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Igor punches the massive creature on his side, and he grunts. When the orc recovers, he charges at Igor, and he manages to get him down on his back. My heart pumps even faster and I struggle to take in air as he grabs Igor by the throat.
Igor strikes the orc with two fingers at a very specific place on his side and the orc falters. Igor uses this to his advantage, and he has the orc pinned to the ground the next moment.
Igor roars as he pummels this beast. The orc tries to defend himself, but it is like Igor is possessed by devils. He grabs the orc’s head and slams it to the ground repeatedly.
The crowd’s cheers start getting lower as we all watch in horror as the orc’s body goes slack and he stops fighting.
Igor doesn’t stop.
“ENOUGH.”
That voice booms through the open space and sinks under my skin. Igor stops with the lax head of the beast, and he looks like he is the one who just got pummeled.
Igor looks up to the voice, he is panting deeply and emitting low growls like I’ve never heard from him.
“Welcome back to the tribe, Igor of Zad.” The orc who is wearing – Goddess, not again – skin of some kind steps forward and stretches his hand that has a white horn with beautiful spirals that I’m sure I’ve never seen where I’m from or in any books.
Igor reaches for it and takes it. Then he looks to me. My feet move to him instantly. He is still standing over the orc who may or may not be dead right now.
He pants, blood sliding down his face. Then he hands me the horn.
“This is for you.” He says, and before I can answer he drops, and collapses again.
I drop next to him.Oh Goddess, don’t be dead, orc. I would beat you back to life.
I feel his pulse. He is alive.
We are surrounded the next moment and hands pull me up. Mulan pulls me away. I resist because I want to be with him. “They will take him to get help. Come with me.”
I hesitate for a second, but I follow Mulan after they carry him and the other orc down the stairs. We head down the stairs after the two unconscious bodies go. I don’t know if it was lucky I came or not, but when Mulan came to me earlier and couldn’t face me when I asked for details about the fight, I knew I had to see it for myself and I think it is lucky I am stubborn.
I just got a rude awakening to orc culture. I also saw Igor in a new light; the way he banged the other orcs’ head on the ground… It shouldn’t have surprised me; I saw him separate Shepherd’s head from his body and all the soldiers he killed like he was death personified just yesterday.
It hadn’t registered yesterday because it was about saving me and our children and hurting the ones who hurt us. But seeing him and his full savagery at a fellow orc. Not even Shepherd in his savagery can reach Igor.
I guess I have a little understanding at the looks people give me now and some of the things they’ve said in passing. But all that was gone when he looked at me and gave me the horn. I clutch it tighter. He did what he had to do, and I should see it in a positive light. This is his way of protecting us, of keeping his promise to us.
I can depend on him to do whatever is necessary for us. And that is something I have an inkling we will need.
Mulan leads me to the ground floor before we cross the assembly area that has a few children orcs and their mothers and a few elderly orcs. Some are sitting on the rocks and some in the seating area made of wood and stone. Some of the women are at the six stations getting water from the well – pulling the buckets with full water.
All of them look at me when they notice me. I turn away quickly and quicken my steps behind Mulan to one of the other five entrances I haven't been in.
This one has a small foyer-like space with various artworks. It has actual paintings and even one that looks like a map. There is a big door ahead and my eyes wonder at the big hall space.
This has to be their dining hall. It has many tables. Some round, some square, and some really long. I follow Mulan to another door where a few voices are coming from.
I walk in behind her and it’s another big room, but my gaze is fixed on the large table with what looks like three large, skinned deer and many women around the table with large knives cutting meat pieces.Where is all this meat coming from? Is it from the hunt by the springs yesterday?
Their gazes pin me immediately. I smile politely, so I don’t make things awkward.
Their gazes move quickly from me, and they get back to what they are doing. That’s when I feel the presence behind me.
“I thought this would be done by now. Why aren’t you finished?”
Azula.
“Sorry, First Mate. We will have your portion finished soon,” one answers.
