The War of the Black Flag

Night came to Azaghol one eve. That day had been one of victory and defeat in the melee to the south. Both sides, Human and Orc, had tasted the blood of the other, but still there was stalemate. Wargoth Lukra'Braduk herself had sustained a painful wound to her flank late in the day, necessitating her early withdrawal before the end of the day's skirmishing. She sat resting before the central fireplace of the new city, smoking greens with a few of her clansfolk. A few others had gathered, those of other clans back from the front and a few clanless come to see the returning warriors. The mood was relaxed but somewhat dour. They had done well that day, carrying off skulls and loot from Oren's vanguard, but the death-toll had been heavy in the withdrawal. The mood called for stories and song, tales of victory, something rousing.

Lukra smiled. "Any of you heard the tales of Braduk before? In any great detail?" A few Braduks turned to answer, causing her to snort. "Aside from my brother Braduks who know them all to well." A few Orcs nodded, but most did not. Most knew that Braduk was great warrior, fabled leader, and had founded a city in Aegis during the Clash of Clans - that civil war to define all civil wars, that turned the deserts to a sea of chaos and drowned out Krug's peace in a cacophany of mindless bloodshed. But many did not know of Braduk's individual tales, at least not as well as the tales of Krug's children like Gorkil, Lur or Dom. Given a few newer Braduks did not know the fleshed out stories either, Lukra resolved to tell one.

She passed around a fresh supply of greens. It was common knowledge that the powerful narcotic aided in imagination, even as far as to contact the spiritual plane. For the purposes of this at least, it would help the story come alive... to hear the words of the players, and the essence of the story.

"Cast your minds back to the Clash of Clans, brothers and sisters. A war between Orcs that lasted for decades. Gone was honour and gone was Krugmar. The desert was marked by the clans ripping each other apart for reasons long since forgotten, with each death fueling the hate that would cause the next. The clanless and those who refused to fight to our extinction were slain on sight by the clans for simply not having a side. We were lost within our curse of bloodlust, and Enrohk had not known nor has he known since such a great feast of slaughter. But in the sea of death and madness there were islands of hope, islands of peace between Orcs. But as is often the case, outsiders gather like vultures to prey on Orckind when we are at our most vulnerable..."

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The War of the Black Flag:

A brutal war had been tearing the orcs apart. The Clash of the Clans. Orcs had their homes destroyed and were left with nothing, so many banded together. A tent village had risen, but would soon be threatened.

First encounters

“Pirates?” “Yes, Pirates.”

Braduk grunted, this news was not something he wanted to hear. He ran his fingers through his jet-black dread locks. The young orc who was barely in his twenties paced back and forth in his tent. “How many?” Braduk asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead. “I saw four ships. But there is bound to be more, they look well equipped.” It was Gorfjol, Braduks half brother. The two had a close relationship. Gorfjol was smaller than his brother, also younger, about eighteen. Braduk hooked his shorthammer to his belt.

“We need to tell father. These people look to him as a leader. The clans are still at war and we will receive no help. He can rally the people.” Gorfjol nodded in agreement and exited Braduks tent.

Before them was a sprawling tent village, an unofficial settlement of hundreds, maybe thousands of orcs. With the clans at a vicious war, many orcs were left without a home. The biggest and strongest orcs took to being the leaders. The biggest and strongest of them all was Braduk and Gorfjols father, Urdnot. He stood a foot above the rest of the orcs with a hair braid as long as an arm. The leaders tent sat atop a small hill. Braduk and Gorfjol entered, and saw Urdnot hovering over a table with a crudely drawn map of the settlement, three other leaders were present. Urdnot looked up as the flaps of the tent flew open, seeing his sons before him. “Father, we have news.”

“Of what kind?” Urdnots voice was low and stern. Gorfjol spoke up next. “We are now threatened, its pinkskins.” With a growl Urdnot motioned for the other leaders to exit. “Leave us.” Urdnot moved over to a chair, sitting down gracefully. He leaned back, pulling out a pipe. “Speak, my sons.” The two orcs sat down, and Braduk nudged Gorfjol.

“Oh, yes. Me and some boys were scouting the badlands like you said. We went to the moved around to the cliff side where the sea is. Ships, four of them. Judging from the look of their ships they’re not military, but they are pinkskins. Pirates.” Urdnot took a moment to process the information, puffing out a smoke ring. Gorfjol quickly added “I have a feeling theres more than the four I saw though.” Urdnot leaned forward, nodding.

“This raises a bit of a problem. They have no purpose here, so its safe to assume they want to move inland. We could defeat them in open combat, but they wont dare try it. They will send out a scout soon no doubt, make sure you get your hands on him. Bring him directly to me, unspoiled.” Braduk and Gorfjol nodded their father, got up and left. Walking back to their tents they spoke as they walked.

“Whats your take on this Braduk?”

“I’m not sure. We cant be certain they are not just passing by, but if a scout is sent out we know they want this land.” There was an awkward silence between the two brothers. “What?” Gorfjol finally asked, breaking the silence. Braduk looked dead ahead, his voice rough yet completely serious.

“War is coming.”

The Orc and the Buccaneer

The blistering desert sun beat down onto the sands. There was no such thing as a lazy day in the village, so all the orcs were at work. Braduk and Gorfjol lead training sessions with younger orcs. It was then an orc no older than fourteen came sprinting over to the klomping pit.

“Braduk! Gorfjol! W-we have secur…” The young orc was panting heavily. Braduk placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Take a moment, catch your breath boy.” Gorfjol walked over, still clutching his scimitar. The boy spoke.

“The groups Urdnot commanded to watch the Cliffside, they have taken a captive, a scout from the pirates.” Braduk and Gorfjol exchanged glances. The boy looked at the two orcs with a slight sense of intimidation.

“Thankyou, return to your works.” Braduk patted the young orc on the arm and he ran off. Braduk looked to Gorfjol, folding his arms. “I need to get these grunts finished up. Go get the pirate scout.” Gorfjol laughed.

“Have I always been your errand boy?” The two brothers laughed and exchanged punches to the arm.

“No, you had a few years in your mothers wo-…” Silence. Gorfjol looked to the ground and quickly left. Braduk realized what he was saying all too late. Braduks mother was alive, she was crippled, but alive. Gorfjols mother died in child birth.

Gorfjol arrived at the Cliffside at the edge of the badlands at noon. The orcs there had the pirate hogtied. Gorfjol approached, sighing.

“You are smaller than I expected.” Gorfjol mocked. The pirate was an average sized human, wearing black pants and boots with a red shirt half buttoned up. He looked terrified. Gorfjol crouched down next to him. “You have no real position with your people, do you, human?” The pirate squirmed, trying to break free. Gorfjol stood up and kicked him in the ribs. “When I ask you a question you answer, maggot.” He turned to the orcs. “Where’d you find this one?”

“He was wandering into the valley. Heh, lucky we found him, he wouldn’t have lasted a day in the badlands.” The orcs all laughed, Gorfjol however did not. He spoke in a serious tone.

“This poor excuse for a creature may not last a day here period. Come on, lets take him home.”

“Gorfjol, wait.” Gorfjol cocked an eyebrow. “Look…” The orc motioned towards the sea. Off in the distance, a fleet. Ten ships, armed, large, and armoured. The pirate began to laugh as he layed on the sand.

“Oh you think its funny do you, you grotty SCUM!” The pirates head whipped back as Gorfjols foot collided with it, knocking him out. “Hoist him up, we need to return to the village. Now.”

Returning to the camp Gorfjol nodded to the orcs who had been at the Cliffside and slung the pirate over his shoulder. He began to make the long trek through the maze of tents to get to the hill where his father would be. Cubs kept trying to poke the pinkskin, for many it was the first time they had seen one. Gorfjol swatted them away. When he arrived at his fathers tent he heard yelling on the inside. He dropped the still unconscious human onto the ground and pulled the tent flaps apart.

“You are a real skah head, you know that Urdnot?!” It was Kroaha, Braduks mother, Gorfjols ‘step mother’. Urdnot sighed, slamming his hands on the table.

“You are crippled Kroaha, you cannot bare another cub from me.” It was clear this argument had gone on for a while. Urdnot’s face showed exhaustion, and even though he spoke calmly, there was a sense of anger and frustration in is voice.

“Just because my leg is messed up doesn’t mean my…” Urdnot slammed his hands down on the table once more.

“Enough! I will hear no more of your complaining. Out of my tent, now before I make you get out.” Gorfjol couldn’t help but smirk, the mighty Urdnot, losing his cool over a fearoc. Kroaha hobbled out on her crutches, ignoring Gorfjol. She never cared for him, nor him for her. With another sigh, Urdnot beckoned his son to enter fully. “She bore my strongest son but is a mad fearoc.” His fathers words stung, knowing he meant Braduk but Gorfjol chose to ignore them. “Shes not like your mother was. Your mother was a warrior. She could keep level headed.” Urdnot sighed once more, looking to the ground.

“You have never spoken to me about my mother.” Urdnot’s face turned hard and cold, sadness hung over his expression like a dark cloud but Gorfjol sensed something else. Anger?

“Another time. You’re obviously here for a reason Gorfjol so get on with it.” Gorfjol raced outside the tent and brought the pirate inside.

“A scout, from the pirates. They…” Urdnot interupped.

“Your brother, I’d prefer to speak to him on this matter.” Gorfjol was stunned.

“B-but.”

“Go. Find. Him.” Urdnot stared at his son, his expression turned emotionless.

“Yes father.” Gorfjol left the tent, filled with shame. No, he was a strong orc. He was not ashamed of who he was. Or so he thought. He sought out Braduk, who was drinking with some orcs and ferocs at a make shift tavern. “Braduk, father wants you.” Braduk chuckled, standing up. He turned to his drinking partners.

“We will continue this klomp at a later date.” All the orcs laughed. Braduk pointed to one of the orcs, it was their cousin, Gundabad. “I will out drink you, you sandy coloured piece of skah.” An eruption of laughter occurred. Braduk slapped his own face trying to sober up, turning to his brother. “Everything ok?”

“Yes, of course. Father wants to speak to you, about the pirates.” Braduk punched Gorfjol in the shoulder.

“Well lets go then.” Gorfjol stood stone faced, not moving.

“No, he wants you and you alone.” Braduk didn’t know what to say, but Gorfjol was already leaving. “Also, tell him the pirates have a fleet of ten well armed war ships docked a little way away from the Cliffside.” And with that, Gorfjol disappeared into the abyss of tents and orcs.

Braduk rubbed his stubly chin as he walked, Gorfjol was never that serious. Something was up. He arrived at his fathers tent, and did a double take as he saw the legs of the pirate on one side of the room and the rest of his body on the opposite. Urdnot sat in his chair in the centre behind his table.

“Father, ug. Gorfjol is acting strange, do you know anything about this?” Braduk moved to a chair, sitting down, ignoring the groans the pirate made, mourning over his recently departed legs. Urdnot shrugged, spinning a bloodied knife on the table.

“I was honest with him.” Braduk leaned forward.

“In what way.”

“Your mother is a mad b*tch,” Braduk’s eyes widened, “if I could switch her place with Gorfjols mother I would. She may have given birth to you, my strongest son whom I want to take over after I am gone, but she may as well die. She serves no purpose here, and is a waste of food and water.” Braduk got up from his chair, writhing with anger.

“Watch your tongue father!” Braduk threw the table in front of him to the side, marching up to his seated father. Urdnot stood up, standing a foot taller than his son.

“Or what? You are my favoured son Braduk but there are plenty of ferocs to mate with here. Sit down.” The two exchanged tense stares for another moment, before both returning to there seats. “You are young. You have not experienced harsher realities than this. My generation was taught that the weak are culled and strong survive. Your generation has been living on the idea of banding together to survive, strength in numbers. My points are valid, yet so are yours. That is why your mother still lives.” Braduk sighed. He couldn’t argue with his fathers words, even if he didn’t like the sound of them. “Now, from quickly interrogating this, ‘pirate’, here, they intend to pillage the land. Our camp is too big to allow them to come inland, the chance they could take us by surprise is too great.”

“They have a fleet, ten ships Gorfjol said. They are armed and armoured.” The two sat quietly in thought. Braduk suddenly sprung up from his chair, picking up the knife near the fallen table. Urdnot watched curiously. Braduk moved over to the legless pirate, who was now crying. “Pinkskin, what are the chances of a ship coming to shore?” No response, then a shriek of pain. Braduk stabbed the knife down at the pirates crotch, slicing his genetalia.

“ARRRGH! THEY MIGHT SEND PEOPLE TO LOOK FOR ME!” The pirate cried out, pain gripping him tightly. Braduk twisted the knife.

“How many people are aboard each ship?”

“AHHHHRGH! IT VARIES!” Braduk looked back at his father who shrugged.

“What the skah does that mean?” The orc twisted the knife more.

“AHHHHHHARGHHHHH! THE SHIP THEY’D SEND FOR ME WOULD HAVE ABOUT TWENTY CREWMEN ON IT! NOW STOP, PLEASE!” Braduk pulled the knife out, and then stabbed the pirate through the eye. The butchered human slumped, dead.

“Well father, we now have a plan.” Urdnot again looked at his son, curiously. “We wait until they send out a ship, we rope down, take them by surprise. They will only make that mistake once, so once we have one ship its time for battle.”

“One ship wont suffice.” Braduk chuckled.

“I know that. So on the day we attack, we use that ship to get close, send some boys over to another ship and take that over. Once we get maybe two or three we can start really fighting back.”

“Three. Three ships Braduk. We will take three, and keep sending orcs onto their ships to clear them out.” Urdnot stood up, placing a hand on his sons shoulder. “Good job my son. You are a tactician. I believe you will be destined for great things.”

“Am I truly worthless to you?” Gorfjol muttered, leaving the outside of the tent.

Venture to the blue abyss

Gorfjol sat in his tent, the night was long and hot. The words of his father stuck in his mind as if an arrow had been shot through his skull. That’s what it felt like. Braduk was always the favoured son, Gorfjol knew this. It always lurked in the back of his mind, but he never really thought about it. He held his brother in the highest regard and respected him greatly. Yet Gorfjol longed for his fathers acceptance, and hearing him say how much better Braduk was than him burnt more than a thousand flames.

“Brother, we take the ship. Ready yourself.” Braduk poked his head into the tent but was gone as quickly as he had come. This was the night, the night the war started. Gorfjol armoured himself, leaving his tent. A crowd of maybe thirty, thirty five orcs stood not too far a way. They were all huddled around Braduk. Gorfjol quickly joined them. “Pinkskins, pirates, have come to take our land. They will try. And they will fail. We are orcs, we endure!” The orcs around braduk cheered in agreement. “We will descend the Cliffside, and we will take their ship, and we will defend this land and we will once again, ENDURE!” The orcs roared. Braduk raised his hammer. “Lets go kill some pirates!” Clashes of steel radiated through the camp, then the march of the blood thirsty orcs. Gorfjol halted Braduk.

“Whats happening?” Braduk began walking and motioned for Gorfjol to follow.

“They have sent a ship, cannons and all to the Cliffside. They’ve shot ropes up and unless I miss my guess, will be climbing up.” Braduk chuckled. “Regardless of whether any have made it up already, we will kill them all and take their ship, and in the morning, end this.” The two began jogging to catch up with the orcs.

The orcs layed prone on the Hilltop, which allowed them to stay unseen and have a height advantage. Four pirates sat next to the edge of the Cliffside, already having made the climb. Braduk made the guess that they were waiting until morning to send the rest of the crew up. A fatal mistake. Without a sound, Braduk pointed to his archers. The pull of the bowstring, aim, fire…dead. The four pirates landed on the sand with a faint thud. Braduk waved his hand forward and his forces moved silently down the Hiltop dunes and reached the edge of the Cliffside. The ropes had been shot up through harpoons. Braduk kicked each of them.

“They’ll hold,” he said, speaking lowly and quietly, “we will only be able to send four orcs down at a time. Gorfjol, you will come down first with me,” Braduk pointed to two other orcs, “you two aswell.” No other words were spoken, nor needed to be spoken. The four orcs began their descent down. The ocean wind was uneasy this night, making the trip that much more dangerous. Braduk looked to Gorfjol to check how he was going, Gorfjol nodded. He looked to the other two orcs who nodded aswell. As they neared the ship, they noticed the crew was drunk. Most were passed out, atleast all the ones on the top deck were, and then, four consecutive thuds. The orcs had landed. Immediately the next four started their descent. Braduk, Gorfjol and the two grunts chuckled. This was going to be easier than they had initially anticipated. Slit throats, stabbed chest and removed heads was the fate of the ships crew.

All of the orcs had reached the ship, many were pillaging the lower decks but Braduk, Gorfjol and a few others cleared the bodies, throwing them over board. Braduk was lifting a body when the pirates clothes got caught on the railing of the ship. Gorfjol looked to his knife, then back to Braduk. Urdnots favoured son, the orc that made Gorfjol second rate. The wind had stopped for that moment, the air tense. Gorfjol drew his knife, and walked towards his brother. He felt eyes on him. Quickly, he turned and saw a young orc, maybe sixteen looking at him. The splash of the body Braduk had been working on hitting the water broke the eery silence. Braduk turned around, slapping his brother on the arm.

“We did well today. You and I will need to return though.” Braduk looked to a stray grunt walking around the deck. “Tell the others to remain here and try to rest. Tomorrow, we put down the pirate scum.” The grunt nodded, and Braduk and Gorfjol moved to the ropes to start the climb up.

“Braduk, wait.” The two turned. It was the sixteen-year-old orc. Gorfjol’s heart raced.

“Yes boy?” Braduk walked over to him

“Gor-…”

“Braduk we are losing the cover of night, we need to hurry.” Gorfjol shot in, Braduk nodded.

“You’re right. Is this important boy?” The young orc nodded, looking at Gorfjol. “Make the climb with us, you can tell me after we have attended to our business.” The young orc gulped, and Gorfjol let out a silent growl. Moving to the ropes, the trio climbed silently. Braduk’s face was determined, determined to reach the top and get to his father. Gorfjols expression however, was one of worry. He knew he had been caught out. When they reached the top, they took a moment to catch their breath.

“Brother, I’ll see what the boy wants. Father will want you, go Braduk.” Braduk patted his brother on the arm.

“Thankyou Gorfjol.” He quickly ran off, leaving Gorfjol with the young orc. Gorfjols face stretched into an evil smirk.

“You got a lot of balls, you know that boy?” The young orc paced backwards, but with every step, Gorfjol followed. “Trying to ruin me. Hah! Did you think I would let you even try?” Reaching the edge of the cliff, the boy had no choice but to face Gorfjol.

“I saw you, you were going to kill him.”

“Yeah, I was. I still might. My brother, hes a good orc, but I like to think of myself as better than him,” Gorfjol snapped his hand forward and grabbed the young orcs throat, “don’t think of this as something personal. It could’ve been anyone.” And with that, Gorfjol ripped his knife from its sheathe and lodged it in the brain of the orc. He took a glance down the cliff, no orcs on the top deck. Perfect. Gorfjol pulled the knife out of the young orcs skull and kicked him over the side. As Gorfjol began jogging back to the camp, a faint splash sprung from the waters bellow. Gorfjol couldn’t help it, he laughed hysterically.

Destined for Great or Terrible Things

“You will lead the ramming ship.” Urdnot looked at Braduk across the table. Braduk was in shock.

“But what of your other commanders, surely they…”

“When you were born, the old feroc who pulled you from your mother prophesized you would be destined for great, or terrible things. The same thing was said when your brother was born. I am certain you are destined for greatness, my son. Prove me right on this day. You will lead the ship that will ram other ships, board them, and then commandeer them.”

“You honour me father.” Braduk bowed his head.

“Then honour me in return. Begin your path to greatness, today. Not tomorrow, not next year, now.” As if almost on cue, Gorfjol flung the flaps of the tent open, a gush of hot desert air flying in.

“I should go prepare the orcs.” Braduk and Urdnot nodded, and Braduk left.

“Yes, Gorfjol.”

“I find it a bit odd I don’t even know what the plan for this battle is, being your son and all.” Urdnot sighed.

“You’re on a need to know basis, ok?” Gorfjol shook his head.

“Tell me.” Urdnot grunted, and sighed once more.

“I will be in command of the first ship. We will use it to take over a second ship, which Braduk will be in command of, and again for a third ship. Braduks ship will be ramming and boarding the enemies ships, my and the other ship will be fighting them with artillery.”

“I assume I will be in command of the third ship?” Gorfjol asked sincerely.

“Bah! No. I would not allow you to potentially ruin this plan by taking on more than you could handle.”

“What are you saying?”

“You will be on my ship where I can keep an eye on you to make sure you don’t skah this up.” Gorfjol was shocked.

“But father I deserve-…”

“You deserve nothing! You believe just because you are my son you are owed something? You draw breath only because it would be frowned upon for me to kill you. You, the runt who killed his mother to come into this world. My mate, who I wanted to become my lifemate. You are a shame to me and the ancestors before me. The love your mother held for you is the only reason I did not take your life when she died, because I knew how much she loved her child. Yet neither Krug nor any orc will compel me to ever give you a position of command. Go, out of my tent! Now.” Gorfjol couldn’t bear to look at his father. Without saying a word, eyes planted at his feet, Gorfjol left.

Dawn broke, and Urdnot stood on a pedestal, his small hoard before him. Braduk and Gorfjol were in the front lines.

“My brothers and sisters! We have established a new society during these tough times. War has ravaged our kin, yet we found peace.” Urdnot spoke, waving his curved sword around. Braduk looked at his father with a sense of proudness. Gorfjol couldn’t even look in his direction. “But whenever you find something good, there is always somebody ready to take it. We will stand and fight against these pinkskins, and show them that this is our land! And to take it, they will need to kill every, last, one of us!” All the orcs cheered. Only one remained silent. Gorfjol.

The smell of the sea filled the morning air. Urdnot stood at the helm of the ship, Braduk at his side. Gorfjol was in the lower decks. All the orcs were hyping up for the battle, but Gorfjol kept to himself.

“They will not know that we have taken this ship until we are close,” Braduk said to his father, “give me a small boarding party, we will take the next ship.”

“Yes, I will organize you fifty orcs. Gork will secure a third ship. You know your plans Braduk.” The two nodded to eachother, and the orcs prepped themselves for battle.

As the ship grew closer, they could make out how many men were on board each ship. The better part of seventy men per ship. The orcs outnumbered them. CRASH

“Go my brothers and sisters! Take the ship!” The orcs ship had just slammed up next to one of the pirate ships. Braduk lept across first, crushing a pirates skull with his hammer. He could hear Urdnot commanding Gork’s squad to board the next ship. Cannon fire broke his train of thought. Two pirates charged him simultaneously, but with two strong swings of his hammer, they each hit the deck, dead.

“You four, storm the lower decks, go!” Braduk pointed to four large orcs, who nodded and lifted the hatch to move to the ship’s lower decks. Braduk looked around, parried an on coming sword and swung his hammer at the pirates ribs, breaking them. Leaving the pirate to die, he moved to the ships helm, climbing up the stairs. A pirate wearing an assortment of gold jewelery stood before him, he was the captain. Braduk charged him, tackling him to the ground. Braduk offered no breathing room, and quickly snapped the captains neck. He looked over to the ship to his left, his father’s ship. It was firing at the enemy. Braduk then looked at the ship to his right, Gork had just taken it over. The orcs on Braduks ship roared, and Braduk grabbed the ships wheel. He pointed at a ship infront of him, roaring.

“Prepare to board brothers!”

Urdnot’s ship had now taken serious damage, a hole had been blown open in the side, and the ship had caught fire.

“Urdnot! We need more boys up here!” Urdnot nodded, beginning to run to the hatch on the deck.

“Take command, Ill bring up some orcs.” The lower deck was lit up with flames. All the orcs in sight were dead, leaving only Urdnot and three others alive on top. Suddenly without warning, part of the top deck collapsed. Urdnot was caught underneath the rubble, only his head and one of his arms stuck out. He snarled, smoke filling his lungs. Gorfjol quickly ran over to him, trying to get the wooden debris off of his father. “Gorfjol! Thankyou my son, quick, help me out of here.” Gorfjol suddenly stopped. “What are you doing? Help me!”

“No. You’ve wanted me dead. From the very beginning, you wanted me dead. I have always been the runt of the family to you. You never cared about me.” Gorfjol drew his scimitar.

“STOP! That is a lie Gorfjol!” Urdnot pleaded. Gorfjol did not waver. Knowing that his time had come, Urdnots pupils dilated, and he looked dead straight into his sons eyes. “Destined for terrible things…” Gorfjol, without hesitation, stabbed down into his fathers skull, ending him. More of the ship collapsed, and Gorfjol ran to the hole in the side and dived into the waters bellow.

“The pirates, HAVE FALLEN!” Braduk shouted, raising his bloodied shorthammer in the air. All of the orcs cheered, but soon silenced when they saw Urdnot’s ship slowly descend into the blue abyss. “NO!”

“Braduk! Its Gorfjol, hes in the water by the ship!” Braduk moved over to the side, seeing his brother.

“Bring him up!” Some of the orcs helped Gorfjol onto the ship. He was panting, and coughed up some water.

“Brother, I-…” Braduk moved over to his younger brother, grabbing his shoulder.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes but-…father…he told me to abandon the ship. He tried to get as many orcs off before it sank. I was the only survivor. He told me he was going to go down with the ship. I-I…I’m sorry Braduk.” Braduk bowed his head. His father was gone. Braduk slumped against the railing. “Be strong big brother, these people will look to you as their leader now. These people will need you.”

“You’re right. The battle is over, we have won.” Braduk and Gorfjol embraced, hugging each other. Gorfjols face faintly stretched into an evil smile…