by Maire Brophy
I took down another book that glowed with the shimmering pink. I opened the cover, and new words jumped into the foreground.
The rules of Isknaga
The cavern is a secret known only to very few orcs in Iret. Isknaga used this to bring magic to the orcs, and this magic is for orcs only. You cannot write word of this outside the cavern. If you betray Iret, with purpose or without, your soul will be lost to the mountain. Only Isknaga herself may save you, and she has not saved any.
I wondered, though, how the day creatures outside knew of this cavern. Tales of Isknaga were not uncommon among orcs, though she sometimes went by different names, Ekclanga in the North, and Eskara in my home. The stories are more or less the same: an orc mage more cunning than the world’s greatest wizards who tricked their magics out of them. She gave orcs writing and made them strong. But I had never heard of this cavern, nor of the trapped souls of wizards.
Someone must have known. Perhaps this was a story told in a different way among wizards. The wizard outside must know something. I knew now what they were after, but I was no better able to protect the mountain than before. I still wasn’t sure how I would get out of the cavern without being attacked again by one of the pools. This was precious, that much was certain. It was a great repository of magical knowledge, made specifically for orcs to learn ― orcs that were able, that is. I doubted that I could learn anything, and I was certain that I did not want to try. The price was too high. And maybe it didn’t matter anymore if there were no more orcs. What use was this library if there were no orcs left to learn from it? Maybe the wizard would just come in here and fight with the wizard pools. Maybe the dead wizards would kill the living one. That was too much to hope for. It was far more likely that the wizard outside could control these dead ones. And however much I had let the day creatures rise, I must not allow one of them to gain this magical knowledge.
First I had to get out of this room. I was chief of the mountain, and some old, dead wizards were not going to keep me locked in a library. I needed to know what the day creatures outside were doing. It might be day already, and they would restart their digging, and the wizard would return again to fight with the mountain. I stood up and flung the door open. I walked strongly and purposefully across the cavern, while making sure not to get too close to any of the pools.
The door opened and shut behind me. I touched the tunnel wall and asked the mountain how it was. The mountain was still tired but assured me it would not fail to defy the wizard. After all, what was a wizard to a mountain? I moved quickly to the alarm chamber. The main entrance warning was still clicking back and forth. This was to be expected. The intruders had camped there and believed the mountain to be empty. I wondered if there was anywhere that I could view the entrance from inside. Entrances usually have lookouts above them where rocks and boiling oil could be thrown onto intruders, but the main tunnel was collapsed and likely these lookout posts were as well.
I felt the mountain shake. They had taken up the tunneling again. It must be day. I ran down to the great hall and stood at the other side of the tunnel. Pebbles and small rocks trickled down the rubble and landed at my feet. I stood there helpless. Luckily, the mountain was not, and it fought back with a rock fall on the other side. The larger stones shifted, and more rocks fell down around me. I jumped to get out of the way. After some crashing and bouncing, the rocks settled, and everything was silent. Even the tunneling stopped. Perhaps the mountain had killed more of them.
I clambered to the top of the rubble, testing the stability as I went. This latest shift revealed one of the upper tunnels over the main entrance tunnel. I moved some of the rocks to get better access and climbed up into the gaping hole that had once been its pathway. It was half full of its own debris, so I crawled rather than ran through it. In some places, I had to shift rocks to fit through. I pulled them toward me, hoping the roof of the tunnel wouldn’t come with them, and carefully pushed them behind me. I’d have to deal with them again on the way back, but they were not fixed. There was light ahead, so I knew it would not be far.
The tunnel opened out into a small lookout chamber ― light fractured against the side wall. Thankfully, this was more or less stable, and the outer walls still shielded me from the sun. The views down to the tunnel below were completely obscured by rocks ― I took this as a good sign. There were two outer views from this room. The room itself was hidden from all but the keenest eyes by the formation of the rocks around it. The entrance was dug into the mountain, so the lookout room jutted out over the entrance. One of the views was looking back on the entrance, the other was looking out from the mountain.
I looked at the activity around the entrance. I was much closer than my previous vantage point and could even hear them speaking. As I had seen before, there were dwarves and men, and a wizard. Serious tunneling equipment stood with them. I can only assume it was brought by the dwarves. They were not now tunneling but shifting rocks and moving bodies. The mountain had taken two more. Two of the dwarves and a man were arguing with the wizard. I guess they had not expected such an aggressive mountain. The wizard was impatient with them. I recognized the signs of one who does not like to be questioned. Unfortunately for him, he had no choice. The day creatures were arguing furiously with him. They had lost several, and he had lost nothing. In fact, he had done nothing ― not lifted one rock of this worthless mountain. The wizard argued back that he had done more than they would know, and hadn’t he parted the trees and got them this far into the black lands. This did nothing to quell the others. If anything, it made them more furious. What was moving a few trees and passage through a land that was now green. He promised them riches from this mountain, and all he had actually given them was pain and death. He had demanded everything and given nothing on this fool’s errand. The wizard puffed himself up at these words. He told them they were the fools, that they would see, and they would be sorry.
I felt the mountain tug for my attention. It told me to watch. A fresh rock fall fell down by the entrance of the tunnel. It took them entirely by surprise, and they all had to run and jump to avoid this new threat. The man who had been arguing with the wizard failed to move fast enough, and the rocks caught him. The tunneling equipment was now buried as well. I laughed in glee, but quietly, because I didn’t want them to hear me.
The wizard recovered first. He shouted at the dwarves that this was their punishment for arguing with him. I had to admire the opportunism. The dwarves were fearful. Normally, mountains were their friends. This mountain was fighting them. They could not explain what was happening. The wizard wasn’t helping things by shouting at them. They didn’t look as though they were fooled by him.
I took a closer look at the wizard. He seemed pretty shabby, even for a wizard. He had that hungry look that wizards get when they can smell power within their grasp. He knew about the cavern, of that I was certain. But would his lust be enough to get him into the mountain; that was a bigger question.
I watched them as the day waned. The dwarves attempted to dig out their tools, no longer arguing with the wizard. The remaining men looked uncertain. It seemed that their leader was now buried in the mountain, and they were not sure what to do. The wizard stood well back from the rubble and commanded the mountain. The mountain remained unmoved. It seemed the mountain was having an easier time now that the dwarves were not drilling. When full night fell, the wizard gave up and grudgingly lay down near their meager campfire. As he slept, the dwarves walked away unmolested through the parted trees with the remainder of their tools. The men followed them as quietly as they could. I really wanted to watch the wizard’s reaction as he woke, but I too was tired. The stress had worn me out, and I felt myself falling into sleep in the cramped chamber. I roused myself, feeling that the mountain was no longer at risk. I crawled through the tunnel and back to my bed.
An alarm rang out and kept ringing. In my bleary sleep, I assumed that I must have hooked the main entrance alarm back up, but that made no sens
e. The alarm sound eventually made it properly into my consciousness. My eyes snapped open and my heart pounded. I leapt out of bed and ran to the lookout room. The alarm had stopped. I did not know which one had been ringing. The main entrance alarm mechanism no longer clicked side to side. Was this a new threat? Were the men and dwarves back? Maybe it was the outer perimeter alarm that marked them leaving the area. Yes, that was it. I breathed again.
I asked the mountain if everything was okay. There was no response. I touched the walls and asked again. Nothing. I put my ear to the wall and listened. I heard only the slow pulse of the rock seams, like any other mountain. I felt no other presence, heard no other thought. The panic started to rise again. Where was my mountain? I hit the wall. Still nothing. No sulks, no distraction, no games, no laughter, nothing. Silence. I cried out to the mountain. My voice broke with the overwhelming feeling of abandonment.
Another bell rang. A new sound. I looked at the marker. It was the hidden door. My hidden door. Someone had found it. They would be here soon. There was no defense left in this mountain between them and me. I ran to the mill chamber. My steps faltered repeatedly along the way. The fear and panic made me stumble. My feet pounded underneath me until my lungs ached. I thought they would burst before I made it there. I closed every door I could. Few had functional locks, but I locked and barred any that I could. Maybe I would be safe in the mill cavern; after all, it had been unharmed in the last attack. But they were looking for Isknaga’s cavern, which meant they would come through here sooner or later.
I ran into one of the armories and pulled on some mail and a breast plate. My fingers fumbled with the straps. The panic made me shake all over. I grabbed a heavy sword and a shield. For the first time, I noticed the symbol on the shield was the mountain. My mountain, where were you? The alarm sound rang throughout the mountain, and then abruptly stopped. Maybe they had left ― more likely they were already inside.
I dragged my shaking body to the cavern door. I had no idea if I would be protected inside without the mountain. I shouted at it to open, and it obliged. I grabbed the axe and hammer that were still outside the door and threw them inside. On second thoughts, I retrieved the chisel, as well. No sense in advertising the door.
The door slammed shut as I faced it. I dropped everything I was carrying to the floor and turned to face the cavern. Unlike the mountain, the pools seemed more awake. They pulsed more strongly than before. I didn’t think I could be more scared and yet, new levels of fear kept finding me. Was it really better to be in here?
I ran to the library and looked desperately around. I could still see some books in the different colors. I grabbed at them frantically. I needed to wake the mountain or find a way to block the cavern. There had to be something. Something boomed, and the mountain shook. They were not far.
A thought occurred to me ― I could ask the wizards. They were bound by the spirits to teach orcs. They would, of course, exact their price, but what else had I left to bargain with? Any power I once had was gone; my life was worth little, and my soul was already rended in a thousand pieces. All I had to offer was my guilt. That was very strong ― I carried it everywhere, through all my journeys. It was there when I slept and when I woke. It was the broken world, the cleared plains, the empty mountain, the still room. It was all the orc places in the world that were now empty. It bore the weight of every orc who ever lived.
I left the library. I walked into the center of all the pools and asked out loud: “Help me. Tell me how to save the mountain.”
There was no response from the pools. I steeled myself and stepped toward a pool with a yellow sheen on its black surface. It didn’t respond to my presence. I held my shaking hand just above the surface, expecting every moment to be grasped and tormented. Nothing. I ran my hand through the water, and it spilled through my fingers as if there was nothing special about it.
I ran to the next pool and pushed my hands in. I waved them around under the water, all the time asking them to help me, to show me. There was no response. I called out to the mountain. It had taken pity on me when I pleaded before. But this time there was nothing. I ran between all the pools, splashing their water around and yelling, begging, pleading with them. I fell to my knees at the furthest pool. It was different, I knew somehow.
“Isknaga help me. Make them help me.”
I don’t know where the words came from, but deep in my bones I felt only Isknaga would help me. A voice boomed in my head. It was so loud, I couldn’t hear it. There was only pain. I covered my ears, but it did nothing.
Another explosion shook the mountain. I could only feel it. The ceiling of the cavern cracked, and a spray of rubble fell down on me. My mountain, my lovely mountain, my last friend. I felt wetness on my face. I wiped with my hands and saw the blood. The voice boomed in my head again. It was very angry. I finally heard it. It said:
What have you done!
Everything was quiet, like time had stopped. I was in a new place. I could see nothing but blinding white light. The pain remained, but it was more bearable. The blood coursed down my face from my eyes and ears. It dripped onto my arms and fell beyond.
What did you do?
Where are my cubs?
You took them. You took them all.
I felt the power of her rage. Isknaga had awoken, and she had seen what I had done. I felt her reach out to her orcs and feel nothing but emptiness. A surge of pain went through me again. I choked and gasped and coughed up blood.
Greedy and grasping, you were nothing but a tool for wizards.
You took what the spirits gave you and used it against your people.
I could not respond. Everything she said was true. She grew impatient with my lack of response. My knees buckled under me. The blood clung to my face as it surged over my lip. I watched my life drain out of me, drop by drop. My head was pulled down, as if my body could no longer support it. I had long deserved to be ended, and now it would come. That thought betrayed me.
No!
You will not end now. You will go on with the torment of knowing what you did.
“The mountain?”
The words bubbled out through the blood.
You would ask something of me?
“Save the mountain.”
The mountain cannot be saved. The last of them died in terror and confusion. It is gone. It is done. Nothing matters now.
“There is a wizard inside the mountain. He wants the cavern for himself.”
A burst of rage again. How could I trouble her with this trifle when I had been the cause of her loss? She paused in her torment of me. I choked some breath through the blood.
This wizard is nothing. He is less than an apprentice magician. He understands nothing of the world. The cavern is safe from him. If only my orcs had been as safe from you.
I could keep you alive and torment you forever. I could show you the face of every orc that died. We will go back to the still room and watch them die.
“No. Please no.”
You beg mercy? You who never showed any.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
The words seem so small. Not big enough to express all the guilt I felt.
Everything changed. I flew forward like the string on a crossbow, tumbling out of the whiteness and back to the dim glow of the cavern. Laughter rang in my ears. Mocking, howling laughter.
I looked up and saw a figure in the pool ahead of me. It was the shadow of a man, and it was laughing wildly.
“Oh, your guilt is so delicious. I haven’t tasted anything so good in such a long time.” He burst into laughter again. I was bewildered.
“I remembered Isknaga, always on about her cubs. She would be so mad at you. But she never had a true appreciation for cruelty, such a disappointment in an orc.
“You, of course, have been much more cruel in your time. But that’s stale and tasteless now. Your guilt is so pungent. I could smell it when you first entered the cavern. It really overwhelms all your other fl
avors.”
Another explosion outside rocked the cavern. The shadow in the pool shrugged.
“Wizards these days are so boring! This one has been trying to find this place for years, and it took him two days to make the mountain go to sleep.”
I finally realized what had happened.
“I paid you with my guilt, so what do I get?”
“You get what you bargained for. I will show you how to cut the cavern off from others and protect it only for orcs.”
“Are there other orcs left?”
“You didn’t bargain for that piece of knowledge.” He looked at me greedily.
“What would it cost?”
“Come back to me when you have something to offer. For now, I am satiated with your guilt. If you destroy the world again, I may feel like a second helping, but until then, you will get nothing more from me.”
“How do I keep the cavern safe?”
But he was gone. The shadow had melted back into its pool.
Part Four: The Wizards
Wizards are so annoying. I’ve never met one that wasn’t a giant pain in the arse. They’re so busy being clever, they don’t make any sense at all. If this one wasn’t some disembodied water-soul, I’d have been perfectly happy to disembowel him. I made a new resolution to kill any wizards I met in future at the first opportunity.
He had taken the price but not given me what I paid for. I yelled at him, but the surface of the pool had returned to its shimmer, and there was no response. I cast my eyes around the cavern, but there was nothing new. Only more cracks in the ceiling and more dust falling around me. Shouting angrily, I stamped my way back to the library. I ran my eyes along all the tomes, and I was relieved to see one that looked different. This one had a blue hue.
