While the two clan chieftains were having their peaceful slumber, Sakh’arran and his clansmen who accompanied him in scouting their enemies reported to Xiao Chen inside his tent.

The rough sketch drawn on an animal skin on Xiao Chen’s table which was given to him by Sakh’arran contained many details about their enemies. The placing within their camp, how they are organized, the probable total number that they have and the composition of their foes.

Xiao Chen knitted his brows together upon hearing about their airborne enemies, the Screech Demons. It would be tough to combat such mobile enemies that can attack from the sky and at unexpected places. “Hmmm… So you mean that the Rumbling Clan and Warghen Clan have been decimating our foes for many days that’s why they are delayed in launching attacks against us?”

Sakh’arran nodded his head and approached the animal skin and pointed to one place where there was a doodle of something like a huge rectangle on it. “This is where they were building something like a huge wooden tower, but it had wheels like that of carts. After the Rumbling Clan made their pass, there was nothing left of it but just a pile of wreckage.”

Xiao Chen reeled back his head a bit in shock. It seems they were lucky that the Rumbling Clan and the Warghen Clan have been messing with their foes, or their opponents would have been able to lay a proper siege against them.

After Sakh’arran and his clansmen left, Xiao Chen heaved one big sigh and scratched the right cheek and buried himself in the paperwork in front of him. He needed to get rid of the army of corrupted creatures to begin implementing his many projects that have been on hold. Mohrios said that the high-ranking demon was headed south towards the Burning Sands, meaning that their foes outside won’t be receiving any sort of reinforcements.

“Right! The Burning Sands is where the Ereian Kingdom is at. I think Adhalia will be glad to hear about the demon heading there. It will be the Royal Family’s problem and for sure they would waste a lot of resources to defend their power and kingdom.” Xiao Chen muttered and smiled a little, but then his smile twisted into a frown when he saw the stack of scrolls containing plans that he still had to polish for Rakh’ash’ta to understand.

It was his fault for writing it all in Mandarin in the first place and now he had additional work to do, which was translating everything into Orcish.

*****

Haguk rose from his bed made up of straw and soft animal fur, his trusty partner laying down just below his feet standing guard. He glanced to his right and saw the swollen face of Dug’mhar, who had a dumb smile plastered on his face. “Ugh! What the hell happened?”

He clutched his head then then tried to get on his feet but stumbled a few times before managing to successfully stand. Shaking his head to gather his bearings. “That young chieftain surely strikes hard?”

Haguk stared down at the still sleeping Dug’mhar and shook him with his right foot. “Wake up, you show off!”

“Oh! Oh? What! What?” Dug’mhar rolled away from Haguk before warily studying his surroundings. His eyes were full of alertness as he stared at his new surroundings. “Hmmm… Did you just shake the perfect me with your dirty foot?”

Haguk snorted in annoyance, then just shook his head and went outside the tent where they were sleeping. “Yeah! Yeah! The perfect you! The perfect you deserve another round of beating.”

Outside the tent they saw the ever silent Aro’shanna who was sharpening her battle axe with a piece of stone, making distinct chinking sounds and seated across her in front of a fire was a little goblin cooking some kind of soup. “Oh! The little two slumbering princesses finally decided to wake up. Come on, don’t be shy, have some soup to warm your stomachs.”

Aro’shanna stood up and pointed her battle axe towards the pot of soup that the little Grogus was stirring with a wooden ladle. A very mouthwatering aroma assaulted Haguk’s nose, which in turn made his stomach growl.

Dug’mhar took a deep whiff of the delicious scent that was originating from the pot and pushed Haguk out of the way. “Glad you know how to serve this perfect one. Only perfect and delicious food can satiated this one’s perfect stomach.”

Aro’shanna raised an eyebrow at the antics and words of Dug’mhar and blocked his path with her battle axe but quickly moved it out of the way and let him pass through after remembering that the chieftain said that they should be treated as guests.

“Hmph… Know you place! This perfect warrior won’t show you mercy if you anger me.” Dug’mhar snorted and was about to grab himself the bowl that Grogus served when Aro’shanna greeted him with a punch right in the gut.

Dug’mhar kneeled down in pain, clutching his stomach while fluids came out of his mouth. “Oh! It seems you really are hungry. I was just checking.” Aro’shanna mischievously said before turning away and and sat on a corner taking her battle axe along and continued sharpening her battle axe. The distinct chinking sound of stone grating against her battle axe continued.

Haguk facepalmed and patted his friend’s shoulder as he passed by him and took a bowl of soup that the little goblin served.

Grogus just kept his mouth shut and went back to stirring the soup while making sure that the fire was just right. He had been at the mercy of the outrageous female orc for a long time now that he now knows what he should and he should not do. The physical abuses that he went through wasn’t something that he wants to experience again. The vengeful female orc can really hold a grudge and will always find a way to get back at you until she is satisfied.

Dug’mhar coughed a few times before finally gathering his bearings, then stood back up on his feet. He glanced back at the female orc, who had her focus on her battle axe. He was about to say something again when Aro’shanna raised her head and stared coldly at him which forced him to just shut up.. He just took one of the bowls, blew on it a bit before gulping a mouthful of the delicious soup. “Ha! That hits the spot!”