Decisions were being made in the units waiting inside the Golden City, but not even the shadows of the two hidden Apostles could be seen. No one could know where they were or what they thought, and for this reason, acting as if they didn't exist at all, they took their places on the walls in the first lights of the morning.
Some were here for their families, some for their goals, and some to fight this war, which was the final point of the invasion of their continent that started three years ago, but they had a single common point; they were waiting for an enemy that wasn't in front of them.
As if making noise until morning wasn't enough, the orcs hadn't given the Golden City any peace with the giant fire they lit. The people possessing tense nerves were ready for the struggle with the first lights of the morning, but not the slightest sound was coming from where the green-skinned race was.
Hours flowed by, and this situation didn't change until the tent door opened at a time close to the sun rising above everyone. Someone pushing the leather door of the giant tent in the middle of the Orc Empire Army camp with his hand gasped for all the air in the vicinity by opening his mouth wide.
"Good morning folks!"
Then, he shouted violently enough to be heard even from hundreds of steps away. At that moment, the doors of thousands of other tents opened, and the orcs all answered in unison.
"Thank you!"
The dust that had found the opportunity to rest on the ground throughout the night got caught in the resulting storm and was dragged all the way to the city walls. The Golden City wasn't surrounded by an energy shield; the block stones lined up on top of each other watched perhaps their future states hit them and fall to the ground.
"Have they already gotten up? It doesn't look like Bearstrangler's tribe at all, does it?"
When Nafız also exited the tent after Alyon, the big guns of the army began to appear one by one along with the ordinary warriors. The plan discussed last night was absolute; even if they were members of the Dynasty Family, they moved towards the specified places with rapid steps.
Alyon and Nafız, the two people having the luxury of staying calm among millions of orcs, were watching them. Having been in so many perilous situations for years, they hadn't been able to see how the thing they laid the foundations of turned into a magnificent structure, but today the Orc Empire Army was laying all its majesty at their feet.
Instead of idle orcs they saw while exiting the newborn tent and advancing for the naming ceremony, there were warriors who knew their duty. Everyone arrived at the place they were supposed to be, at the time they were supposed to be, and began to wait. It was the commander named Wind of Death's turn; even though Nafız and Alyon were the two leaders, she was the sole ruler of the army.
"Sovereigns of the Golden City!"
The morning had passed quietly, but short of noon arriving, sound bombs were detonating one after another. Wind of Death made a noise befitting her stature; the gazes of those in her target were gathering on her.
"Send away the representatives of the other two civilizations that don't belong to your lands, and open the city gates wide. Then, there will be neither plunder nor loss of life; the Orc Empire will leave the Golden City as it exists right now!"
The facial expressions of the people on the Golden City walls changed. While they expected the burly orc woman to issue a duel invitation directly, Wind of Death was saying they would show mercy in case they surrendered.
"The gold, goods, and properties of the power holders will remain in their hands. You will continue to trade as you always do; your privileges won't be taken away from you!"
Never before had the orcs made such a concession for any city or any human community. From the commoner small shop owners to the people who owned guilds, all of them would be able to maintain their existence. This was the explicit meaning of the words, but there were also those who thought beyond this.
"Tirkizna, what do you say to the offer of the orc commander?"
The old man, blinking his golden eyelashes, turned towards the woman who was at least as wrinkled as himself.
"Under normal conditions, I don't see any reason to reject, but you know, we haven't been living under normal conditions for a long time!"
The Turquoise Leaf Guild leader gave her answer after a deep sigh; their youngest counterpart right on her right side was also listening to their conversation.
"When did we get this weak? How could we allow a man we don't know where he came from to take over all our decisions, our thoughts, and even our lives?"
The answer to this question wasn't given; not because there wasn't one, actually they all knew the answer in the depths of their hearts, but they were doubtful if saying it would be of any use.
Hundreds of steps away from them, in the headquarters of one of the forces Wind of Death said to throw out of the city, anger reigned. Father Godfrey was radiating lights in his domain he set up on the walls; his subordinates were putting up a great struggle to restrain him.
"Calm down, master!"
"We know the young master is alive at least!"
"Let's wait for nightfall, let's not make any move today!"
Wind of Death wasn't just addressing with her words; the sash adorned with golden glimmers hanging from her right hand was a greeting given to the leader of the Companions of Light forces. Seeing one of his son's personal belongings, Godfrey couldn't stand still; if his subordinates didn't restrain him, he would let himself into the void and walk upon millions of orcs all alone.
Unlike him, silence reigned in the area at the other end of the city where the metallic cabins of the Machine Empire forces were on the wall. Even though there were parts that concerned them in what the orcs said, they didn't seem to care much.
Wind of Death waited for ten minutes after her words too; when the time given for thinking, discussing, and explaining expired, her two large fangs appeared again.
"So you want to die between these stone blocks, huh! So be it!"
The Commander-in-Chief of the Orc Empire Armies turned her back to the enemy and addressed the green-skinned warriors looking at her with eyes glowing like embers.
"My kin, everything inside the Golden City is now yours. The Dynasty Family will not take even a single piece of item for themselves. Those who live long enough to see the victory will be the owners of the wealth in this world!"
The barbarism, the desire to plunder, and the fire of brutality overflowing from the bodies of millions of orc warriors united and caused the sky to darken for a moment. Not even the sun's rays could penetrate this dark, gloomy vortex of emotion.
"After this hour, this hostility won't end without one side being destroyed. The Mercenaries, Companions of Light, and Machine Empire forces, if you are so brave, send one person to the battlefield to face our warriors!"
The drums began to be beaten, the roars to rise to the sky. The war was officially beginning; the first blood would be shed today, and those who would take the first step of its adventure, which would turn into rivers, were slowly stepping forward.
There was an orc walking among the units in the middle part of the army. While carrying his shield with a lion head relief on it on his back, the path opened in front of him with every step he took. There was a single emotion ruling the gazes of the warriors at the front where the Volunteers were, admiration.
Next, a human began to walk from the right side. His arms and legs were black in a way unseen among his kin. He looked young in age, but his eyes were as if he had inherited the hatred of a man who had suffered for centuries.
The left part didn't stay empty either; a druid letting his green robe drop from his shoulders glided as if his feet didn't touch the ground and arrived at his place before anyone else. He didn't have his staff identified with his race in his hand; he was waiting for the enemy who would come against him with empty hands.
"The pack of cowards coming together to protect the Golden City! Here are the braves sent by the Orc Empire Armies! Do you have the heart to bring anyone against them?"
Wind of Death burned the last bridge too. Whether they sent anyone or not, the ultimate war on the continent was beginning today.