Three Kings (Book 3) Read online

  “Is good,” Gnak replied. “Goblins first.”

  “So the obvious route is to attack them outright, but because they are not all in one place it makes the task overly time-consuming. So what we need, is a way to bring them all to the same place, right?”

  “This would help. Yes. Make one fight. Much faster.”

  “But with such numbers, the casualties could be astounding, chief. What if it is not as easy as killing their kings, like you have done with so many orc chiefs? What if they refuse to serve with an orc as their leader?”

  “Goblin king rule them. Is ally. Goblin king have vision. He king of all goblins.”

  “OK then, but even so, it is not likely to happen without a fight. Right?”

  “Gnak think yes. Some die, but save many.”

  “What if you could save them all? Or almost all of them?”

  “Would be better, Gnak think. More to learn. More to teach. More to serve Ishanya and build city.”

  “How did you get the goblin king to join you?”

  “First Gnak pay with gold. Then goblin king have vision, say serve Gnak.”

  “But money was what made him help you in the beginning?”

  “Yes. Goblins greedy. Want gold. Only gold.”

  “What if you sent gold to all the goblin kings, and told them to all meet in one place just to speak to you?”

  Gnak thought it over. It was a wise plan. Bribe the many goblin kings into speaking with him, then simply kill them all and spare every one of their underlings. But there was one major flaw in the plan.

  “No more gold. All used,” Gnak replied.

  For a long while both sat in silence, pondering this new direction that the false shaman had led them down. Several times the boy sat rigidly, taking a sharp breath before shaking his head, discovering a fault with an unspoken plan, much to Gnak’s disappointment. Near an hour later, however, the sheep in wolf’s clothing spoke again with a new idea.

  “What if, instead of gold, you offer each the promise of gold? You might not even have to kill a single one of them.”

  “What you mean? Offer promise of gold?” Gnak asked.

  “You said you intend to gather the trolls to your cause too, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “The trolls live in the mountains. The same range that the dwarves mine for gems and metals, though a different portion of the range.”

  Gnak did not understand where the shaman was leading, nor what he meant by much of what he was saying. He had never seen a dwarf, nor a gem that he could recall.

  “Sorry, Gnak, hear me through. In those mountains there is gold and other things that many races covet. The trolls control much of that land, but to my knowledge, they are not known for mining. So here is my thinking. You make a deal with the goblins. You tell them to join you in the fight against the trolls, under leadership of the goblin king. For their service, you will reward them with a percentage of the mining rights upon the mountain. They fight for you. They work for you. They even mine for you, but they keep a large portion of the valuable materials they find. It’s win win for everyone, except the trolls of course.”

  Gnak sat for a moment working through the shaman’s plan. There were words he didn’t quite understand, but with the context of the message he was able to work out their meaning. Every day he was building a better understanding of the language, and today was no different. The boy offered him a solid plan. He would essentially be bribing the goblins with wealth he did not have, in a gambit to not only secure the wealth and land for him, but also to make them work for the wealth in his service. It was amazing. If it worked he could secure the entire race of goblins without a single life lost. Not one.

  Gnak leapt to his feet, and reaching down he yanked his newfound advisor to his feet and smacked him on the shoulder in approval.

  “Gnak thank you. Very smart plan. No time wait. Must prepare.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  It wasn’t until after speaking to the goblin king again, that Gnak thought he might have issues with the man. Though they had come to agreement upon his plan, and the goblin king agreed that none should have to die so long as all the other kings of goblins would submit to his rule, there was contention when it came to mining rights.

  It was obvious to Gnak that if all three races were to eventually live within the same city, then they would need a unified currency with which to do business. With that understanding, he knew that he himself would need to retain a large portion of that currency, giving another large portion to the goblin king to take his share and distribute among the other goblin kings who were beneath him. Then too, came the matter of the trolls. To be fair, they would need to be given at least an equal share to that of the goblins, but this was not agreeable to his goblin ally. Instead, the goblin king offered that all materials mined be given to him to distribute as he see fit, under the supervision of Gnak, of course.

  Though he did not want to create a rift between himself and the goblin king, he knew that it was the goblin’s greed that drove him. If the man had absolute control, then he and his people would be the wealthiest in the city whilst the rest were impoverished. But this was not what Gnak had in mind. In order for all of their lives to be better, all three races had to have an equal quality of life.

  The goblins were perhaps the most knowledgeable when it came to mining and striking coins, but in his vision it was all the races who worked together to build and sustain the city. If everyone worked equally hard, then all should be equally rewarded, even the trolls who did not yet have a voice in the matter. Gnak was beginning to realize that the goblin king was greedier than he had given him credit for.

  Not only did he want the power to rule all of the goblins under Gnak, but he wanted the majority of the wealth. It was almost as if he were trying to grasp at all that Gnak was working to make reality, and claim it for his own. It made him wonder if the small king had a better knowledge of what the mountains held as far as wealth was concerned.

  So although they did finally come to an agreement that the shares for each peoples would directly correlate to the number of working bodies they had, it was obvious that the goblin king was not satisfied with the deal. Gnak had a sinking suspicion that, given the chance, the goblin king would find a way to unbalance the scales in his own favor. He would have to be watched.

  With that in mind, Gnak gave orders to his captains, and with the night brightening into morning around them, two dozen parties were formed and supplied, each as delegates to a goblin city. Outward from camp they all marched when the order was given, and Gnak watched the groups with hopes for a peaceful resolution that would bring him closer to his goals. Each group had ten of his orcs, fully armed and armored to march at the head of each delegation. With them marched a hundred goblins to each group to show those kings they sought in the sand that the two races were working together as a unified force. They carried upon their backs all the supplies they would need for their journeys, and strode away with heads held high as they faded into the dunes beyond. His camp had diminished by over twenty six hundred men in just minutes, but he prayed to Ishanya for every one of their safe return.

  As the sun broke the horizon, the last of the ambassador parties vanished over the windswept dunes and Gnak watched them disappear with mixed emotions. It felt like the right decision and as such he believed that all would return with good news. It was a simple use of goblin logic, really. The more bodies the goblins came with, the more they would earn in total. He hoped that the goblins would each make the decision with greed in their hearts, each of them not wanting their peers to get something that they would not unless they too joined in. He would use their greed to bring his own goals to fruition.

  He imagined that when the wealth finally began to flow, there would likely be fights to contend with, but he knew that such disagreements could be dealt with in the future as they arose.

  Stalking down from his dune, Gnak shrugged his shoulders as he stomped a path through the loose sand
past the goblin king without so much as a word. All he could do now was wait. He was told that several goblin cities were only days away, but some were nearly a two week march. With that in mind, Gnak knew it would be at least a week before he had any word from any of them, and a month or more before the last of them would return. In the meantime, he would continue educating his people on Ishanya and better developing his use of the common tongue, and with any luck he would also devise a plan for conquering the trolls.

  Though he wanted to speak to Jen about his plan and see what she might further advise for the trolls, Gnak knew already that she had little knowledge of the beasts. Even his last conversation with the shaman had led him to believe that the once-human’s knowledge was limited as well, but even so he thought it wise to again visit the man who was quickly becoming his closest ally. It somehow seemed easier to create a plan when sharing ideas with someone else.

  Arriving once again at the shaman’s tent, Gnak was surprised to find multiple orcs within. With his head bent in prayer, the shaman’s hands began glowing as Gnak noticed the large gash in one of the orcs’ thighs. Never before had he witnessed the magical healing abilities of the humans from this perspective. Like the others who had come for help, Gnak watched on in awe as the spectacle played out before him.

  Though the deep cut split the orc’s thigh from knee to hip, the chief watched as the man’s face smoothed, all pain having seemingly escaped him as he relaxed. Even as amazing as that was, however, what happened next was something Gnak would never forget.

  Like tiny little snakes, the sliced fibers of muscle began to stretch out from all sides of the wound and finding their mate upon the opposite side, they twisted together as they mended. All around and through the mending muscle, blood vessels of varying size began crawling like centipedes within the wound as blood pooled around their incomplete passages, until they too restored their connections. Next, even the spilled blood seemed to absorb back into the tissues as the shaman’s hands glowed brighter and brighter causing steam to issue forth from the wound, effectively burning away any infection lingering therein. Then, without delay, the leathery skin surrounding the jagged hole began to stretch and pull taut as it regenerated at an amazing rate. Within mere seconds it closed into a wicked scar, before even that abruptly faded. Only minutes later the likely fatal wound was not only closed, but completely erased as if it had never even happened. A true miracle at the hands of a true god’s servant. The power human gods held was astounding.

  Peering around the small confines, Gnak was not surprised to see that those others gathered to witness the feat looked much like him, with their mouths hanging open and eyes wide. It was a true blessing and gift of the gods that held them enthralled, and Gnak knew that this was another opportunity for him to show them that change was in their best interests.

  “You see,” Gnak said. “Kukta now worship new god. Heal better than with old ways.”

  The heads around him nodded as they grunted their approval. Many thanks were given to the shaman, and soon the healed orc and his companions vacated the tent, leaving Gnak alone with the man he hoped to devise a plan to conquer the trolls with.

  “Gnak back. Need new plan,” he said with a tusky grin.

  “Glad to be of service as always, chief, but forgive me if I eat while we talk. Healing takes a lot out of me.”

  “Eat is good. Gnak want talk about trolls. What you know about trolls?” Gnak asked the shaman formerly known as Kukta.

  “I really don’t know much about them. Though I grew up near the mountains, there are no trolls so far north, to my knowledge. All I really know about them is what I have read in bestiary books in the mages’ tower in Valdadore.”

  “Valdadore is home?” Gnak asked.

  “It was where I lived before the battle, but my home was further north even than that. Home for me lies all the way to the northern coast in a small but growing community.”

  “That where you learn heal?”

  “Yes, that is where I began healing. My mother and brother heal as well, but I went to Valdadore to study the magic further, and eventually that led me here.”

  “Gnak understands. But tell of trolls,” he urged.

  “I know that they live high in the mountains, in cave complexes that we humans call warrens. It is believed that they hibernate like bears, though I don’t know if that is true. Some passages I read said that they worshipped gods, much like you orcs did, though even that information is likely mostly speculation. I don’t know if they have a language, or if they are really intelligent, but until recently I had my doubts about other races too.”

  To his last comment Gnak smirked, thinking he had similar thoughts himself about the humans only a few months ago. He would not underestimate the intelligence of the trolls, even if he could outwit them in a fight.

  “What else Kukta know?” Gnak asked, to a knowing smirk.

  “They have very thick skin and strong bones, and joints that make them hard to kill even without armor. They can grow as tall as twelve feet, which is three goblins stacked or two humans. That’s even three feet taller than you, chief. Though they are slow to gain momentum, they are incredibly strong, and more agile than one would think with such thick limbs. But that is really about all I can tell you about them.”

  Thinking that perhaps if he shared his knowledge they would discover something new, Gnak replied in kind.

  “Gnak has seen trolls. Has fought them and fought with them. Gnak see trolls sit. No talk. Just sit and stare for long time. No move. Have seen trolls talk, but no understand. Trolls more big. More slow. But Gnak think trolls smart. Different smart than human, than orc, but still smart.”

  “I think you are right, Gnak. They are probably more intelligent than either of us realize, but how does that help?”

  “Help if Gnak talk to troll. If can talk to troll. Maybe no fight.”

  “How do you expect to find out if you can talk to them? Send scouts?”

  Gnak was thinking exactly what Kukta said, planning to send scouts to learn all they could about the trolls, but then thought better of it.

  “No. Gnak go see for self. I know where find trolls. If trouble, Gnak no need to fight. Take will, then give back. None die.”

  Watching as the shaman nodded his head, Gnak formulated his plan. When high in the mountains with Jen, as she lingered well past her life, he had seen many signs of the trolls, though had never encountered one. He knew they were there, he simply needed to seek them out. Alone and on his own, he could move fast and with stealth. He could hide and observe. He knew he had at least a week until his ambassador groups returned, but knew it would likely take him longer than a week to make the trip, gather information, and return. He would have to leave someone else in charge. But who?

  He dared not leave the goblin king in charge, not now that his motives were questionable. The impostor shaman was not an option either, though it was unfortunate. No. He would have to choose another, and to Gnak there was only one logical choice.

  Recently named a captain to Gnak, Pantak had been the chief of a starving clan just weeks ago. He was a man of orcish honor and pride, but upheld the new ways Gnak taught as well. Gnak felt he could rely on the man, and as such had made his decision.

  Rising to his feet, Gnak patted the would-be shaman on the shoulder and turned to leave the tent.

  “Be careful, Gnak,” Kukta said.

  “Gnak be safe,” he replied as he ducked outside the tent.

  It was only three hours later, now nearly mid-day, when Gnak strode away from his camp. All of his orders were given, including those that might be required upon the arrival of other kingdoms of goblins. He carried a bundle of food and supplies to hold him over between hunts, and though his armor was still as of yet repaired in entirety, he carried with him a spear and the twin blades the goblins had forged for him months prior. With a destination in mind, he ignored the sweat that seeped from his flesh in the desert sun, and the fleas that fed upon him as he s
truck out across the desert sands.

  CHAPTER THREE

  It was four days before Gnak reached the grassy edge of the desert that marked the rockier soil where the mountains began. And though he could have easily started his ascension that fourth day, it was not until the following night that he began up the slopes at the base of the mountains. Only twice in his life had he ever encountered trolls, and on both occasions it was during the daylight hours. Though he could not be certain, these two occasions led him to believe that like humans, trolls were more active during the hours of sunlight. From here out, he would only move during the hours of darkness.

  Watching the sun drop below the land beyond, Gnak waited as the last crimson streak in the sky crept lower and lower, until finally it faded to purple and then black. With light gone, he collected his meager supplies, and rising, he began across the gentle rocky slopes leading up to the mountainside. Here nothing but hard soil, razor sharp grass, and rocks spanned for miles to both the east and west. But ahead, as he grew nearer to the rising mountains, trees in a multitude of shades of green and grey rose from the craggy earth.

  Though the ground was becoming more and more solid with each step as he left the loose sand behind, the mounds of loose pine needles upon the rocky slopes made for a deadly climb as time and again what appeared to be a sure step, suddenly gave way beneath his weight. It was not going to be an easy path up this portion of the mountain range, but he had chosen the location for a reason. Here, he had envisioned a city scratched out and carved from the side of the mountain itself.

  Looking up to the highest peak of the southern range of the Rancor mountains, he felt drawn to the highest reaches. Something pulled him here, and Gnak was not about to ignore the feeling. If this is where the world led him, then perhaps Ishanya was guiding him forward to his destiny. Gnak felt that this was where he would find trolls. But to reach them would take several nights of climbing. So climb he did.