Amukelo faced the second orc on the rooftop. The orc charged as he raised his axe, but Amukelo sidestepped the swing and countered with a quick slash, but the orc parried.
"Stop him!" Durzag bellowed, and his mages sprang into action.
Suddenly, a barrage of white beams and sharp earth spikes hurtled toward Amukelo. He evaded the first few beams but as more spells converged, evasion was no longer possible. In a desperate move, Amukelo grabbed the orc he was fighting and spun him around, using him as a shield. The orc howled in pain as the spells slammed into him.
As the barrage ended, Amukelo dropped the now-lifeless orc and quickly turned his attention to Eliss. With a swift slash, he cut through the chains binding her. Eliss staggered as she regained her freedom, but Amukelo grabbed her arm, steadying her.
"We need to move," he said urgently, scanning the plaza below.
Durzag's voice thundered again. "Don't let them escape!"
Amukelo and Eliss exchanged a brief glance before they leapt to the other side of the rooftop. They landed on a narrow ledge, their feet slipping slightly on the rain-slicked surface, before disappearing into the maze of buildings that bordered the plaza.
In the plaza, Durzag clenched his fists as his mages ceased their spells. One of his men approached cautiously. "Should we follow them, sir?"
Durzag waved him off dismissively. "No. They're most likely gone by now. But keep watch on the surroundings. If they're foolish enough to linger, we'll catch them."
He turned his attention back to the stage, where Naguk and his restrained team were being brought forward, their weapons and gear confiscated. Naguk's eyes burned with anger, but he remained silent.
Durzag smirked as he paced before Naguk. "Well, well, look at your humans, Naguk. Such loyal friends you've chosen. They abandoned you the moment things got serious. What a fine leader you've become."
Naguk gritted his teeth but said nothing. Ghak, however, did not stay quiet. She sneered at Naguk and hissed, "I knew we shouldn't have trusted them. They're nothing but a liability."
Amukelo and Eliss stopped several blocks away, ducking into a narrow alley to catch their breath. The rain continued to pour. Amukelo leaned against the wall.
"We need to go back," Eliss said suddenly. "We can't just leave them there."
Amukelo shook his head. "I know, but look at the situation. There are at least forty of them, and all of our people are disarmed. If we rush back now, we'll only get ourselves caught or worse."
Eliss stopped faced him directly. "So what do you want to do? Leave them there to die?"
Amukelo's voice rose, his frustration evident. "That's not what I'm saying! But if we're going to go back, we need a plan—a real one. Charging in recklessly will just get us killed, and it won't help anyone."
Eliss bit her lip, clearly holding back the urge to argue. She took a deep breath, then looked up, her eyes glinting with a spark of realization. "The rain," she said softly.
Amukelo frowned. "What about it?"
Eliss turned toward the alley's entrance, gesturing at the downpour. "We can use it. Everything's wet. I can freeze it on a much larger scale without having to create water myself. But…" She hesitated.
"But what?" Amukelo pressed.
"I won't be able to control it perfectly," Eliss admitted. "It could hurt some of our people. Not critically, but it won't be precise."
Amukelo thought for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. "It's risky, but we don't have a better option. If we're going to do this, we need to move fast and hit hard."
Eliss's expression hardened with resolve. "Let's do it."
Amukelo grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. "If things get too bad, we retreat. No arguments. Understood?"
Eliss hesitated but finally nodded. "Understood."
With that, they began making their way back toward the plaza.
Durzag stood tall on the stage as he declared "This," He gestured to the bound figures of Naguk and his supporters, "is what overly trusting fools bring upon themselves. This is what happens when you place your faith in outsiders—when you let humans meddle in our affairs!"
He pointed dramatically toward the crowd. "Naguk, from the so-called Thunderjaw tribe, has preached about trust, about unity, about alliances. And look where it's gotten him!" He leaned forward. "These humans, the ones he so boldly trusted, have abandoned him at the first sign of trouble. Betrayed him the moment things became difficult."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. Durzag's lips curled into a grin as he saw the seeds of discontent taking root. He turned back toward Naguk, who was lying on the stage.
Durzag raised his voice, addressing the crowd once more. "And yet, he told you to welcome them, to trust them with your lives, your homes, and your nation! He wanted you to rely on outsiders for your strength instead of building it from within."
The murmurs grew louder, some orcs nodding, others looking uncertain. Naguk struggled against his restraints, his body jerking with effort as he tried to rise.
"Look where that led him!" Durzag gestured at Naguk like a showman presenting a failed prize. "To failure! To humiliation! But don't worry—Ashfang tribe is merciful." His grin widened. "We won't kill them. Because we, unlike him, understand the importance of unity. We will spare their lives, for the good of our nation, to build a strength that doesn't rely on outsiders!"
Before Durzag could revel in his triumph any further, Naguk's voice cut through the rain. "Shut up!" he roared furiously. The crowd fell silent, their attention snapping back to him.
Durzag's grin faltered, his eyes narrowing. Naguk continued. "You and your people are nothing but cowards! We didn't lose because we allied with humans. We lost because of a traitor. Someone among us leaked our plans. That is why we are here—not because of any alliance!"
Durzag's face twisted in anger. He took a step forward. Without warning, he kicked Naguk square in the face, the force of the blow snapping Naguk's head to the side. A gasp rippled through the crowd as Naguk fell back, blood dripping from his mouth onto the wet wood of the platform.
"Enough!" Durzag growled. He pressed his boot against Naguk's head, pinning it to the ground. "You lost. People who lose don't have the right to speak."
Naguk growled, his breath ragged and furious. With a sudden surge of strength, he pushed against the ground with his bound legs, twisting his head free just enough to bite down hard on Durzag's calf. Durzag screamed in pain, staggering as Naguk's teeth sank deep into his flesh.
"You miserable—!" Durzag bellowed as he swung his hammer at Naguk's face. The strike wasn't enough to kill, but it was enough to daze him, forcing Naguk to release his bite. Blood poured from Durzag's leg as he stumbled back.
"Fool," Durzag spat, raising the hammer again. This time, he brought it down with sickening force on Naguk's leg. The sound of bone shattering echoed through the plaza. Naguk screamed in agony, his body convulsing as pain coursed through him.
Then Ghak yelled with desperation. "Wait! That's not what you promised!"
Durzag turned to her, his face twisting into a cruel smile. "Hahaha… Promises? It was him who couldn't keep his mouth shut. He got what he deserved."
Naguk's head rolled weakly to the side, his body trembling from the pain as he looked at Ghak. "Ghak… so you betrayed us…"
Ghak's face twisted in pain. "Naguk—"
"Why…?" Naguk interrupted, his voice trembling. "Why did you betray your brothers?"