Succession

What was considered a good day ended in tragedy for everyone. The death of Chief Anders was both baffling and unexpected. Orc chiefs' tradition was to die in battle or by their wives because late-night arguments never end well. The funeral was held, and Rohan faced struggles as another death within the faithful's ranks was hard to deal with, but he couldn't dwell in sadness anymore.

In the following days, all the orc clan leaders gathered and spent three days without rest to decide on a new chief. This time, the variables were various, and they would not be a rural race as they used to be. Now, they'll genuinely ascend to the world stage with the help of a moon's servant. They had to choose well and leave no room for nepotism.

After grueling arguments and heated debates, a successor emerged: a young man who mastered the arts of war, diplomacy, and economics. His name was Lief, the son of General Erik.

Lief would no longer carry the mere title of Chief. He would become a representative of the orcs, an absolute leader, or, in other words, the king of the orcs, with the entirety of the clan leaders backing him as his advisors. But before that became official, he must publicly take an oath to the moon's servant.

On a sunny afternoon, at a stage in the village square, the orcs gathered and attentively watched as a fate-changing event was about to take place.

Rohan and Lief climbed the stage and faced each other. Lief was a fit orc with shaved sides and short ginger hair, the same height as Rohan, and had a mean resting expression.

Lief kneeled and kept his head down. Rohan inhaled deeply and said, "Lief, son of Erik. Your people have chosen you as their leader, but you have yet to declare your oath before the moon and her servant." Lief struck his chest and said, "I am ready to take my oath as the leader of the faithful orcs!" Rohan looked at him and said, "Do you swear to uphold the pact given to your people by the goddess?" "Yes!" Lief shouted. Rohan smiled at him and said, "Do you swear to obey Servant Rohan and the servants who'll come after him in the servitude of the moon?" "Yes!" Lief shouted. "Do you swear to protect the faith and the faithful of your people?" Rohan said. "Yes!" Leif shouted.

Rohan held his shoulder and said, "I, Rohan, servant of the moon, recognize your authority, faith, and loyalty, Leif, son of Erik." He backed off and said, "Stand up, and may your reign accompany glory and prosperity." Leif stood up, grinning, and hugged Rohan.

Later that same night, Rohan, accompanied by V and Lief, convened in a private chamber to deliberate their next course of action. Seated around a modest round table, they indulged in beverages.

Rohan placed his water mug and asked, "How are you dealing with Erik's passing, Lief?" Lief smirked and said, "Would you believe me if I said I expected it? Since you made your emergence known to the world, my father kept telling us that his salvation has come." Rohan chuckled and said, "That's saying he planned his execution. I don't blame him for seeking peace, but I hated that he sought it from my hands." "He always knew when to leave. The emergence of a servant is a sign of legendary change; him being him, he knew he'd only be a setback for our race," Lief said.

Rohan leaned back and said, "He was lucky, or his senses were sharp. The only two who knew about my wish were the goddess and V." Leif rubbed his cup and said, "I heard that servants wield divine knowledge and wisdom unmatched by the sun's and moon's creation. Is that true?" Rohan smirked at him and said, "It's true. Among other things that place us in a higher league above the two creations."

"Like what?" Lief asked.

"Servants are powerful, too powerful for mere mortals. If the sun and moon servants ever teamed up against the creation, the sky and the earth would be engulfed in flames, and no one has the power to stop them," Rohan said. Leif chuckled, sweated in anxiousness and said, "Wouldn't that be counterproductive for the goddesses?" Rohan chuckled and said, "It would be if the pact and love for the faithful didn't shackle the servants." "If somehow they managed to overcome their restrictions, how can the creation kill a servant?" Lief asked.

Rohan giggled and asked, "Are you planning to assassinate me, son of Erik?" Lief smiled at him and said, "You did make me swear to protect my people." Rohan pulled out a knife, threw it to Lief and said, "With all your might, plant this knife into my head." Lief initially hesitated, but he stood to try as his curiosity compelled him.

He grabbed the knife and swung it at Rohan's head. The blade, as well-made as it was, shattered into pieces like broken glass. Leif stared in disbelief and slowly returned to his seat.

Rohan stared into his eyes and said, "Very few things can kill a servant. Most of them require the involvement of either a goddess or another servant." Leif stared at Rohan fearfully and asked, "When you said the kingdom was destroyed, you never mentioned how. Did you do it?"

Rohan leaned forward and said angrily, "Yes, I used the moon's power to wipe off that fucking eyesore out of existence. The mere memory of a place where my beloveds were enslaved and humiliated makes me pissed! If it were not for the fear of your well-being in Anders's village, I would've taken my time to make every single fucking human in that kingdom wish for death to escape a fragment of the pain and horror that I wanted to inflict on them!"

Lief's jaw dropped in absolute horror and awe.

Rohan sighed, leaned back and said, "Love is a double-edged sword." He stroked his hair and said, "Now, shall we discuss our next move? The holy kingdom needs more resources before it can be built." Leif's hands shook as he pulled out papers. He looked at Rohan fearfully and said brokenly, "Y-yes, of course."

The End