"Hah... hah... hah... You aren't afraid to come here, huh? And then, you make deals with me? What do you want, you little rascal?" The large orc leader asked, his voice filled with authority and power.
"I want the essence of the World Tree," the young prince said boldly. "If you let me, I'll make sure the water you're drinking becomes safe to consume again, without poison. I'll solve that problem for you."
The orc leader pondered the prince's words carefully. Why would he want something like that?
You see, the orcs (the large, beast-like tribe) lived in an area deep within a dark, treacherous swamp. Fresh water was scarce, and food even more so. But the magic of the World Tree kept the water alive, and many creatures survived by drinking from it. However, the water had now become poisoned, and even the orcs could no longer drink it. The lack of water and food meant that the orc population was dwindling, and they would soon be forced to leave their home.
The orcs were powerful enough to threaten an entire kingdom, but if they chose to relocate, many problems could arise. For the leader, accepting the prince's offer was the only option.
"Alright... the essence of the World Tree is crucial for us, but if you can fix the problem we're facing, I'll give you what you want," the orc leader finally agreed, nodding. He then gestured to one of his sons, a large orc named Bahbraykhan, to show the prince to their water reservoir.
"We'll go to your water source, then," the prince said.
"You two have your own ways of dealing with my father, but don't think for a second that I'll allow you to do whatever you want," Bahbraykhan warned as they walked.
"I'll watch and see what happens," the prince replied calmly.
As they made their way to the cave where the orcs stored their water, Aren spoke to the prince quietly.
"Are you really going to work with the orc leader? Seems like a bad idea, especially when you could end up getting your head smashed."
"Just wait and watch," the prince said with a smirk.
Once inside the cave, the air was cool, and the stone walls glowed faintly with light filtering through cracks. The prince looked around, taking in the environment.
Then, he turned to Aren.
"Aren, gather some of the mana from your daggers and throw it into the water like a stone, but with purpose. The water is poisoned, but there's a creature lurking beneath the surface that we need to draw out. Once you hear a crack from the mana inside your daggers, that creature will come to the surface."
Aren nodded, understanding the plan. He quickly followed the prince's instructions, while Bahbraykhan watched them curiously.
"What are these idiots up to?" Bahbraykhan muttered to himself, watching the water closely.
Before long, a massive creature stirred beneath the water. A giant, poisonous water serpent, roughly thirty feet long, emerged from the depths, hissing angrily.
To be continued...
[Chapter Credit Scene]
The orc leader, after releasing Bahbraykhan with the humans, returned to his daughter, who was clearly confused by the situation.
"Father, why did you let those people go without even telling us their names?" she asked.
The orc leader smiled and replied, "My dear, you're smart, but you still don't see things as I do. One of them, with the golden hair, had a gaze that was extraordinary. He might be human, but his eyes were not like any human's. He spoke to me without fear, expressing his desires clearly. He's no enemy, and even Bahbraykhan could learn a lot from him."
The daughter, hearing this, realized the depth of her father's words.
"Father, do you think they can really solve the problems we face?"
"Yes, if anyone can, it's them," the orc leader replied confidently.
Fin