75 Chapter 75 (1/2)

”Then there is little risk of the reinforcements attacking once they arrive?” Aerwyn asked.

”Yes, considering the heavy losses he received during the battle Ungor's raid will likely be discovered by those sent from the capital and when it does he'll be brought back to Gral'Thrak Or to face trial.” Gromok explained.

Aerwyn and Gromok continued to speak throughout their journey back to the ships. Interestingly, Aerwyn noticed that this orc didn't refer to him with some sort of title such as 'lord' or 'great one' as the others did. There was also the fact that Gromok's choice of words when speaking of his own kind were spoken in such a way as to show a clear disconnect between them. He referred to them as 'the orcs' or 'they' as if he no longer considered himself to be a part of their society.

Gromok also told Aerwyn much about the structure of orc society. Three major clans each ruled their own territory with minor clans falling in line behind them. The Muk'Graz clan ruled the northern most territory, the Char'Gosh clan ruled the center, and the Gral'Thrak ruled the south. There was also the orcs capital Khar'Rak Or, that despite existing in Char'Gosh territory, wasn't managed by any of the three major clans.

Khar'Rak Or was considered to be neutral territory and spilling blood within the city was expressly forbiden. While infighting between the major clans was rare due to the never ending war with the dragonkin, it has happened numerous times in the past. Gromok stressed the importance of the capital by telling Aerwyn the story of when the Char'Gosh clan and Gral'Thrak clan had a dispute over a profitable iron mine.

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please clickfor visiting.

The short war between the clans only lasted eight months and the Char'Gosh were clearly winning. After a few particularly devastating losses, the lokkan of the Gral'Thrak began marching his army west. The lokkan of the Char'Gosh, believing that he could finish off his rival once and for all, brought his armies out to meet them.

The two armies met in an open field and it was painfully evident that the Gral'Thrak were heavily outnumbered. Believing the Gral'Thrak had little hopes of retreating safely, the lokkan of Char'Gosh chose to slowly encircle them so as not to lose more orcs than what was needed. As the Char'Gosh army began to move, the lokkan of Gral'Thrak broke from his lines and rode out to meet them alone. He was swiftly captured the moment he grew close, yet the armies made no move to attack or flee.

The lokkan of Gral'Thrak explained very loudly so that all orcs could hear, that his army was on it's way to Khar'Rak Or for peace talks and that if Char'Gosh attacked, it would break the sanctity of Khar'Rak Or. Of course the lokkan was being truthful in his explanation but he left out a fairly vital point. He had garnered support from the Muk'Graz clan in the days prior and stacked the diplomatic odds against the Char'Gosh. After some loud and convincing words, the lokkan of Gral'Thrak rode out from the Char'Gosh army unhindered.

Despite the Char'Gosh not wanting peace, they were still forced to respect Khar'Rak Or, especially considering the lokkan of Gral'Thrak making a scene before all the orcs present. When they arrived at Khar'Rak Or, the lokkan of Muk'Graz was already present and the peace talks began. With Muk'Graz's support and the sanctity of Khar'Rak Or, the Char'Gosh clan was forced to accept unfavorable terms despite winning every battle throughout the short war. The iron mine ended up in Gral'Thrak territory and the Char'Gosh to this day still resent them because of it.

Gromok also explained how the orc's caste system worked. Slaves were obviously the lowest caste, yet not all slaves were treated equally. Any race that wasn't from Urak was treated far worse than the vosk despite both being slaves in name. The vosk existed in a strange state of being the shared property of every orc yet they were entirely managed by the lokkan and local officials. The orcs viewed them to be an essential part of their society and as long as the mines continued to produce ore, they were mostly left alone and provided for.