Authors: Laszlo,Jeremy
CHAPTER TWELVE
Climbing the dune just before his camp, Gnak could hear the clamor beyond well before he could see it. Rushing to the top, he scrambled across the surface of the windswept sand to find something he could not have anticipated. Below, surrounding his camp, was a ring of soldiers nearly ten thousand strong. A force comprised of both Orc and goblin, led by none other than the big chief himself.
With moonlight reflecting off the man’s skin, Gnak spotted the blessed Orc who towered thirty feet over those of his kind. Though it was apparent he was just toying with them, Gnak looked on as his captains attempted to battle the behemoth in his absence. It sickened Gnak to know that nearly three quarters of his race stood down below watching this single event play out, thinking that this was how things were supposed to be done. The biggest brute beating the smaller and weaker into submission.
It had been their culture since the beginning of time, but Gnak knew that just because it was their past, did not mean that it was meant to usher them into the future. He saw a different future for his people, and he wanted to bring it to reality, but one Orc stood between him and that possibility, and it would not be easy to bring him down. No. This one would be different. He could not simply rely on his magic, though he intended to display it. The big chief would have to be put down, never to rise again. He would have to fight the Orc. And he would have to win. There was no way around it.
Reaching inward to calm himself, Gnak brushed against the will that was Jen and grinned oddly into the night. It was she that had altered his course in life. Her words had changed him. He could see a future where Orcs did not slaughter each other by the multitudes for pride. It was a future desired by both he and the goddess he served.
Calmed, he shook the thoughts from his head and focused on what lay ahead. Stretching his arms out before him, he flexed his fingers of bone several times, grasping the air and testing their strength. Gnashing his teeth, he gave the order to those who followed him to remain atop the dunes, and turning, he alone bounded down the sandy slope.
It was only a minute or perhaps two, before sentries placed by the big chief spied his approach and repeating the call, his presence was alerted to all. Though much of the crowd silenced their jeering and cheers over the ensuing fight, the big chief himself sought to strike fear into Gnak.
Watching the behemoth turn towards him, Gnak ignored the multitude of Orcs who parted before him, his eyes locked on the battle ahead. Bounding this way and that, the big chief lashed out with his immense fists and feet, clobbering those captains sworn to Gnak, bashing them away before snatching them up and hefting them into the air like so many scraps of cloth. Over and over the blessed giant grasped a screaming Orc in his immense hand, crushing bones between his fingers before tossing them straight up into the air to tumble from the sky.
One after another his captains began raining down, some even falling amongst the crowd of the big chief’s clan, to be kicked and spat upon by them. Still Gnak strode forward.
His show finished, the big chief turned to face Gnak as he approached and, leaning low in his direction, the huge beast released a thunderous roar of rage before he spoke, his enhanced voice carrying out across the sand.
“Big chief strong. Big chief no be killed. You no big chief. You no pray Orc gods. Big chief think you no Orc!”
Nearing yet further before he responded, Gnak could see ahead the severed heads of several Orcs impaled upon spears stuck in the sand. Each of them had different markings. Each of them was a chief. It seemed the big chief had much the same plan as he did.
Gnak knew he didn’t stand a chance of fighting the blessed warrior. One blow from the big chief would kill him. Brawn would not win him this battle. He would have to take a different route. Looking up to the big chief, Gnak grinned as he grew yet nearer, snapping his tusks twice before he spoke.
“Yes big chief powerful. So powerful must use god power, fight Orcs with no power. Big chief so strong, why no fight honor?” Gnak shouted.
Immediately those Orcs parting for him rushed to be as far from him as they were able, all of them obviously expecting the big chief to end his life right where he stood. But instead the big chief roared, shaking the ground as he stamped his feet.
“Big chief hear Gnak have god power. No trick big chief. No stop god power fight Gnak. Is fair. Is honor!”
Gnak grew nearer still, passing the last of the Orcs surrounding the large clearing around the big chief. Though there were thousands surrounding them, the night was suddenly filled with an odd silence as Gnak stepped onto the makeshift battleground. The behemoth of a man stood towering before him. Gnak was within his reach, yet stopping, the big chief did not react immediately. Gnak had a plan, though he had no idea if it would work. He had never tried such a thing before, and knew if he was wrong, then he would lose the battle. But without any other choice, he looked up to peer into the massive orbs of the big chief’s eyes, and issued his challenge.
“Big chief, many clans, Gnak say you weak. Gnak kill, take clan. Gnak new big chief.”
Without a moment of hesitation two things happened simultaneously, as Gnak dove directly ahead as the big chief surged forward. Rolling beneath the big chief’s legs, the Gathos chief drew his blades, plunging one into the massive ankle of the big chief before rising to sprint further behind the giant. Though the huge man roared in anger as he spun, the blade had no noticeable effect on a man so large.
“One Orc, no matter, big or no, is one Orc!” Gnak shouted, diving aside as the big chief moved to smash him with his fist. Rising again, he kept moving, and continued with his words that he hoped the clans under the big chief’s control would hear and understand.
“Many Orc more strong, one Orc.”
Reaching out he felt those orbs of his fallen captains, each of them now dead, strewn about the crowd and the clearing he now inhabited with the big chief. Summoning them to him he dove again, and slashed with his remaining blade as he again passed the big chief’s leg. His luck wouldn’t hold long.
“Gnak mighty. Gnak god give big power. Gods no happy with Orcs. Give Gnak power teach big chief lesson!”
Sending the orbs of will back into those who had recently fallen on his behalf, he saw as several in the clearing with them began to jerk and press up from the sand to resume the fight.
Rising, the recently dead gathered up their weapons and converged upon the big chief. They were broken things, each moving with limp arms or legs that made them less than ideal warriors, but the gasps from the crowd assured Gnak that they were getting the message. The big chief, unafraid of the smaller beings, began stomping upon them, crushing them to shattered bits beneath him. But it was the delay, the valuable purchased time, that Gnak needed.
“Look Orcs. See big chief. See big chief’s way. Him big. Crush those small. But gods no happy. Gods say Gnak take big chief power. Show Orcs new way!”
And with his words he knew that it was time to cast the dice. His gamble, two-fold, had reached the point of no return. With the hope that the big chief relied on his size alone, and had lost the real skills of fighting long ago, Gnak prayed that his assumption was right as he reached out his hand and summoned the ball of glowing light from the big chief. In that moment the big chief did two things, as Gnak watched as sure defeat was replaced by a chance at victory.
Freezing as the big chief turned to seek out Gnak once again, now that all the revived captains were dead again, he shimmered with a pop and shrank back to normal size. Gnak had been right. Without will, the god giving the big chief power cut off its supply and the giant was reduced to just another average Orc. But Gnak could not kill him this way. Not frozen. There was no pride in it. As soon as the Orc shrank, Gnak returned its essence and watched as the Orc showed both confusion and pain upon his face. Tripping as he came, the former big chief went down in a heap, a howl of pain escaping him.
Looking to its cause, Gnak saw that his blade in the man’s ankle, that previously had shown no effect, now caused devastating damage. Sticking out both sides of the joint, the thick blade twisted as the Orc fell, catching in the sand and slicing the Orc’s opposite ankle as well. Rolling quickly, the big chief yanked the blade free from his joint with a roar and rose to his feet chanting.
Gnak recognized the prayer for what it was, and rushed the big chief. Colliding, both men crashed to the ground in a heap, their limbs entangled, as Gnak found himself beneath the brute who suddenly got much heavier. Then, as if struck by a boulder, Gnak’s head was bashed aside as both ears rang, his head bouncing off both sides of his helm. Down rained another blow, smashing his body down into the sand, his armor the only thing preventing his bones and guts from being crushed. The big chief was big again.
Crushing blow after crushing blow fell upon Gnak, rattling his bones as all thought but panic escaped him. Trying to escape, he was pounded over and over relentlessly, his body bouncing off the ground, as his armor began to give under the assault. Denting here and folding there, his armor began to dig into his flesh, as his head smashed again and again against the sides of his helm. His sight went black, only to return as his hearing seemed to change in volume with each blow.
Taking another hit, Gnak spat blood from his mouth, trying to clear his airway to breathe, and still the blows came. Then, it was as if it stopped suddenly as Gnak no longer strained to breathe, the pressure and pain of his body relenting as both darkness and light enveloped him.
“Don’t you do it, Gnak!” Jen’s voice shouted at him.
“No do what?” Gnak asked, his mind filled with a numbing fog.
“Don’t you give up. You’re so close.”
“Close what? Give what?” Gnak asked confused.
“He is nearly defeated. Don’t just lay there and die. Fight back!” Jen demanded.
“How defeated? Is big. Too big.”
“So make him small. All the Orcs need is to see him defeated. As long as his body dies, you win, Gnak.”
Again Gnak’s head bashed the side of his helm with a sickly thud, as Jen was torn away from him again. Blood ran freely from both his ears and mouth, and his left arm refused to move no matter how hard he tried. Another blow smashed against his chest, driving out what little air he had managed to suck into his lungs. But Gnak clung to life, even if only because Jen told him to. He wondered, if when he died, if the various orbs he had collected would leave his body like his own would? And then it hit him. Stupid Orc brain.
Gathering his thoughts, Gnak lifted his right arm, uncurling his broken fingers, and summoned to him the orb of the big chief once more. With an audible pop the weight atop him lessened, as Gnak selected another orb from amongst those he had collected. Pitting his will against the orb, he pressed it into place as the now average sized Orc began to spasm and jerk, falling from atop Gnak to land in the sand.
Rolling to his side as pain lanced throughout his body, Gnak pressed himself up to his knees and remained there, wobbling uneasily. Tilting his head forward, he used what fingers he could muster to pry the helm from his head and, letting it fall into the sand, he looked out amongst the Orcs gathered there. Coughing and sputtering, he vomited up the blood blocking his airways as the convulsing Orc beside him grew still, its eyes popping open. Taking a deep breath despite the pain it caused, Gnak looked upon those who watched intently with his one eye.
“Orcs see. Gnak god more power big chief god. Gnak take big chief power. Kill big chief.”
Turning upon his knees unsteadily as the Orc beside him failed to rise with the injuries to its ankle, Gnak watched as the Orc raised its hands before its face, turning them this way and that, obviously confused. Picking up his blade that had been beneath his fallen body, Gnak stabbed out one time, the body of his foe leaning into him with the blow. Both weak beyond measure, with their heads nearly touching, Gnak looked into the Orc’s face, now filled with betrayal, before he spoke.
“Gnak sorry Bota. Bota good Orc. Do Orcs good thing now,” he whispered.
Yanking the blade free, Gnak watched as the body of the big chief fell into the sand, a thunderous roar rising from the tens of thousands gathered, as more than a handful of Orcs rushed towards him. Though Gnak did not see what followed as finally his body gave out, and collapsing, his vision went dark as a peaceful dream took him.
The room was dark and damp, with moss and mold clinging to nearly every surface of the stone walls. Moisture glistened upon every surface, and Gnak recognized the room from his meeting with the goddess Ishanya. Though he knew that this time she was not present. He could not feel her.
Turning, Gnak’s jaw fell slack as he registered the other that shared the room with him. She was small, perhaps a little over four feet. Her hair was pulled loosely over one shoulder, and she stood in the dark room smiling up at him as if no other in the world could make her as happy as she was now.
“Hi, Gnak!” Jen exclaimed as she ran to him, wrapping her arms about his waist. Reaching down, Gnak hefted the small child, beneath her arms and pulled her to his chest in an embrace. It was a good feeling to hold her there, though he had never done such a thing ever before in his life.
Pushing back from his chest, she looked into his face and grinned a happy grin before she began to talk in her small musical voice.