut soon collapsed to the ground, not dead but paralyzed.
The orc Kraghul had "killed" flinched and slowly got back up to his feet—the dagger had barely pierced him, and the wound was in a harmless spot.
"That was... extreme," the orc said, but Kraghul’s plan had followed its intended path.
He was going to offer Vrognut something he couldn’t refuse because there was one thing he valued more than violence: freedom.
Kraghul knew Vrognut would want nothing more than to spread his chaos among the other races.
If he could grant him that freedom, Vrognut would take it in a heartbeat, because it would let him keep evolving.
Everything had worked out in the end, and though the goblins were visibly tense, Kraghul knew he had to deal with the real threats first.
"Now then. What shall you do with the rest?" Kraghul asked.
--
Maui watched in horror as the final orc leapt to her death, but this couldn’t be who she thought it was. There was a story about an orc who hadn’t spoken a single word since birth.
She was treated as an abomination within her tribe, and one day, a voice in her head told her to slaughter everyone.
Without reason or logic, and unable to tell what was real or not, she killed everyone she saw at the command of that voice. To her, only the dead spoke.
It was said she couldn’t tell the difference between the voices in her head and the ones in the real world.
That was why absolute silence was essential when dealing with her.
The orcs had no idea these savages were being led by such a monster—it explained why she held power here, because she not only protected them but also gave them peace of mind through her strength.
Maui was scared to meet her because there was no way she would agree to her proposal.
If anything, she might be killed just for suggesting it.
But she had to risk it now more than ever because this orc had no place to call home.
Maui didn’t know how she had survived or if the rumors were true, but there had to be stories spreading about her by now.
She was in the same position as this orc and entered her tent carefully, knowing not to speak.
She stayed silent and saw the orc without armor—naked for all to see.
Maui stared at her and couldn’t help but admire the work and discipline that had shaped that body.
The Chieftess looked at Maui and instantly knew she didn’t belong here, but the injuries she had were healing at an impressive rate.
It wasn’t just the goblins who had that healing factor—their genetics were similar.
Maui pointed at her mouth, asking permission to speak, but the orc just stared blankly at her.
The look in her eyes terrified Maui; they were dead, hollow eyes that gave her a soulless aura.
She had no name—just an orc not worthy of one, even at birth.
Maui thought quickly and scribbled something into the sand.
She didn’t want to seem disrespectful, especially since the orc might not even be able to read.
So she started with simple words to test the waters and watched the orc’s body language.
It became clear the orc understood. It was a simple greeting, and she gestured for Maui to keep writing.
"My name is Maui, and I’m a former kin of the Bloodmoon tribe," Maui wrote, and the moment the nameless orc read it, her red eyes lit up.
There was no doubt she had ties to that tribe.
She quickly began scribbling in the sand herself, and Maui paused to let her finish.
"Bloodmoon? I was also from that tribe," the orc wrote, and Maui raised a suspicious brow because she had never heard of her.
If that were true, there would have been stories about such an orc—but maybe the tribe had erased her from their history because she was trouble.
Maui was unsure how to handle this, but then an idea struck her.
"That makes us kin," Maui wrote, though it was clear this orc might also share the genes of the Bonecrush tribe.
It wasn’t forbidden for tribes to mingle, even though it was frowned upon—and that could explain her unnatural strength.
It wasn’t normal how she had taken down three orcs, but then again, her reputation spoke for itself.
If they hadn’t known who she was, they might have had a chance—but fear sealed their fate.
"Tell me what you want. Do you wish to join me up here?" the orc asked.
Maui paused for a moment, knowing she needed to say something that could convince her to consider an offer that sounded ridiculous under the current circumstances.
"No, I wish to give our people a place below," Maui wrote, keeping her composure.
She had said it now, and there was no turning back. The orc wasn’t writing anything, which meant she was allowed to continue.
"Not everyone wants to live on a mountain. But what if there were others below who could build a kingdom for those who wished to remain on the ground? A Chieftess? You could become a Q—" she paused, erasing it, realizing this orc didn’t care for fancy titles.
She needed another word.
"...Warlord," Maui wrote.
After all, what conqueror wouldn’t want to expand her rule? And Maui knew this was just the appetizer to make it sound more tempting.
The orc still didn’t move, and Maui knew she had her full attention. Then the orc scribbled something new.
"And what is the catch?" the orc asked. Maui swallowed hard—the next words she wrote could very well cost her life.