"You see, Amukelo. People thought I was dead," Naguk continued, his voice steady but with a hint of gratitude lacing his words. "There were no signs of me for over three months. I vanished without a trace. Thanks to you, Amukelo, I made it out alive. That alone has garnered me many supporters, no matter whether I win or lose."
Naguk gave a small, respectful bow toward Amukelo. Startled, Amukelo raised his hands defensively and said, "There's no reason to thank me. Like your friend said, it was transactional. I had no intention of saving you."
Naguk straightened with a small smile. "Perhaps. But intentions don't erase the reality of what happened. Regardless of why you helped, the fact remains that you did."
Naguk continued, his tone shifting back to business. "My opponents think the match is the only thing that matters in this campaign. They're hiding away, training in secret instead of rallying public support."
He paused, his jaw tightening for a moment before he added, "To be fair, it's not an invalid strategy. Two of my opponents are already dead, and I myself came close to sharing their fate."
Amukelo frowned, his expression darkening at the thought. "Why don't you do the same?" he asked, leaning forward. "I mean, orcs seem to value physical strength above all else." He shot a pointed look at Eliss and added with a sarcastic lilt, "I know that from personal experience."
Eliss glanced at him, shrugged dismissively, and crossed her arms. Her nonchalance irritated Amukelo slightly, his lip twitching as he muttered, "Unbelievable."
Naguk chuckled before he continued. "That's where they're wrong," Naguk said, returning to his point. "They think strength is the only thing that matters. But the true strength of a leader isn't just in their physical prowess. It's in their courage to face danger head-on and their ability to gain the trust and loyalty of their people."
He paused, and then said. "Traveling around, exposing ourselves to risks in broad daylight while others cower in hiding—this is the true test of a leader. What good is raw power in a leader who is nothing more than a coward?"
Amukelo nodded slowly, though it was clear from his expression that politics and leadership strategies weren't topics he deeply cared about. Eliss, on the other hand, seemed completely distracted, her gaze drifting to the decorations and weapons adorning the room.
As Naguk finished speaking, the room began to fill with more orcs. One by one, they entered, nodding respectfully toward Naguk before taking their places around the table or against the walls. Among them was Ghak, who gave both Amukelo and Eliss a sharp, suspicious glare. Her lips thinned as if she were biting back a remark, but she ultimately said nothing and took her place among the others.
The quiet murmur of the gathering was interrupted by the hurried footsteps of a smaller orc rushing into the room. He approached Naguk with a bowed head. "Sir Naguk," He said, "I have a report."
Naguk gestured for him to continue.
The smaller orc straightened, glancing briefly at the gathered group before speaking. "The candidate from the Ashfang tribe has been confirmed to be hiding in Greymaw Keep. Meanwhile, the candidate from the Emberhorn tribe is residing in Crimsonspire. We haven't pinpointed their exact locations within those towns yet, but we're certain they're staying there."
Naguk's expression nodded slowly. "Good work," he said simply.
The smaller orc bowed again, stepping to the side to join a growing row of orcs who stood ready for further instructions.
"Now that everyone is here," Naguk began, "let's divide you into teams and discuss our plans."
The gathered orcs straightened. Naguk first addressed a pair on his right. "Urul and Zurgha."
The two orcs, a stocky one with a jagged scar across his forehead and a leaner one with intricate tribal markings on his arms, stepped forward simultaneously. "Yes, sir!" they barked.
"Your groups will head to Greymaw Keep. The rocky terrain there lends itself well to ambushes and covert operations. Urul, your archers will coordinate with Zurgha's mages. Use the natural surroundings to your advantage—gather information, disrupt their movements, and cause enough trouble to keep them on edge."
Both nodded sharply, their voices unified as they replied, "Yes, sir!"
Then they stepped back into their rows. Naguk's attention shifted smoothly to another pair. "Ghak and Yargol."
Two heavily armored orcs straightened. Ghak, the same skeptical orc who had been vocal about her distrust of humans, stood rigid beside Yargol, a massive figure with a battle axe slung across his back. Both replied, "Yes, sir!"
"Crimsonspire's open terrain will suit your melee-focused groups. Your mission will be direct confrontation, but avoid unnecessary risks. You're there to cause chaos and disrupt their plans, not to engage in pointless bloodshed."
"Yes, sir!" they echoed before returning to their places.
Naguk continued without missing a beat. "Xulgag, Tidgug, and Mor."
Three orcs stepped forward and spoke in unison, "Yes, sir!"
"You and your teams will act as my guards during the campaign. Your task is to ensure my safety while traveling and during speeches. We'll move alongside these two humans," he gestured briefly to Amukelo and Eliss. "The first town we'll visit is Blazewatch. We'll stay there one night and announce my speech for the following morning. After the speech, we'll immediately leave for the next town to ensure our movements remain unpredictable to the enemy."
The trio nodded. "Yes, sir!"
Satisfied, Naguk addressed the entire room. "We reconvene here in one week to finalize the strategies before the match. Until then, everyone knows their roles. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the entire room responded.
As the meeting transitioned to more specific operational planning, the selected teams gathered near Naguk's table. Ghak and Yargol's groups were first, leaning over the table as they spread maps and began discussing their deployment. Zurgha and Urul's groups waited their turn but could be seen whispering amongst themselves, reviewing their own maps and logistics.
Amukelo, meanwhile, sat off to the side with crossed arms over his chest, and with bored expression. He tapped his foot idly against the floor, occasionally glancing around the room as if searching for anything remotely engaging. Eliss sat nearby. She busied herself with small magical experiments, her hands flickering between spells. A sphere of water materialized in her palms, floating delicately before she froze it into a crystalline orb. She melted it seconds later, enveloping it in flames, watching the steam rise with a faint smile of satisfaction.
"This is taking forever," Eliss muttered, loud enough for Amukelo to hear.
"Patience," Amukelo replied with a smirk. "Important stuff always takes time."
Eliss snorted, her fingers twirling another sphere of water. "You call this important? We're just sitting here while they're planning chaos and mayhem."
"I'm certain that for them this is very important, but our future travel is depending on the success of this mission, so I guess it's also important for us." Amukelo pointed out, leaning back in his chair.
Eliss sighed dramatically, extinguishing her latest spell with a snap of her fingers. "I wish I had my grimoire with me. At least I could use this time to learn the spell instead of sitting here, bored out of my mind."
Amukelo tilted his head. "What spell are you learning that's so important you're thinking about nothing else but that book?"
Eliss brightened slightly at the question, her tone shifting as she replied, "It's a spell that creates a separate dimension. And I create a connection between that dimension and our world. Basically, I can store things in it and retrieve them whenever I want. Imagine not having to carry all this stuff around!" She groaned. "It would make traveling so much easier."
Amukelo raised an eyebrow. "That does sound useful. Magic has its perks."
Eliss rolled her eyes dramatically. "Seriously? How did you come to that groundbreaking conclusion, Detective Amukelo?"
Amukelo rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her sarcasm. "Can't even have a normal conversation with you." to which Eliss grinned widely