Snak's Arc

Chapter 1 of 6

Snak dragged the wooden post across the dry earth, leaving a shallow groove behind him. Sweat dripped from his green forehead. He planted the post in the ground and stepped back to look at the empty field. This would be his training ground. Young orcs needed a place to learn how to fight properly. Too many died in their first real battle because no one taught them right. He would change that. His thick fingers curled into fists. The work would take months, maybe years. But every orc who survived because of his training ground would make it worth the effort. He walked to the far edge of the field where stones marked the corners. Here he would build the main structure. A bunker with thick walls, brownish burgundy in color, strong enough to withstand any attack. The roof would hold harpoon launchers so the young ones could practice real weapons. Inside, they would learn hand-to-hand combat, weapon handling, and battle tactics. Snak picked up a large stone and carried it to the first corner. The foundation needed to be solid. He set the stone down and wiped his brow. One stone at a time, one wall at a time, one building at a time. This training bunker would be the first of many structures across his compound. Young orcs would come here weak and leave ready for war. Days of hauling stones turned into weeks. The walls rose higher each morning. Snak mixed clay with water to seal the gaps between rocks. His hands ached, but he kept working. When the walls reached above his head, he started on the roof supports. The harpoon launchers would go up there once the structure held firm. Inside the bunker, he set up a training dummy shaped like an avian raptor. Its feathers looked real, its talons sharp and threatening. Young orcs would strike it again and again until their arms grow strong. They would learn where to hit, how to hit, when to move. Snak stepped back and looked at what he had built. The training ground was taking shape. Soon the first students would arrive, and he would forge them into warriors who knew how to survive. Outside the bunker, Snak rolled heavy stones across the field. He arranged them in a circle near the entrance. Young orcs would lift these stones to build their strength. They would move them, carry them, push them until their muscles burned. Fighting required more than just knowing where to strike. It required the power to break through an enemy's defense. Snak placed his hand on the bunker wall. The brownish burgundy structure stood solid against the sky. His training ground was ready. When the young ones came, they would leave stronger than they arrived. That was his promise to every orc who walked through his gates.