The arrival of the Watchers quickly stirred up a storm within Storm's End, especially among the orcs there.
One evening, after serving his new master, Yulga had just returned to his temporary residence and taken off the human-style leather armor that felt a bit too tight for him when suddenly there was a knocking sound outside the door—three long knocks followed by two short knocks—the coded signal agreed upon by the orc tribes.
Brock, who was with Yulga, unlatched the door, and Kajak, the leader of the Bloodclaw tribe, slipped inside.
Because the Orc army approached too quickly, not only the Bone Tribe became prisoners of the Orc army in Storm's End, but also many other Orc tribes that had not had time to evacuate were left behind. Apart from those who died in battle, the rest were all captured by the Orc army.
With Yulga as an example, many quick-thinking orcs promptly latched onto Prince Yuriko's coattails, such as Kajak in front of us.
What brings you here?
Kajak was getting impatient and cut to the chase: "Don't you know? Those Watchers have been rounding people up these past few days. We have to take action!"
Yulga guessed what the other party was up to, and his muscles tensed instantly, but he didn't show it on his face. He gestured for Brock to stand guard outside the door, while he slowly poured himself a glass of cheap ale.
"Us?" Yulga chuckled coldly. "It's you, isn't it? I have no interest in robbing ordinary human civilians." Yulga was after high-ranking nobles like Bradley.
In recent days, under the orders of Earl Duke, the Watchers have established a military court in Storm's End to accept lawsuits from the surrounding residents and arrest orcs who have committed crimes against human civilians outside the battlefield.
After a thorough investigation, several hidden orc criminals were identified from the prisoners and quickly taken to the main road outside the city to be hanged for passersby to "see".
Panic gripped the orc captives inside Windbreak Keep.
"Foolish!" Kajak wanted to curse but dared not raise his voice. "We are all orcs, aliens in Duke's eyes. Anyone who sets foot on Aldor's land is already guilty of an unforgivable crime in his mind."
"Killing, looting... these are just his excuses. Don't humans have these kinds of problems in their own wars? He finds an excuse to kill off a group of people, then finds another excuse to kill off another group. Sooner or later, Duke will wipe out all the orcs who are stuck here."
Kagak's words made Yulga's eyelids twitch; it wasn't impossible.
"Once I fall into their hands and get killed, you'll be next," Kagak said, his words filled with despair and madness. "And everyone else in your Ubone tribe too."
"So what do you want to do?" Yurga retorted. "To raid the Watchers' barracks now? With our current weapons and organization, what's the difference between that and suicide?"
"Aha!" Kajak scoffed. "I hear cowardice in your words. Of course I'm not that brainless, but it requires the united efforts of all the orcs of Storm's End, including your Blackbone tribe!"
"Kagak, I cannot drag my people into a hopeless battle."
Kajak patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, besides our people, I've also found a powerful ally—the Arcane Society."
Yulga's eyelids twitched. "A wizard?"
He knew that Abar had collaborated with human wizards, who seemed to be the Arcane Society that Kajak had mentioned.
...
When we entered Goruk's room, the shaman was grinding herbs.
He turned around and looked at Yulga, somewhat curious about why the chief had come to see him so late.
Yulga sat down cross-legged and briefly explained what Kagak had come to him to plot, noting that the leader of the Bloodclaw tribe had just left.
Even though there was no wind, the bone bell hanging from the shaman's wooden staff that stood against the wall suddenly began to vibrate slightly.
After listening to the story, Goruk silently spread out the hot ash and blew on it.
"I understand. I hope the spirit of the grassland can give us some inspiration."
The shaman lit the brazier, took out three objects made of animal bones from under his robe, and threw them into the fire.
Goruk mumbled incoherently as the flames in the basin grew ever stronger. As the objects were roasted, the three bone artifacts cracked in the flames, making a crackling sound that resembled screams.
Suddenly, a clump of ashes rose from the basin, forming a ferocious wolf's head shape in mid-air, before suddenly disintegrating.
"It's an ominous sign." Goruk stared blankly at the brazier, his Adam's apple bobbing. "If the Wugu tribe travels with him, they are very likely to be heading down a dangerous path to their doom."
Yurga asked hesitantly, "Are you sure?"
Goruk rolled his eyes at the chief. "If every divination result was certain to happen in the future, I would have ruled the world long ago! The Ubone tribe wouldn't be stuck here unable to go back."
Yulga scratched his head in distress. "Looks like I need to think this over carefully."
...
A contingent of Austrian cavalry is advancing on the continent leading from the Narodan Corridor to Windbreak Fortress.
Derrick Heller suddenly reined in his horse and raised his right fist to signal the cavalry behind him to stop.
On a desolate field at dusk, a figure shrouded in a gray cloak stood silently in the middle of the road, the shadow beneath the hood so deep it seemed to swallow the light.
"Sir, is there anything I can do for you?" Derrick's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and his warhorse trotted uneasily.
The cloaked figure slowly raised his head, but his face remained hidden in the shadows beneath the hood.
"I've been sent by someone to deliver a message to you." His voice seemed to come from a great distance, carrying a strange echo. "A riot is brewing within Windbreak Keep. If we don't deal with it properly, we might suffer a great loss, hehe."
It seemed to be a young person's voice, but it sounded somewhat frivolous, as if they weren't genuinely there to warn someone, but rather were there to watch the show.
Derrick's pupils contracted sharply, and he spurred his horse forward to press for more information, but the other man had already turned and left.
"Stop him!" Derrick shouted sharply.
Several Austrian cavalrymen immediately spurred their horses forward and flanked the enemy from both sides.
But an unexpected thing happened. The other person was just walking normally, but in the blink of an eye, he appeared hundreds of steps away, as if the earth had shortened the distance beneath his feet.
"Witchcraft?" Derrick gasped.
As a well-informed nobleman from the Northwest Bay, Derrick Heller knew what was happening in the world: certain groups that had long been hidden in the shadows of society were beginning to reveal their true colors to the world.
Corner Bay, Gabella, and even around the Marquis of Grammy...
He abruptly turned his horse around. "Full speed ahead! Send men to the main force at the rear and inform Lord Gleman of what just happened!"
On a distant hill, Nathan removed the hood that covered his face and watched as the Austrian cavalry disappeared at the end of the road.
"Seriously, which side are we on anyway?!"
He made a somewhat bitter self-deprecating joke.