The Missing Dragon Ch. 05

"Hey! That was my guy!" Nullik complained, before ducking a swing of the alpha's club. It was considerably easier since the alpha of the Bear Claws seemed to have a much harder time aiming the weapon after Frelki's opening blow.

All but the alpha of the Bear Claws fell to one knee, and the proving grounds fell silent as the Runts surrounded him.

"Knock his fucking block off!" Janette yelled out over the tense moment.

When they began to close in for the victory, Gregory took a deep breath and shook his head before tapping Ulf on the arm with his shield. The alpha wore a thin smile moulded around his tusks, sensing his pack's first victory. Yet he turned at the human's gesture and saw the look in his friend's eyes. Though he couldn't quite believe it, he stopped his advance and in that moment the Runts all halted. After a final glance to the alpha of the Bear Claws, Ulf turned and nodded to Gregory.

"You sure?" Gregory asked.

"You have earned it." Ulf lowered his weapons and stepped back.

There were a number of gasps heard throughout the proving grounds when the Runts stepped back, all except for Gregory who discarded his shield to the ground. His arm had already begun swelling from the impact of taking that first charge. It showed that he'd sustained a similar injury to the Bear Claw alpha; who was now eyeing him with a newfound degree of respect whilst getting back to his feet.

"Is he nuts!?" Janette turned to look at Algra, her eyes wide and terrified on seeing her boyfriend seemingly challenge a much larger opponent to single combat despite having a tremendous advantage.

"He has learned well," Algra said; though she leaned forward in her own seat and watched with her own concern.

Without his shield, Gregory took his bat in both hands and readied himself whilst his opponent did the same. Then came the charge. Janette hid her face behind her hands. Algra leaned further in. The Bear Claw alpha raised his club as they were about to clash.

Gregory stopped just before the attack and feinted off to the left. By that point the Bear Claw alpha had built up so much momentum that there was simply no stopping. Not even when the human swept his leg under the charging alpha and sent him sprawling to the ground.

When he turned, the alpha found Gregory standing over him with his own club raised. After seeing that his weapon had fallen out of reach, the alpha looked up at the human in a moment of stunned silence. Then he slumped back down to signal he'd been beaten.

Only the flustered breathing of many orcs could be heard across the proving grounds, and for a moment it seemed that none could believe their eyes. Then Gregory lowered his bat and offered the hand of his good arm to his fallen enemy. The Bear Claw alpha stared at it for a few moments before reaching up and taking it.

"What's your name?" Gregory asked, breaking the silence.

"Ragthur," the alpha said after getting to his feet again.

"Good match, Ragthur."

Ragthur looked at Gregory for a long moment, and then nodded his agreement.

"You won't get us that way again," he said.

"I know, but don't worry though. I'm full of ideas."

Ragthur waited a beat after that, and then burst out laughing.

The laughter deflated the tension across the proving grounds, and upon seeing the display of honour from the human, the orcs stood and roared a great cheer of approval.

Within the deafening noise of the cheer, Ragthur's grip tightened on Gregory's hand. The human tensed up again as he felt the orc pull him in close, but it wasn't an overly aggressive gesture. In the end it appeared that Ragthur only wanted to impart a message in a more private tone.

"I thank you for not striking me in the balls with that last attack," he said.

"Oh, no problem. I know you lot don't have any rules against it, but where I come from it's dishonourable to land a nut shot."

"Oh? Perhaps humans aren't always full of bad ideas then."

With that, the former enemies shared a grin and walked back to their separate packs. All around them the proving grounds still applauded their fight, and gave their approval to the human running with one of their packs.

"That was a good fight," Ulf said, stepping over to Gregory and putting his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah. I managed to get through the whole thing without shitting myself." Gregory nodded.

"Humans have strange expectations of battle," Frelki said, wrinkling her nose.

"Hey, is Frun ok?" Gregory turned to look at the orc in his pack who had taken the most hits. He was leaning up against his halberd with the giant weapon planting firmly in the ground. Though he looked beaten, he too was smiling.

"I am well enough, Gregory." Frun continued to lean on his cane whilst limping in closer.

"Sorry, man. I shouldn't have put you on the edge like that. Next time we try something like that you're in between me and Wrut. It was-"

"It was a good fight," Frun interrupted. "Your idea worked well. It is a poor battle that has no hurt to it."

"He's right, Gregory," Ulf said. "Don't start questioning yourself over such things. It is good to be wary, but the plan worked. The Bear Claws are one of the best packs on the proving grounds and we beat them with every one of us still standing."

"Yeah," Nullik flashed a smile, "What miracles will you be performing for us next?"

Wrut elbowed him for that.

"Hey now, be careful, big guy. I'm a dangerous man with this thing." Nullik twirled his staff expertly.

"That you are," Gregory agreed. "Let's celebrate Nullik's awesomeness and our first win, shall we?"

"Now that sounds like a great idea!" Nullik stopped twirling at the mention of celebrations.

"We've got some things ready at the camp. Why don't you all head on down there? I'll be with you in a little bit."

"You're not joining us immediately?" Frelki seemed surprised and slightly disappointed at that.

"I'd like to have a word with Ulag."

"Good luck chasing that crazed drake." Nullik rolled his eyes.

"I'd still like to talk with him, if that's alright." He looked to Ulf who shrugged his approval, though didn't seem to understand Gregory's mind any better than Nullik. "Great, you all go start getting drunk. I'll be there soon."

"Yes, sir, Captain Tuskless!" Nullik offered a firm human-styled salute before bolting off toward Bolut's camp. The rest of his pack laughed and then went off to join him.

Ulf was the last to depart, and he hesitated beside the human before nodding his head to him. "Thank you." With that, he too followed the rest leaving Gregory feeling a little bowled over from Ulf's gratitude.

The seating area around the proving pit was still filled with orcs, many of whom had given up cheering and begun discussing the fight that had just happened. Gregory scanned the crowd and found that there was a notable absence amongst the collection of green-tusked faces. Ulag had departed at some point in the fight.

He went to pick up his fallen shield and then quickly made for the entrance to the pit to run up out of the dug-out incline leading down there. Given the relative absence of any other orcs in the training grounds, it wasn't difficult to spot the proving master walking away back toward his own tent. Taking a deep breath to gather his courage once again, Gregory marched after him with purpose in his stride.

"Master!" he called out after closing some distance between them.

Ulag didn't stop his advance.

"Hey!" he called again, louder and with less deference in his tone.

It didn't stop the proving master's advance, and he continued to ignore his pursuer.

"Oi! Shit for brains!" Deference truly had left the building.

That stopped Ulag in his tracks, and he slowly turned to face Gregory with a dangerously cold expression on his face. After letting him close the ground between them, Ulag lashed out to shove the human whelp back onto his ass.

"You would dare speak to me in this way, pup?" Ulag growled.

"Well I tried doing it the way I was supposed to, but it wasn't working," Gregory said.

Ulag glanced over his head back toward the proving pits. "Yes. You did." He paused a moment with his thoughts, and then he reached out to offer the human a hand to get up.

Fearing that he might be about to lose whatever limb he gave Ulag, Gregory hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and taking the offered hand. Instead of breaking bones, the proving master simply hauled him up to his feet before giving him a shove backward to look him over.

"What do you want, pup?" Ulag asked.

Surprised at the blunt question, Gregory gave a small nod before setting out to say what he'd come to say.

"You don't seem to like me very much." He left that statement hanging there for a moment, and Ulag didn't argue the point. "That's fine, I guess. I don't like you very much either. I just wanted to make sure that whatever the hell kind of grudge you've got going against me is aimed at me and me alone in the future. The Runts are a good pack, and they'll make good proven orcs when all this is over. I don't want them getting seriously hurt or dishonoured because you can't keep your damned temper in check."

Ulag's eyes widened at the human's words, and then narrowed into a much more dangerous expression.

"You think I do not know my purpose, human? I have tended these grounds since before your father knew your mother's name."

"I think that if you pull any shit like pitting my friends against those asshole Berserkers when they could barely defend themselves then you'll land square on my shit list." Gregory stepped forward, standing his ground against the far more dangerous orc elder. "I don't give a damn if you make my life hell. I don't care if you try to break me in half. I will make you regret hurting my friends. And before you growl and snarl and tell me the endless names of your fallen enemies? Just remember that the last guy who pissed me off wound up burning alive after I'd decorated my knuckles with his blood. You want to hurt me? Hurt me. Just keep the Runts out of it."

With that, Gregory turned and walked away leaving Ulag watching him depart in stunned silence.

- - - - -

Walking out of the proving grounds was a tense affair for Gregory. It's never easy to turn your back on an 8ft green killing machine that you've just royally pissed off, even at the best of times. Thankfully, Ulag chose not to follow him and he took that as a sign that his words had landed the way he'd wanted them to. He breathed easier after walking out through the black arch to take his leave of the place; heading on back to his camp and the celebrations that were doubtless beginning already.

Unfortunately, he was halted in his tracks after barely more than twenty paces as a figure stepped out from behind a low palisade wall where she'd been sat waiting his arrival. Ulla Strongblood strode before him with a determined expression on her features.

His first thought was: Oh shit, not now. Upon seeing her, he braced himself for some sort of attack.

"What do you want, Ulla?" he eventually asked her after they had been staring each other down for half a minute.

"I want you to come with me," she said.

"You haven't exactly earned a big shipment of trust lately, you know."

"I wish to rejoin the Runts. I would speak with you about it."

"If you want to sign up with us again then that's fine with me. Ulf is the one you need to ask though."

"I have a problem with you, Gregory Hopkins. I wish to see it resolved with words rather than fists. I would not fight at your side until the matter is resolved."

"Right, and on your honour, you're not planning on turning me into a sack of broken bones?"

She shook her head firmly. "That is not my wish."

"Alright then, but I can't be long. I'd like to get back to everyone before they drink all the beer."

Her determination faltered and a hint of a smile crept across her features before she nodded her agreement and led the way. With a sigh and a slight shake of his head, he went to join her.

After his victory, his thoughts had turned to Algra, Janette and a number of the other beauties that inhabited his camp. He really was in the mood to celebrate, and could think of no better celebration than bedding his mate and his girlfriend for the next few days. After their victory, the Runts wouldn't need to present themselves at the proving grounds for a week. He was hoping that during that time he wouldn't need to put his trunks on at all.

Given the direction that his thoughts had been wandering off to, having to follow a particularly gorgeous young orc woman was distracting. Like most orcs, Ulla wore very little clothing. Arms, legs and midriff were left largely bare, and the thick strips of fur that covered her intimate regions didn't leave quite so much to the imagination as his human sense of modesty would have liked.

That human modesty hadn't really been put into practice in the past couple of months since his arrival on Arolius. This time was different, given what he suspected of Ulf's feelings for Ulla, he did his best to rally his sense of modesty as best he could. Unfortunately, that rallying cry was having quite a bit of trouble making itself heard over the deafening roar of the animal that had been unleashed inside him which now craved female companionship almost all the damn time. Usually he could channel that energy into other pursuits, but that wasn't exactly easy when he found himself watching one of the nicest asses he'd ever seen swishing in front of him.

It was therefore a very long walk for Gregory, who spent a lot of his time making a point of trying to watch birds passing in the sky. This initially seemed to work to alleviate his problem, until Ulla led him out into the forest and he started walking into a lot of tree branches chin-first.

Eventually he had to shift his gaze back to her and the path ahead whilst feeling the familiar heat rising inside him at the sight of her. They eventually came out into the glade the Runts had used for training in private. It was now empty, and Gregory realised she'd taken him there by a route he'd never known about.

"Have you been watching us train, Ulla?" he asked after looking back along the path and realising how well hidden it was.

"Yes. You are a good alpha, Gregory Hopkins," she said before rounding to face him.

"I'm not the alpha. That's Ulf's job and he can keep it."

"If you think yourself not their alpha then you are a fool. It is not enough to claim the title, you must do the job. You do, Ulf doesn't."

"He will." Gregory's tone hardened.

"Come now, the victory today is yours to claim. As you have claimed so much since you came to us."

He turned away from her, feeling frustrated and annoyed with her line of thinking. The victory wasn't something he'd wanted. In the grand scheme of things, he couldn't have cared less about winning a proving match. What he wanted was his damned ring back so that he could go home again. Everything else was a means to that end. Except that wasn't the only thing he wanted anymore. He also wanted to stay here and live with Algra forever. Maybe go back to her little hideaway with Janette and fill the rest of his days with love, sex and laughter. Given that these two goals seemed utterly mutually exclusive, he didn't particularly like thinking about the matter.

"I'm not out to claim any victories, Ulla. What was it that you wanted to talk with me about?" He folded his arms across his bare chest and looked out toward the tree line where he knew the camp lay just beyond.

"It is time that we all came together, do you not agree?" she asked.

"Yeah, I was all for that before you tried to kick my teeth out."

"Then we must find a better way to exert our energies."

"How about you just not try to kick my teeth in again? I'm all for-"

At that point he turned around and felt quite a bit of the air seemingly vanish from his lungs. Ulla stood before him, one hand resting on her hip whilst she regarded him with a confident smile around her tusks.

She'd taken the time when his attention was focused on the trees to discard the small garments she wore. What those garments had been hiding certainly lived up to expectations. Sizable breasts rested comfortably upon her chest; perfectly sculpted to her athletic frame with their peaks already hardened despite the heat of the late morning sun. Between her legs, she had shorn off all traces of hair to leave a glimpse of her lower lips glistening with all the pleasure they promised. She was somewhat more slender than Algra, with smoother skin and a slightly more youthful flush to her appearance.

The bulge in his pants seemed to almost visibly throb, and grow with the excitement of each passing moment his gaze drank in her nude body. The animal clawed at the edges of his mind, ravenous with a need to ravage the gorgeous orc until she was left screaming his name to the clear blue sky above.

Except that he immediately knew that would be a truly spectacular mistake.

"What are you doing, Ulla?" He tried to keep his voice level and devoid of the raw lust he felt in looking upon her.

"I'm mending the break between us. I will become your mate, and subject to you as you will be to me. You are an alpha of the provings, and a famously talented lover. I am the greatest warrior in the provings. It is a good match." She stepped closer to place her hand on his bare chest.

"Alright, well first off, I'm not a fucking alpha of anything. I told you that's Ulf's job. And you are nowhere near the greatest warrior in the provings. You can fight, but you can't follow orders for-"

"I will follow your orders, Gregory. I will do anything you wish of me. We shall bring much honour to each other." Her hand started sliding down over his hard pectorals toward the hefty lump in his trunks.

Knowing where that would likely end, he stepped back from her touch with an enormous exertion of willpower.

"I am Algra's mate, and she is mine."

"A true orc can take more than one mate to his side, silly human. You seem to tend the fire of many every night in that camp of yours. I've heard just how much your lovers sing your praises whilst you do it. I've listened to them. I've slid my fingers between my legs and played myself to their tune."

She accompanied that by demonstrating just what she did, her hand lowered from where it had been reached out to him and slipped between her thighs to run her fingertips over her bare pussy.

Jesus fucking wept, he thought to himself before turning away from her again.

"And you'd take your place at Algra's side then?" he said with more than a hint of scorn.

"Once you had me, I would devote every single moment of my life to making sure you never wanted to even look at that cowardly bitch ever again. I'd-"

Hearing those words, he rounded back on her with such a hot rage blazing in his gaze that she instinctively stepped back. Though he didn't advance upon her further, it was clear that lust wasn't the only emotion he was having trouble restraining just then. She had never seen such anger. It burned in his eyes like a force unto itself. In their fight before she had left the Runts, she had glimpsed it. Power and ferocity of such strength that any who glimpsed it would know exactly how this human was able to go into battle against orc warriors.

She felt a single drop of her arousal begin to lightly trickle down the inside of her thigh.

"You want to take me like that?" she asked; closing the distance between them once more, and feeling something very similar to the thrill of oncoming battle. "Have at it then, Gregory. I am ready, and you would be my first, but by The First itself I will fuck you harder than you've ever dreamed. Forget the coward who left my brother to die in the dirt. Give yourself to me. Now!"