Just when Karl was getting his hopes up that the Orcs were going to bypass him entirely and head to the village, the whole column turned in his direction.
[Everyone ready, but don’t come out until I give the signal.] He informed his partners.
Rae was busily whispering details of their usual strategy to Cara, so the new team member knew what they would be doing. However, the Void Badger was not the least bit concerned about these cavalry fighters. Or, perhaps, she was simply born without a sense of fear.
Karl stopped trying to hide his presence and brought up [Flaming Body] and [Eternal Lightning] while Thor cast a [Circle of Protection] over him.
None of the skills were threatening ones, and he had no weapon in his hands, but it would alert the incoming cavalry that he wasn’t a target they could just run through.
The charge stopped fifty metres away, and one lone Orc dismounted and came jogging towards Karl with a sword in his hand.
The Orc stopped five paces away and Karl waited to see if he was going to say something, or if he could even speak the human common language as the Elves had.
“Human, declare your allegiance. Your kind has no part in this war.” The Orc spoke in a surprisingly refined accent that hinted at higher education.
“I have not come to fight. I was sent here on a quest, to find a particular beast. Now that I have, I will be returning to the west to get a portal home.” Karl explained.
The Orcish General snorted in amusement. “I suppose that you would. But that does not answer the question of your allegiance. What side are you on?”
Karl sighed. “I don’t even know who is fighting.”
That single statement caused the entire Orcish Army to burst into vicious laughter.
“The Orcish Tribes against the Miviascan Slavers, of course.” The Champion chuckled.
“Well, I just finished returning a group of Elven children taken by slavers, so I must say, when it comes to Orcs versus slavers, I will side with the Orcs.”
The Orcs laughed even louder, and Karl waited for them to get over whatever was so amusing.
“You hear that? The teeny tiny human would stand up to the Giants and their allies in order to reclaim the slaves. What do you think, boys? Will he manage to kill one or two before they eat him?” The Orcish Champion asked.
Karl smirked, and Hawk tossed a Royal Rank Hill Giant body out on the ground.
“I would start with at least two because I’ve got more trophies with me.” Karl informed him.
The air filled with noise as the Orcs bashed weapons against metal armour and whooped in pleasure.
“He got you there, boss. I say we bring him with us.” One of the men in the front rank shouted.
“What do you say, human? Want to raid a village with us?”
Karl considered the Orc champion’s question for a few seconds. Telling the massive green man ‘no’ didn’t seem like it was the sort of answer that would prolong his life. But the Champion was a Monarch Rank fighter, as were some of his officers, so anywhere they were going wouldn’t be an easy fight.
Plus, he wouldn’t be able to bring the team out without risking them getting injured. He had already seen the Orcish children attacking Cara as she looked for something to eat earlier.
Karl picked up the Giant body, and the Orcish Champion smiled.
“Good answer. Join the infantry at the back and we will keep moving. The raid starts with the night as the Giants go blind.”
That made sense to Karl. The Giants never attacked at night because their night vision was terrible, so if you were on the offence, then attacking them at dark would be the best time, as you would have all night to fight before they could see properly.
Though a few hours after dark would likely be better, when they were already settled into bed.
Karl nodded at the Champion, who had taken his retrieval of the body as a sign that he was on board with the battle, and then moved to join the back of the line, where smaller and younger Orcs, along with many of the female warriors, were gathered.
There were some women at the front, but these ones were smaller, the size of the juvenile males, and not massively muscular like the female warriors up front riding the giant lizards.
“No mount? You’re an odd one for a human, aren’t you?” One of the younger Orcish men asked.
“I have a mount, but running is good for the body. Besides, I was hunting, not in a rush to get somewhere.” Karl explained.
“What would you possibly be hunting here? This isn’t a place for humans.”
Karl laughed. “You’re the second one to tell me that in the last five minutes. But I was looking for a Winged Void Badger.”
“Well, then we showed up at just the right time. If you had found one, you wouldn’t be here to join us on this adventure.” The young man laughed.
Cara rolled her eyes. [Stupid Orcs. It still hasn’t occurred to them that if they would stop poking people with sticks, they would stop getting killed for being annoying.]
Rae laughed, and the little badger rolled on her back to stretch out in the grass.
[Is that how it works? You can just kill the annoying ones?] Remi asked.
[I’m pretty sure. At least, some of them. Some of them are dangerous and annoying, or annoying, but also have food. I would have to ask the Elder how that works.] Cara replied.
By Elder, she meant Thor. Karl fell under the category of friendly person with food, but the others all seemed a bit young and unreliable to be called Elders.
[You only kill that ones that need killing. Otherwise, you end up wasting all your energy starting fights.] Thor informed them.
Cara kind of liked starting fights, though. It was great entertainment when you were bored.
Karl ran along with the Orcs, whose longer legs were still strained to keep up the pace behind the beasts. But that didn’t slow the meet and greet session between the beasts.
[If you have wings, why do you walk everywhere?] Hawk asked.
Flying was obviously the superior method of transport.
[Oh, those? Wings are for getting high enough to punch things in the face and chase flying food. You can’t relax while you’re flying, you have to keep beating your wings. Walking is much more relaxing.]
[So, you like to just relax?] Thor asked hopefully.
He liked floating in his pond.
[Yep, relaxing is good when there is nothing to eat or fight. But now there is food right here all the time, and it doesn’t even smell like it’s going bad.]
Rae rubbed her mandibles happily. [Good, I had worried that you were the lazy sort, and we’re always doing fun things. I don’t think that we’re going to get to go out and play tonight with all the strangers around, but you can attack things from inside here.
It’s hilarious, and I like to send my Golems out while I watch from my nest.]
[Oh, I did that one time with Nullify. Some silly shaman kept trying to make a rain spell while I was enjoying the sun, so I cancelled it every time he got close to finishing.] Cara replied excitedly.
[That’s the spirit. You’re going to fit in very well here.]
