Interstellar Age



Unlike his duel with Mala, which was an engagement duel, the rules were different this time around. Armor was forbidden like before, but the warriors did not fight nude, they only wore a pair of trousers. And they were permitted one melee weapon of their choice. 

Since this was a fight between chieftains, both of them were permitted to wield their Power Hammers, which was a symbol of their authority as chieftains. Such weapons were devastating, so much so that most living beings, if caught within the blast radius of their attack, would die instantly. 

Because of this, the battle would be one of speed. Whoever struck the blow first would kill the other, and if they both struck at the same time, then both men would die. To the crowd, this was truly an exciting display, because it was not every day that one witnessed a fight between two Chieftains. 

Erich's power hammer was handcrafted by Tia in accordance with Orcish standards. She knew such weapons were already quite fearsome, and decided not to tinker with it other than appearance. Which she ensured was both menacing and tribal looking. 

After choosing his weapon, Erich boldly walked to the center of the arena with a confident expression on his handsome face. Due to the stakes that were involved, he knew that he had to be careful if he wanted to win this. Of course, there was something that his opponent didn't know, and that was the fact that Erich had a special ability. One which he had created himself by mixing his enhanced reflexes and agility with his ability to see the future. 

Because of this, Erih was quite confident of winning this duel. With a boastful smile on his face and the flex of his muscles to the crowd, Erich called out to the Orc chieftain. 

"Tell me... What is your name? When I send you to your maker, I at least want to know the name of the warrior I have slain!" 

The orc gazed upon Erich with a toothy grin, despite being from a completely different species and culture, Erich seemed to have an understanding of what it meant to be an honorable warrior, and thus, the Orc spoke with pride in his voice as he pounded his chest in an intimidating display. 

"I am Korgath Stonemaul! What is your name, little warrior?"

The fact that Korgath had called Erich by the nickname "little warrior" meant he was giving Erich respect, and thus Erich boasted out of the identity he had assumed to win over the Orcish clans. 

"Erich... Erich Ironhand...." 

The Orc chieftain then roared as he called out to Erich with one last word before their duel begin. 

"Well then, Erich Ironhand, our battle shall be legendary. May the gods of my ancestors give witness to a display of honor and glory!" 

After saying this, the hulking Orc charged at Erich with immense speed. Something that would easily have overwhelmed a standard human being, so much so that they would only see an after shadow. 

Yet Erich remained calm and activated his "acceleration" before charging off towards the Orc warrior. The collision had happened so quickly that even some of the lesser Orcs did not quite see what had happened. 

But with a loud bang, and the splashing of blood, bone, and sinew, only one figure remained standing in the center of the ring. And when the Orcs took a closer look, they realized that it was not their mighty Chieftain, but instead the outsider who was covered in the bodily fluids of Korgath. 

Erich then raised his hammer into the air and howled as if he were a member of the species he had just slain. For those who did not understand Orcish culture, they might be bewildered by the fact that the crowd cheered for the death of their chieftain.

But the Orcs respected strength and honor above all else. And Erich had not only proven that he was stronger than his chieftain, but that he respected their culture. So what if he wasn't an Orc himself? He had proven that he had the might to lead them, and that was all that mattered. 

With Korgath's death, Erich was forced to pick a new leader for this clan, and thus he called out to the crowd with an authoritative tone in his voice. 

"Send me your elders, so that I may choose a new chieftain!" 

Soon enough, the clan elders stood before Erich in the center of the Arena, where they paid tribute to their new Warchief with various gifts, most of which were things they had looted during their years of raiding. 

Erich accepted the gifts even if most of them were worthless to him, and spoke with the Elders for some time about who would be the most promising prospect to lead their clan. Unsurprisingly, the son of Korgath was chosen, who stepped forward, and knelt before Erich. 

"Do you, Gorgoth, son of Korgath, swear to join your clan into my horde, and give your loyalty to me, your new Warchief?"

Gorgoth nodded his head, and pounded his chest as he kneeled before Erich, before swearing to do as commanded. 

"My clan is honored to join the horde of such a mighty warrior. What would you have us do Warchief?" 

Erich smirked when he heard this, before giving his first orders to the new Orc clan. 

"Once your clan has finished raiding this world, I will send you the cooridnates for you to regroup at. The other clans will be waiting for you there. It is time we upgrade the equipment, and the living conditions of your people..."

  both Gorgoth, and the Elders gazed at Erich in shock. From the sound of it, Erich would be supplying them with new weapons, armor, and ships. Most species were hostile to the various Orc clans, for obvious reasons, and because of that they didn't exactly have much chances to trade.

Thus, they relied on raiding, scavenging, and salvage to maintain their fleets. They didn't even have any engineers and mechanics on in their clans. The only way they maintained their ships into a barely functional state was via the capture of slaves who could perform those roles. 

For their clan to be blessed with new and modern equipment, it was a perk they did not expect when joining Erich's Horde. But it was a welcomed surprise, nonetheless. Thus, with this Erich had merged a third Orc clan into his horde, and would begin undergoing the same restructure in leadership, equipment, training, et cetera, that he was already plotting for the other two clans. 

Soon enough, he would have an Army to rival that of the GSE. Because eventually, after Erich hunted down and eliminated the Sages, he would have to go and claim his birthright. Even if it meant waging war against his own people, and the usurper who currently led them.