Duma was terrified. This was the threat they needed to fight against? Ed could barely hold back one guy! He was flabbergasted!
'I- I-!" Seeing the sight Duma couldn't help but become speechless. He was also having an internal struggle. He was being tempted. Tempted to run away.
Ed had been nice to him. He couldn't deny that. He could also see prosperity under him but… The current situation seemed rather hopeless. There was no prosperity for the dead!
So, like the coward he was, he made a decision.
While the others conversed, he sneaked further and further down the great walls of his tribe. He would turn their back on them.
But that was fine. Wasn't he just a figurehead at this point anyway? None of the rules and laws ever ran through him! Worst of all, Ed had stolen his spotlight. One could say he was jealous, of course, he wouldn't dare admit it. But what he felt the most was resentment.
He didn't choose to become a figurehead, he actually wanted power! He wanted to be in control! To be admired, to be cared for, to be acknowledged! Yet, he received nothing. He only received orders that took away from his freedom. He couldn't even get with girls anymore due to his busy schedule!
Duma thus sprinted away from the battlefield. What was he to gain? Death! Forget that! To get what he wanted he first needed to be alive.
He finally touched upon the soft grass of the settlement's ground. He planned to grab some food and quietly leave the premises.
"Duma, where are you headed?" An orc warrior asked after seeing Duma's distressed countenance and his hurried steps as he got off the stair. Duma was almost frightened to death.
"Um, I'm going to get something" He answered in passing for his feet hadn't stopped moving forward. It wasn't a lie either. He headed for the boars.
Hours passed since then. Duma had no way to know the result of the battle. The only thing he knew was that no matter what, he couldn't return.
'Am I lost?' He couldn't help but ask himself. Duma subconsciously tightened the grip on his dual axes. He had run deep into the forest as opposed to the open plain. The reason was a no brainer.
Nevertheless, the forest was pitch black due to the thick canopy above his head. Every step he took in the dark filled him with hidden unease and tension. But at the same time, there came some security. In such a place he would never be found that was for sure.
More time passed but Duma wasn't sure how long. His legs were aching from the long march and he had to inevitably settle down for the day.
He began to eat from his boar meat rations. He took all of the raw or cooked food he could find at the time. He couldn't waste time killing or carrying a boar as unfortunate as it was.
"This should last…" Duma said with a hint of regret. He was starting to doubt his decision. The thought of dying pointlessly on the battlefield reaffirmed him, however.
After some more time, Duma fell asleep defenselessly. When he woke up, he was still right where he went to sleep.
"Yes this place isn't dangerous" He told himself before being suddenly spooked by the sound of footsteps. They weren't too far either!
Duma hurriedly tried his best to hide. He didn't want to be discovered without knowing about the other party first.
"Hey, Do you think old Lagakha was for real?" It was a rough voice of… a young orc! Duma's eyes shined, he could see hope! He only needed to join a new tribe. Maybe he could even try his luck and become the leader of the tribe.
Thus, Duma continued to eavesdrop on the conversation but for a couple of seconds, there was nothing.
"Respect!" Suddenly said a loud similarly young voice. It nearly made Duma jump from the abruptness.
"How can I respect that! I won't let anyone sacrifice my sister!" The first young orc roared in anger.
Duma didn't really care about whatever they were talking about at first but now, he couldn't help but perk up his ears. Sacrifice! He involuntarily shuddered.
He thought there was hope but who knew it would turn out he could become someone or something's dinner?
"Gulrn you've changed!" The second teenage orc said with anger. It seemed his friend's ideas were blasphemous.
"Ah! What do you know!" Gurln yelled. His friend didn't take it kindly.
"Fight me!" That was his response to Gurln's exasperation.
Duma could feel a wedge forming between both parties by the second. The only problem he needed to consider however was whether or not to jump out and introduce himself.
At the height of tension, Duma made his presence known.
"Hey!" He yelled with vigor in an imposing manner. He exited from the darkness and showed up in front of both teens. The way he held his dual axes and yelled gave him a tyrannical aura.
The two boys momentarily forgot about their dissension. They had a tinge of fear but both also felt a great bit of indignation. Why was that orc talking to them like that?
"You want to fight too?!" Gurln's friend didn't back down as he shot Duma a glare.
"Take me to your tribe." Duma didn't care for the kid. He might be a coward but there was no way he would fear an inexperienced young orc.
"Huh?" Gurln instantly found the situation to be odd. At first, both of them had simply assumed that the orc in front of them was from another part of the tribe but it seemed he had been wrong.
"Ok" But Gurln decided to agree due to his curiosity. He also felt that perhaps the fierce-looking orc could change things in the tribe.
His friend tried to greatly oppose the idea even going as far as challenging both of them but was easily beaten down. He had no choice but to take Duma to the tribe alongside Gurln.
'Light…!' Duma who was walking behind Gurln exclaimed inwardly. As they continued to approach, Duma could see things more clearly.
There was a trail. The trail was covered with leaves that crumbled with each step. The trail's destination was a clearing. Illuminated by sunlight were stone walls aged by time covered in green vines and leafy plants. There was also a sturdy gate.
Duma could not help but feel nervous at the beautiful sight. A tribe that had fared the test of time was bound to be rather tough. As if to prove it, once inside the clearing, which unlike his tribe's clearing had no extra space, they met a couple of orc guards. They even wore rudimentary armor.
Luckily he was cleared by Gurln and there were no issues getting inside.
"I'll- I'll take you to our chieftess" Gurln said once inside to which Duma simply nodded.
The main reason was that he was currently dazed. The tribe he had just entered was huge! He could barely see an end to the stone buildings and wood buildings around. He felt as if he traveled to a more advanced society.
Perhaps having noticed Duma's surprise, Yam, as Duma had learned he was called, decided to boast a little.
"Hehehe, I can't imagine what outsiders like you could do without the ancestor's knowledge." Those were Yam's words to the dazed Duma.
Duma didn't reply and simply followed after both of them. The further they got, the nicer the buildings became. There was a weird ghostly atmosphere at the same time, however. It was as if the place had been abandoned.
After about 10 minutes. They finally came upon a stone and wood temple. It was stood out from the other buildings and even seemed a bit weathered. It also had green vines growing in many places.
There were more guards there. Gurln spoke to them and they gave Duma a stinkeye but let them in any way.
Once inside, Duma was surprised. The walls were full of all sorts of carving. There was also a stage in the middle and an altar where an old orc woman wearing shamanistic attire could be seen piously praying.
Duma was unsure if he should make his voice be heard or not seeing this. He had actually never seen such an elderly orc before.
The old lady slowly picked up her staff by her side and unsteadily stood up. She then turned to look at them.
"Well done, Gurln." The old orc woman said with her aged voice.
Duma instantly realized something was wrong.
"It is my duty chieftess" Gurln said respectfully and bowed from the distance. Duma couldn't help but become agape. Wasn't he the one denouncing her earlier?!?
"If it isn't too much… can I stay while you interrogate him ma'am chieftess!!!" Gurln asked with respect and yearning. He wanted to know more about the orc!
"It was god's will that you found him then it must mean you are fated. Yes, my child." The old woman sounded kind and holy.
"Craaaap!" Duma bolted for the door as a first response. He didn't even consider fighting the old lady.
Suddenly he found his legs unable to move, however. He recognized the things that bound his feet.
'Vines…!' He quickly became tied by the plants that grew around the cathedral-like building.
"Why have you turned your back on God? Ancestor's Sarfu only sought for our salvation." The old orc was taking slow steps towards Duma from the altar and stage while speaking like a regular and generous old lady.
"But it's ok… You were only lost due to your ancestor's mistakes. Tell me where you came from. Their punishment will atone for your sin.." Duma turned ashen. What- what did he do!?!
