A couple of hours later, Sharog and her entourage were now seated inside of a stone hut. It was rather quaint, it managed to exude a unique charm. The architectural skills of the orcs in this area were clearly superior to the vast majority of other tribes.
Just as Sharog was calmly conversing with the others, the stone hut's door was opened by a tall and muscular figure wearing a robe.
"Hey! I am Durgash, thunder cry's leader!" The orc loudly introduced himself after barely entering the room. Unlike most orcs, he seemed to be a bit on the older side.
"Come! Introduce yourself Dakgu!" The middle-aged orc once more yelled to a figure behind him.
"Hi." A much younger orc shyly waved. Sharog noted that this was most likely Durgash's disciple given his young age.
"You call that an introduction!" Durgash said after smacking Dakgu in the back of the head.
"HI! I am Dakgu! Thunder cry's next in line!" The kid reluctantly yelled.
Sharog's ears were starting to suffer from this trip. The reason for the tribe's name was clear. The voices of its residents were herculean.
Perhaps reading his guests' expressions, Durgash awkwardly laughed.
"Apologies. I am hard of hearing so I raise my voice without intention." He then coughed a few times and found a seat opposite to Sharog, his disciple sat next to him as well.
"Alright Fellas! What is it you came here to talk about!?" Durgash asked in a loud voice. All of the others could only sigh internally.
"I am Sharog, Bloodshed tribe's leader. I came to talk about the terms of an alliance" Sharog said patiently only to see Durgash hold his hand next to his ear trying to listen better.
Sharog could only helplessly repeat the words in a much louder tone.
"Ah! An alliance!? Not interested!" Durgash yelled back in reply. He was quick to turn down her offer.
"Please listen! We can offer food and medicine!" Sharog screamed back. The people sitting next to her were getting dizzy from the scream off.
Durgash's ears perked up more than they already were after hearing the latter words. Sharog quickly realized that there were likely many injured orcs in this village and therefore decided to push in that direction.
"Where did you get medicine from!?" Durgash yelled with interest.
The Thunder cry's tribe's settlement was actually in a pretty desolate area surrounded by rocky terrain. It makes for good fortifications but it isn't easy on returning soldiers. Not only that but creating stone buildings can sometimes cause injuries even if only small ones. The constant harassment can lead to serious health issues.
Which was why the mention of medicine caught his interest. He was more interested in finding out where and how to make it than joining the alliance though so he ended up asking straightforwardly.
"That's a secret!" Sharog told him while holding back a mocking grin. She was mocking herself, as she also didn't know.
Before Vorgarag set off with Ed he had told her about the healing herb and its potential in order for her to use it as a bargaining chip. There was no guarantee that they would be able to make any medicine from it though. She was essentially selling invisible goods right now.
Durgash put on a troubled and pensive expression after hearing Sharog's response. He was unwilling to become an ally to anybody. How would they get to eat if so? It was best to have your target options open.
"How about I offer some buildings instead?! I can guarantee you that nobody else can make buildings as strong as ours!" Durgash thought that it was worth continuing to discuss things with Sharog after hearing about the medicine.
"We are only seeking alliance at the moment." Sharog kindly rejected it. Although these buildings were better than the poorly crafted wooden cottages or unstable cabins they were still poorly built. They needed something reliable like manpower or firepower.
"You've put me in a tough spot!" Durgash was now starting to consider plundering them for their medicine but he actually didn't know who they were and where they were located. Not only that but a lot of his people were injured and fighting would only make it worse.
"What are the conditions of this alliance?" Durgash asked in a normal tone of voice as he begrudgingly asked. Sharog had also mentioned food so it might not be a bad idea to join the alliance even if only temporarily.
This put Sharog on a tough spot in an instant. Since she was selling non-existent products she didn't know the quantity or effectiveness of the potion. This meant she could only use vague words or strange conditions.
"We will give you enough to allow a quarter of your tribe a full recovery at the very least. In exchange, we hope that you will aid us in battle!" Sharog's terms weren't great but Durgash was starting to become quite desperate due to the injured situation.
"And how do we split the loot after battle?!" Durgash was afraid that he wouldn't get a cut of food after assisting Sharog in battle. Medicine was fine and all but they also needed to eat.
Realizing the misunderstanding in play, Sharog had to quickly correct Durgash while not scaring him off.
"The fight won't yield any food but we can give you food depending on your performance in battle" She didn't want to directly mention an unknown enemy since not only was it odd but if Durgash learned of the projected strength he might be scared off due to his tribe's injuries.
"I can't risk this." Muttered Durgash, well everybody else could still hear what he said.
"You don't have to worry about me, Master!" The quiet Dakgu told Durgash.
"What?!? How can I not worry! You don't have a leader's character yet! I can't leave just yet!" Durgash's unwillingness came from his desire to mold Dakgu into a worthy leader for the tribe. It was already a miracle that Durgash had made it to his current age given the great turmoil of the entire plains and forest area. Every day was a constant battle.
The injuries he had incurred over all of these battles were starting to seriously affect him now that he was much older. If he went into battle he could no longer guarantee he would come back.
He was mostly alive because, right now, the thunder cry tribe seldom heads into battle!
Most of their food came from stealing. Their tribe's foundation, the lightning steps movement technique, combines the tribe's lightning affinity with nimble steps to create quick and deft movements. These movements which were learned by a majority of the warriors in the tribe were perfect for stealing.
As an orc tribe, they had their own pride but unfortunately, their injuries made it a risk to enter direct confrontation. Durgash could no longer boast the name of his thunder cry tribe which used to be known for their overwhelming battle presence.
With thunderous roars and wild movements, the thunder tribe used to be uncontested in the area. Their many victories and heritage was what led them to become such a large tribe.
Durgash would feel lament just thinking about it. He had to mold Dakgu into a better leader than him. The tribe's issues had accumulated during his time leading it after all. He obviously lacked the necessary foresight.
"I already learned all of your fighting techniques! This tribe respects the strong! I don't need a leader's character!" Dukga decisively retorted. It was evident that this was something he had thought about previously. It was only that now he found an opportunity to voice it.
"Dukga, leave for now. I'll discipline you later." Durgash said with a sigh. He was a bit happy that Dukga managed to yell back at him as it meant that his many lessons were finally starting to take effect. Dukga was developing independence! But he still had to dismiss him as now wasn't the time.
"I am not leaving! I don't want to steal anymore!" Dukga stood up on the table and angrily yelled. The room was silenced following Dukga's sudden outrage.
It was only after a couple of seconds passed that Dukga noticed his mistake. With an 'oh oh', he hopped off and tried to scutter out of the room.
But he was stopped by boisterous laughter, extremely boisterous laughter. This could only mean it came from Durgash
"Dukga! You did it! You yelled at me! I am so proud of you! Hahaha!" Declared Durgash joyfully. If Ed was here he would find his words to be extremely odd, who would praise their disciple for yelling at them???
"Alright then! It's decided" Durgash smashed his fist on the table.
"I'll be part of your alliance!" Shouted Durgash in a good mood.
He would usually try to bargain more but given the occasion of Dukga's first outburst, he decided it was best to just accept. Since Dukga said he was tired of stealing and these people were offering an indirect solution why not take it?
Sharog was a bit surprised by the weird turn of events but she nonetheless wore a bright smile.. As long as it meant success.