CHAPTER NINE
Seven days and nights, and twelve giants later, Gnak had yet another night to remember as the largest kingdom of goblins he had ever seen marched in from the west. Every goblin wore identical armor and carried a wicked twisted blade. Their precision was unparalleled by anything he had witnessed before, and watching them come he was in awe of the spectacle. They marched to no drum or song, the cadence they followed was the pounding of their own booted feet upon the sandy dunes.
Watching them near, a small procession broke off from the main force. Though the main goblin force came to a halt several paces later, those Gnak supposed were delegates continued towards his camp. Striding out to meet them, the chief of the orcish nation bowed respectfully as the delegates stopped just paces before him. They too bowed and, taking the lead, Gnak selected his words carefully.
“I welcome you to the camp of my clan,” Gnak said, raising a hand in gesture to the sprawling tent city behind him. “I am happy that you have come at my request to partake in the offer of mutual benefit among our nations.”
Spending time in the head of the troll king was really beginning to pay off. Gnak was proud of his words.
“Thank you,” one of the goblins replied. “I am king Sloginod Geratinaious Pelitushious of Castle Vondik, but you can call me Slog.”
Gnak was bewildered by the man’s name, and then thankful that there was a shorter version. He doubted he could repeat it if he tried.
“You are most welcome, King Slog. My men will help you strike camp, and after, I would like to meet with you,” Gnak said.
“Your messengers spoke of gold in the land of the trolls. Is it true that the trolls have submitted to your rule, or are we to march to war against them?” Slog asked.
“Their king is here, in the camp, I imagine that you will meet him.”
The words came easier with every sentence, and Gnak liked being able to show off his growing mastery of the language. He was about to ask on the numbers King Slog brought with him, when a thunderous boom sounded from behind him and a mix of screams and cheers sounded from somewhere in camp.
Without so much as excusing himself Gnak turned and, digging his booted toes into the sand, he sprinted towards the sector where he thought the sound might have come from.
Entering the tent city, he sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him. Though he did not know where he was going, many in the camp rushed in a singular direction and as such he followed, though not for long.
Coming to a sudden stop when the tents around him lay flattened to the ground, Gnak looked up at the giant beast before him. There, near the center of his camp, stood Pantak, only now he was immense. Gnak estimated he was forty feet tall, easily four times the height of a tall orc.
Grinning from ear to ear, the giant orc gnashed his tusks and jutted out his already protruding lower jaw. Thousands stood gathered around the giant of an orc, cheering him, but even so, Gnak shouted above them all.
“Good Pantak. How do you come by this power?”
Watching as the giant warrior swiveled his head to seek out Gnak’s voice, their eyes locked and the man began to reply in a booming voice.
“Pantak be like Gnak. Pray Ishanya. Have prayer answered. New gods good. Gnak bring power to orcs, make more strong.”
Gnak couldn’t have worded it better himself. The former clan chief known as Pantak had just proven with his words that which Gnak had been trying to tell the orcs for many weeks. Now his words were proven, and their loyalty was secured. Gnak needed to fuel the desire to worship Ishanya.
“Mighty Pantak, tonight we will celebrate your new power with a feast. Go now, Gathos clan. Build cooking fires and hunt up our powerful clan a feast in honor of captain Pantak.”
With his words a mighty roar erupted from the crowd and Pantak’s booming voice joined them. Within minutes the crowd began to clear, as those gathered set about doing as their chief had commanded. As they dispersed, Gnak watched as Pantak shimmered with a popping sound and returned to his normal size in the blink of an eye.
Approaching his captain, he congratulated the man again and speaking briefly, sent the newly blessed warrior to help out their newest arrivals in setting camp. It would be good for King Slog to hear of the occurrence before Gnak met with him again. At least it would explain his hasty departure.
Turning, Gnak strode back towards his tent filled with both hope and pride. His clan was progressing well. His plans were coming to fruition. Even Ishanya had shown that she was pleased by their progress. He could not help but wonder what good she would bestow upon his people in the future. For now, however, such thoughts would have to be carried out in another mind. As it was now morning, it was time for the king of trolls to awaken.
Meeting with King Slog, the troll king’s day was otherwise uneventful. Soaking in the desert sun he spent much of his time patrolling among the thousand or so makeshift blacksmith forges to look upon their progress and wares. With achy joints and muscles, he tired quickly walking about in the loose sand, and as such he retired back to the tent where his other body hid just as soon as night descended.
Great fires blazed as hunters by the thousands poured into the camp bringing with them the makings for a mighty feast. With dancing light of orange and yellow casting its shadows over the huge camp, a crowd of the likes Gnak could not have imagined began to gather around the fires. Over a hundred thousand strong, and Gnak looked out upon the ocean of those who served his cause, and was proud to call them his people.
Striding across the sand he aimed himself towards the center of the celebration as some goblins struck up a tune. Tens of thousands of voices joined in on the singing and amazed, Gnak listened to the words.
There once was a goblin of a cunning kind,
Who held his wealth on high.
With a sharpened mind and treacherous heart,
He robbed the passersby,
Goblins gold on goblin road,
No goblin blood to spill.
A goblins soul to pay the toll,
But enter he never will.
He found a bridge and laid his claim,
For fortune he did seek,
And charge a toll from side to side,
Did the go…
With a movement from the corner of his eye, Gnak’s attention was drawn away from the song. Though it filled the camp and the heavens with its tune, he watched alertly for another sign of movement among the tents.
Just seconds passed and he caught a flash of firelight glinting off something a few rows away. Ducking, he quietly changed his course to see who it was that crept among the tents. From shadow to shadow the chief of all the orc nations blended with the darkness in pursuit of the figure ahead. Watching as the smaller man rounded a corner, Gnak was certain he recognized the man. But it made no sense for him to be skulking about in the shadows… unless he was up to something he shouldn’t be.
Rushing ahead, Gnak passed the intersection where the man had turned and instead he slid into the next intersection and watched between the tents. Sure enough, a second later the creeping goblin was revealed to him, but even knowing the man, it was still a mystery as to why he behaved so peculiarly.
Following the goblin at a distance, they approached the festivities as the song came to a clamorous end. Hooting and hollering, the goblins applauded themselves as they enjoyed the feast, but Gnak’s attention was elsewhere. Still on the goblin’s trail, they darted from one tent row to the next, keeping to the darkest shadows, moving further and further to the west. Then, without warning, the goblin paused. Gnak froze.
For several long minutes the goblin stood just a few tents away, peering ahead at something that was obscured to Gnak by the tents that lay before him. Watching the goblin, he noted the change in the man’s demeanor. Where before he slunk from shadow to shadow, moving quickly and stealthily, now he clung low to the ground like a predator stalking its prey. Then Gnak realized where they were.
Looking around to verify his thou
ghts, he found that he was correct. These were the newest tents added to their camp. They belonged to the kingdom of goblins led by King Slog. Gnak was certain that the goblin king had witnessed King Slog’s approach and obvious wealth and power. Such a thing would be seen as a threat to the greedy little man. And even though Gnak had warned him about harming the other goblin kings after two had been killed, he knew what the smaller man was up to.
Watching the stalking goblin, Gnak saw as the man pulled the small twisted blade from his belt and prepared to spring. Leaving his cover, Gnak could see King Slog just paces away and knew what he felt in his heart to be true. He had to stop the goblin king.
Using all the power he could summon, Gnak lunged forward, as the goblin king sprang into the air. With little more than a thud the two collided, unnoticed over the loud cheers of the thousands who celebrated just a row of tents away. Driving the smaller man to the ground, Gnak heard as the air was torn from his lungs and his eyes bulged out from his skull at the impact.
Looking back over his shoulder to assure himself they had not been discovered, Gnak witnessed as King Slog began to turn in their direction. The time for thought was over.
Snatching up the smaller man, he plucked him up by his throat and wrapped one solid arm about his chest before he dove behind the nearest tent. He could not kill the goblin king. No. Too much had already been done in the man’s name. The other goblin lords were sworn to serve him. The loss of the man could prove to be a major setback that Gnak did not have time for. He had to live.
Peering into the yellow eyes of the man who he had thought was his ally, Gnak saw nothing there but petty greed and jealousy. It was a shame. The smaller man had such potential. Without another option, Gnak did the only thing he could think of in that moment of despair.
Releasing the goblin king’s throat so he could breathe again, Gnak pulled the will from the smaller man and watched as his eyes glazed over and his breathing slowed. Now that the goblin was frozen, Gnak had to get him back to his tent.
Though it appeared that all of his clan were out at the feast, Gnak did not want to risk being seen carrying the goblin king. Looking around for a solution, he pulled a great fur that served as the wall of a tent off of the nearest structure, and wrapped the smaller man in the fur. Then, tossing him over one thick shoulder, he strode quickly towards the center of the camp. In a quarter of an hour he was inside his tent and unwrapping the goblin king.
Placing the small man next to the inanimate body of the troll king, he looked upon the two and shook his head. If they would have listened and simply done the right thing, neither of them would be in this position. But for Gnak, there was no time to dwell on the situation. At least not yet. He had a speech to give.
Turning from the pair of kings, he strode out from his tent and pulled the flap closed. Nodding to the guards stationed at his tent, he turned back towards the festivities, and began again in the direction of the celebration without so much as a questioning glance from those posted as guard.
Gnak was glad his people were changing and starting to believe in him more and more. Now, no matter how peculiar his behavior, they didn’t even question what he did. He had showed them the power given to him by a foreign god and proven that they too could earn power through service. Striding to the edge of camp and breaking free from the endless rows of tents, it was time to inspire them further.
Striding out into the center of the maelstrom that was his people, they parted ways for him clearing a path until he reached the center. There, in the center of his immense clan stood Pantak, the guest of honor. Nodding to the man, and patting him on the back, Gnak whispered in his ear before stepping several paces away.
With a deafening boom his captain exploded in size as the crowd went wild with cheers, whistles, and applause. Watching the giant orc bend down, Gnak stepped into his open palm and was carried aloft and held up for all to see. Motioning with his hands for all to be silent, Gnak waited for their voices to fade and their excitement to settle before he began to speak.
“Mighty Gathos clan, I am very proud of all you have accomplished. You see now with your own eyes that the path I have chosen for us is sanctioned by the gods. Good captain Pantak has been rewarded for his loyalty to Ishanya, just as I have. I have spoken to the goddess directly. Many of you have witnessed it. She has bid me to bring you all together and I have done it. Though more are expected to come, the goddess ushers me to haste. It is with that urgency that I tell you now that our fates will not wait for us forever. It is our destiny to rise above all that we have known and all we have been, to become greater. Do as I have taught you, and serve as I serve, and together we will reach the destiny the gods have planned for us. Enjoy your feast, but know this… When the moons rise tomorrow, we march away from this place and those that come to join us will find us building our future.”
With the conclusion of his words, the whole of the world seemed to cheer as Gnak was again lowered to the ground.
CHAPTER TEN
Standing in his tent of poles and furs, Gnak looked to the two bodies before him. In mere hours the camp would be torn down and packed away in preparation for the march north. Yet here at his feet lay a secret he needed to keep. But how was he to spirit away two bodies?
Debating his situation for some time, Gnak could find no way to move the bodies with the army using his current means. He needed to devise a cart or container that they could be placed in that did not seem unnatural or suspicious, yet would not let onlookers see within. With time being in short supply, he needed the thing to be constructed immediately, yet the man he would usually ask to see such a task completed lay upon the ground, here, in his very tent.
Peering down to the goblin king, Gnak shook his head. It was a shame he would have to use him this way. But there would be no going back. Not now. Only the small green king would know the goblins he commanded that were best for the task, and only he would know how to command them. And so he would.
Stepping into a corner of the tent where he would not be spied if someone glanced within, Gnak lunged towards the goblin king, his essence separating from his orcish shell to join with that of the smaller ruler. Jerking upon the sand floor of the tent, Gnak tried to relax as the shots of pain lanced into his mind, as his muscles contracted beyond his control. It was excruciating and exhausting, that first leap into a new body, but in less than a half an hour, Gnak rose as memories flooded his mind once more.
Raising his hand to his face, Gnak moved his new body about with ease, and found the body’s lack of bulk quite different to that of his other two bodies. It moved more gracefully, with less effort, and raising himself to a seated position, he looked forward to walking about in the goblin king’s skin.
Seeking through the goblin’s memories, Gnak found himself both stunned and appalled. It was true. The goblin king was sharp of wit and was cunning beyond measure, but so too was he nefarious. Memory after memory flitted through his mind of bodies secreted away after he had killed them for countless reasons. Some were murdered for their wealth, others killed to silence their tongues. Some were slain because they might have challenged him in the future, and still others were slaughtered for reasons as petty as a strange look shared with the goblin king. The whole of his life he had been murdering men to further his own agenda. A wicked goblin indeed.
Beyond the hundreds of murders the goblin king recalled, so too did other important events from his life stand out. Though Gnak found it hard to determine the age of the king or the span of a goblin’s life, he could recall portions of the man’s childhood. He recalled a memory and watched it play out in witness to the evil deed. For here in the memory was likely the cause for the man’s murderous ways. For beaten by his own father, the goblin king was sold into slavery for a fistful of gold coins, where he labored for several years at the end of a whip until killing the slaver in his sleep. That memory seemed connected to another, and Gnak was forced to watch as the youthful version of the goblin king beat, with an ir
on rod, both his mother and father until they were little more than shattered green husks, oozing blood and other bodily fluids.
Memory after memory, Gnak sorted through the goblin king’s mind. Replaying several events from the man’s life, he did find moments of elation and victory, but found that nearly all of them were accomplishments of greed and murder. It was not until he stumbled upon the memory of the goblin king’s vision of the future, when Gnak paid very close attention, and he strained for every recalled detail as it played before his eyes.
Striding down the stone carved streets, rain lashed at his back as water poured over his face into both his eyes and mouth. Even in the unforgiving storm, hammers rang from every corner of the rising city as steam issued up from the drains carved into the roads. Beneath his feet the stone was hot, as lightning flashed through the sky in wicked fingers of pale death, only to be followed by the booming rumble of thunder that shook the world beneath him.
Ducking into a darkened alley, he was shrouded momentarily from the rain as he turned to brush his fingers upon the stone surface of a wall at the end of the ally. Finding the familiar catch, he pressed at the stone as the wall swung silently inward. There were thousands of passages beneath the city. Some were mines and others vents to carry the heat below up into the city. Still more were used for defense and others for reaching down into the depths of the world where molten rock and metals pooled like water. But not this one. No. It was one of his many secret passages to one of his favorite places.
Tracing the stone walls to either side of him in the darkness, he climbed down the many stories of stairs only to turn a corner and climb back up yet again. Three intersections and another hidden door later, he entered a room where the air was stagnant and uncomfortably warm. Even in the darkness he could sense its presence, and putting spark to torch within minutes he could see that which was his greatest possession. Here, hidden in the depths of the city, unknown to any but him, lay a mound of golden coins and gems as high as a troll and as large in circumference as a giant laying down. There was enough wealth here to buy a nation, or feed an army for a year, and the goddess told him to hoard yet more, and so he would. Assured that his stash was safely hidden, he poured two pouches from his belt into the pile before snuffing out the torch and sealing the room once again. Each day he returned and each day he became richer.
Three Kings (Book 3) Page 8
