The night slowly enveloped the ruins. In the silence of the dungeon, where the dwarves once lived, only the crackling of the fire broke the stillness.
Kano sat by the fire, staring into the flames. Thoughts swirled chaotically in his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with the city. Something was waiting for him there.
Elgot, sitting beside him, offered him a piece of dried meat.
—"Eat."
Kano mechanically took the food but didn't bite into it.
—"What's going on with you?" the mage asked, looking at his troubled face.
Kano ran his hand over his boots, which now seemed like part of his own body.
—"I don't know. I have this feeling that..."
—"What?"
—"That something's happened to the city."
Elgot frowned.
—"You feel it?"
—"Yes."
Rudgard, who had been chewing on something, fell silent, listening to the conversation.
—"You think something bad's happened there?"
Kano nodded slowly.
—"I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like something terrible is there."
Revena sat a little farther away, in the shadows, carefully observing him.
—"Maybe it's not just a feeling?" she said.
Kano turned his gaze toward her.
—"What do you mean?"
She smiled slightly at the corner of her mouth.
—"What you're feeling isn't just intuition. It could be something more."
Kano fell silent.
—"I've seen many mages, many strong warriors," she continued. "But no one could feel like you do."
Elgot glanced at her suspiciously.
—"What are you getting at?"
Revena leaned back, crossing her arms.
—"What I'm saying is, your boy isn't as simple as you think."
Kano felt an uncomfortable sensation creeping over him.
—"I'm just ordinary."
Revena laughed.
—"Oh really? You ran through these ruins in an instant, saw things we haven't even dreamed of, and now you have 'feelings' about the city?"
Kano turned away, staring into the fire.
Revena crossed her legs, squinting, watching him thoughtfully.
—"If I told you that you're the hero of mankind, would you deny it?"
Kano sighed.
—"I'm no hero to anyone."
Revena didn't answer, only smiled mysteriously.
The silence was broken by a soft flapping of wings.
Revena subtly tilted her head, staring into the darkness.
Kano turned toward her.
—"What did you do?"
She flinched slightly but quickly returned her usual confident expression.
—"What?"
Kano narrowed his eyes.
—"You threw something over there."
Revena innocently shrugged.
—"I just threw a stone. I thought I saw something moving in the dark."
Kano sighed, placing his hands on his knees.
—"If you see something, call us. We're a team."
Revena seemed a bit confused.
—"A team..."
Kano lifted his head.
—"Yes. We help each other."
Revena silently watched him, then smiled.
—"Of course, darling."
Kano didn't respond, only turned his gaze away.
Elgot observed the whole exchange with quiet suspicion.
Rudgard yawned.
—"Let's sleep already. Tomorrow's a long day."
Kano stayed by the fire, watching it burn long after everyone had fallen asleep. His foreboding feeling didn't fade.
Meanwhile, far above the orc city, a small black bat flew, carrying news straight to the heart of the Demon Kingdom.
The night was deep and dark. The horde had not yet slept.
Lenor stood on the wall, wrapped in a cloak, gazing at the fires of the horde that flickered in the distance like ghostly lights. His eyes were cold, his thoughts focused.
Lenor lowered his gaze, looking down into the darkness where, through narrow openings, a tunnel stretched below, filled with glistening dark water. The underground rooms were already full — if the stream became poisoned, they'd have a reserve. Their food supplies should last a year. They'd withstand a siege. But the question wasn't about supplies.
The question was about them.
Suddenly, something glinted on the edge of the enemy camp. Lenor narrowed his eyes. Between the tents, dimly lit by flickering flames, a shadow flitted by. Small. Agile. Red.
A fox.
It moved with the grace of a skilled thief, cautiously avoiding the guards, as if it knew — death lurked at every step. But what was even more striking: no one saw it. Not a single orc flinched.
He inhaled through his teeth. If the animal could pass through their camp unnoticed... what's stopping a person?
Lenor turned sharply to the guard standing a little off to the side.
—"Call…" His voice faltered. He clenched his teeth as if in pain, and something hard flashed in his eyes. —"The chief's women… and Grimtar. Quickly."
The orc nodded and disappeared into the darkness.
Lenor stood still for a moment, staring into the shadow where the fox had vanished. His fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword.
"If she's chosen him…" he thought bitterly, "then let there at least be some use in this choice."
A few minutes later, Lianel, Naira, Selina, and Grimtar stood on the wall. Naira looked uneasy but hid her emotions behind a cold expression.
—"Lenor, what's going on?" asked Lianel, approaching him on the wall.
She was calm, but there was concern in her eyes. Even she could feel the pressure of this silence.
—"I've figured out how we can exhaust the horde," Lenor replied.
A heavy step sounded behind them — Grimtar had approached. The orc's face was grim.
—"They're orcs," he muttered. "They don't break from small attacks. They have death rituals, stories of night battles. It doesn't break them. It excites them."
Lenor nodded.
—"Perhaps," he admitted. "But there's a fine line. Even the most resilient warrior breaks not from the force of the strike, but from its repetition. If we keep cutting down their fighters in their sleep… they won't have peace. No one will want to fall asleep. They'll be exhausted, worn out, on edge. Worse yet, humiliated."
Grimtar grimaced but said nothing.
Lenor looked at both of them and added with cold precision:
—"They have one thing more valuable than life: death in battle. This — is their glory. This — is their way. And if we take away their warrior's honor, if they die without waking… their souls will not enter the Hall of Ancestors. They'll be cursed. They'll fear it. And worse — they'll be despised. Their warrior spirit will rot from within."
He stepped closer to Lianel and Grimtar.
—"The horde is not held together by discipline. It's held together by the myth of their invincibility. If we tear that myth apart — the horde will crumble. They'll start tearing each other apart, searching for traitors and weaklings. And we'll just wait for them to break."
—"And how will you do that?" Lianel asked quietly, almost in a whisper.
—"I want twenty of the best. Those who can disappear in the shadows like a breath. Who can move like the fox I just saw. We'll infiltrate the camp first, then quietly cut down a patrol, no noise, no fight. Only shadows and death. We'll pick the least protected areas, and keep them on edge."
He paused, looking at Grimtar.
—"And if we're lucky — we'll take someone. And not just for interrogation. For demonstration. They need to see that even an orc can become weak…"
Grimtar was silent. His face was stone, but there was a fiery internal struggle in his eyes — between warrior pride and understanding of the strategy.
—"This is dirty," he whispered. "But… it will work."
Lianel closed her eyes and sighed.
—"This isn't war. This is psychological terror."
—"Exactly what they'd do to us if they had the chance," Lenor snapped. "But the difference is, we'll do it first. And better."
He gazed into the darkness beyond the wall.
Naira nervously fixed her gaze on him.
—"Prisoners? Orcs don't surrender so easily," her voice sounded doubtful.
Grimtar silently nodded, confirming her words.
Lenor just smiled.