Khaled's Meeting of Xanda

This passage is an excerpt from the book “An Adventurer’s Tale to Enlightenment.”   I found myself alone in the barren Orc lands. This area is called Redmoon Plains but there isn’t a single plant in sight. The land is rocky and every step takes twice the energy. I had just come from Blackfang to the west. Surprisingly, they gave me entrance to the city without tearing my head off. They brought me to see the leader of the tribe, none other than Blackfang himself. When asked about rumors of orcs worshiping a god, he admitted that he had indeed heard the rumors of the splinter group. He clearly did not agree with the worship of a god for Orc kind. Despite this, he gave me directions to head east- if I reached the small ocean, I had gone too far.   As the sun hung overhead, I found myself wondering why the Orc tribes ever decided that this was the place to settle. Maybe it was the pride of the race… they would show every other people that only the orcs could survive in the harshest environments- or maybe it was purely by chance that all of Orcish kind could be found in the same area. One day I hope to find out.   Looking north, I could see the citadel of Redmoon even though I was miles away. A great cliff face rose up behind it- ever foreboding and truly a defense against the blight that diseased this land. As I stood viewing this place, I heard chanting down below my camp. I peered out and saw a group of Orcs surrounding an altar. Observing the mark of Redmoon on their clothes, I realized that this must be the group I had heard about.   The chanting lasted well into the evening. After many hours, I begun to believe that the rumor I had heard about was unfounded. As I turned to go back to my camp, the air became alive with electricity. A clap of lightning sparked down towards the group despite the stars shining brightly above our heads. After my eyes had readjusted to the blinding flash, I observed in the middle of the group stood a large warrior in black armor and held a great battle axe. Who was this man that appeared out of lightning?   The group of orcs that had called him had mostly been slaughtered- only a few were moving. As the survivors slowly stood up, they immediately began to chant again only this time they chanted something specific.   “Xanda-Xanda-Xanda”   I saw the armored man reach down. He ran his hand over a bloody corpse and smeared the blood across his plate armor . Then he called out in a language I did not understand but could not be mistaken as anything but a challenge. A portal immediately opened up- I knew this man was no Orc since everybody knows that Orcs are unable to wield magic- and a giant creature stepped out onto the ground. I can only describe this monster as a beast though even that would not do it justice. I will impart to you the amount of fear I felt- every bone in my body, every muscle, was telling me to run away.   The two charged each other and a great battle ensued. They traded blows but observing the armored man, I could swear that he was holding back, trying to give himself more of a challenge. Then with startling efficiency, he began to pick the beast apart. Finally, the beast fell and was laid on the ground, its breath ragged. The man took his battle axe and claimed his prize.   “Xanda, the Unbeaten!”   Xanda turned and I had the sudden feeling that he knew that I was watching. His coming and the battle that followed was for my benefit and for me alone. Then exactly as he appeared, a lightning strike came crackling down and he was gone.