章 18: Chapter 18

While he was happily rummaging through the sudden wealth that he had found, Xiao Chen forgot about the existence of the sand person and he had his full attention to the riches before him.

"Die you murdering monster!"

The sand person screamed as she thrusted the sword on Xiao Chen's back, exerting all the strength that she could muster to force the sword to go deeper but an orc's skin is tougher than a human's a requires far more strength than a newly awakened hungry woman could apply and only a few inches of the sword was inserted into Xiao Chen's back.

By reflex of suddenly being attacked from the back, Xiao Chen flung the poor sand person away with his right arm. The hapless lady then soared in the air and unluckily crashed against the wooden pole where she was bound to before.

"Oops..."

Xiao Chen can't help but mutter. His face had a look of pity as he stared at the now unconscious sand person again. Reaching his hand behind his back, he pulled out the sword with a low grunt. The wound wasn't too deep but can't be considered as a shallow one too, as warm blood trickled down on his back.

Glancing at the riches behind him for a bit, Xiao Chen sighed

"I loss myself there quite a bit"

He helplessly shook his head, then approached the unconscious woman and carried her on his huge burly arms, princess style, and walked outside the tent.

Outside the tent, his trusted officers were all waiting for him, along with his disciplined soldiers. Xiao Chen spread his gaze around as the sun had already revealed itself from the horizon, bathing the world with its bright and warm light.

Surrounded by the Azure Dragon group were those that remained of the Galuk tribe, a few warriors and a lot of women and young ones.

An old Galuk warrior who is the most respected one left stood up and stared at Xiao Chen and spoke acknowledging Xiao Chen's new standing in their tribe.

"By the old traditions and practice, we the Galuks now acknowledge you as our new chieftain"

Orcs respect the strong and despise the weak. This had been the situation among the orc race. Even their ancestors did so. The defeated tribe shall and will be absorbed by the victorious one or be exterminated depending on the conquering tribe's decision. If the defeated tribe is absorbed, they will belong to the conqueror's but unlike in human practices, they won't be considered as slaves but just lower in status than the vanquishing tribe.

And if the ones who vanquished them becomes triumphant over another tribe again, then the previously defeated and absorbed tribe will then have their status raised as equal to their vanquishers and the newly absorbed tribe will then be the ones with lower status. This cycle goes on for as long as the original victorious tribe triumph over other tribes continuously, the last conquered tribe would be unluckiest.

With Galuks now declaring their allegiance to Xiao Chen as their new chieftain, the First Xin Infantry Battalion finally could relax. A feast would then follow with the victor and the vanquished feasting together. Orcs aren't sore losers. If they lose, then they will admit their inferiority against their conquerors and strive to be part of them and become strong like them.

Cleaning the battlefields, both previous friend and foe worked together to give the brave fallen warriors their just end, being sent off as warriors. The ones who have died earlier wouldn't have such an honor, but they will still be honored through the feast and have offerings in their name to be offered to the orc god of war and victory, Thug'mukhen.

Orcs believed that dying in battle is an honor and ensures their entry to Xanadu, the land of paradise of the orcs, where they will be served by the women of Xanadu and mingle with their gods. What an orc dying in battle mostly expects is joining their god of war and victory, Thug'mukhen in his never-ending feast.

Xiao Chen didn't believe in this faith of the orcs since he was no real orc, but he respects their beliefs. Drae'ghanna soon showed a dissatisfied face as she saw what was in Xiao Chen's arms, but remained quiet and just stood there.

Upon noticing Drae'ghanna's dissatisfied face, Xiao Chen was speechless. 'What's up with this fierce female orc' he thought. He didn't know what to say or think and just ignored it, but he handed the unconscious woman to Sakh'arran.

"Keep an eye on her...be careful though... she'll likely attack when she regains consciousness...and keep away any weapons from her reach"

He instructed then beckoned Gur'kan to follow him inside the tent while giving Galum'nor a quick glance who was busy applying ointments and medicinal pastes on his wounds.

"Get Kul'tha and his group to haul these things back to the tribe"

Xiao Chen said as he pointed at the possessions of the now deceased Modorr.

"All of it, chief?"

Gur'kan asked as he was puzzled on what they would use these things for back at the tribe since human coins aren't deemed valuable among orcs and serves no purpose except for being displayed as trophies of victory against humans.

"Yes... all of it... remember our golem friend Hakarr... he might give us something valuable in exchange for these human coins"

Xiao Chen explained to Gur'kan, the huge rock creature friend of theirs would surely have something to use the coins for as it had said that it wanted to be a merchant.

"As you command, chief"

Gur'kan gave him a bow and thumped his closed right fist to his chest as Xiao Chen called as a salute or to confirm acknowledgement, then went outside the tent to find Kul'tha and other orcs who handle the army's logistics.

*****

A feast was soon held at night after cleaning the tribe of the dead bodies and giving the fallen the Warrior's Rite of Departure. Meat of exotic creatures soon were cooked over the fire. Xiao Chen saw a huge bird-like creature that had short wings incapable of flight but had very long scaled legs. It had scales instead of feathers, which were the same color as the surroundings of the Burning Sands; it was an enormous creature almost five feet tall and with its aggressive behavior of snarling like the Balfurs displaying its sharp set of teeth hidden inside its beak, it's undoubtedly a predator of the wilds.

Xiao Chen also had a taste of meat from what the Galuks called the Water Lizard, a scaly aggressive-looking lizard that resembles a crocodile but it hisses like snakes and doesn't have a sharp set of teeth and contrary to its menacing look, it actually grazes on shrubs growing on the river banks.

The night was filled with a harmonious atmosphere and the jars of ale that he had discovered inside Modorr's tent were brought out and consumed. Like he had promised, Xiao Chen also brought out prime beef which was foreign to the Galuks but much anticipated by his army, its texture, taste and scent was what they were craving for. Even Drae'ghanna snatched a full 10kgs of it before sitting down by the fire satisfied, roasting her treasured meat.

Looking at the intoxicated faces of the orcs on the prime beef meat, Xiao Chen can't help but shake his head and smile. 'The wonders of the modern era' he thought, then stood up and walk towards where the sand person was confined at. He wanted to know about the people of the Burning Sands and who else better to tell him about them than one of them.

"Greetings, chief"

The two soldiers standing guard outside the tent where the sand person was confined at saluted Xiao Chen.

"I'll keep an eye on her, go and enjoy the feast"

Xiao Chen said to which the soldiers tasked with guarding the sand person declined at first but soon obliged when Xiao Chen commanded them to. The two soldiers were ecstatic, but they hid it well and only showed their excited and happy behavior when they thought they were already out of their chieftain's sight.

Xiao Chen just smiled at the behavior of his soldiers. He raised the flaps of the tent and entered.