Fates of Grenora: Return of the Night

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!" Evie fumed, pacing back and forth inside their carriage. "YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE SOMETHING, OH, I DON'T KNOW! LESS FUCKING CONSPICUOUS?!" she screeched as Aldrin sipped on his third goblet of blood.

Aldrin pinched his nose after the last sip. "Evie, for the last time. It's fine."

"You know, I have to agree with her on this one," Pierre said, crossing his arms as he looked between Aldrin and Evie.

Aldrin sighed, "I did it for us." He sat back on the couch, sinking a little lower.

"How?! How was killing the chieftain's son and then enthralling the chief for any of us?!" Evie countered, placing her hands on his hips.

Aldrin placed his goblet down and stood. "We are going to one of the worst places on this side of Dremetica. We show up with an Orc tribe; none will dare to mess with us," he declared, his eyes burning with challenge as he glared at Evie.

"On the flip side," Pierre interjected before Evie could blow up again. "We just painted a bigger target on our backs. Maybe it might help us?" he offered.

Aldrin chuckled at Pierre's statement, although part of him had hoped it would help them. "All I have been doing is laying low and building myself up at your discretion," he said to Evie. "We are being hunted! I'm being hunted! So I got us a little more protection!" he let loose of his tight control from the mounting stress.

Evie wanted to say something, but she knew it wouldn't make this conversation any better, so she huffed and stormed off to her bedroom. Aldrin let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders deflating with the exhale as he sat back down on the couch. Pierre said nothing until the door slammed. "You planned ‌this, didn't you? The whole thing. You knew the moment the Orcs showed up."

Aldrin nodded his head. "They were never going to give us what we needed. We had nothing of value to trade the Beastmaster to teach Jared." He turned to face Pierre, his green eyes flaring again. "Out of all of us, you are the most levelheaded." Aldrin said, and Pierre stayed quiet, sensing more coming. "I met with the Fae before we left Folos. She gave me warnings."

"What warnings?" Pierre narrowed his eyes as he leaned forward.

"The other progenitors are going to start making their moves soon. Gaining power and alliances. Starting minor wars." Aldrin told him. "We must be ready."

Pierre's eyebrows shot up to his head. "And they also gave you the warning about being hunted?"

Aldrin nodded. "And that the other Vampires are waiting for me on the Forbidden Continent. We will also have help in Ebira. They have an agent working there already, preparing for us."

Pierre read between the lines. "What's the plan..?"

Aldrin chuckled, "We become a crime syndicate."

Pierre couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity until he realized Aldrin wasn't laughing. "Wait.. you really mean this? Aldrin, listen, maybe this Vampire thing has gone to your head… you've been subtly shifting," he admitted.

Aldrin laughed and waved him off. "I'm just becoming who I was meant to be. Nothing more. Nothing less." He said, echoing the words from Hyde, the ghost who he met in Lor-Vold, as well as Torvina's parting words of their first meeting.

"And these Orcs?" Pierre followed up.

Aldrin waved a hand. "A stepping stone. A foundation for something greater, I suppose. The first is our crime syndicate."

"And what's the crime syndicate going to be exactly?" Pierre asked.

Aldrin winced, dreading that question. "I don't know exactly yet. I have to get to Ebira first and get the lay of the land before we make any big moves. Hopefully, the agent there is as good as Torvina claimed."

Pierre sighed and pushed himself off the couch. He looked down the hall to Evie's closed door and back at Aldrin. "I'll talk to her. Find Jared. I don't want him getting in trouble with any Orcs."

"They won't harm him now that I am Chief," Aldrin grinned. Pierre forced himself to return a grin of his own and went to knock on Evie's door.

Aldrin took that moment to step out of the carriage. Two orc guards flanked the entrance to the carriage and fell in step behind him when he exited. Hellix and Drellix had the forethought to move the carriage closer to the main entrance of the outpost. The Orcs were currently in the middle of breaking down the outpost as Aldrin walked through. Most of the Orcs averted their gaze when he walked by, unsure of how to approach and address him. However, a few made their disdain known by sneering and shaking their heads, but Aldrin paid no attention to them. His focus was on the large tent in the center that had yet to be broken down.

The Orc guards that flanked Aldrin stopped at the entrance when he entered the tent. Inside, the Orc high elders, Orcs that had lived well past their prime and who had survived through many battles, sat amongst themselves along with the disgraced former chief, Tar-Xuk. Aldrin had given his tusks back to be mended, which had worked, but the damage was already done, and so was the domination. Tar-Xuk was no more, and only the will of Aldrin remained until he released the old chieftain.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Have you come to a decision?" Aldrin asked as he entered with his hands clasped behind his back.

One elder stood, leaning heavily on an old gnarled walking stick. His long gray beard swayed gently with each hobbled step. "The Tribe of Tar will support you in exchange for your protection."

Aldrin raised an eyebrow at that. "From?"

With a wryly sly grin, the high elder answered, "The other tribes, including the Khotals."

Aldrin sucked his teeth in displeasure. "I see you still respect strength, not wisdom." The grin of the high elder fell slightly. "You see, I may be a blood brother to the Khotal chief's son. Although it has been some years since I last saw him, he might even be chieftain right now, but all that matters is that Tar now belongs to the Khotals should they come. Which means…?" Aldrin let the question hang in the air.

"Which means we have been elevated to one of the top tribes of the Hizotul Orcs," another seated high elder said.

Aldrin nodded. "Exactly. Play your cards right and I may even put in a good word with the Khotals should they decide to wipe you and replace you with their own high elders." He narrowed his eyes with a flash of crimson to remind them what he was. "I hope it doesn't come to you all being replaced." He let the subtle threat hang in the air. "We leave in two days for Ebira. I suggest you hurry." He commanded, then left the tent to find Jared, who he assumed would be at the terror bird corral.

The two Orc guards fell in behind him again as he walked around the main tent, past the warriors' circle and out the back where the fields of grain and the corral were sequestered away. He saw Jared talking among the Orcs, cracking jokes which only made the Orcs laugh nervously. "Jared!" Aldrin called as he got closer.

Jared turned and gave a friendly wave, although Aldrin saw the faint traces of hesitation. 'They are scared of me now," he thought to himself. The other Orcs turned and blanched as they dipped their heads towards Aldrin. "Did you get the Beastmaster?" He asked, coming to a stop.

The hint of hesitation gave way to the excitement that bristled over Jared as he shared his screen with a triumphant grin.

Aldrin matched Jared's grin. "Congratulations!" He clapped Jared on the shoulder.

Jared beamed proudly, sticking his chest out and standing a little straighter before a serious look overtook him. "I know you did this for me. For us. I am sorry that our reactions to it weren't the best…" he trailed off, looking away from Aldrin's gaze. "Thank you," he said, looking back up. "You didn't have to do it, but thank you."

Aldrin blinked, surprised by the sincerity before he smiled softly. "You have helped me all this time. I just wanted to return the favor."

A screeching terror bird broke the atmosphere as it charged at the gates. Aldrin moved quicker than he or the bird expected as he grabbed it by the beak before it could nip at anyone. His eyes flashed crimson as the bird struggled to get out of the vice-like grip. "Calm yourself," he said, using Charming Gaze to emphasize his point.

The terror bird immediately settled down, and he nodded for Jared to come over. "Were you attempting to bond with this one?" He asked when Jared stepped closer.

"Not really. It was wilder before you got here. The Orcs were trying to calm it down before I approached," Jared admitted as he started stroking the blue feathered neck of the terror bird.

Aldrin hummed a response as he stroked its neck. "Do you want to bond with it?" He asked.

Jared frowned. "For my first bond slot? I was hoping for something more impressive," he sheepishly admitted.

An Orc snorted, but Aldrin silenced the Orc with a glare. "That's fine. I think I can find you something impressive when I go to the Black Bazaar." He said. "Also, if you head back to the carriage, Evie is extremely pissed at me. Just a heads up," he nervously laughed.

"What did you do?" Jared asked.

"All of this," Aldrin gestured all around him.

Jared blinked first before he laughed. "You basically won a private army, and she's mad at you for getting further protection for yourself?"

"Thank you!" Aldrin said, feeling validated. "But she's more mad I went over the top with it. Orcs don't respect weakness and fickle leaders." He said, then turned to the other Orcs around them, "No offense, guys."

"Some taken," a brave Orc said but immediately regretted it when Aldrin's icy gaze slid over him.

Aldrin reigned it back in before he sighed again. "It's alright. I'm not gonna beat you down for speaking your mind."

The Orc was shocked but wisely chose ‌not to say anything else as the two humans continued to chat. Aldrin ended up waving goodbye as he and his guards walked back into the settlement. There was planning to be done and traveling to do. Still, there was a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that told him time was running out of time faster than he thought. He needed to hurry and set up the next stage of his foundation, which lay in Ebira.