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"So, I suggest that we set off and encamp around close to their location and wait for nightfall before closing in on them. They probably won\'t think another attack would be launched on a second night."

Kadin lent his voice at this time.

"I think we should set off now, there\'s a good chance that we will get there pretty early, so we can rest up before nightfall."

The cohesiveness of this group was part of what made them extremely dangerous. So, with one mind, they set off back to the den of the orcs.

Halfway to their destination, after about three hours of trekking, with the full midday sun hanging over the trees of the forest, and the group trudging through the woods, Kadin broke the silence with his opening address to Xzavier:

"There is something you must know about the chief of the orcs…"

Xzavier tensed. He had been wondering when the old man would finally let hum in on the secret information he had been concealing regarding the chief orc. Xzavier hid his enthusiasm.

"Well, spit it out you old fox!"

No answer came, Xzavier turned around abruptly to look at Kadin. He thought the old magician was simply toying with his emotions, but as h looked in his direction, he saw that the old man had a troubled expression on his face. It was as if the words were heavy in his mouth to say. Xzavier waited patiently for the bad news. He already knew it was bad news.

The older man finally replied the younger one in a solemn tone. Xzavier held his breath in anticipation of the bad news.

"There were rumors flying about back in my day about a certain young orc who had gained a terrifying ability. The best hunters of the time who had gone toe to toe with other orcs challenged each other on who would handle this menace…"

Xzavier listened closely as the old man recounted his tale from the past;

"But much to everyone\'s chagrin, every hunter who set out never came back. Back then, it was still the golden age of heroes when men were men and challenged the most ferocious beasts, bringing glory to the profession."

"One by one, the best of the best were wiped out single handedly by this devious orc. So, a group of hunters bounded themselves together to take out this mysterious orc."

Kadin paused for a minute. This wasn\'t just some fairytale to him, this was a recollection of actual events with actual people. Many of whom were long dead and many of whom had been visited by death in the most unconventional way.

"I can still remember back then how the rest of us waited anxiously for the seven hunters to come back. But only one came back, he came back physically, but he left his mind behind. He was the one who told us the terrifying tale of the orc who could swell to the size of a large oak tree, and swung an axe five times the size of a man!"

Xzavier said not a word. He listened with rapt attention.

"We all thought he was mad you see, he had burst through the doors of the bar that stormy night, all battered and bloodied, spewing unspeakable things…"

Then the information which Xzavier had been waiting for finally came.

"…but I never forgot one of the many things he said that night," he assumed an even more serious tone as he fixed his gaze on Xzavier;

"When the orc is in his gigantic form, every single part of his body is as hard as a rock…"

Xzavier was horrified. This wasn\'t what he had been expecting, he listened closely, hoping desperately that something meaningful would come out of this. And it did.

"…but there is something else, while every other part of his body is practically invulnerable at the time, only the back of his head remains normal."

He paused as the implication of this news rested on Xzavier. This was the best news yet, but Xzavier wasn\'t quick to rejoice. As he looked at the old man, a silent understanding passed between them; launching an all-out attack on the head of the chief orc would prove to be a real herculean task. The orc would definitely be on guard, knowing fully well that the back of his head was his weak point. A solid plan was needed. Something that would cause the orc to be distracted long enough for them to blow off his head.

As Xzavier and the others journeyed towards the valley of the orcs, Xzavier put his body on auto pilot as he worked on his plan for hours on end. After running several simulations in his head about the best and worst possible outcomes, Xzavier finally lifted up his head to ask Kadin a very important question;

"Riddle me this old man, do you think it would be possible to trap the orc leader\'s hands just for a brief second?"

Kadin thought for a minute. Clearly Xzavier was on to something, so he had to give an objectively sound answer of risk dooming them all. Kadin replied him after a few moments of serious deliberation;

"In my opinion, it is very much possible to trap him. But this can only be done at close range."

Kadin charged him seriously as he dropped the most important part of his assessment;

"But this would be a onetime thing Xzavier. Don\'t get it twisted, if you choose to do this, you only get one shot!"

"We." Xzavier answered.

"What?"

"You said \'you only get one shot,\' this isn\'t just me. We all have a part to play in this."

The old man tensed, he knew what Xzavier was getting at. He wasn\'t a coward, not by a long shot. He was worried about his ward. The battleground was no place for a woman.

Xzavier on the other hand locked out everyone and everything in his immediate surroundings as focused once again on perfecting the plan that was already taking shape in his head. As he ran simulations in the abstract construct that was his mind, Xzavier strategically placed the appropriate traps around the orc leader. He ran it all over again and again from the top, making sure there were no glitches in his plans.

Finally, the group arrived at the clearing before the orc valley just a few hours before dawn. It was the same spot which he and Adalia had crouched just a little while ago.

A wave of nostalgia hit Xzavier violently as he took in the entire scene once again. Back then, he had been brimming with confidence, relishing the fact that he had been chosen as an instrument to bring divine retribution on the orcs for their atrocities.

Xzavier had very nearly succeeded if not for the unknown variable which he had failed to account for. Xzavier pushed back the failures of the previous day behind him and focused on what lay ahead. This time, he was well prepared. This time he had a target and a definite plan. This time, he wasn\'t going to miss.

Time crawled past like a snail on a marathon race. Xzavier was aware of every painful minute. To Xzavier, in those painful moments, the whole of time seemed to be frozen, torturing him with a very slow teaser.

Soon, but not enough, like a vulture spreading its wings over the dead body of a carcass, covering it with a literal and figurative darkness, the sun completely retreated to the horizon and the moon majestically took its time before ascending to its rightful place.