Blood Oath

Barok woke up from a nightmare, his silver-grey fur soaked with cold sweat. He sat up abruptly, finding himself on a hill overlooking the mine pit below. The scene of devastation made him dizzy, and he almost collapsed. If it weren't for the old man behind him catching him just in time, he might have rolled down the hill.

"No... no... no, my people, my home, why..." Barok screamed in anguish, scrambling down the hill, his body trembling, lips quivering, emitting unconscious cries.

He saw familiar figures - his people were dead! Silent Bar'tu, his head rolling to the other side of his body. Chief Bata, covered in wounds, lying dead alongside Moraga, the chieftain of the Lizard Tribe. They had gruesome holes in their chests, eyes wide open with despair, dead but unavenged!

The tribe members, whom he had known for only a short time, were all found, all fallen in battle. The bodies of the orcs were almost all disfigured, many even naked, as if they had been caught off guard in their sleep and slain. The earth-yellow totem pole had already shattered, and Norman, the shaman, had a terrifying wound almost splitting his body in two, with a smile on his face, a smile of sadness, of despair!

Barok lunged towards a distant figure, that of Barwel, and to his surprise, Barwel was still alive. However, upon gently turning him over, Barok's expression darkened - Barwel's abdomen had been split open by a blade, his entrails spilled out, his time short.

Barwel suddenly rallied, opening his eyes and seeing a face blurred by tears and sand: "Barok... you... you're really ugly, aren't you, this time... I won't be there... to make everyone look good..."

"Don't say that, Barwel, don't say that. You're the most handsome orc. All the women in the tribe are crazy about you..."

"Heh... you're finally telling the truth... I told you... I'm the most handsome... but I'm dying... and you... you're the most handsome orc... now..."

"Everything will be okay, everything will be okay..." Barok choked back sobs. "I'll find a way..."

"Barotan... what about that coward... Has he already died...?"

"I didn't find him. He might have been captured by humans."

"Barok... I'm dying. You have to live on... and save Barotan... that kid... he's too dumb... he'll be bullied by humans..."

"I will, I will. I will find all the captured tribe members. I swear it, by the blood of the orcs..." Barok bit his lip, blood trickling out. "I will kill all those bastards. Their heads will adorn the graves of our people. I will make them suffer the most cruel pain and die..."

"Then... it's good... I believe in you... but... you must protect yourself... yourself...!" Barwel's voice grew weaker, his head drooping weakly to the side. He, died!

"Roar... roar... roar...!" Barok cried out like a wounded beast, like a starving wolf, howling mournfully, holding Barwel's body, wailing bitterly!

The old man, Maximus, shook his head and sighed. This child had suffered too much. If he didn't let it out, there would be problems. Let him cry! But there was some concern - if this child came to hate all humans, he might not follow him when he left. That would indeed be troublesome.

Barok cried until he fainted twice. When he woke up again, he seemed much calmer. He stood up silently and looked at Maximus. "Norman the Shaman said you are trustworthy. Although my enemies are humans, I will not vent my anger on others. Respected Maximus, what should I do next?"

"Child, what happened here will spread soon. Perhaps Lord Monroe has already brought people here. The fact that you concealed the new mine will surely anger him. There's no place for you on the Gravel Plains anymore. Come with me. Although it may be uncomfortable for a while, you cannot survive alone until you grow up. I will keep my promise to my old friend and protect you."

"I will follow your lead, Lord Maximus. My identity can only be your slave." Barok said calmly, surprising Maximus.

"It's just a title, for others to see. I will treat you as my child. When there's no one around, you can call me grandfather... if you want to!"

"Alright, Grandfather Maximus! Before we leave, let me do something for my people!"

With so many tribe members, hundreds of bodies, there was no time to bury them all, even burning them on the spot would require too much firewood. Orcs had another way of burying their dead - sky burial! Let them stay here, buried in the stomachs of the ubiquitous beasts!

Barok found his totem pole. His expression was solemn as he recited orc prayers and performed the totem dance! Communicating with the spirits of nature, letting the souls rest in peace! Worshipping the souls of ancestors, guiding the departing children! He had just learned from Shaman Norman, so his movements were still awkward, but he was trying hard and earnestly.

The air around seemed to solidify. Under the scorching sun at noon, a cold breeze blew, even frost appeared. Maximus, a primary Qi warrior, could feel the elements in the air becoming active, especially the water element. The totem dance of the orc child amazed him.

Barok, immersed in sorrow, did not notice that a faint light was rising from the bodies of the deceased tribe members, gathering around the totem pole, melting into the wolf-shaped light already present. It was the residual essence of their souls, and they seemed to feel Barok praying and sacrificing for them. They sent out their weak power, blessing him, and entrusting him with the legacy of the tribe!

The ceremony concluded, Barok silently turned around, shouldered the totem pole, and followed Maximus, leaving without looking back! .......... Shortly after they left, a cavalry squad of a dozen or so riders appeared at the edge of the mine pit. These dozen or so individuals were clad in steel helmets and wielded broadswords. All of them were powerful junior Qi warriors, but they were also cavalry, far superior to the ragged mercenaries ..........!

Not all of the tribe members were killed; at least half of them were abducted. Barok followed the traces left by the mercenaries, knowing that he might not be able to rescue his people immediately, but he needed to know where they would be sold to in the future ..........!

Maximus did not advise Barok, although he was well aware of the cruel nature of those mercenaries. It was likely that they had already arranged buyers even before entering the wilderness, and they would not be just one group. Once the abducted orcs left the wilderness, they would be quickly sold off and scattered, making it extremely difficult even for a powerful human noble to track down all the orcs sold in different directions.

Barok pursued for a day and a night, carrying the heavy totem pole as if he didn't feel its weight at all, panting heavily, his eyes fixed firmly on the path ahead, hoping to see the silhouette of his people in the next moment.

To avoid the direction of Black Crow Town, the mercenaries deliberately took a big detour to the east. They emerged from the wilderness through a mountain pass to the east. This route was much more rugged and difficult to traverse, a road of tears and blood for the orcs. Along the way, Barok had already seen dozens of orc bodies. Most of them were covered in wounds, but the fatal wounds were all in the heart and neck. .......... burdened by the journey, mercilessly killed by the mercenaries!

Having seen so much death, Barok had become numb. He repeatedly admonished himself not to be angry, as it would be of no use. And then he became even more calm. When he reached a mountain pass at the edge of the wilderness and saw that the path was blocked by rocks fallen from both sides of the mountain, leaving no way to chase further, his emotions didn't even fluctuate!

The ruthless and cunning mercenaries would never have thought that there was an orc chasing behind them. Perhaps their original intention was just to block the road and stop any pursuers Lord Monroe might send. This also completely blocked Barok's last hope, and the road to finding his people seemed infinitely long ..........!

"My last hope is gone, Grandfather Maximus, where do we leave the wilderness?" Barok's calm demeanor was terrifying, and he swore that before he avenged his people, he would shed only blood, absolutely no more tears!

"Black Crow Town is no longer an option. There's nothing to miss there anyway. Let's continue east! Over a hundred miles to the east, there's another mountain pass exit. We'll leave the Gravel Plains from there." Maximus helped Barok carry the heavy totem pole. He knew how important this wooden pillar was to the orcs. If Barok hadn't reached the brink of collapse, he would never let outsiders .......... especially humans touch the sacred totem pole.

An old man, a young orc, silently moved forward. It took two full days to leave the wilderness through the eastern mountain pass. During this time, Barok didn't say a word.

Entering the territory of humans, in order not to attract attention, Maximus always took remote routes. After traveling for many days, they finally arrived at their destination, a peaceful and beautiful small castle appeared before them! The castle was built with pale red rocks and sat by the river. Surrounding the castle, and along the not-so-wide river, there were rows of low houses, forming a town under the castle. At this moment, the town was bustling with activity, with people coming and going, very lively. At least for the countryside, this small town represented prosperity and wealth.

"We're home, Red River Valley Town. It's been a long time since I've been back..." Maximus sighed, as if reminiscing about the past. "This is my hometown. There's a house for me in the town, but I don't know if it's already collapsed after so long without coming back. But it doesn't matter; we can rebuild it if it has. Barok... let's go!"

"Yes, Lord Maximus." Barok, carrying the already wrapped-up totem pole, timely changed his address.

Maximus shook his head. This young orc was very intelligent, completely different from the rough orcs. It was a pity; if he were a human, it would be great to treat him as a grandson!