The journey to Blazewatch stretched out over the rugged terrain. Amukelo and Eliss, as had become their habit, walked slightly behind the main group.
But eventually Xulgag and Tidgug, accompanied by a few other orcs from their combined teams, slowed down to join the two humans.
Tidgug broke the silence first. "You did really well back there, Amukelo. Your speed and agility are impressive."
Amukelo gave a small laugh, trying to suppress the awkwardness of being singled out. "Thanks," he said.
Tidgug turned to Eliss. "And your water shield? Brilliant move, Milena."
Eliss's brow furrowed deeply. "My name is not Milena," she corrected sharply. "It's Eliss."
Tidgug blinked, his expression blank for a moment before he laughed lightly. "Right. Eliss. I'll remember."
Amukelo grinned faintly at her reaction but didn't comment. Tidgug continued. "But, Amukelo, you need to work on your strength. That blow against the Octoraptor was... weak."
Amukelo's brow twitched, but he kept his smile, masking the irritation bubbling beneath. "I'll keep that in mind," he said lightly, though he wanted to say, You wanna fight?
Tidgug seemed oblivious to the undertone. "Still, your reaction time is faster than most orcs. That's rare. You'll be a valuable reinforcement on this mission."
Amukelo nodded. "I hope I can help."
Tidgug turned to Eliss, gesturing to her staff. "Your spells are fast, too. I suppose humans have some natural advantage in speed."
Amukelo shrugged. "We have to make up for something, don't we?"
Other orcs joined the conversation, asking the humans about their training, their homeland, and their journey to Ghorzaan.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, Blazewatch finally came into view. The town sprawled unevenly over the rocky terrain, its layout haphazard and utilitarian. Unlike Grenskar, which had a mix of bone and wood structures, Blazewatch seemed almost entirely made of bones lashed together with crude rope and reinforced by thick hides. The buildings stood in clusters, creating narrow, shadowed alleys that seemed less inviting than the open streets of Grenskar.
The centerpiece of the town was a large circular plaza, likely used for speeches or ceremonies. Surrounding it were market stalls covered in tattered cloth, each exuding a pungent mix of spices, dried meats, and leather.
Eliss wrinkled her nose. "It smells like a tannery."
Naguk, undeterred, moved toward the central plaza. He sought out the largest gathering of people and raised his voice to address them.
"Attention!" His deep, commanding tone carried across the plaza.
Some orcs turned to look, others ignored him entirely, continuing their tasks without acknowledgment.
Naguk continued, "I am Naguk of the Thunderjaw tribe. I am a candidate for the Council of Ten. Tomorrow morning, I will be giving a speech right here in this plaza. If you wish to make the right choice for our nation's future, I encourage you to come and hear my words."
The orcs' interest grew as he spoke, and a few began to approach him. "What makes you so special?" one asked gruffly. "What can you offer us that others can't?"
Naguk gestured to his team, and several of his followers began distributing small pieces of parchment. Each one bore details of the speech's time and location, written in bold, clear letters. "I'll explain tomorrow," Naguk said confidently. "Take these, and bring your friends. You'll see for yourselves."
Several orcs took the parchments, studying them briefly. One of them nodded, saying, "We'll be here."
"Good decision," Naguk replied with a note of approval.
As the crowd began to disperse, Naguk's team splitted up to hang notices and engage with smaller groups throughout the town.
The second group made their way through toward the nearest inn. Some of the orcs broke off to distribute the remaining papers, ensuring that every part of the town would hear about Naguk's speech.
Amukelo walked beside Naguk, his brow furrowed as he considered the crowd earlier. "Can you really just gather a crowd like that? Aren't there safety measures or restrictions in place? Especially with the alliance forming between orcs and humans?"
Naguk responded without hesitation. "There are restrictions, yes. But as a candidate for the Council of Ten, I have certain privileges. Everyone knows I won't incite trouble—not openly, at least." He gave a wry smile, which Amukelo found both reassuring and slightly unnerving. "If any of my opponents try to interfere, they'll look like cowards afraid of open competition. But they will still do it if they believe they can get rid of their opponents."
When they arrived at the inn, Naguk walked inside first and approached the counter. "Eight rooms for one night," he said firmly, placing a small pouch of coins on the counter.
The innkeeper, grabbed the coins and handed over a set of keys. Naguk turned and began distributing them among his team as he called out names. "Mor, Tidgug, Xulgag..."
"Are there rooms for humans?" Eliss asked with resignation, as if already knowing the answer.
The innkeeper shot her a disinterested glance. "No. We don't keep separate rooms for humans."
Eliss sighed deeply, muttering to herself, "It's just one day..."
Naguk turned to Amukelo. "You'll be sharing with me. Eliss, you'll share with Mor."
Amukelo nodded without any objections. Eliss, on the other hand, shot Mor a cautious glance. Mor, the only female orc in the group, gave her a toothy grin. "Don't worry, Milena. It's just a room."
Eliss's eye twitched. "It's Eliss," she corrected.
"Right, Eliss," Mor said with a shrug. "Come on. Let's get settled."
Eliss followed Mor up a narrow staircase. When Mor opened the door to their room, Eliss froze in the doorway. The room reeked of decay, the stench so overpowering it made her gag. Scattered across the floor were bones—some stripped clean, others still bearing scraps of rotting meat. A few dark stains marked the crude hide walls.
"W-what is this?" Eliss choked out, stepping back instinctively. "How can anyone stay here?"
Mor looked at her with genuine confusion. "What's the problem? It's just a room."
Eliss pinched her nose, fighting the urge to retch. "We have to do something about this... this mess. The smell is unbearable."
Mor shrugged, already flopping onto one of the hide-covered beds. "Do what you like. Doesn't bother me."
Eliss cast her an incredulous look but didn't argue. She marched over to the small window and pushed it open, gasping as a gust of fresh air poured in. Then, using her telekinesis spell, she began to gather the scattered bones, starting with the smaller ones. She floated them out of the window in clumps. The larger bones required more effort, she was unable to pick many of the at a time, and she had to move them one or two at a time.
Mor watched with mild amusement. "You're putting a lot of effort into this for one night."
Eliss didn't respond as she continued clearing the room.
Meanwhile, Amukelo entered his own assigned room with Naguk. The sight and smell weren't much better, and he stopped in his tracks, grimacing. "Ugh... doesn't this bother you?" he asked, gesturing at the scattered refuse and general state of disarray.
Naguk gave him a curious look. "What is there to be bothered by?"
Amukelo stared at him in disbelief. "The smell, the bones, the... everything. How can you live like this?"
Naguk shrugged, clearly unbothered. "It's just a room. We don't spend much time in places like this. What's the point of worrying about it?"
Amukelo shook his head and sighed. "At least let me open the window."
Naguk didn't object, and Amukelo strode over to the small window, forcing it open with a grunt. A faint breeze drifted in, diluting the stench but doing little to change his overall discomfort.