Wallug and Snikork entered the
central headquarters, dug deep underneath the mountains, surprised seeing a new
king and two of the shamans sitting alongside Felgor Galdir, Zhinnaeg army commander. They were positioned around the large, stone table, seemingly waiting for a very long time. Elders looked upset by this, to the
point they didn’t even try to hide. Usually, they were the ones calling for the
meeting. They were always first arriving at the battle chambers. Sudden meeting
this early in the morning wasn’t usual practice amongst the orcs. Roshnak
purposely organized it in such a way, in an attempt to disrupt them. Elders
found themselves in the middle of attention.
Orcish society had a complex
structure. But at the base of everything was a simple matter of respect. Their
tardiness could’ve easily been interpreted as a lack of it. This was a sly bit
of trickery from Roshnak, to gain the upper hand if negotiations stall. Success
of this meet could mean the onset of their revenge plan. But he had to act
swiftly, before the elders figured out his game.
“Ah, excellent gentlemen. You are
just on time.” Roshnak bowed before the elders “Please, take a seat, we have
some quite interesting news to share with you.”
Elders weren’t in the mood for
games. They had too much of an experience, immediately guessing what the shaman
was trying to do. Presence of the commander wasn’t incidental. Thoughts on any
kind of aggressive undertaking, didn’t sit well with them to say at least. They
weren’t prepared to risk everything, and go to war. With passing years, elders
became much more careful. Much more cautious. But that was to be expected,
their youthful drives weren’t the same, they used to be.
On the other hand, this prudent
voice of reason often meant salvation, perhaps even their survival. What
would’ve happened to them, if everyone was rushing blindly into confrontations.
Their entire existence might’ve come into question, because of that. Strict
rules of respecting and listening to elder, wise, experienced orcs, helped in
maintaining the balance.
“What news?” Wallug asked, sitting
at a massive stone table.
“Uggut had an unexpected visitation
from the realm of spirits.” Grodish retorted.
“Is that right?”
“Yes.” the tribal sorcerer said
“Grandiose vision came in my dreams. Such a surge of energy I’ve never felt
before.”
“It even interrupted my
meditation.” Roshnak added “Truly remarkable.”
“It was a beautiful experience.”
Uggut was in a hurry to say “And the best part was, that the spirits seemed
quite favorable towards us.”
“What are you saying?” Wallug asked
calmly.
“In front of us is a period of well
being and prosperity.'' The sorcerer carried on “The new king will make us
stronger. Under his leadership and guidance, Zhinnaeg will flourish.”
“This is wonderful news!” Snikork
nodded.
“It all fits perfectly.” Wallug
silently growled “This can not be a coincidence.”
“What are you implying?” Roshnak
was fast to ask.
“Seems a bit convenient.”
“You are calling me a liar?” Uggut
stood demonstratively from the table “Be careful talking about these things,
they are not to be messed with.”
“Elder surely didn’t mean no
disrespect.” Roshnak knew exactly what to say “He had no intentions to insult
the spirits.”
Roshnak’s enormous experience was
incomparably notable, more than all of theirs combined. With his prudently
chosen words, he controlled the meeting. And now, as he assumed the neutral
side, he could manipulate with further flow of the conversation. Uggut barely
kept a straight face. He was in awe, seeing how easily Roshnak managed to
achieve what they agreed on before. But, it was still a long way before elders
would agree on sanctioning the launch of military action. Uggut knew the long
and tiresome procedures were ahead of them. Days upon days of careful,
bothersome discussions. Caution was above everything else.
“Of…of course not.” Wallug
stuttered, in fear of the spirit's wrath.
“I can show you.” Uggut sat back in
his chair “You can see it for yourselves.”
“Show us, how?” Snikork couldn’t
keep his curiosity in check.
From a small, leather pouch,
attached onto his thick belt, the tribal shaman took out an object wrapped in a
white, soft, piece of fabric. In a couple of gentle, somewhat theatrical
movements, he unfolded the edges, placing the object on the center of the
table. Everyone leaned forward, looking at this strange, round, glass plate, no
bigger than a palm. Uggut waved his hands, saying some kind of incantation. At
first nothing happened, but all of the sudden, the object started to grow,
until it was about three feet in diameter. Its smooth surface blinked twice,
before it began emitting several scenes, interchanging in regular intervals.
“What is this?” Wallug whispered,
dreading to look at the plate.
“A view into the future, through
the spirit world.” the tribal shaman said calmly.
“Move that thing away, before
spirits take us to their world.” Snikork shrieked in panic.
“Don’t worry my friend.” Uggut
laughed wholeheartedly “The window is one sided. We are completely safe.”
“What are those pictures, I see?”
Wallug took a closer look.
“Messages from the spirits.” the
tribal sorcerer explained “Don’t be afraid, watch.”
Images became clearer, as Wallug
finally found some courage to approach this window. To his surprise, it seemed
as pictures intertwined and fused together, in a continuous motion. Elder
didn’t dare to blink, afraid it would all disappear. Wallug recognized the
peaks and slopes of Laorn. In front of him was Tanmar. He could see the sun
rising to his left. The horizon became brighter with every second. Before he
knew it, it was mid-day. Elder suddenly realized he was looking at himself, but
could not recognize where he was at.
He saw Snikork and Uggut, Roshnak
and the new king, this half-orc, Grodish. Sharp edged, rocky mountain walls and
massive iron gates in front of him, looked unfamiliar. But, for some reason, he
felt he belonged there. Several human corpses layed all around them, on the
ground. Thick, black smoke from the burning huts and shacks obscured Wallug’s
sight. Soon, it was nothing but darkness. Elder realized he was now standing
underground. Narrow, long corridor appeared in front of him. It was going
downwards, in steady inclination. The tunnel was supported with heavy, wooden
beams and lit with a couple of torches. Dozens of shovels, pickaxes and sturdy,
meshed baskets were tossed all around. Suddenly, a figure in full plate mail
charged at Wallug, brandishing his sword.
Out of surprise and fear, the elder
slightly flinched back. But almost immediately he realized he was safe. At the
same time, the images begin fading, until they completely disappear. Wallug
gazed in the emptiness for a couple of seconds. But realizing they aren’t
appearing anymore, he turned towards the tribal shaman.
“What did we just see? Where were
we?” Wallug asked.
“This was but a little glimpse into
the future.” Uggut clicked his tongue “The spirits gave us a glimpse into it.
And from what I saw, there is nothing standing in our way of capturing
Gollvin.”
Loud sigh escaped from Snikork’s
mouth. The scrawny looking elder was under the full influence of this vision.
“That was Gollvin.” he blurted out
“Without a shadow of a doubt.”
“Make no mistake, spirits are
warning us.'' The tribal shaman learned his part very well, not wanting to
disappoint Roshnak “Humans had become too greedy. It is time to restore the
balance. But if we are to wait much longer, I’m afraid it will be far too late
for us.”
“Probably.” Wallug nodded “But, we
have to be absolutely sure, before making such a significant move.”
“Your doubts and caution are
justified.” Roshnak said calmly, “But, don’t you find the slaughter in the
goblin's city, indicator of human intentions in these parts.”
“I must admit, I found it very
disturbing, but still I’m not sure how that's our concern.” the elder was still
refusing to change his stance.
“Military action this close to
Zhinnaeg should concern us.” Grodish added.
“But we are not certain in their
intentions, or the…”
“When did orcs become frightened
women?” half-orc harshly interrupted Wallug “Are we to sit and wait for them to
come.”
“Frightened women?!” the elder
jumped from his seat “I am only trying to make some common sense out of this
whole situation.”
“This peaceful attitude has been
hampering us for decades.” Grodish was persistent “We are disappearing, quiet
and still.”
“That is not true!” Wallug leaned
forward towards half-orc “It saved us.”
“It confined us to Chaygor, while
humans made sure to spread over the rest of Dorull. Waiting for a perfect
moment to strike us once and for all.” Grodish retorted “Living in fear. Living
in isolation. Is that the kind of life we are trying to preserve?”
“No, my king.” the fat elder looked
down ashamedly, “But, what choice do we have?”
“We could return to our warrior
ways! We could rise again and take back what is ours!” Grodish suddenly punched
the table with his closed fist “Let’s regain our dignity. Our pride. Our
lives.”
“Those are the kind of words that
would ignite flames in the hearts of every orc.” Wallug said quietly “But
there’s no use of them, for we are too few.”
“How many soldiers are in
Zhinnaeg?” Roshnak looked at the commander Galdir, who was sitting in silence,
until now.
“Every orc in our town is a
warrior.” Felgor retorted “About ten thousand strong.”
“And that is, you’ll have to admit,
simply not enough.” Wallug said.
“Perhaps, but what about all other
orcish settlements in Tanmar?” Grodish asked readily.
“I’m afraid the chances of uniting
us are long gone.” Snikork said wistfully.
“Especially after what happened to
those poor souls in Khoill.” Wallug added “It’s impossible to negotiate with
them. They are mindless animals.”
“They are cursed, you know.”
Snikork whispered
“What do you mean?” Roshnak asked.
“They’ve turned to the dark side.”
Wallug said “Last we heard, they were doing all sorts of twisted and horrifying
things. Torture, sacrifices and what not.”
“And much, much worse.” Snikork
trembled.
“Oh, I see. You heard, but no one
went there and found out what’s going on.” Roshnak said “Perhaps tried and
reason with them. See if they need any help.”
Wallug scowled at Roshnak, knowing
the shaman was right. But the truth was too painful. They’ve turned their backs
on their brothers, ignoring them, living in denial. They lived this life for
far too long. Without help from Chaygor, without any clear vision, they had no
chance to expand. In the decades that passed, their morale hit the rock bottom,
finding it easier just to scrape by. And pretend everything's alright. Roshnak
only now realized the immense problems in front of him. First he had to do is
to wake up the passion in these orcs. Seemingly impossible task, seeing even
their leaders lose hope.
“They were the ones who turned
their backs on us first.” Wallug carried on “Any contact with them is
pointless, let alone dangerous.”
“But they would make such a
difference.” Snikork said.
“Is that true?” Grodish asked.
“Forget those animals!” Wallug
looked at the other elder angrily.
“Let him speak!” Roshnak growled
“What about them making a difference, Snikork?”
“Y…yes, they would, I…I think so.”
the elder stuttered “B…but as Wallug said, I don’t know if they would be
willing even to listen.”
“In that case, I suppose we should
go there, and find out.” Grodish suddenly stood up from the table.
“W…what?!” Wallug almost choked on
his spit “My king, perhaps it will be better if we think about it for…”
“Enough! This needs to stop, now!”
half-orc growled “I’ve tried to find some sort of agreement with you, but you
keep on repeating the same crap, over and over again.”
“Watch your tone, boy!” Wallug
suddenly jumped “You are all the same, impatient warriors, and would be heroes.
And every single one of you had something in common. You all died, because of
your recklessness.”
“At least we aren’t hiding behind
the thick walls and thousands of soldiers, like some afraid, old men!” Grodish
retorted, “That is not the life, orcs should be proud of.”
“How would you know what kind of
life is suitable for orcs, half-breed!” Wallug lost it completely, as he charged
at half-orc spitting and drooling “In a couple of days you are here, you
trampled on everything we fought for.”
“This kind of life is not worth
fighting for, you dotard fool. You have to understand that, and stop lying to
yourself.”
“You are hardly the first one,
trying to do this. And probably won’t be the last.” Wallug stood right in front
of the half-orc “But, why do you think you can succeed, where everyone else
failed?”
“Because of one simple reason, old
man.” Grodish smiled “I am a part human. And sometimes, I tend to think like
one.”
Wallug stopped for a moment.
Half-orc’s statement was intriguing. He might have been on a track of something
they could use. Never before orcs thought about half breeds in that particular
way. In their eyes, this tarnished mixture, this unnatural creature, did not
belong anywhere under the sun. Product of a failed experiment, in an attempt to
find a way to bridge the gap between the two races. A breed, no one wanted to
have contact with. But, for the first time in his life, Wallug looked at
half-orcs, from another perspective. Why did no one think of using them?
“I must admit, you intrigued me, my
king.” Wallug calmed himself “And this time I mean it by saying, it has to be
looked upon with consideration.”
“If that is the case, we must begin
planning, sooner than later.” Grodish retorted.
“And you are still stalwart in
intention of going to Khoill?” Wallug asked.
“If anyone can merge the two
tribes, it is the new king.” Roshnak said as he too stood up “And for this
reason alone, we must go and try.”
“You have to be joking?” Snikork
trembled while asking.
“I am dead serious.” Roshnak
retorted “In fact, I think it will be for the best, if we are to leave right
away.”
“Now? But who?” Wallug could not
believe it.
Turbulent events of these past few
days were far too much for him. Certainly more exciting, than in the past
several years altogether. And it did kickstart his old ticker, waking that long
forgotten warrior spirit inside of him.
“Us three should be more than
enough.” Roshnak pointed towards himself, Grodish and Uggut.
Tribal sorcerer wasn’t at all glad,
in a manner in which Roshnak included him. But he was far too scared of him,
than the prospect of visiting Khoill. More than enough, to silently accept his
suggestion.
“And, there is nothing that could
change your mind?” Wallug bowed before the king, although he was looking at
Roshnak.
“You are the one, who is in need of
changing your mind.” Grodish retorted “And you will, once we return back.”
“Yes my king.” the elder bowed once
again “Be very careful, and good luck to you all.”
Meeting ended abruptly. Roshnak and
Grodish marched in a hurry out of the chamber, leaving, for a moment, confused
Uggut.
“You should go too.” Snikork said
taunting him “I think they are not waiting on you.”
Tribal sorcerer finally understood,
Roshnak did mean to leave right now. Loud, jeering laughter followed him out,
as he ran, chasing after Grodish and Roshnak. And it bothered him quite a lot,
for the elders seemed to expect, this was the last time they were seeing them.
Truth to be told, Uggut wasn’t optimistic either. But this kind of reaction
insulted and infuriated him. This venture had to end in success, if for nothing
else, then to spite those two. Wallug and Snikork had to be proven wrong.
Their indolence towards anything
happening in Tanmar, for the several past years, perhaps even decades, led them
to this point. But, those were only their recent wrongdoings. Even the fallout
of the tribe could be easily prevented, if those hotheads had the patience and
understanding, they are so proud of now. It was time for Wallug and Snikork to
accept the changes, or move aside for those who are ready to lead. And the
half-orc sure seemed to fit right in.
Uggut was quick to catch up to
Roshnak and Grodish. He wanted to say something, complain about the elders
laughing after him, but they seemed completely indifferent to it. Their
composure baffled the tribal shaman. This kind of confidence wasn’t incidental,
and it certainly made Uggut question some things. It was as if Roshnak already
knew the outcome of their dangerous visitation to Khoill. Tribal sorcerer did
not know, so he should be even more worried because of it. This kind of
behavior wasn’t normal at all. Why were they willing to risk everything?
“Don’t worry my friend.” Roshnak
said, as if he was sensing Uggut’s fears “You’ll be safe with us.”
“I’m afraid you are underestimating
the circumstances around Khoill.” tribal sorcerer whispered “That place is
cursed.”
“You all keep saying that. But, you
seem to be fine after escaping from there.” Grodish looked at him.
“At the cost of losing my powers. I
already told you that many have died there.” Uggut answered nervously, “And
now, that place is a doomed pit of horror and death, ruled by dark, and
mysterious forces.”
“Or your elder friends over there
made that up, to keep this discord between the tribes.” Roshnak retorted.
“No, I know what I saw. The magic
is real, you have to believe me.” the tribal sorcerer cried.
Roshnak did not respond. But as he
glanced at Uggut, he knew the sorcerer was telling the truth. Roshnak still had
some reserves towards him, but the fact that Uggut lost his energy, somewhat
worried him. If it was all connected, perhaps he too was in danger of losing
his. Elders might have played them into this position, wittingly steering them
towards Khoill. But, there was no turning back now, Roshnak knew that. He had a
plan, and the target was in their sights. One of the final hurdles, they had to
overcome, in their search for vengeance. And if and when they return safely,
elders better be ready to grant their requests, or else.
“Is Khoill far from here?” Grodish
asked, as they left the fort.
“No my king.” Uggut
retorted silently, “Just a couple of days walk, behind those hills.”
