Please leave the party - Chap 12 - The Dragon's Shadow: Nathan and Fira's Visit to an Orc Village

The next day, Nathan and Fira went to check out an orc village after talking to the guild leader.

When they reached the forest, they noticed that the weather was humid and the air smelled of wet earth and rotten leaves. As they approached the village, they could hear the sound of distant drums and excited shouts.

Upon arriving at the village, Nathan and Fira saw a surprising scene. Dozens of orcs were dancing and singing around a large bonfire in the center of the village. Some were beating animal skin drums, while others played flutes made of bones.

The village itself was made up of wooden and thatched huts, all built around a large tree in the center. The walls of the huts were decorated with animal bones and flags made from the skins of dead animals. A few orcs were working on tools and weapons on benches next to the huts.

Nathan and Fira were immediately surrounded by some orcs, who seemed suspicious of their presence. The orcs were tall and muscular, with green skin and yellow eyes. They wore clothing made from fur and armor made from leather and metal.

One of the orcs approached Nathan and Fira, holding a large hatchet. He appeared to be the leader of the village, with a suspicious look in his eyes. Nathan explained the reason for his visit, and the orc leader seemed to get a little more comfortable. He then allowed Nathan and Fira to survey the village and talk to the villagers.

As soon as they entered, Nathan felt uncomfortable.

The atmosphere of the village was tense and dangerous. Every villager stared at him with hostile looks. All of the men carried clubs and knives.

Fira’s heart sank as she entered the orc village. She had hoped that being half-Orc would make it easier for her to be accepted by her people. But as soon as the villagers caught sight of her, their expressions turned to ones of disgust and distrust.

Even though Fira tried to hide her disappointment, the Orcs still treated her badly. They would mutter under their breath and avoid her when possible. It was as if they were ashamed to be associated with her.

“Can you believe that half-breed thinks she’s one of us? She’s just a human in Orc skin.”

“Exactly. And what’s worse, she chose to be a human adventurer. She’s a traitor to her own kind.”

Fira felt a lump form in her throat. She had always known that some Orcs would never accept her, but it still hurt to hear the words spoken aloud. She sighed and shook her head.

“Well, I’m used to it,” she muttered to herself as she continued walking.

She wished she could make the Orcs see that she wasn’t a traitor or a human in Orc skin. She was just trying to find her place in the world, like everyone else. But it seemed like no matter what she did, she would always be an outsider in the eyes of the Orcs.

Nathan felt Fira’s sadness as they entered the orc village, and he knew the only thing he could do to comfort her was to hold her hand tightly. He felt her grip on his hand tighten as they walked past the hostile stares and whispers from the villagers. Fira’s eyes were downcast, and Nathan could see the hurt in them.

But then Fira surprised him with her response. Despite the hostility she faced, she spoke about him with love and affection, calling him “her Darling.” Nathan felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that he was able to bring some light into Fira’s world.

Nathan cleared his throat, addressing the orc leader in a firm tone, “We’re not here to cause trouble. We’re here to find out more about the recent attacks that have been happening against the Orcs. We believe that the orcs in this village may have some information that could help us.”

The orc leader’s voice trembled as he spoke, “We don’t know anything.”

Nathan and Fira exchanged a worried glance. They knew that facing a dragon was not an easy task, even for experienced adventurers. Fira’s mind wandered back to the stories her mother used to tell her about dragons, how they were fierce and cunning creatures, with impenetrable scales and deadly breath.

Nathan took a deep breath and said, “We understand your fear, but we have to stop these attacks. Do you have any information that could help us?”

The leader didn’t say anything back; he just kept quiet.

“We understand your fear, but we need to know what you’ve seen lately in case the dragon decides to attack this village.”

Before the leader could say anything, a deafening roar echoed through the forest, causing birds to flee their nests and wild animals to run in all directions. The trees shivered at the imminent arrival of the dragon, whose massive wings blocked out the sun and cast a terrifying shadow over the Orc village. The dragon hovered silently in the air, its yellow eyes glowing intimidatingly.

The orcs, who were carrying out their daily tasks in the village, were paralyzed with fear at the sight of the huge dragon, with its scaly body and pointed horns. No movement or sound was heard except the flapping of the dragon’s wings, which seemed to flaunt its strength.

However, the dragon did not attack anyone. He just hovered over the village, watching the orcs’ reaction, as if he wanted to frighten them. Fear was palpable in the air as people cowered and hid in their homes, waiting for the dragon to go away.