I descended into the depths of the shrine, the air growing heavy with the scent of stale incense and something else… the faint, metallic tang of blood. In the center of the chamber, seated upon a crude throne of stone and bone, sat the Orc leader. He was massive, even by Orc standards, his scarred face a testament to countless battles. He regarded me with cold, reptilian eyes.
"Darius," he rumbled, his voice like grinding stones. "What disturbance has occurred in the village while I slept?"
I approached him slowly, my face composed, my posture radiating an air of deep respect. "It is a great honor and pleasure to address you, Great Chieftain," I said, my voice low and deferential. I even offered a slight bow, a gesture I knew would appeal to his sense of superiority.
Then, the carefully constructed facade shattered. A wide, manic grin spread across my face, twisting my features into a grotesque parody of joy. I threw my head back and roared with laughter, the sound echoing through the cavernous space.
"Alas!" I shouted, my voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Your father is dead! And your people… well, they're mostly dead too."
The Orc's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on the crude axe resting across his lap. The air in the chamber crackled with tension.
"What… treachery is this?" he growled, his voice laced with barely suppressed rage.
I shrugged, my smile never faltering. "Treachery? Oh, I wouldn't call it that. More of a… housecleaning. You see, your leadership was… inefficient. You allowed yourself to become complacent, reliant on lesser creatures to maintain order. That simply wouldn't do."
I gestured towards the entrance of the shrine, where the sounds of the ongoing chaos still echoed faintly. "The goblins… they wereuseful, for a time. But they served their purpose. And as for your Orc brethren… well, they were too unruly, too independent. They posed a threat to my… vision."
The Orc leader rose to his feet, his immense form towering over me. He was clearly struggling to contain his fury, but a flicker of confusion also danced in his eyes. He couldn't comprehend my actions, my complete lack of fear.
"You… a human… you dare to defy me in my own territory?" he snarled.
I chuckled, the sound echoing through the shrine. "Defy you? My dear Chieftain, I've done far more than defy you. I've orchestrated your downfall. I've manipulated your people. I've used them as pawns in my game. And now…" I drew a small, wickedly sharp dagger from my sleeve, the blade glinting in the dim light. "…now, it's your turn to play your part."
The Orc roared, lunging towards me with his axe. But I was faster. I moved with a speed he didn't expect, a speed born not of physical prowess, but of cold, calculating precision. The dagger flashed, a blur of steel against flesh.
The fight was short, brutal, and decidedly one-sided. The Orc's brute strength was no match for my calculated strikes, my intimate knowledge of anatomy, gleaned from years of forced medical practice. In the end, he slumped to the ground, his lifeblood staining the stone floor.
I stood over his corpse, my smile fading, my expression once again blank and emotionless. The chaos outside the shrine was reaching its climax. My plan was nearing its completion. The village was mine. And with it, the first step towards my ultimate goal.