“Hurry up you filthy pieces of dragon dung!” barked General Akuji sharply. He was not pleased with their sullen and defeated attitude. What has happened to their killer instinct?
“Sorry for the delay Grogenmag” replied Commander Cragok. He looked sternly at the other commanders and captains with such disdain that no one returned his fierce gaze. He too was getting fed up with the defeatist attitude.
“At least one of you has the right attitude. Take your places around the battle table” ordered the general gruffly. The thick wooden table filled the center of the main chamber of the general’s tent. This was a realistic map of the entire country of Landen. There was a new addition to this map that showed the country of Aran. The orc leaders looked at one another quizzically while staring at this new section. Only the areas of conflict were put on the map, so the addition of the forest capital did not make sense.
“Why is Aran on this map general?” asked one of the more skittish commanders. He did not care for the men of Aran since an encounter he had with them several years ago, which resulted in his entire hunting party being slaughtered. He had escaped with his life but he had several vicious scars to remind him of the unpleasant event. Escaping a conflict is not something that is looked upon in a positive light in the world of an orc. If you were a true warrior, you fought to the death.
“Comdax…either you get over your nerves or I will have your head mounted on my wall!” spat the general darkly. He was so fed up with the uncharacteristic weakness being displayed by some of the fiercest warriors. Not that this commander was worth all that much with his constant questioning and doubting.
“General, I am merely inquiring into the reason for Aran becoming a part of our battle plan. They have not threatened our war efforts…why should we concern ourselves with them now. Our focus should be on finding a way into Landen” retorted the commander boldly. He shook slightly as he spoke to the imperious orc general. He could not believe his own daring but someone had to bring their leader to his senses. No good would come from attacking Aran…he was sure of it.
“Are you afraid? You think that attacking Aran will be our downfall? I think that you are a disease…your thoughts betray what is in your heart. See…” shouted the general as he reached over and ripped the commander’s armor from his chest with his left hand while he punctured the soldier’s chest with his massive right hand. He pulled the black still beating heart from his body. General Akuji held the heart up in front of the vacant eyes of Commander Comdax. The commander’s lifeless body fell to the ground as the general threw the bloody heart into the fire that was next to the war table. Black blood drenched the dirt floor.
“I will rip out the seed of weakness from our midst whenever and wherever I find it! As leaders of the greatest army in our history you must do the same. Yes, we have been betrayed by the wicked high elves…accept it! We will overcome their betrayal. Now we must focus on the problem at hand…Landen will continue to defeat us if we do not cut off their major supporter. We make for the heart of the Forest of Aran. We will show our longtime nemesis that we are a force to be reckoned with. We will bathe in their blood before the conflict is over!” The stunned leaders snapped back to reality and grunted enthusiastically at the prospect of retribution. The plan was clear and not complicated…just the way they like to fight.
“Where is the army of Aran?” asked one of the captains intently. It was clear that the act of brutality by their general was common place and did not bother the leaders one bit. If anything it helped them to focus on the battle plan and to forget their fears. That was the way an orc dealt with fear…violence.
“We know that the army of Aran is currently in Landen, so all that stands in our way is the home guard. Our numbers should be more than enough to capture the capital. This way we can cut off the supplies being sent to Landen as well as any further recruits. With the dragons keeping the knights of Landen at bay, we do not need to worry about them following us. Once we have secured most of the forest we can regroup by establishing our own supply route to Mount Tarin. We could also recruit more of our brethren before renewing our assault on Landen.” Blood was still dripping from the hands he used to draw the path they would take to get to Landen.
“Excellent plan…when do we leave” asked two commanders simultaneously. They liked simply logic and plans that were not needlessly complex. They were eager to show their valor and worth in battle instead of uselessly questioning their general. Even the most bull headed warrior tires of ramming their head into the same barrier with no success. This change in target will give them something they could actually break.
“We leave at dawn. It will take us some time to cross the Blaine River, but we should arrive before those elf-like men know what is going on.” The general finally wiped his hand that was still soaked in blood over the likeness of the Forest of Aran. Each commander and captain spat on the same spot as they filed out of the tent to make preparations for the long march ahead. Their spirits were considerably higher after the meeting. Two smaller orcs went into the tent after the leaders and brought the body of the deceased commander out. Food was scarce after all; they should not waste any meat.
Nightfall was met with an eerie stillness in the orc camp…usually the orcs were raucous after a long day of fighting. They knew that there was a long march ahead of them and that sleep was going to be scarce in the coming days. They all knew, even though it was not verbalized, that this was going to be a brisk march with little to no stops along the way. Overall the army was excited at the prospect of brutalizing their eastern neighbor. The only noise that broke the silence was the loud snores of the massive brutes as they slept soundly. A solitary figure could be seen on a small hill overlooking the massive encampment…the general could not sleep on the eve of changing their fortunes. He took the time to focus his rage and energy to the task ahead.
***
The morning sun was absorbed by the obsidian walls surrounding Agaroth. The massive trees that blocked the majority of the light were slowly swaying in the gentle breeze. The giant aspen trees reached high into the sky above…they were taller in Aran than in any other part of Tuwa. Their white trunks made the serene forest seem innocent and pure. The black walls surrounding the capital city of King Udrugi’s realm appeared to move as the rays of light were absorbed into the wall. The guards standing atop the bulwarks looked uneasy as they marched. The wall was pulsating with some kind of dark magic. The soldiers often found ways to avoid duty on the foreboding barrier. There were so many rumors and stories about the origins of this wall that the truth had been lost centuries ago. The only one who knew the true foundation of the wall that completely encompassed the crown jewel of Aran was its king.
King Derek Udrugi began to climb the stairs nearest the main gate as the morning sun continued to climb the morning sky. He had woken during the night to the shaking of the ground. He had never experienced such unnatural tremors before, so he would not be at ease until he had a look at the general area where the quaking had taken place. He had experienced trembling while in Landen, but not here in his peaceful homeland. He had returned home to direct the supply effort and also to oversee the training of new recruits. This unusual quaking had brought him out of some deep thought he had been giving to the current status of the war. As he reached the top of the wall, he clearly saw what the soldiers had overlooked.