The Phoenix Order

The Hidden Paladins

Galgavun made his ways through the trees as he held his arm, stopping the bleeding, casting only a faint glow over the jagged mountains and thick forest that sprawled below. the once revered tribal leader and feared mercenary, trudged like a beaten dog. His massive, scarred hands brushed past the undergrowth as he approached a cave entrance shrouded in layers of dense, moss-covered greenery and foliage. His breath was heavy, as he entered the cave entrance.

Galgavun paused, listening to the surrounding silence, attuned to even the faintest of threats. Years of warfare and betrayal had honed his instincts to a razor's edge, he was not paranoid but caution, that if they get discovered, an even larger loss shall happen. He knelt down, his dark eyes scanning the forest floor, and brushed his hand over a concealed panel of stone and vines. The secret passage was his and a few of the rebel's design, meant to safeguard his remaining kin, the last remaining kin. Without hesitation, he slid through the opening, the plants closing behind him as if they had never parted, concealing the cave from the outside once more.

Inside, the familiar and vibrant lights of the cave greeted him. Torches lined the walls, the deep, earthy smell of the cavern was mixed with the scent of roasted meat and damp fur. Several orcs, gruff and battle-worn like him, glanced up as he entered. Some nodded to acknowledge their leader's presence, others grunted and raised their fists to the skies, but there was no need for words. The remnants of their clan, once the most powerful beings, had taken refuge here after the war had ended—those still loyal to the cause, those who still think that the humans are there to kill them, they were ready if so if it meant going down with honor and glory.

"Galgavun," a voice called from the far end of the cave, echoing against the walls.

Turning around, he saw Drogor and Guppy, his most trusted lieutenant and Sergeant, rise from a group seated near a makeshift fire pit, with the smoke coming out of a hole to the outside world. The other orcs feasted and drank, they enjoyed this way of life, gone were the days where they were forced by the dark side to fight for them, it was another reason why they hid, not only were they threatened by the thought of humans killing them, but also at the thought that Nero was still out there, ready to kill them for the failure they did. but their numbers had severely dwindled, but those who survived had carved out a life in this sanctuary they have. And now, strange as it was to some, they even began to prosper. They hunted the wild beasts of the forest, traded with the rare merchants who dared venture so far into the wilderness, and slowly, slowly, found peace in their isolation of the trees.

Galgavun approached Drogor, his expression still much like the leader he once mas The firelight caught the sharp planes of his face, highlighting the scar that ran down from his brow to his chin—a brutal reminder of the life he once lived as a mercenary with Siegfried and the other fighters.

"Oy, is Drakon well?" he asked the two, "All good sir," Guppy replied, "All's quiet outside?" Drogor asked Galgavun, though the real question in his eyes went unspoken. "Aye," Galgavun replied gruffly. "For now, and I hope it stays that way."

Drogor nodded, satisfied with the answer but sensing there was more beneath Galgavun's short reply. "The wound, who's that from?" Drogor asked, "It was encounter with-" "Siegfried, I know." A voice came from the shadows emerged. "How would you know, Torvak?" He asked, "Simple sir, it was his blades," "Wrong answer," Galgavun replied as he walked out on the three, "I told you to stop guessing," Drogor said as he hit him in the shoulder with a smack

"You're going deeper, aren't you? Speaking with the Immortals?" Guppy asked.

The orc leader's silence was his answer. He shifted his gaze toward the cavern's depths, where the stone walls narrowed into a dark passage, leading to the lower chambers where only a few dared to tread. There, the shadows were thicker, and the secrets buried within were darker still, but he carried on.

Galgavun tightened the straps of his leather armor and hefted his massive, but now dull battle axe across his broad shoulders. He had to go deeper. For now, he had one mission: Speak with the Immortal 5.

The Immortal 5—are legends among warriors, protectors of the realm, and keepers of the Elementis Core, although, now forgotten. Each of them had lived through the centuries, having stood the test of time and survived the toughest of wars. They hailed from different eras, each a master of their own discipline.

The Spartan, Nikandros, who fought with unmatched discipline and the old legends even once told that his shield led him to survive his encounted with the soul stealer and Doppelgänger duo, Sorrichiro and Nyxaria.

The Knight, Alaric, a former leader of the kingdom of Ravenmoor, clad in gleaming armor, representing the chivalry of the old ways; the Samurai, Hikari, whose precision with her was unmatched on the battlefield with her double sword bow with her at all times, even when her vision had cease to exist.

The Templar, Vespera had an undying faith to the cause to protect the relic at all cost, stories once told of her fight against Three Hundred lions when she was left by her allies and thrown into a pit of lions with only her hands to use. And Daniel Wright, the Paladin, a beacon of righteousness and light, the leader of the Immortal Five, the second oldest to the group, close to Nikandros' and the most persistent of them all, ready to go through hell and back to retrive his members.

Galgavun had crossed paths with the Immortal 5 many years ago, during his bounty hunting days. Back then, he had been filled with rage and ambition, thirsting for conquest.

But fate had drawn him to them, not as enemies, but as unlikely allies, even when he and Nikandros met each other in a more brutal way, fighting . The Elementis Core, a powerful artifact containing all the elemental forces of the world, was under their protection, and its power was the only thing that could tip the scales of battle, as it's one power is not yet discovered. But even the Immortal 5, for all their strength, could not stand alone in this fight, they were once attacked by Nero's men in an attempt to gain the power of the Core, and nearly prevailing.

Together, they had fought back the darkness that threatened the realm, and in doing so, Galgavun had found a new purpose. It was not conquest that would bring his people salvation—it was survival, and the Immortal 5 had shown him that. In exchange for his aid and that of his warriors, the Immortal 5 had promised a safe haven for the orcs, a place where they could rebuild and thrive away from the meddling of human kingdoms.