Lord of Entertainment

Chapter 59: Orcs acquired

(Ogu POV)

I eye the demon in his fancy armor, then turn to my son instead of addressing him directly.

"Oguga, what's the meaning of this?" I demand in a low voice.

Oguga leans in close, whispering urgently, "Father, this demon is from the Morningstar family!"

My eyes widen. "What's royalty doing here?" I hiss back.

Oguga quickly explains about some "film project" and how this Arthur wants to hire our tribesmen. It's a lot to take in, but I've learned to listen before judging.

Turning back to the royal demon, I ask cautiously, "What kind of film do you need us for?"

I've seen a film once - stole it, actually. So I'm curious about what this demon has in mind.

***

(Arthur POV)

Seeing the chief's expression soften, I realize Oguga must have smoothed things over. Good man... er, orc.

"The details can wait," I say, trying to sound confident. "What you need to know is that you won't regret this proposal."

The chief eyes me skeptically. "What will we get from working for you?"

"You know dollars?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah, of course. It's the global currency. You're offering that?"

I nod back. "If your tribesmen do well, I'll pay you ten thousand dollars. If not, you'll still get a thousand. What do you think?"

The reaction is immediate. The chief and orcs' eyes widen in shock. Even Marjorie, Gordon, and Charles look stunned by my offer.

I hold my breath, waiting for the chief's response. This is it - the moment of truth. Will he take the bait?

The silence stretches on, and I resist the urge to fidget. Come on, chief. Ten thousand dollars for a bit of acting. It's the deal of a lifetime!

"I'm Ogu," the chief finally says, breaking the tense silence. "Let's discuss your offer further in my hut."

I can't help but grin. This is progress. "Alright," I nod, following him inside.

As we enter, my eyes are drawn once again to the chained elephants. A plan starts forming in my mind. "Ogu, are your elephants for sale?"

Ogu eyes me suspiciously. "Why?"

"I want to buy them. Name your price," I say, trying to sound casual.

My plan is to free them, or maybe even take them with me. Elephants are incredibly intelligent creatures, and seeing them in chains doesn't sit right with me.

"They're priceless to us," Ogu explains. "They help with many things, like scaring rival tribes."

I press on, trying to reason with him. "Come on. Besides that, what can those elephants do? They must consume a lot of your tribe's resources, right?"

Ogu considers this, nodding slowly. "True, they do eat a lot of our fruit. But besides that, they're okay..." He pauses, then seems to come to a decision. "I'll sell you my elephant for ten dollars. Or if you want all of my elephants, it'll be 100."

"Deal," I say instantly, barely able to contain my excitement.

I quickly pull out my wallet, paying Ogu on the spot. His surprised expression is priceless as he scrutinizes the money, checking if it's real. An orc chief playing amateur bank teller - now there's something you don't see every day.

After carefully counting the cash, Ogu nods. "Alright. Those elephants are yours now." He pockets the money, all business now. "Let's get right to it."

***

(Ogu POV)

What a fool. This demon actually bought my elephants for such a pittance.

Truthfully, losing those beasts means little. I can always order the tribe to capture more from the vast forest. But business is business, so I turn my attention to the matter at hand.

"Your roles in my film are simple," Arthur explains. "You'll be an army of orcs working for the villain."

"So... we're the bad guys?" I clarify.

Arthur nods. "Yes. But being bad in the film doesn't matter. What matters is that it proves orcs can cooperate to make a film." He leans in, his eyes intense. "Think about it. When people see that orcs can act, maybe other studios will start casting you. Maybe orcs won't be looked down on by other races anymore."

His words strike a chord. This demon isn't just offering us a job - he's offering a chance to change how the world sees us.

"Alright. I agree to your proposal," I say, newfound respect in my voice. "When do we begin?"

"Now," Arthur says without hesitation. "Ready your orcs. We'll head to the filming location."

A flicker of doubt crosses my mind. "You're not trapping us, are you?"

Arthur snorts. "As an orc chief, you must've felt my power, right?"

A shiver runs down my spine as I sense the aura emanating from him. There's no doubt - he's a Morningstar, through and through.

***

(Arthur POV)

Mission accomplished. I've secured the orcs for my film, and as a bonus, I've got myself some elephants.

The moment the chains come off, the elephants trumpet joyously. I can't help but chuckle as I approach the largest one, giving it a pat. To my surprise, it gently caresses me with its trunk. Looks like I've made some new friends.

I'd planned to set them free, but these gentle giants seem to have other ideas. They follow me like oversized, gray puppies. Guess I'm a elephant owner now. Add that to the list of things I never thought I'd say.

Two days later, I return to the shallow parts of Gloomstone Forest. The looks on my team's faces when they see me roll up with a herd of orcs and elephants? Priceless.

But there's no time to bask in their shock. We've got work to do. I've had my team prepare several large buses to transport the orcs to the Green Forest for their scenes with Saruman. The elephants, sadly, will have to stay behind with my Gloomstone team. They seem genuinely sad to see me go. Who knew elephants could do puppy dog eyes?

As we board the buses for the 18-mile journey to Green Forest (which should take us about a few hours, traffic permitting), I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

Looking out the window as we pull away, I see the elephants waving their trunks in farewell. I make a mental note to visit them once filming wraps up. After all, what kind of demon would I be if I neglected my new pachyderm pals?

As the buses rumble down the road, I settle in for the ride. Next stop: Green Forest. Time to turn these orcs into stars.

When we pull up to the Shire set in Green Forest, my team's jaws practically hit the ground. I step out of the bus, a horde of orcs trailing behind me like some bizarre parade.

George's eyes are as wide as saucers. "You've actually managed to get orcs!" he sputters, disbelief etched on his face.

Mara, one of our crew members, eyes the orcs warily. "Are they dangerous, boss?"

I can't help but chuckle. "Don't worry. They won't bite." I pause for effect, then add, "In fact, they can speak common tongue."

Despite my reassurances, it's clear the team is on edge. Can't blame them, really. It's not every day you see a bunch of orcs milling about a hobbit village.

As we start filming, though, something interesting happens. The orcs, under my direction, prove to be surprisingly cooperative. They take direction well, hit their marks, and even ad-lib a few lines that aren't half bad.

Gradually, I notice the tension in my crew's shoulders start to ease. By lunchtime, I even spot Mara sharing her sandwich with one of the younger orcs.