For a moment the orcs stared dumbfounded. They were never the quickest race when it came to thought. But like all orcs, none would back down to a small human. Their tusked mouths grew tight as their eyes filled with their usual bloodlust. Two spread out, one on either side of the road we stood on and their elder member took position on the center of the road.

"Alright pink one. Do not blame us if you die." One said. His meaty fists cracking as he prepared. I will say one good thing about orcs.

Unlike humans they took pride in their skills of combat. From birth they were raised to fight and die. These three were no different, they were like me in this way. Or is it more that I am like them. No matter. With a snarl the left orc attacked. His swing going wide as I ducked beneath his reach.

My feet pounded the dirt as I charged for the Elder of the race and jumped into the air, feet leading the way. The Elder took my blow and stumbled back. My body pushing off his with a backflip to land in a crouch before him. His feet moved to keep under him and I darted to sweep his leg. The Elder fell with a thud as the Right orc made to kick my lowered frame.

I rolled to the side and his partner took the chance to land a punch to my ribs as I gained my feet. There was a wet snap and pain filled my body. My breathing came in a sharp gasp. I knew right away something broke in my side, maybe a few ribs.

Seemed the Island folk were stronger than their mainland counterparts. I would kill for my knives at this moment. Or better yet, a rabbit. Twisting away from the orc I brought an arm around to connect solidly with the arm that connected with me.

He howled in pain as his elbow gave way and I capitalized by jumping on him and continuing my assault to his face. Fun fact when punching an orc with serrated tusks. If you miss your attack, or he remembers his natural weapons, your fist will lose if he turns his head. It was only pure luck that the tusk did not completely move through my hand as any knife would have.

At the last moment I let my fist go limp and it bent painfully under the impact of the blunted tusk. In revenge I grabbed the tusk and used my other hand to begin pounding the sides of it until it gave way from the soft meat holding it in place. I jumped back as the orc swatted at his face, yelling and howling from the pain.

Armed with my new weapon I moved to my next target. The elder had regained his feet and was charging. I swung my arm and pierced the orc in the arm. His charge continued and he tackled me to the ground. His meaty fists descended upon me with ferocity one would expect from a breed of warriors.

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The first few hits were ignored, but the third, fourth, fifth. They were felt. I felt my nose give under the barrage and blood pour from the wound. I ground my teeth and grabbed an arm to latch on and bite. The Orc howled again and tried to beat me away.

His fellows moved to assist and my hands moved of their own accord. With my hand arranged as a blade it lashed forward against the gut of the orc and I felt something give. The orc gave a grunt of pain and looked down in surprise. I followed his gaze and saw my hand had entered the body.

A blackness swirling the impact site and seemed to slowly crawl up the orcs body. The orc pulled himself away but as my hand receded, the blackness stretched from my bladed hand to the open wound. Blood didn't spill out as I had expected.

"What are you doing to me?" The Elder shouted. He looked at the shadow as it began moving faster and then began racing through his body. He yelled like demons were ripping him apart. His fellow orcs looked on with shock and fear. The Elder cried and pleaded for whatever was happening to end.

But I had no idea what was happening, or what I did. How did I stop it? Would it be safe to touch anything with that hand? May make relieving myself difficult. The blackness formed veins on the body as it moved through the blood, if I had to guess.

The blackness reached the head and filled the eyes and a strange thought occurred to me.

Decide. Slave. Death

My mind raced and admittedly I was curious. I thought a moment as the orcs went to inspect the Elder of their group.

I thought, Slave.

The next thing I saw, the blackness raced through the orcs body completely covering him as if he stood inside the mouth of a cave. When the blackness released itself from the orc, it seemed to drip off of him. What appeared was an orc with greyed skin, almost black, and tusked sharpened like no orc I have seen before. His hands were clawed and his eyes a pitch black.

He looked at me emptily. His wound had sealed and from what I saw didn't seem harmed in any way. I stood from my prone position and regarded the new events.

Slave Master. I looked at the orc. Was he my slave? What was the voice? The Blackness? I looked at the elder. "Bow to me." The orc immediately crossed his fist over his chest and bowed his head as orcs did to their betters. The other two jumped back and looked at him in horror. I looked at the orcs just as surprised.

Spread Master? Something questioned me. What was happening to me? I dumbly nodded my head and the Orc Elder lunged at his fellows. His tucks gored one in the neck and the clawed hand racked the arm of the other. Like before blackness consumed them and they too changed. They became the same grey/black Orc as their Elder. The orc with the tusk ripped out had a replacement. A black tusk had grown and both were long and sharp.

They gave the same salute as the elder once the conversion was complete. "What in the Hells have I done?"