Three Kings (Book 3)

by Jeremy Laszlo

  Not only could the trolls talk, but like orcs they hunted, too. Though they hunted in packs, like wolves, and their methods were obviously different, it was becoming more and more apparent that orcs and trolls had much in common. He hoped that this fact boded well for his future endeavors.

  It was not long before two of the trolls shared the burden of carrying the gargantuan bear, and striking out in the same direction as before, Gnak followed at a distance. Thinking the trolls’ hunt was done, he was surprised when the scout vanished into the trees ahead once more and the other three paused. Pausing himself, Gnak watched intently, wondering what sort of beast it could be that led such powerful men to fear going further. It was then that huge, thick arms and hands folded about his face and chest from behind. He had been duped.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Snatched off of his feet as if he weighed nothing at all, Gnak was pulled up and back in a crushing grip that threatened to break his bones. As panic set in he thought to pull the will from his attacker, but if the man froze he would still be trapped in its arms. If he fought or struggled, they could easily kill him. So instead, he simply submitted to the troll who held him and his fate in its arms.

  Still able to see despite the arm around his head and neck, Gnak watched as he grew nearer to the other trolls in the hunting party. His captor carried him in an unrelenting grip, but not so roughly that it caused him pain. All there was to do was wait and see what would become of him. If he felt threatened beyond that of being their prisoner, he could always stop them in their tracks and try and escape.

  After nearly an hour’s climb up the same path they had followed all day, Gnak listened as the trolls began to speak in their own language. Though it was an odd rumbling of sounds that seemed more related to choking or coughing, he watched on as one would speak and another reply, and even witnessed as something was passed between them that caused all four to do what he presumed was laughing. He imagined that they told jokes at his expense. Not that it mattered.

  For much of the day they traveled in silence up and around the mountain until at last they topped a small rise and, peering ahead, Gnak could see a valley between two neighboring mountains. It was yet another déjà vu moment as he realized he had been here before.

  Looking down into what he realized was a troll village of some kind, Gnak saw what would one day be the location for his temple to Ishanya. Here and there about the village, huge fires blazed as smoke coiled up and was carried aloft on a crisp wind to the south. Odd structures were placed all around the fires, constructed of stacked and piled stones with roofs made of logs and branches. From all directions that he could see, trolls dragged felled trees towards the village, where they piled them into huge heaps.

  The closer they came to the trolls’ home, the larger the building and fires became. What appeared to be single dwellings for the trolls from afar, were now realized to be communal homes that would likely house a dozen or more under each roof. Each fire was a blazing inferno that, passing even remotely close to, caused his skin to heat to an uncomfortable level within seconds.

  Entering the community, trolls stopped in their tasks and watched as he was carried past, their curiosity of him apparent everywhere they went. Though he was able to watch where he was going, the further they went the less likely he thought an escape would be. It seemed they were headed for the center of the village.

  Nearing one of the massive buildings, the four trolls exchanged words, and the only one not carrying a prize rushed ahead and entered the structure. Just moments later he poked his head back out as they approached and waved them in his direction. Passing into the building, Gnak was struck by the immense changes that occurred instantly when passing the seemingly harmless threshold.

  In stark contrast to the bright sun outside, reflecting off ice and snow alike, inside the building it was pitch black without so much as a single star’s light. Though outside stood a blanket of snow, inside was sweltering hot, so close were the stone walls to the raging fires outside, Gnak began to sweat profusely as the troll holding him dropped him upon the floor.

  As his eye adjusted to the change, he witnessed at least two dozen trolls milling about in the darkness of the building, but only one among them approached. From out of the darkness a troll of the likes he could never remember seeing stepped into the light that streamed in from the doorway behind Gnak.

  He was an ancient specimen of the mountain men, his skin so loose it hung in wrinkled pools around his swollen joints. Though still tall and massive in girth, the old troll leaned forward as it moved slowly towards Gnak. Its eyes, though still alight with much life, seemed more deep-set than those of its peers, and its mouth, a wrinkled and puckered slit in its face, opened and closed as if to speak, but as if the creature forgot the words it wanted, no sound escaped it.

  When it stood close enough to be looking directly down at him, the old troll leaned precariously further forward and brought its own face directly to Gnak’s.

  “Goosta boork doobi nog,” the ancient troll said, much to Gnak’s dismay.

  Without any idea how to reply, Gnak just looked back at the man, a confused expression on his face. The troll’s mouth began to move yet again.

  “Common, then?” the ancient troll asked in a slow and emotionless tone.

  “Yes, Gnak speak common,” he blurted excitedly.

  If he could communicate with them, then there was a chance for him to succeed. But he needed to be cautious. He needed to learn about them, and more importantly what they intended to do with him. For now he would let the troll lead the conversation.

  “Good. Then you will talk to Borgo,” the elderly troll said in introduction. “Why have you come here, orc? These are not your lands.”

  “Gnak come talk to troll leader.”

  “You can talk to me, orc. Then we will decide if you see the king. Why have you come?”

  Once again Gnak found himself at a disadvantage. Even the trolls had a better understanding of the common tongue than he. He swore to himself that if he succeeded, he would spend more time speaking to the shaman to learn more words.

  “Gnak… King of orcs,” he began. “Talk to god. Have vision. God say gather all orc, all goblin, all troll. Build city. All build. All live as one clan.”

  For a long time the troll seemed to digest his words, his dark, deep-set eyes squinting slightly. When the ancient troll did speak again, his demeanor had changed slightly, though Gnak could not tell if it was to his advantage or detriment.

  “The gods are very mighty, orc. It is true, they sometimes visit the races of men. Our history tells of such a story. If what you say is true, what proof do you have?”

  Gnak found himself at a loss. He did not want to show his power, lest they have magic users also. He was not about to give away the secret that could be his only chance for escape.

  “Have no proof. But gods tell Gnak do. So Gnak come. Speak troll king. Make offer.”

  “And what do you offer, orc?” the ancient troll named Borgo asked.

  “Gnak need troll land to build city and temple to Ishanya. All share city, all build city. Gnak share city with trolls. All live together. All learn. Have new ways. Are better.”

  “So you serve Ishanya? Who is to lead this city? Who will rule?”

  “Yes, Gnak serve Ishanya. Goddess say Gnak rule city.”

  “Then I am sorry, orc. You cannot speak with my king.”

  “Why Gnak no speak?”

  “After we lost many of our gifted warriors just weeks ago against the humans alongside orcs and goblins, all trolls swore to never serve a leader of another race. It is now forbidden to us.”

  “What if Gnak challenge troll king, win fight?”

  “We are not orcs, if our king is killed, another will take his place. You will never rule our people.”

  Gnak pondered the situation. It was frustrating. The goblin king did not want to serve him, he wanted more power and more gold. The troll king would not serve him. How did Ishanya e
xpect him to pull this off? He was beginning to get frustrated.

  “What happen when orcs and goblins come up mountain to build city?”

  “If you do not have our consent, then likely we will fight for our lands,” Borgo answered in his monotonous tone.

  “What if orcs and goblins give trolls gold?”

  “We have gold, though we do not need it. Greed is not a flaw of our kind, orc.”

  So that was it. The trolls did not want anything. They would not submit to his rule. With defeat in his heart, he knew that the only solution would be bloodshed. But it still left a question unanswered that he had pondered some time ago.

  “Why trolls come fight humans with orcs last moon?”

  “Your big chief came and spoke to our king. They made a pact to stop our races from fighting one another. But now we hear the big chief has died, and his pact has died with him. All that was gained is now lost.”

  Finally Gnak had an opening.

  “Gnak is big chief now. Gnak speak to troll king. Make new pact.”

  “No, it is too late to remake the pact. The terms cannot be restored. We will not help you and your people, and we will not allow you to build on our land.”

  “What can Gnak not restore? Who you to say no? Gnak want speak king,” he demanded angrily.

  “Our pact was hinged on the mutual belief that the dark mage of Valdadore had to be destroyed. He could not be allowed to live, but he has. Our king believes that none devoted to Ishanya the deceiver should be allowed to live. This is why I tell you no. And my word is law.”

  Angered and defeated, Gnak had his answer. Again, he had been duped by the trolls. He had been speaking to the king the whole time, and the man had simply been working him over, trying to gather information himself. Now that the relic had what he wanted, he not only refused everything Gnak wanted, but said that he would not be allowed to live. Gnak lunged at the ancient king of the trolls.

  Punching the tall man square in the jaw, Gnak kicked out as he sprang away, driving the larger man to the ground as his knee folded beneath him. With no way to win a direct fight, Gnak stretched forth his arms, and sought out the wills of those nearest him. Focusing himself he began to pull as a scream interrupted his concentration.

  “Noooo! Not like that!” Jen screamed in his mind. “Do what Ishanya told you!”

  Gnak was at a loss. More than a dozen thick-limbed bodes rushed towards him, forcing him to rethink his position. Ishanya wanted him to gather the races of orcs, goblins, and trolls. He was doing what she had told him. At least trying to. So why was Jen screaming at him? Then he had it.

  That which you need to see my will done is within your grasp. You need only reach out and take what is yours. That is what she had said, and in that instant Gnak understood what he had been missing all along. It was not his ability to steal the will of others that was his greatest power. No. That was only a fraction of his ability. Stupid orc brain. All the hints had been there in his visions. Looking into a mirror to see the goblin king should have been a dead giveaway, but he had missed it. When Ishanya had told him to take that which was his he thought she had meant the will of others, but then too it should have been obvious.

  Feeling himself caught up in the grasps of many giant troll hands, he plucked the will from the king of the trolls and flung himself at the ancient man’s body just before everything went dark.

  Mind-numbing pain assailed him as his body jerked and twitched uncontrollably. His head felt as if it were splitting in two as those rushing to his side fought to keep him upright. Aches and pains replaced the spasms, and for a moment he was certain he would vomit, but then the sensation relented. Coughing, he blinked his eyes to clear the water residue that remained, and then it hit him.

  Raising a hand before his eyes, not eye, he looked upon the thick fingers in wonder as he turned his aching body to see those other trolls who rushed to the aid of their failing king. Without reason, he recognized their faces and knew their names. He knew the roles they served among his people and a million other things. He could recall more than seven hundred years of life that was not his own, and there were multitudes of memories that felt both foreign and familiar. Gnak was inside the troll king. He had become the troll king. A wrinkled smile split his face as he turned to look upon the orc frozen stiff upon the ground just feet away.

  Everything finally made sense. Trolls, it seemed, had problems when it came to temperature. When their bodies were cool their metabolism slowed nearly to a stop, allowing them to live incredibly long lives. But in order to perform tasks, like hunt, they needed to be able to move faster, and as such they warmed their bodies. They had several options for doing so, the easiest of which was simply standing in the sun, but this barely warmed them, especially in the cold climes of the highest reaches of the mountains. Like in their village, they often used fire to warm their blood and its effects could last for several hours, allowing them to perform scouting patrols, and gather some supplies. Their best option, and one considered holy to their people, was a recharge at the crystal where Gnak had first saw them. For reasons unknown even to the king, the stone was able to heat their insides in mere seconds and increase their metabolism to incredible levels that could be sustained for nearly a week. Though such increases, if regularly performed, were known to shorten the lives of trolls, they used its power to prepare for battles, large hunts before the winter, and other dire situations.

  Hearing several of the trolls speaking, Gnak was surprised that he could understand their words and quickly joined in the conversation.

  “I think the orc is dead,” said a troll Gnak recognized as Voolid. “We should burn him.”

  “No,” Gnak replied, amazed at his ability to communicate so easily in the troll’s native language. “Leave me with the orc. I want to examine him.”

  Immediately the trolls began to disperse without question. Theirs was a society of respect for their elders and as the oldest living of their kind, he was their king. As the longest lived he was considered the wisest, and his orders were not subject to question. He had led his people for nearly seventy years since his last elder had passed into the realm of the gods. Gnak knew everything there was to know about the troll.

  He had four children, three males and a female, though two of the males were already dead. He knew that four offspring was a lot for a troll. Searching his memories he learned of the troll gods, and found that he knew about many gods. Even Ishanya. It seemed trolls never forgot a thing they learned, and histories were passed down verbally from one generation to the next. Gnak could recall a tale told to him by a troll more ancient than himself of a time when the gods walked among the men of Thurr. It told of the goddess Ishanya, rising to power and glory, only to abandon those who served her as they were slaughtered in a battle that included nearly every race. Now he knew why they called her the deceiver. Could it be true that his goddess was so twisted as to abandon those who loved her at their greatest time of need? No. Gnak knew it had to be a matter of perspective. Though the trolls were obviously more intelligent than he would have ever thought, their knowledge of the world was skewed by their distance from it.

  Walking across the room, Gnak found that although his movements felt slow, his troll mind seemed pleased with his pace. Every one of his joints hurt, but even so he crouched down beside the body he had left behind. He had never before seen it quite like this. Sure he had peered in reflective surfaces, but never had he had an outsider’s vantage.

  Though he was riddled with odd and deforming scars where his flesh had been burned and charred away, and his naught but bone fingers lay partially exposed through torn gloves, he was not appalled by what he saw. With one blank eye staring back at him in return, he inspected his body and found that he was proud of the specimen he had become. It was true, he was not the prettiest of his race, but just looking at himself, he was frightening, and that counted for something.

  Turning slowly, he looked towards the door to assure himself that none pe
ered in to see what it was he was doing. Then, focusing himself mentally, he lunged. Trembling as sweat poured from his body, Gnak blinked his eye several times and rolling he rose to his feet as he stretched his muscles with a sly grin. It felt good to be back in his own body. Checking inward, he was happy to find all as it should be, and Jen was there right where he had left her. He had what he had come for. The troll nation was his. All he needed to do now was figure out what to do with them.

  Without enough information to make an informed decision he worked through everything he did know. From experimenting on desert foxes he knew a body could live at least a day without its essence. With that knowledge, he knew he would have to continually transfer back and forth between his own body and the body of the troll king in order to keep both alive. He could only hope that there were no risks involved in sustaining both bodies this way. This decision led him to another discovery. No matter what he did, he now had to do it with both bodies, as he could not leave either behind or it would die.

  With his newfound knowledge, he began to formulate a plan that would take him back to his clan and the goblins who should be coming to meet with him. It had been many days since he left the camp, and only the gods knew what was ensuing in his absence. He hoped Pantak was keeping everything in order.

  It was more than two hours when Gnak thought his plan was devised. He doubted the trolls would give him any trouble as they apparently were very loyal to their leader. No, the problem would be the return journey home.

  “Jen. You talk Gnak?” he asked into the scorching air inside the stone and wood building.

  “Yes, Gnak, I suppose I can,” she replied with a giggle that seemed to bounce around inside his head.

  “Found trolls. Found better power. Ishanya give way to make all work. Gnak very happy.”

  “That’s wonderful, Gnak, are the trolls under your command now?”

  “Yes, Gnak take troll king body. Is troll king now.”