Orcblood Legacy: Skirmishes: Orcs Bernard Bertram (good books to read TXT) 📖

ya people, as ya father were. In return, ya form an alliance with da trolls. Together, I think we can do great things, ya.”

A moment of silence passed as the orc considered the agreement. He searched for any sort of downside yet came across none outright. If he were to truly become chieftain, wouldn’t an alliance with the neighboring trolls be much better than having them as enemies? With humans to the north and west, trolls to the south, and dwarves to the east, the orcs were surrounded.

Fangdarr extended his hand, ready to seal the agreement. Rather than taking the orc’s gesture, Raz’ja let out a cackle of laughter. “No, orc. In my culture, agreements cost ears.” When Fangdarr raised his eyebrow, the troll laughed harder. “Ears. Humans, dwarves, or elves. Any of dem will do. An agreement typically cost one ear each. But dis be an alliance between chieftains. We must collect a hundred together—by ourselves—to seal da alliance. So, will ya hunt with me?”

Retracting his hand, Fangdarr eyed the troll. He could see the lust for the hunt on Raz’ja’s face, salivating at the thought. Fangdarr recalled the way his mother was hounded through the forest, hunted like a rabid animal by humans. Slowly, his own smile started to show.

“I hunt with you.”

EARS

Fangdarr pressed his back to the tree. Peeking around, he could pick out at least two dozen guards in the small village. The orc cast a glance to Raz’ja, hardly visible through a screen of leaves within a tree on the opposite side of the path leading into the town.

Turning toward the town, Fangdarr listened to the low bustle of its people. The thought of slaughtering humans didn’t breed discomfort. He expected it never would after the fate his mother suffered. Nevertheless, the serene sound of innocent children giggling as they played together brought its doubts. Fangdarr looked back to the remorseless troll chieftain and knew his companion would have no thoughts of mercy. Letting out a sigh, the orc took a steadying breath. Too late to back out now.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, the orc shook away the plaguing doubts and started walking toward the village. Fangdarr stomped forward without fear as shouts came in response. They fear me before I even break words, he thought. Without hesitation, the humans started loosing arrows at him. Each missile whizzed past, only missing its mark due to their shaking hands. After another few steps, one finally dug deep into Fangdarr’s arm, He halted in his tracks and his face formed a disapproving sneer.

They should.

With a burst of motion, Fangdarr dashed toward the town’s gate. In their surprise, the soldiers had forgotten to close it, instead electing to simply shoot down the lone orc. But he wasn’t alone. As soon as Fangdarr passed the threshold, roaring with fury, Raz’ja leapt from on high toward the guard tower. As the troll landed, the pair of daggers in his hands plunged into the spine of the nearest man. Cackling menacingly, Raz’ja bit down onto his victim’s ear and tore it off.

Within an instant the calm and joyous village had erupted into chaos. The screams of women and children drowned out the shouts of the men attempting to organize their defense. A pair of guards ran toward Fangdarr with their swords raised but the large orc didn’t slow. He raised his greataxe high into the air and closed the distance with a bounding leap. As he landed, his weapon cleaved through the soldier to his right.

The other guard managed to impale Fangdarr’s thigh with his blade before his expression turned to horror upon watching his ally split in half. Even worse, the wound the man had managed to inflict mended unexpectedly.

Fangdarr’s elation heightened as he watched the man’s face jump from each level of horror to the next. Reaching out, the orc grabbed the guard’s tunic and lifted him to eye level. Opening his maw wide, the orc’s jaws clamped down onto his victim’s face and muffling the screams. Fangdarr bit down with all his might, pressing his large fangs deep into the man’s skull. The man’s shrieks ended abruptly as bones shattered beneath the orc’s jaws. Spitting out shards of bone, the orc pinched the dead man’s ear and pulled hard enough to tear it free. Fangdarr stared at the bloody trinket for a moment before tucking it into a sack on his belt.

RELENTLESS

The doubts Fangdarr had felt before were gone, replaced by the intense lust for bloodshed. His roaring swipes carried out over his victim’s terrified screams and blinded him to their anguish. There was only the kill, the thrill of the hunt.

Fury and rage drove the orc’s axe faster and faster as he chased down the townspeople. He paid no attention to their feeble attempts at defense. There was no time for thoughts, no morality. Only the insatiable need for more. It didn’t matter how deep his axe cleaved or how much of his vitality it had restored, Fangdarr only felt an unquenchable thirst.

The trail of bodies left in his wake formed a bloody path from the town’s entrance through to the center. Confronted with the ruthless orc and his equally malicious companion, it didn’t take long for even the guards to abandon their courage and take flight with the citizens.

A man donned in his proud guard’s uniform tripped in front of the rampaging orc and screamed in fear. Quickly returning to his feet, the guard frantically sprinted toward a nearby building as the black-skinned invader pursued. Opening the door, the panicking man rushed inside. His eyes grew wide as he saw a frightened woman or child behind every corner. The shocked expression on his face was no match for their own, however, as he ran up to the nearest child hiding behind a piece of furniture and pushed her out of the way to take her place.

Fangdarr entered the room just as the soldier had shoved the young girl into the open. His conscience