Chapter 2 - I am a Slave

Khan woke up in a metal cage with his hands and feet bound. As he looked around he noticed many other orcs with him and Fire Bird guards patrolling alongside the cages.

Khan quickly asked someone next to him, "What's going on?"

"Oh you're finally awake. We're being taken as slaves for the Fire Bird Clan." Said a female orc clutching her babe.

"SLAVES? I will not be a slave! I am the son of the Chieftain! I will never be a slave!" Khan said trying to stand up.

"SLAP! Shut up boy you are no longer anything. From now on you will be a slave or you will die! Now be quiet or those orcs will beat us for being too loud." The female orc turned away and tried to put as much distance as possible between herself and Khan.

'Slave, slave. I can't be a slave. I am Khan, the greatest orc to ever exist. I can't be the strongest warrior by living in a cage.' Khan thought while holding his stinging cheek.

At around noon an orc yelled "Grub time!!" All of the Fire Bird orcs started to crowd around a big pot and an extremely fat orc wielding a wooden spoon the size of a great sword. They all started to line up holding out wooden bowls in their hands.

"Thank you chef Borgan!" All of the orcs said. When getting their food they prostrated themselves with extreme reverence in front of the orc known as Borgan while he poured broth into their bowls.

Borgan gave them a devilish smile in return and said, "Your welcome." The orcs shivered but continued on.

An orc then came to Khan's cage and threw a bag through the bars. "Kulkkulkkulk. Eat up slaves this is all the food you will be getting for today." The orc said while laughing.

The bag landed next to Khan. Khan, having not eaten anything since yesterday night, tore into the bag. However, the food made him scowl, "What is this? It's just moldy half eaten bread!" Khan said while holding a piece of hardtack. He was then knocked over by another slave who quickly stole the bag from him. "What are you doing?"

"Don't you get it boy? Get off your pedestal. If we don't eat we will become weak and if we are too weak we will be killed! This is survival. Eat if you want to live!" The female orc said to him while grabbing bread for herself.

Khan stared long and hard into the bread, but he couldn't muster enough courage to eat. However, he also couldn't bring himself to throw it away. So he sat, curled up in a corner of the cage, and he slept. Khan awoke a couple hours later to a horrible smell wafting through the cage. Looking around, he noticed a corner of the cage was now filled with feces and urine. Khan couldn't believe it and thought to himself, 'How is this possible? How have I been reduced to a shit filled cage eating moldy ass bread bound up like a fucking deer?' Khan gazed outside the cage. The sun was setting and the Fire Bird orcs were setting up their tents for the night. Borgan was preparing another hot meal over the fire. Smelling the aroma from Borgan's cooking made Khan's stomach growl. "Huph," sighing, Khan took out his piece of bread and shoved it into his mouth. He gagged, but with great effort swallowed it down. Khan then covered his nose with his rags and huddled back into his corner to sleep.

When the sun started to rise, Fullan approached Chieftain Flamock's tent. "Chieftain, if we leave now we should reach the village by noon."

"Good, let's head out." Flamock said packing away the last of his tent.

Khan awoke to the jostling of the cage and the bumping of a metal bar on his head, "Shit." 'I thought it was a dream. I still can't believe it. Two days ago I was on the top of the world and now look at where I am.'

A few hours later, Khan started to hear cheers. He looked out of the cage and was greeted by a village twice as big as Spotted Wolf, with high, spiked wooden walls marking the perimeter.

Flamock raised his great sword in the air and from it swung the head of Khan's deceased father, bellowing, "WE HAVE RETURNED VICTORIOUS!!!" Cheers came from everywhere when he said that.

Flamock turned to Fullan who was by his side and said, "Go. lead the slaves to the farm and tell the Shaman to brand them."

"Yes, Chieftain." Fullan responded, ushering the giant lizards to head over to the West of the village. A couple minutes later Fullan brought the lizards in front of another wooden wall, this one rectangular as opposed to the circular wall surrounding the village.

Fullan then ordered the orcs to take out the slaves from their cages "Kuhahaha you smell like shit slaves. Well I guess that's what you always smell like Kuhahaha." An orc said while hauling Khan out of the cage.

"Line up you bastards!" yelled Fullan directing all of the captured slaves to the front of a table and firepit.

Soon, an orc approached wearing a cloak, wielding a staff and a big bowl. As orc approached the fire pit,he stretched out his hand. From it, out shot a ball of fire that set fire to the wood in the pit. "Shaman!" Khan exclaimed. 'Only one in 10,000 orcs are born with the talent to be a Shaman. If only our clan had one. My title means I should be able to learn magic, but their was never anyone to teach me. If there was I would have slaughtered all those bastards.'

"Come." Said the Shaman in a low scratchy voice. "You all brought me away from my research so let's make this fast." The Shaman took out an S-shaped branding iron a poked it into the fire Once it turned white-hot he dipped the hot iron into his large bowl filled with blood. This made a loud sizzling sound and when he drew it out blood bubbled off the hot iron. He grabbed the head of the first orc in line and stuck the brand to his forehead. The Shaman scoffed at his pain, saying, "Go, enter the gate and farm forever." The orc screamed in pain but soon quieted down and slowly marched through the wooden gate.

Seeing this, the next orc in line bolted towards the woods. He made it about five paces away when a fire ball hit him squarely in the back. As he erupted into flames he screamed, "AHHHHHHHH!" Khan froze, and after a minute or so of writhing in pain, the orc fell dead.

"Anyone else want to run?" The Shaman asked, putting the brand back into the blood. No one dared say a word in response and the Shaman resumed the branding. When it came time for Khan's turn, he stared at the Shaman with great fear as he stepped forward. The Shaman grabbed his head and branded Khan. Khan started to scream but soon he felt his mind numb.

Across his vision came the words