The orc nation was always a waring angry nation. Many treaties had passed between the nations of man and the realm of the Orcs.
These treaties often involved gifts of peace to the orca to appease their violence while their raids along the border were somewhat tolerated the men along the borders were fierce and well versed in defeating the abominations born from the depths of earth.
The border between men and orc was lined with a deadly hedge that cut deep into the soft skin of man, killing him if he chose to move forward. The hedge was covered in magic and orcs although able to pass through could only do so at deep risk to themselves.
Vulmon had once seen one of his comrades slowly stabbed to death as he tried to wriggle free of the brush. The idea was to keep moving so that the hedge did take too much interest in you. His comrade had done nothing other than to be there that day.
It was the waring on the border that kept the orcs of the nation content with their orc king. Likewise it was the Kings ability to squash any further advance upon the humans that kept him at peace with the human nation. There was a balance. Since Vulmons awakening he had seen how to keep this balance.
He'd spoken to his orc attachés and had ground into them the new message to the human king until he was confident they understood his terms.
This new human king was strong. He wanted to avoid another Great War.
But his people had to be kept sated from their blood lust. It was a fine balance.
Often gifts were exchanged between the two species over the generations. The gifts had been given at various levels of acquiescence. Sometimes even by force after a long battle.
Neither side could foresee threat that boiled in the south lands where trolls procreated like an infestation, for there was nothing redeeming about a troll. Nothing. Their existence brought little else to the world but stench. There was little intelligence and they were incapable of banding together. And so the two nations, orc and man, kept trolls under control. For the Orcs this was a pleasure for killing was their very nature. However, they refrained from eating the vile creatures. Often they burned them. Leaving them in the ground left it infertile for generations.
But something phenomenal had happened in the past few years a troll king of sorts had found a way to unite them and he had begun the work of finding pockets of his people and bringing them to live in the Dry Valley. And now news of this new way with the Trolls and the violence it created had slowly traveled through both orc and human land.
Vulmon ruled at time of war famine for his people. For humans this word was known as peace but Orcs needed battle to sate their blood lust, too much and other nations would rise up to beat them down. History leathers and wall painting showed this. The kingdom orcs needed Vulmon more, more than they could ever imagine they would. For the balance of life and war and death were about to be tipped.
And it had been prophecied that Vulmon would save his people. From this prophecy Vulmon was told he would also have a family. It was the second prophecy that both frightened and excited him. Since his awakening he had been filled with wisdom beyond his years. Everyone could see it in the way he spoke to his people and the choices he made to move his nation. But it was the promise of family that put a knot in his gut, for it was the thing he'd wanted all his life and not realized until now.
It was the same with his beloved Kal. Kal had known only the brothel. He had no family. His family had been Trinta and then his mother's suitors Vom and Creptik.
Each of them individually posed a strong desire to be part of a working family through food and bad. It was this desire that would bring it to reality. Their children would be the most well loved well cared for and well prepared for life. And the orc nation would soon have need of them.
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