What a marvelous battle. It's been a while since I faced such a worthy opponent.

The giant trolls from Ul-Gak were all about size and brute strength. But the orc dragonslayer lived up to his title. A few years ago, he might have actually slayed me.

But now that I've conquered his tribe, there's only one piece left in the Vrared to be taken. The largest of them all.

The tribe led by Bakhan, the cunning one. A middle-aged orc with greenish skin and black hair, known for his acumen.

According to our scouts' reports, Bakhan is strong but nothing exceptional. There are stronger warriors in his tribe.

His danger lies in his cunning. In a land of brutes with half a brain, wit can be a stronger weapon than a club.

There are over a hundred orc warriors in this tribe. Its proximity to the city of Vermekh could be a problem for the city. Bakhan's predecessors stopped raiding the city when Renxing arrived in the region. After the flying noodle left, the rulers of Vermekh became concerned once again about the barbarian raids from the Vrared.

It was then that Bakhan's figure gained importance. He allied with the city's rulers, promising to keep the orc hordes at bay. In exchange, the city had to pay him bribes in the form of magical items, such as potions and amulets.

These items would help Bakhan become the leader of the largest orc tribe in the Vrared. And his wit allowed him to maintain this position until now.

"Bakhan, the cunning one. I've come to take your tribe." I utter, just as I did with all the other tribes before taking them. This won't be any different.

It's funny that when I flew over a goblin or beastkin tribe, the first thing they did was run around like ants and then start throwing things at me, even without me provoking them.

But the orcs of the Vrared are too proud to panic. Most of them value hand-to-hand combat, giving me the chance to land without them shooting arrows at me.

As I walk through their tribe without thrashing around, they quickly understand my intentions. They soon realize that I've come not as a raging beast but as a challenger.

"You will face me in a duel to spare the blood of your people, or will you throw your men to die between my claws like a coward?" I taunt him.

"There are no cowards in the Vrared. The ones who were, fled to the steppes." He says, looking at Sarak.

It's known that orcs of the Vrared see the orcs of Darog and Maz as weak and cowardly.

"If you want to be the new leader of our tribe, you must become one following our customs." He shouts.

And now comes the trick this cunning orc will try.

"To command men, you must fight like a man and not like a beast."

"So this is your plan..." I say as I raise my wing toward Salutar, signaling him to pass me a change of clothes. My wing slowly transforms into an arm.

"Very well, I accept!" I say as I cover myself with the robe Salutar hands me, similar to a dressing gown.

"An elf?!" Bakhan says disgusted.

Meanwhile, shouts and roars begin from the tribesmen surrounding us. Everyone was quite agitated

"I'm surprised that you and your people know what an elf looks like. I bet you've never seen one. And you don't seem like the kind who... reads books." I say as I look, angry, at the roaring crowd.

"ELVES..." He yells, signaling the crowd to stop shounting. "They look like trows, but even weaker and more cowardly." He says, eyeing Salutar. "That's why they prefer to fight from a distance, with their bows and magic, or with magical armor of shiny metals."

"But here I am, without bows, magic, or shiny armor. Just my skin and hands." I retort.

"You won't fool me. You're a beast, not a man. An elf-lover beast ."

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"You're quite funny. I'm almost considering letting you live to serve as my court jester." I taunt him.

"The only clown here is dressed as an elf." He retorts.

What an insolent orc. Either he's completely lost his mind or he really thinks he can beat me just because I'm in this form.

"Draw your weapon, elf-lover." The orc says as he brandishes an axe covered in runes.

"They're right here." I say as I show my claws.

"What a shiny axe we have here. I thought you didn't like magical trinkets." I taunt him one last time before the fight begins.

This time, the orc doesn't retort, only giving a confident smirk.

I'm not sure if he's bluffing or genuinely believes he can defeat me, but that enchanted axe of his looks troublesome. It's better to avoid it.

The tribe's chief stands still, holding his enchanted axe, inviting me to make the first move. I don't have the same patience he does, so I promptly dart towards him. I try to strike him with my claws, but he parries with the axe. I admit that I'm not accustomed to fighting in this form. In fact, I didn't bother training in combat with this humanoid shape as I did with my other forms.

When my claws scratch the blade of the axe, I feel a mystical spark emanating from it. Bakhan quickly swings his weapon, aiming for my neck. I dodge and attempt to claw him again, but the orc pushes me away with a kick to my belly.

I fall to the ground, but he doesn't advance. This defensive posture suggests he was bluffing. He knows that if he makes any mistake, I'll have his head.

This fight will be tedious. Two adversaries analyzing each other's weaknesses, waiting for someone to slip up. Quite different from the battle against the dragonslayer.

"Well, well. I've never done this in this form, but this fight will take too long if we continue like this." I say as I get up and tidy the robe Salutar handed me.

"It's time to rage." I say as my vision turns red.

I charge at the orc again, but this time with much more ferocity. I attack relentlessly, not giving him a chance to retaliate. However, when the tribe leader lands a blow on me, I feel excruciating pain. I sense all my damage and pain resistances being pierced by the axe filled with magical runes.

I grab one of the orc's arms with both of my hands, causing him to wield the axe with just one hand. Then, I place one of my legs on his waist and yank the orc's arm with enough force to dislocate it.

He screams and tries to strike me while holding the axe with just one hand. I crouch behind him and slash at the tendon of one of his legs with my claws.

Bakhan falls to the ground.

Defenseless, he closes his eyes, awaiting the mercy blow.

But the blow doesn't come.

He opens his again, and instead of claws coming towards his jugular, he is faced with an outstretched hand.

"I don't understand." The orc says, confused. "You've won. My head is yours."

"Initially, I thought about killing you. I thought you'd be of no use to me. But an idea came to my mind. This barbarian lands will be a pain to rule. The best person to do that would be you. This is your punishment for insulting me. Now tell me, which punishment do you choose, to serve me in this land forgotten by Ralkor, or death?" I ask, still with my hand extended.

After hesitating, the orc grabs my hand and struggles to get up. I then address the silent mob that has been watching the fight.

"Listen, warriors of the Vrared. I am Akalani, Dragonlord of all Dro-Ur. I defeated your leader in my weakest form. This is proof that there is no one in these forsaken lands stronger than me. Now it's up to you to decide whether to accept me as your new leader or to face me."

For a moment, the possibility crossed my mind that they might choose to face me. Even in my best form, and with the help of Salutar and Farak, I believe I wouldn't be able to take on so many orcs at once. I would hate to leave here running.

Fortunately, Bakhan proved as clever as ever. The orc quickly understood that I was the best option for him to maintain his position of power and led a chorus in my favor.

"Uuuh-uuuh-Ahh Uuuh-uuuh-Ah." The defeated leader raised his axe and began to roar, in the typical cultural ritual of Vrared. Soon, the crowd joined in.

"Uuuh-uuuh-Ahh Uuuh-uuuh-Ah"

"Uuuh-uuuh-Ahh Uuuh-uuuh-Ah"

"Uuuh-uuuh-Ahh Uuuh-uuuh-Ah"

Only Ralkor knows how I've come to adore this sound. For them, it holds various meanings. A new leadership, a new era.

For me, it means only one thing: submission.

After things calm down, I finish explaining to Bakhan his new position.

"Listen, Bakhan. I have the first quest for you." I say, signaling for Sarak to stop treating my wounds and start healing our new ally.

"I was going to fly to Vermekh to demand their surrender. However, this journey through the Vrared took longer than I expected. Instead, I'll be sending you there. Go to the city and tell your friends there that all the tribes of the Vrared now follow the Dragonlord of Dro-Ur. And that the city is expected to do the same."

"This could attract Renxing's attention." The orc argues.

"That's exactly what I want." I say as I begin to transform into my draconic form.

"And one more thing, Bakhan. Before you get any brilliant ideas against me...

Do you know what's more troublesome than a clever barbarian?

A raging and intelligent beast. Always remember that."

With this final warning, I consider my journey through Vrared complete.

Now, we will head to the Frozen Peaks mountains.

Finally, I will have my rematch.