Chương 14: The Great Chief

Garlik Bloodclaw had been chosen as the previous shaman's successor shortly after turning fifteen. By now, she had served as the tribe's shaman for fifteen years.

"Haa..." After completing the ritual to divine the tribe's fortune and misfortune, she released a deep sigh. Whenever she performed the ceremony that allowed her to contact the tribe's valiant ancestral spirits, overwhelming exhaustion descended upon her body, as though part of her life force had been scraped away. That was probably why the tribe's shamans rarely lived past forty, despite receiving the most devoted care the tribespeople could provide.

Even so, Garlik still had to fulfill her duties as both a shaman and a member of the tribe. That was the orc way of life. However, she was not foolish enough to pour everything she had into every situation until all her strength was drained and she died where she stood. The present ceremony was a perfect example.

"Keh heh heh. You will become an excellent warrior of the Bloodclaw Tribe." Garlik placed her hand against a child's forehead, pretended to perform the ritual, and offered an appropriately vague prophecy. When she had been younger, shortly after becoming the shaman, she had done everything in her power to see the future of every child. Yet the scenes revealed to her had always been much the same. Was it not foolish to sacrifice her strength and life force merely to repeat the same predictable words?

Besides, she had not yet chosen the next shaman. There was a young girl Garlik already had in mind, but nothing had been decided. The other orcs could not distinguish between genuine sorcery and an imitation of it anyway. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. For the past several years, she had therefore handled the children's prophecies with vague words and convincing performances.

"Next!" As Garlik continued pretending to examine the children's futures with the acting skills she had honed over the years, Karath's turn arrived. Perhaps she should examine this one properly. This was the child who had allowed both Garlik and the rest of the tribe to pass the winter in comfort. He was also said to possess overwhelming talent despite being only nine years old. Her curiosity awakened. Garlik placed her palm against Karath's forehead and began using genuine sorcery. Her eyes widened.

Her strength immediately began pouring out of her body at an absurd rate. Once the ritual had begun, however, she could no longer stop it at will. Interrupting the sorcery would inflict far greater damage than allowing it to reach its conclusion. Her body had already fallen into the ritual's grasp. Regardless of how much strength escaped from her, the sorcery continued. Garlik could only gasp inwardly as the enormous drain tore through her body. How long had it continued? To her, it felt like an eternity.

In reality, only around ten seconds had passed. Something appeared. A scene transmitted through the hand resting against Karath's forehead forced its way into her mind. Garlik stared in shock. A great orc stood within the vision. The warrior possessed such overwhelming majesty that anyone who looked upon him would feel compelled to kneel. Strangely, traces of the child standing before her remained upon the great warrior's face. He stood atop a towering altar, gazing down with a solemn expression.

What was all of that? The boy's transformation was astonishing enough, but the sight that unfolded beneath the warrior's gaze surpassed anything Garlik had ever imagined. Dozens of buildings filled the land below. No, there had to be hundreds. Every structure was cleaner and finer than the newly constructed earthen houses of the Bloodclaw Tribe, and countless orcs moved through the orderly streets between them. It was the sight of a vast city, something Garlik had never witnessed in her life.

Had the emblem of the Bloodclaw Tribe not been displayed throughout the city, she would have believed she was seeing an illusion rather than the future. Pain surged through her. The vision lasted for only a single second. To witness even that brief glimpse of the future, Garlik had been forced to surrender far too much. Once she had nothing left to give, the ritual finally released her.

"Haa... Haa..." Garlik emerged from the sorcery, breathing heavily. Her condition was completely different from when she had examined the other children. Every orc in the settlement watched her with expressions that mixed concern and anticipation.

"H-how did it go?" Delina, unable to contain her worry for her son, stepped forward and asked. Garlik drew another ragged breath. How could she possibly explain what she had seen? Her ability to describe a sight beyond anything she had ever known was painfully limited.

"This child... Haa... will become a great chief who brings prosperity to the Bloodclaw Tribe." She used every word she possessed to express the future she had witnessed. Then her legs gave way. Unable to endure the excessive loss of strength and life force, Garlik collapsed where she stood.