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

Terror and confusion only continuing to grow, the ogre stared at Fangdarr with concern. Though, after the orc made a motion to lift his own flat stomach Gub followed suit. With his enormous gut free from its sticky seal against his waist, the round stone tucked inside fell to the ground. Gub immediately picked it up and inspected it with a smile, thinking he had just found a king’s crown in the muck.

Fangdarr waited for the realization to strike. Yet, many moments passed before the orc came to his own awareness that the ogre may never make the connection. He sighed at the hopelessness of his ploy and started to consider his options. Too tired and hungry to make the return journey back to their cave, there was little choice remaining. Fangdarr eyed his surroundings and knew he was unfamiliar with his location. Gub’s aimless path through the forest seemed to lead them to parts unknown, with no landmarks in sight.

“Faydar!” the orc heard a moment before he saw Gub scrambling to his feet and charging over.

Preparing for the inevitable assault of mass that he knew would be pressed around him, Fangdarr flexed his muscles as the ogre lifted him in joy. Despite his efforts, the air in his lungs was pressed free as Gub embraced him tightly. “G-Gub . . . down . . ..”

With luck, the ogre dropped him to the ground and smiled as Fangdarr crashed to the dirt gasping for air. “Friend!” Gub held the small stone up for the orc to see before tucking it safely beneath the fold of his stomach once more. “Friend,” he repeated and nodded to himself, the stupid smile on his face not diminishing in the slightest.

As if remembering their purpose for coming this way, Gub started walking off and leaving Fangdarr in the dirt to collect himself. The orc rose to his feet with a groan, regretting more and more his decision to befriend such a mindless brute more with each passing moment. Nevertheless, he followed Gub through the wood. After another mild trek, Fangdarr could see smell it, a succulent scent flooded his nostrils and replenished his hope. Meat.

MEAT

The savory aroma made Fangdarr’s mouth wet in eagerness. His stomach groaned impatiently as if clawing relentlessly in search of sustenance. The orc cautiously picked his way through the trees while Gub trundled in a direct path onward. After a few dozen paces, a small cabin came into view.

“Gub, wait!” Fangdarr harshly whispered from behind a tree. But the ogre had his hands extended forward and quickened his pace, breaking through the last bit of brush outside of the home.

Fangdarr tensed from his hiding spot, expecting the sound of screams to soon follow. But when none came, he slowly relaxed and started padding closer—his stomach leading the way. He poked his head around the corner of the cabin window. Empty. Letting his hunger get the best of him, Fangdarr rushed over to the fire where Gub was already voraciously chomping on the leg of a stag that had been roasting over the flames.

The ogre patted the ground beside him, inviting his friend to join in on the meal. Without hesitation, Fangdarr ripped the other haunch off the cooked beast and sank his teeth in. The sweet and juicy meat pressed against his tongue with a rush of ecstasy. Before the first mouthful had even slid down his throat, the orc eagerly took another bite. His eyes closed with contentedness.

By the time the orc had opened his eyes, Gub was already licking his fingers clean. To Fangdarr’s surprise, the ogre had managed to completely consume the entire leg—bone and all—in just a few bites. Gub gave a gap-toothed smile with juices dripping down his chin as he reached for the hanging meat. Before his hand connected, an arrow whistled through the air and dug into the ogre’s forearm.

Fangdarr rolled to the side in an instant and dashed behind a tree. His instincts proved fruitful as a second arrow landed in the dirt where he had been sitting. Gub, on the other hand, was staring at his arm completely dumbfounded. The stupid creature continued to stare at it—despite Fangdarr’s shouts urging him to act—even as a second missile pierced his chest.

Now, Gub was angry. The ogre was up on his feet with a ferocious snarl and stepped toward his assailants. Fangdarr peeked his head around the tree he had tucked himself behind and could see two humans pointing their crude bows at his ally. Roaring to get their attention, Fangdarr charged. One shifted their aim to him while the other, a woman, remained fixated on Gub’s advancing form.

An arrow whizzed toward the orc, clipping him in the left shoulder but hardly slowing him. As he closed the distance, Fangdarr drew his enormous axe, growling as he raised it high.

Gripped by fear at the oncoming enraged orc, the man ahead fumbled with his bow awkwardly. With luck and quick wits, the man managed to drop his bow and withdraw a small knife. As Driktarr came crashing down through the man’s shoulder, his blade managed to cut through Fangdarr’s side and slice the orc’s kidney.

The pain would have been enough to drop any to their knees, but Fangdarr felt no pain in that moment. There was only rage and the sheer intense rush of victory as he watched blood splatter against the man’s face. He could feel his axe drink the man’s vitality and stitch together the grievous wound that had been inflicted. His victim looked on in horror in that final moment and watched the arrow in the orc’s shoulder crawl out and drop to the ground. What little light there had been in the victim’s eyes slowly faded as Fangdarr ripped his weapon free from the man’s torso, pulling organs with it.

As his rage was subsiding, Fangdarr turned to Gub and the remaining woman. He expected her to have been able to easily outsmart the ogre and keep