At a distance, one could see the mountains running across the western border like a wall. Flying above the road in their direction was Zack scanning the area for signs of slavers. Haruna's reports described the problem in the demon territory to be the hardest to route out.
In the neutral territory, the slavers rely on hiding in barriers and attacking tribes openly, but here they are woven into society. Many of the demon territories still despise humans, but having their hands tied by the treaties they could only ignore their presence. With the slavers, it allowed them to fill their coffers, and watch the weak suffer as a bonus.
Ozen's territory may run differently, but they have operatives in the shadows helping their cause. It's how they escape confinement regularly and can pass through the territories undetected. Determining their routes, or allies was the first priority, but with the sounds of battle below Zack couldn't ignore it.
'Cameron mentioned conflicts along the border,'
Down in the forest, a skirmish broke out near a large lake. The tribes clashing both belonged to the orc race, but they have feuded for centuries over resources. A lake as large as this was capable of being shared by more than their tribes alone, but this fails for one reason. One chieftain thrived off warfare and had no desire to change.
Leading the conflict was an older orc named Uram. He is the chieftain of his clan and has desires to expand. In order to do this, he must first take out the other races in the valley. To do this he would need to secure the lake, and rid himself of an old rival close to home.
To accomplish this all thirty of Uram's warriors marched towards their village to convert those willing, and slaughter those who resist. A small group was fetching water and saw their approach. After sounding the horn to warn of the attack they were struggling to hold off the band of warriors.
Even while outnumbered they did well to hold their ground, and only lost two warriors so far. One of Uram's warriors charged in with a battle-ax, but landing before him was Zack. Seeing a human intervening the orc swung it down intending to cleave him in half, but Zack caught it by the handle as the bones in his arm cracked.
'My arm won't budge.' The orc desperately yanked his weapon.
Zack quickly drew the blade from his hip driving it through the orc's thigh. As he collapsed to his knee Zack appeared behind him, and swiftly broke the orc's neck. The information in the library was very thorough about orcs, and he wouldn't allow them to ignite their essence.
Before the body could collapse to the ground Zack had two orcs at his back. One swung down a bulky hammer, and the other swung both his axes sideways. Zack stepped forward and directed his palm outwards as spears formed from the earth piercing their hearts.
"I thought orc's fought with honor? " Zack announced while calling his sword back to his hand.
Watching three warriors fall in under thirty seconds, and hearing the taunt Uram raised his hand halting the men. Uram is massive even for orc standards, and the only armor he was wearing was a steel pauldron on his right shoulder. Fastened around his leather pants was a belt of tusk he claimed from their warriors over the years.
"Of course we do." Uram retorted while retrieving his ax from a fallen warrior.
"Where's the honor in a battle like this?" Zack asked approaching the front of the line without fear.
"This is a war, not a duel," Uram smirked.
"Then how about a duel," Zack retorted.
Uram hurled his ax at Zack while lifting his hammer off the ground to charge forward. Zack dodged the ax while seizing it by the handle, and hurling it back. The force behind it was unexpected, and even in his attempt to dodge, Uram received a deep cut across his cheek. As the ax continued through the air another warrior caught it in the process as his body was severed.
The warriors watching couldn't believe their eyes and thought Zack was a demon to exert this strength. Watching Zack clash with their chief as his eyes turned gold furthered this belief. Even if he was a demon standing against an orc wouldn't be so easy. Especially one hardened through a constant war like Uram.
'No wonder he's the chief.' Zack narrowly dodged a decapitation.
While battling Zack had the upper hand, but he couldn't land a sufficient killing blow. Uram's eyes already began to turn red as his strikes became erratic. With each swing, the might grew as his body and weapon had a red aura swirling around it.
Zack received a shallow cut across his chest that left a residual effect making it difficult to heal. This was why he struck the orcs down so quickly, and why a small warband could threaten Cameron's kingdom. While they were exchanging blows another warband was approaching their location. Zack sensed their arrival and noticed Uram's forces preparing to lift their weapons in response.
'Need to stop this now before it gets worse.'
On the next exchange, Zack's wings unfurled rapidly cutting up Uram's chest and knocking his arms away exposing his body. Before Uram could adjust to the new form Zack stepped in punching a hole through his chest. The red light faded from Uram's eyes, and his body flopped onto the ground. The new arrivals were preparing to attack Zack, but the orcs he saved halted them.
"Stand down or join the others," Zack announced.
Zack was expecting some resistance, but Uram's warriors rapidly dropped to their knees. When starting the duel he was doing it to discourage the others from fighting, but defeating a chieftain in a duel is no small matter. Upon doing so all their land and troops transfer over to the warrior who defeated them.
"Maybe you'll be more reasonable than the last chieftain."
Turning around there was a large orc woman with lime green skin, wavy obsidian hair trailing to her shoulders, and an x shaped scar on the side of her abs. The domineering warrior towering over Zack is Minerva, and she is the chieftain of her tribe.