Orc Calamity

"Alright boy, I'm going to show you how to clean a hog." Gorzoc went to the side, picked up, and unraveled a long tube-like apparatus. He went to the side and seemed to touch a blue stone that began to glow softly.

"This here, boy, is a water stone hose." Gorzoc looked up to see a curious Xa'Gun, "The stone produces water in its tank that sealed. It will continue to produce water until it causes the tank to be pressured."

"Boy, now that the hogs have bled out, move the wash bins of blood to the side. I'll have it collected soon and iced..." Gorzoc watched Xa'Gun effortlessly lift the bins of blood, instead of dragging them across the room as he was accustomed, raising one brow as he did so...

"Well, once the tank has pressured you can do this..." Gorzoc went to his first hog and turned a small knob on the spigot on the hose as it sprayed water. He began to clean the now drained hog. The water cleaned the dirty hog's hides showing their reddish skins.

Xa'Gun finally realized that the grate on the floor of the ribbed barn wasn't for blood, but the water, dirt, and grime.

Gorzoc washed off all three hogs and then sprayed the water on the floor into the grate. He left the hose on, and lifted the lid on the tank and rubbed the Waterstone again, as it's glow softened.

Xa'Gun grunted... "What, boy?"

"Why do I never have to touch the stone in my bathroom?"

"Because they're always on. This one is much more powerful than the one in a bathroom so it can pressurize the tank quickly, but it requires me to turn it on and off... Otherwise..." Gorzoc made a "POP" sound, "and there goes the tank."

Jukzuk nodded watching the exchange, as Xa'Gun grunted in understanding.

Gorzoc winded the hose back up and put it into its place, as he spoke, "Always take care of your tools. Blades, weapons, down to the humble hose here. In tough times, you only get one of something... If you misuse it or break it... You might not get a replacement... Remember that, boy. Always treat your tools like your life, because your life depends on them." Gorzoc closed his eyes and thought over his words. He nodded, and went to the sidewall and picked up a blade-like weapon.

He walked over to Xa'Gun to show him the bladed fist tool, "This, boy, is a gut knife, I've made." He gripped the handle with his right hand, as the single blade rose upward between his middle and ring finger. The grip seemed to be made of bone, and the piece that held the blade between Gorzoc's fingers looked to be made of the same.

"Watch me closely, since I'm only going to show you once. I'm not in the habit of repeating myself or showing you twice... If you don't learn then you leave. Understand, boy?" Gorzoc walked to the first hog, the one he killed.

He tightened his grip on his gut knife and ringed it around both of the hog's ankles, so quickly, Xa'Gun was thankfully he didn't blink. Gorzoc then nicked into the hide and slashed down the sides of the legs. He then pulled the skin taut with his left hand as his gut knife easily cut away the hide.

"Try to keep the hide intact. Good leather can be made... Again, waste nothing, boy." Gorzoc commented as he continued. He stepped back as most of the hide was left intact on the back of the hog. It's skinless front exposed.

"Alright, boy... Here comes to the good part." Gorzoc spoke and pointed to another set of washbasins. "Grab one and stand in front of the hog for the main display. Xa'Gun did so, as he came to the front of the hog, and put the pan down.

"No, no. You'll want to hold it for this part. Jukky, you might want to stand behind him if he needs a hand." Jukzuk had already crossed the ribbed barn in anticipation and grunted in agreement.

"Watch close for this, boy. This is why cleaning a hog is really a two orc job... Yeah, one orc can do it, but it isn't as clean... Remember waste not. Now hold that pan steady." Gorzoc spoke sternly, as he reached to the top of the hog, it's rear. With a few slashes, Xa'Gun watched the brutal but wizened orc slash into the anus of the hog. He then took his left hand to pull out its inner intestine and with both hands tied it into a knot.

Xa'Gun swallowed hard and clenched his own b.u.t.t cheeks. This did not go unnoticed by the two old orcs present who chuckled slightly under their breath.

"Got it good and stable, now?" Gorzoc looked to Xa'Gun as he asked.

Xa'Gun grunted.

"Here goes... Watch my hand!" Gorzoc pulled at the flap he cut into the a.s.s of the hog and pulled it tight away from the impending cut. With his gut knife, he slashed down the front right above the ribs, as he withdrew his arm.

Xa'Gun watched as the greyish white slimy guts of the hog squiggled out with the bladder and dropped into the waiting washbasin. A wave of hot steam air gushed up and into his face, and waiting nostrils. The smell was unlike anything he had quite smelled before, but it did remind him... It did remind him of that human... It did remind him of his killing blow. That bloody grey guts that laid flayed with the death of his first win.

That threatening sour taste reemerged into his throat, as he knees became weak. Jukzuk was ready to catch him, but Xa'Gun swallowed. He swallowed and swallowed. His complexion turned green, that he might have passed for a green blacktongue, instead of his light orc skin tone.

Seeing that Xa'Gun didn't pass out, Gorzoc nodded and reached back over pulling the inside flap of the gut out and continued to cut away the connective tissues allowing the rest of the guts to land into the washbasin. He then removed the stomach, liver, heart, lungs, and other organs from the hog.

"You did good, boy... You did good... Not my first time seeing an Orc unpracticed in this art not pass out, but the ones that stood their ground became great. Put that pan of organs on the table. Each of them has a use." Xa'Gun coughed and grunted, as ended up backing into Jukzuk. Jukzuk stepped back, but patted his son on the back, as he spoke softly, "You did good, son... Now that you've seen this first hand... It gets easier."

Xa'Gun put down the pan on the table, and looked up to his adopted father, as he questioned, "Did... Did you do this?"

"I... No... Not here... I was raised with my brother in the wild. We killed game and cleaned them in the wild... It was... Fun, if you ask me." Jukzuk eyes seemed to look into the past and redden.

Xa'Gun grunted. Gritted his teeth, and walk back to Gorzoc. He held the pan to him.

"Hmmm?" Gorzoc raised a brow as he looked down on Xa'Gun.

"I'll do the next."

"...Good, very good... Intuitive." Gorzoc praised, with only him knowing that he was going to make Xa'Gun do the next, even if he didn't ask. He still appreciated the approach.

He handed his gut knife to Xa'Gun and took the washbasin.

Gorzoc went to the front of the second hog, the first slaughtered by Xa'Gun, flanked by Jukzuk as the two watched Xa'Gun with interest.

Xa'Gun swallowed again and gritted his teeth.

"Boy... Do you want a tip, or do you want to wing this?" Gorzoc thought for a moment.

Xa'Gun of course wanted any help to make this easier, even if he wanted to do it.

"A warrior's greatest weapon is anger... Rage, boy... It's primal. Deep within... and I don't believe, knowing your history, you don't have some. Unless you leave like those hermit orcs."

"Rage?"

"Boy, I'm not going to stand here and explain the emotion. Every creature that crawls, swims, or flies knows what anger and rage are... Harness the feeling, but don't let it control you. This is also a test. Harness the feeling. Anger and Rage are great motivators. With the right application, you can use it to push through the most gut-wrenching of feelings, the most sickening, and the most saddening... But it can cloud your vision. You must learn to harness this feeling. Only letting out the monster when you deem it necessary, and using the emotion to force your hand otherwise... Understand...?" Gorzoc tilted his head and raised his brow.

Shocked, Xa'Gun looked to Gorzoc and then to Jukzuk. Jukzuk looked a bit surprised as well.

"You said to let out the monster?"

"Boy, did I stutter?"

"No... It's just I've heard that recently... By something else."

"Something?"

"I'll explain later, Old Zokky."

Gorzoc nodded, "At any rate, you are the master of your mind, body, and soul... Like everything, a true orc should do in life, and that is bending it to your will, or you will see that you bend to its... The choice is yours, Xa'Gun."

Startled at his name being mentioned, he realized that Gorzoc meant business. Xa'Gun grunted he understood and turned to the hog.

He closed his eyes and remembered. He remembered the time when he was younger. He remembered when his arms were broken... How his sister suffered to let him heal, how the girl he liked was played with, shamed, and discarded..."

Xa'Gun opened his eyes that now seemed slightly off... A twisted mask of cruelty that was unlike his usual passiveness... and on his lips hung the smile of a predator... The air around him changed to the feeling of unbridled malice.

Gorzoc and Jukzuk both looked to each other and the back to Xa'Gun... Who was this that just appeared in front of them, because it wasn't the simple orc from five minutes ago.

Xa'Gun's hands worked quickly mimicking the same movements of Gorzoc. He quickly flayed the hide of the hog and then slashed the anus. A few swipes, a pull, and then a knot, he then used the gut knife to slice down the middle. Unlike when Gorzoc paused for him to watch, he didn't stay his hand. He continued to cut the connective tissues as all the innards flopped down into the pan. With more flicks of the wrist, the rest of the organs piled into the washbasin.

Xa'Gun stood back up to full height and narrowed his eyes. He found that with the feeling of sickness subsiding, there was almost a... P.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in the resistance of the flesh when his blade ran through it...

"...That... That was perfect, boy." Gorzoc looked to Jukzuk, "Jukky, you sure he hasn't done anything like this before?"

"You saw how he was at the start... Are those the manners of a butcher?" Jukzuk questioned back.

"No... No, they're not... Boy, you have good eyes. I'm glad that I can teach you well in the future. Have your father bring you to me every chance you get. We have a lot of hogs to butcher. Let's finish with the last one." Gorzoc spoke as he put the washbasin on the table, and returned with another.

After the last hog was cleaned by Xa'Gun, Gorzoc asked for the blade.

Gorzoc held the gut knife and looked at the blade's edge... "The only thing I have to say is that you're a bit rough on the blade... I'll have to work out this nick in the blade's edge."

Xa'gun's face returned to its passive state once he finished with the last hog, and grunted he understood.

"Well, that's all for today. Next time, I'll show you how to cut up the meat after you clean 'em." Gorzoc spoke, and held out his hand and arm to Jukzuk, "Travel safe."

Jukzuk slapped his arm into Gorzoc's hand and embraced his arm, "Stay well."

Jukzuk and Xa'Gun left the ribbed barn, that he found out was a slaughterhouse, and donned his hood again.

"Let's head back to your burrow, son. It would be good to eat and sleep."

"When will Gorzoc teach me cultivation?" Xa'Gun couldn't help but ask.

"That would be Gorzoc's choice... He has a method to his madness. If he decided not to impart to you the method, then he has a reason... He might look like a brainless warrior, but he's a genius... If his ambition ever matched his brain and brawn... Then it wouldn't have been my brother to take the mantle of Blacktongue chieftain, even with blood right." Jukzuk spoke while walking out of the shop under his breath, so only Xa'Gun could hear.

Xa'Gun listened as he saw the crowds of earlier had thinned to only a few orcs coming and going. He looked into the sky to see the light of the sun slowly descending behind the mountains... It seemed that his lessons took all day.

Xa'Gun greeted both the stonethrower brothers and wondered if he would ever meet the other two orcs that guarded the burrow. He was followed in by Jukzuk and entered into the foyer.

Seated in the foyer, were both Hellie and Demze talking to each other. The two of them were blushing from ear to ear.

Jukzuk walked around Xa'Gun to see the two's complexion, as he asked, "Did We walk-in on a... Private conversation?"

"No... No, We weren't talking about anything in particular." Demze quickly spoke.

"Haha, We both wonder if Xa'Gun is hung like a horse." Hellie blurted out while laughing, though her blush gave her s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e nature away.

Xa'Gun thought he understood what they were jesting at, but... Why?

"Well, be that as it may, Let's eat first." Jukzuk finished.