Blood for Power: A LitRPG Apocalypse

The orcs carried us further east. I know what you’re thinking. But it’s okay. I heard them refer to themselves that way. Which was a small weight off my mind, but it didn’t really address the larger concern of being taken. Whether we were being arrested due to the shop bombing or just being plain kidnapped wasn’t made clear to us.

For most of the journey, the orcs rarely spoke. When they did, it was usually to complain. The orc that was carrying me had thrown me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He kept one hand on me and one on his fancy chrome pistol. And every once in a while, he’d mutter under his breath about how he should’ve shot us on sight.

In companion chat, Hugo and I had dubbed him Snappy due to his cheerful demeanor. He had an ugly face to match and burn scars on his hands.

Then there was Lazy, the orc who carried Hugo within one of his dinner plate sized hands. He was the heaviest of the group and kept asking to take breaks. He was repeatedly shot down by their leader, Broody. Whenever we did stop briefly, it was so Broody could check his wristwatch and then glance up at the sky. It was unclear why he did this, but the combination of these two things seemed to tell him which streets to go down and which to avoid.

The last orc bringing up the rear was Whiny, the smallest of the group. Though he would still tower over me at six foot six. Unlike Snappy, his complaints were loud, and he often wished that they’d taken an LTV.

Hugo: What’s an LTV?

Lucas: I have no idea.

“Enough!” barked Broody. “An LTV is too good of a target for goblin artillery to pass up. We can’t risk it.”

Snappy and Whiny both grumbled about how unfair that was, but one dark look from Broody and they fell silent.

Getting taken by orcs had not been on my list of plans, but it did expedite things. I allowed myself to be taken without any fuss, hoping that they would lead us to somebody in charge. That way we could try to get on friendly terms with another city faction and ask the goblin’s main enemy what they knew about the spirit killer device.

Hugo had been more reticent to agree to my plan.

On first being captured, he’d unleashed a flurry of insults at them and pecked at the hand that was holding him. The orc didn’t seem to mind the fighting. None of his attacks could get through his toughened skin. What all of them did object to was the noise he was making.

I told him in companion chat to calm himself. That we can fight our way out if we must, but first let’s see where they take us.

I’d hoped to learn more about this city, but there wasn’t a whole to see from our positions. Mostly, I tried to keep track of the street names so that I’d have a rough idea of how to get back. The only other thing I watched were the bystanders that we passed.

The humans we encountered had strange reactions to a grown man and his bird being carried through the streets. I expected some shock or disbelief. Instead, it was as if we were unimportant. The humans would either give the passing orcs a respectful nod or turn away to hide their faces. The orcs didn’t care one way or the other. They ignored all of them and nobody dared get in their way.

Slowly, we saw fewer humans and more orcs as we moved further east.

Hugo: Wow, this area seems wealthy. Are we in the Orc district yet?

We had passed through too many streets for it to be a mere district.

Lucas: I don’t they have a district. I think this whole eastern part of the city is theirs.

To hammer this home, the orcs came to a stop in front of a gated checkpoint. There was one large gate for carriages or vehicles and one smaller one to the side for people on foot. Orcs wearing tactical armor and carrying chrome rifles guarded the checkpoint. They people in through the small gate one at a time after scanning them with a wand.

Broody cursed. “We don’t have time for this.” He whistled to get the guard's attention and made a circular motion with his finger for them to open the main gate.

The guards jumped to comply, and there was a buzzing sound as the gate was opened electronically. Despite the gas lamps and cobblestone streets, some future technology was still in play here. I’d have to keep that mind going forward.

As we were passing, the orc with the wand, idly waved it our way. Something on his belt started beeping and suddenly more guards came pouring out of a nearby building with their rifles to block the path in front of us. The ones at the gate already stood at attention. None dared point their guns directly at our group, but some looked like they wanted to.

“I don’t have time for this,” Broody barked before calming himself. He raised his voice to address everyone present. “Yes, we are aware that the two individuals in our custody are carrying trace amounts of Tanite residue. They are being taken in for questioning.”

The orcs in tactical gear glanced at each other. Unsure of how to proceed.

Broody removed his wrist watch and rolled his sleeve up to reveal an intricate brand made of several sigils inside a circle. He showed this brand to them. “Does anyone have a problem with that?”

The orcs shook their heads and stepped aside. Our group continued without a word.

Hugo: Looks like the ones in suits outrank them.

Lucas: It looks that way. Though it didn’t seem like there was any love lost between the two groups.

After passing the gate, we passed through several more streets until we eventually reached another square. This one was dominated by a thirty-story building that we should’ve noticed before now. It towered over everything else. How did we not spot this as we were entering the city?

In front of the building was a large water fountain in the shape of a lotus blossom. It reminded me of hotels back home, but as were entered, the lobby gave off more of a modern business vibe. The place was even air-conditioned, and every light was electric.

Male and female orcs were coming and going, wearing suits like it was another day at the office. It was interesting to note that despite the female orcs being shorter than the males, none of them were under six feet. The other thing I noticed was that all of them looked like capable fighters. I didn’t see a single sick or old person in this crowded lobby.

Still even in this space, Broody was recognized and the other orcs respectfully kept out of his way.

We passed a front desk where the youngest orc I’d seen so far was stationed behind. His eyes wide with admiration for Broody as we passed. Unlike the others, his suit looked two sizes too big. Like a kid wearing his dad’s clothes.

Broody ignored him and led us straight to the elevators. He pressed the button and waited a moment.

The young orc receptionist leaned over the front desk. “Umm, they’re out of service,” his voice squeaked.

Snappy sighed. “I miss using the wings. Can we use them next time?”

Lazy shook his head. “They’re too big. It’s another prime target for goblin artillery.”

Whiny nodded in agreement. “You know what would happen if we broke the rules.”

Broody opened the door to the stairwell. “Come on,” he said. “Job’s not finished till we deliver them.”

The other three groaned and reluctantly followed up the stairs. Even with his high level of strength, sweat poured off of Snappy. Half way up, Broody took pity on him and offered to carry me the rest of the way.

It was an odd experience to be handed off from one big orc to the other, like a child. I tried to keep my expression neutral, but Hugo sniggered, which made me crack a smile.

“Yeah, laugh it up funny man,” said Snappy. “You won’t be laughing when the boss gets done with you.”

It was obviously a threat, but instead of feeling afraid, I was curious. Being Tower Climber quickly made one desensitized to such basic threats. Instead, I was hungry for details. I wanted to know what to plan for or use to my advantage.

“What does that mean?” I asked him.

Snappy sneered and opened his mouth, but Broody cut him off. “Come on, we should keep moving. If the boss’s meeting finishes early and we’re not there, guess who’s paying for it?”

Snappy nodded, and the orcs resumed carrying us up the stairs.

When we reached the top floor, Broody opened the door. The voice of a man screaming in pain reverberated down the stairwell. It was the unmistakable voice of someone being tortured.

Hugo: Oh god, is that going to be us?

Lucas: No. But be ready to fight.

Even the orc carrying us grimaced. All except Snappy. He looked at me and grinned. “Guess the boss isn’t finished with his last meeting after all.”