Raze, Ella, and Fey walked through the forest, their footsteps absorbed by the soft ground, leaves and twigs snapping and cracking under their feet. They were heading to the ogre tribe in other to carry out what queen Marine had asked Raze to do, he had pushed it off enough.

"Could we not have ridden on Fey until we got there?" Ella asked, obviously tired from walking the long distance.

"Hey, don't talk about me like I'm some sort of mount," Fey replied, placing his hands behind his head as he walked freely. "Also, I'm pretty hungry, and you two haven't fed me yet."

"We can't stop to eat yet, Fey. We have to get there first, at least," Raze replied.

"How do you think they're going to accept us?" Ella asked.

"I don't know. The Queen didn't give us any details on how their tribe behaves, but I have a feeling our first meeting isn't going to be smooth. Hopefully, they don't try to kill us," Raze said.

"Ogres are creatures that don't trust easily," Fey spoke. "I've met a few during my life, and they tend to swing before they think."

"Then we have to act cautiously and not approach them like enemies."

"Nah, I don't think they care about that. Even if you enter their land, they'll probably attack you, and if you survive, then they'll question you after."

"Tsk," Raze clicked his tongue. "That won't be good, then. I really don't want to have to fight them on our first meeting."

But whatever he was about to say was cut short.

Thwap.

The sound of an arrow piercing through the air rang out clearly. Raze tilted his head a few inches to the side, and the arrow passed by him, stabbing into the ground. He followed its trajectory and spotted a feminine ogre standing on a tree branch.

She had light pink skin, toned muscles, her upper and lower body covered with white fabric. A bow was in her hand, and a quiver of arrows rested on her back. A single horn protruded from the center of her head.

The moment she realized her arrow had missed, she nocked another one and fired. Unlike the first, it stopped halfway and exploded into a cloud of smoke. She immediately bolted.

Raze used God's Eye to watch her retreat, memorizing the direction she fled.

"Should we chase?" Ella asked.

"No. That would make us look like a threat. Let's just keep approaching," Raze said.

"Damn. Even if she was a messenger, she could've at least scouted us properly before running off. She didn't have to shoot," Ella muttered.

"I told you," Fey said. "They'll try to kill us first before anything else."

As they continued forward, Raze's God's Eye picked up more and more ogres surrounding their location. Male ogres with bulky, muscle-packed bodies. Slim ones. Others wielding swords and dressed in full armor. A complete mix.

They kept their heads straight and continued walking—until one attacked.

An ogre burst out from the bushes, leaping down from a tree and thrusting his spear straight at Raze's heart.

Raze reacted instantly. He grabbed the shaft of the spear, pushed it aside, spun, and slammed a kick into the ogre's chest, sending him crashing into a tree. He tossed the spear aside as the three of them moved into fighting stances.

The surrounding ogres rushed forward.

"We aren't here to fight you!" Raze shouted.

They didn't seem interested in listening.

One ogre thrust his sword straight toward Raze's heart.

Raze dodged to the side and pulled out his bat, swinging it—not with full force—smashing into the ogre's shoulder and sending him tumbling away. The ogre was stunned. With his size and muscle mass, he had never expected a small human to hit him that hard.

Another ogre charged in at full speed. Raze blocked the attack and followed up with a kick to the face, throwing the ogre backward.

Fey and Ella were facing the same situation. Ella did her best, using flame magic that pushed the ogres back without severely burning them, while Fey casually swatted them aside as if they were nothing more than insects.

But the ogres were relentless. Their attacks kept coming, wave after wave.

"I've had enough," Raze said.

He lifted his hands into the air.

A massive fireball began to form, growing rapidly as flames swirled and condensed. The heat intensified, washing over the forest as the fireball expanded, glowing brighter and brighter. Within moments, it had grown into a spinning sphere at least ten feet wide.

Every ogre froze.

The overwhelming heat forced their attention onto Raze.

Once he had it, he spoke.

"We are not here to cause any harm. If we wanted to, all of you would already be dead. So stand down. We are here on the orders of the Queen of Vermilion, Queen Marine."

The ogres remained tense, weapons still in hand, but none attacked. One of them stepped forward.

He wore regal clothing with armor layered over it, carrying himself far more calmly than the rest. His skin was reddish, two horns curved from his head, and sharp fangs protruded slightly from his mouth. He had long, pointed ears and stood at least six feet five. A sword hung at his heels.

"Hello," he said calmly. "My name is Gundar. I am the third son of the chief of this tribe."

Seeing that the ogre wasn't hostile, Raze let the fireball dissipate. The flames vanished instantly.

"My name is Raze Grimhold," he said. "I am a noble of Vermilion, sent by the Queen."

Gundar raised a hand.

At the gesture, all the ogres lowered their weapons and dropped their guard.

"I see," Gundar said. "Then follow me."

Without hesitation, Raze stepped forward. Fey and Ella followed.

The surrounding ogres melted back into the forest, taking separate paths toward the village. Some giving Raze has his group cold looks before they left them, as if they didn't want them there.

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