Three Kings (Book 3) Read online

  For the first several hours of the night, despite the constant threat of the ground slipping out beneath him, the climb was fairly easy. As the night progressed, however, the slopes became steeper and harder to navigate. But it was near morning when he hit his first real setback.

  Leaping up to the outcropping above, Gnak grasped at the ledge with his fingertips. Though he could not be certain from his lower vantage point, it appeared that just beyond the ledge above was a fairly easy-to-navigate plateau that spanned into the mountain forest beyond where any trail was lost from sight. Grasping at the stone, he heaved his body with all his might and pulled himself up to the crest of the ledge. With a grunt and one more shove, he raised his torso above the higher ledge, and kicking his legs out behind him he rolled at the same time, drawing his body up and over the edge. Laying on his back, he was surprised to see a sky full of stars.

  Enjoying both the view and the relaxing sensation of resting on his back upon the stone ledge, Gnak laid unmoving for several moments before rolling to his side to see what lay beyond.

  What he had expected to be a solid level surface of stone that ran on for several hundred yards into the unseen beyond, was instead a great crater in the side of the mountain, where he laid upon its rim. All around the rim giant shards and slabs of stone jutted up, making the path treacherous or impassable altogether. His shoulders slumping, he realized his only options were to go back the way he came and try and find a way around which could take hours or even days, or climb down into the crater and hope to find a path through it and out the other side. Whether it was an actual decision, or orcish pride that would not let him go back the way he had come, Gnak swung his legs over the inside edge of the crater rim, and twisting his body he began searching for hand and foot holds as he descended.

  It took over an hour to climb down into the floor of the crater, and as he descended it was readily apparent that this place was unlike any other he had ever been. Where before he had been surrounded by evergreens and rock with little else, here ferns and vines covered the entire floor as wispy fog moved about unnaturally as if it were alive. Within the crater it was warm and humid, whereas the mountainside had been cool and the air dry. Odd trees sprang up from within the crater, with peculiar twisting grey-purple trunks and long red leaves that hung in bunches from the gnarled branches. The sounds of insects pervaded the air in a constant hum of rattling, chirping, and screeching that had Gnak craning his neck at each new sound. Something about this unnatural place made him uneasy.

  Carefully and slowly he crept through the odd landscape, picking a path between the twisted trees, careful not to trip upon the crisscrossing vines beneath him that lay camouflaged under the layer of ferns. It was slow going, especially when every peculiar sound set him on edge, causing him to pause and listen intently before resuming his trek. Above him the sky began to lighten.

  Though he had decided to travel only in darkness, there was no way he was going to stay within the crater unprotected during the daylight hours as he slept. With imagined horrors haunting his imagination, Gnak worked further and further down into the crater as the fog began to pool about his ankles, obscuring the vine-covered ground further. For hours he slowly progressed downwards towards the center of the crater, and with every hour the fog grew deeper as the sounds of insects grew louder and louder. Finally when the fog climbed to his chest, it appeared it would get no deeper as swirls were left in its depths as he passed.

  Stumbling time and again, Gnak cursed his decision to enter the crater as the sun shone from directly above, reflecting off the fog and creating a quagmire of blinding light. But tripping time and time again as he swore into the fog, it was not until he discovered that all the insects had stopped their endless screeching and buzzing that he realized that he was in trouble.

  Freezing in his tracks, his head swung this way and that, seeking any disturbance in the fog that would alert him of some unseen predator. Here and there he thought he saw a swirl in the blinding fog, but his imagination was creating monsters where nothing lurked. With nothing else to do, he waited many long minutes just watching and listening for signs of danger. But no sign ever came beyond the roar that exploded from just feet before him.

  Out of the fog lunged a nightmare of a beast, of the likes that Gnak had never seen before. All white fur and claws the beast leapt upon him, driving him down into the fog where the creature atop him was lost from sight. Struggling beneath the creature he grasped at it as it clawed at him, roaring in anger as Gnak thrashed wildly, kicking at the creature to dislodge it. With hot breath blasting in his face, he reached up and grasped two fistfuls of the beast’s thick white mane as saliva sprayed his face and claws ripped into his chest.

  Pressing his legs against the ground with every ounce of strength he could muster, Gnak managed to roll the creature off of him, and kicking as he rolled, the beast’s roars were cut short as it released him. Feeling the hot wetness dripping from his chest, Gnak took no time, scratching his way back to his feet only to peer about in all directions to see nothing but fog and the trees that sprang up from its unseen depths. He drew his swords.

  Again there was no warning when the creature tore free of the fog, lancing through the air with open maw and raised immense paws that ended in long sharp claws. With a predatory growl, the giant white beast reached out to grasp him as it lunged. The world seemed to slow as Gnak noticed something familiar about the beast, and raising his hand he summoned the orb of power from within the creature and watched as he stepped aside and the great beast fell to the ground, frozen.

  Waiting as his pulse and breathing returned to normal, the adrenaline fading in his veins, he knelt in the mist and, waving his hands to disperse the thick fog, he studied the creature. It was white from head to toe, minus its large black eyes and nose. All about its head and neck a thick mane of long fur framed its face, trailing down both its back and chest. It had four thick and muscular legs, and a tail that was long with a thicker tuft of fur at the end. He had never heard of such a beast in all his days and knew it to be a rare find. Months ago it would have been a great prize to kill and later adorn his home with the fur and bones. But now, with the understanding that all life was precious, he could not help but believe that this rare, beautiful, and deadly creature was no different to a man. If it were as rare as he believed it to be, perhaps its life was even more valuable than his own. This line of thinking brought with it another problem entirely.

  He knew that the beast’s lifespan without its will was short. Its body could live on in this state, but only for a finite amount of time, and there was no way to know how long that was. With limited options, Gnak felt inward for Jen’s essence, and reassuring himself with her presence, he pondered his dilemma.

  He could restore the beast but it would likely attack him again. He could leave the beast in its current state, but likely for only a day or so before it died. Or, he could replace its will with that of another. Such a transition from one creature to another took time to establish, and might allow him to escape, but the consequences of such a combination could be more dangerous than the beast on its own. Gnak shuddered at the thought of his father’s essence in the great white beast. No. If he were to replace the beast’s essence with another it would have to be one he trusted, but that only left Jen and Bota, the man who once served as his second in command.

  No matter what his current situation was, however, he did not want to place Jen within the body of an animal. It simply felt like an improper way to treat the small girl who had died so that he could live, and become greater than he had been before meeting her. This left only Bota, but with the circumstances of his death, Gnak had a feeling that the man might have a slightly different attitude towards Gnak now that he had been used as the subject of a test. There was only one thing he could do.

  Kneeling down, he brushed his hand across the beast’s soft fur and reached up to pet its face. It was truly a magnificent animal. Sliding his hand up under the creature’s chi
n, he tilted the massive head back to peer in the black depths of its eyes. Then, in one clean motion, he thrust one blade into the exposed neck and further still, up into the brain within its skull. Without so much as a twitch, the light faded from the beast’s eyes as gurgling sounds escaped its mouth and warm blood seeped in sickening quantity from the wound. Shaking his head Gnak rose, wiping the blood from his blade upon the white fur of the beast. There was no better way to deal with the creature and the circumstance of their meeting than this. It had to be done. At least he had killed the animal both honorably and painlessly. It was the best he could do.

  With a blade in his hand, in case another of the beasts stirred somewhere in the mist, he peered down at the wounds in his chest. Though they were not too serious, wide rends in his flesh bled freely. With the rush that came from battle, pain was no consequence, but he knew that something had to be done about the wounds. Unslinging the bundle of supplies from his back, he dropped it upon the ground and fought with the mist as he tried to untie its bindings with fingers of bone.

  Though with limited vision and his unnatural fingers, the task was difficult to say the least; eventually he managed to not only open the bundle, but also locate the small container he sought. Smelling the reek of sulfur and a multitude of spicy scents, he pulled the wooden stopper from the small hollowed out horn of some unfortunate animal and peered inside.

  Within the small confines of the horn was a familiar looking paste of a semi-transparent green color. Though it stunk beyond an acceptable measure, Gnak scooped a portion of the paste out with the boney tip of one finger, and raised it to his face. Taking one long pull to test the scent further, he was immediately overcome by a dizzying euphoric effect that left his head spinning for several minutes. If the balm did not speed his healing or prevent infliction, then at least he could sniff it to alleviate the pain later.

  Assured it was the right container, he carefully applied the paste to each of the jagged flesh wounds upon his chest, smearing it in a thin layer upon all damaged surfaces. Careful not to waste any of the balm, he stoppered the small horn closed once more and repacked it away in his bundle, before binding the narrow leather cords to secure his makeshift pack closed once more. Shouldering his supplies, he strode again in his original direction in hopes of finding the other side of the crater without incident.

  It was nearing sunset once more when Gnak broke free from a tight cluster of the odd purple-skinned trees to view the northern wall of the crater before him. Here, a stone wall rose straight up from the floor below in a thick tangle of moss and vines that seemed to climb up to the very sky itself. His jaw nearly falling open, Gnak looked both left and right before settling his gaze on the stone face before him once again. In his vision, this was where the gates to his city were located.

  Closing his eyes, he envisioned the massive gates of the city and the wall that stretched out to either side. Above him the tops of huge hulking buildings could be seen above the towering walls, and passages and paths were carved into the face of the mountain beyond that spoke of unseen dwellings and hidden secrets.

  Grinning to himself, Gnak opened his eyes and viewed the natural wall of stone that stood in his path once again. Looking up, he imagined it would take at least two full nights of climbing to reach the summit, and though he had not slept in a full night and day, he was not about to take a break whilst still in the crater.

  Stalking to the base of the wall, Gnak reached up to find his first handholds and began pulling his weight up with his massive arms.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Long and arduous was the climb that first night as the sun fell from the sky, only to be replaced by both of Thurr’s moons. Hour after painstaking hour Gnak reached up and grasped at the interwoven vines to heave himself upward. From time to time he would hear the chatter of small animals along the face of the cliff and on several occasions, birds leapt into the air just out of his reach, fleeing at his approach in an explosion of feathers and screeched warnings to their peers.

  Finding himself exhausted from the climb, as he had been several times through the day, he wrapped his legs and arms in the vines, entangling his limbs and relaxed his muscles. There he hung suspended by the plants, leaning away from the rock face slightly as he hung limp in their grasp. From this vantage it appeared that the climb would never end, though for several hours he worked to ascend towards a dark spot higher upon the wall. Each time he stopped he measured his progress, and each time he found his destination further than he liked. The progress was slow. His muscles ached and cramped. His knuckles and shoulders were tight from constant strain. Yet still his goal required more from him.

  For near half an hour in the darkness he lay, vertically suspended and still, so as to not become dislodged. Watching and listening as the time passed, he noted a low thrumming sound as the wind swept across the mountains here, and imagined the very rock of the peaks were breathing. Stretching his limbs, one by one, he disentangled himself and began climbing once more.

  The night was clear and cool with millions of stars set as a surreal backdrop for the moons. Looking ever upwards, it felt as if he were climbing into the sky itself and with every new handhold he grew nearer to touching that which was elusive to the mortals. Above him the heavens looked back down, and Gnak wondered if the gods were there, watching his pathetic attempt at attaining that which only they claimed.

  Another hour passed and then another, and slowly the dark patch he sought upon the mountainside grew more and more distinct as he was rewarded with the revelation that it was indeed a cave as he had hoped. Willing his muscles to continue, Gnak struggled on into the last hour of darkness. Then, with the effort of a man with nothing left but stubborn pride, Gnak jutted out his jaw and gnashed his teeth as he clambered over the edge of the vertical wall and into the cave upon its face.

  Rolling to a crouched position, he pulled forth the pair of twin blades from his back and looked into the depths of the cave in search of anything that might lurk there. The cave was more of a crack in the stone wall that sloped down and away from the opening upon the cliff face. Warm air rose from deeper in the cave, blowing upon his face in a steady breeze. Moss and lichens clung to nearly every vertical surface here near the mouth of the cave, and on the floor small pools of water sat stagnant, with leeches and snails moving about in their shallows. Where the crack narrowed to close above him, Gnak could see small glistening trails of moisture that crept down the moss to the floor below. Grey and black stone created every surface between the plants that carpeted the cave, and with no sign of danger, Gnak collapsed to the floor in a heap.

  Rolling to his back he stretched out all of his aching limbs, opening and closing his destroyed hands to restore circulation where it was still needed, its flow having been limited due to his constant grasping of the vines. Twisting his joints, many of them cracked, as even his charred toes seemed to sigh in relief. Just lying upon his back felt like ecstasy. Yet even now, he knew he would have a repeat performance the very next night.

  After a long rest, Gnak rolled to his side and removing the bundle from his back he forced his fingers back into service. Untying the bundle, he removed several strips of dried meat. Eating just one of the strips, he placed two more in one of the shallow pools of water on the cave floor to rehydrate the meat. As the mouth of the cave grew brighter, Gnak moved further inside and, his loneliness getting the best of him, he called out into the echoing depths.

  “Jen?”

  “I’m here, Gnak. Quite a day, huh?”

  “Yes, Gnak tired.”

  “Where are we going? Is it daytime?”

  “We go see trolls. Learn trolls. Maybe no fight. Is day. Trolls move in day. Gnak move in night.”

  “I sure would like to feel the sun on my face again,” Jen admitted.

  Gnak paused a moment, letting her words set in. He knew it was unnatural to keep her like this. He should let her go, but he couldn’t. He needed her and wanted to restore her to life. He knew that
in time he would better understand his power and then, perhaps, he could find her a suitable body and bring her back. Her desire to feel the sun assured him that he was on the right path. He hoped.

  “Gnak want Jen feel sun too. Gnak will fix. Need more time.”

  “It’s OK, Gnak… So what do you hope to discover about the trolls?”

  “Gnak need know if troll talk. See if orc can talk to troll. Make deal, no war.”

  “What if they don’t talk?”

  “Gnak not know. Need knowledge. Need plan. Gnak will find what he needs. This is what Ishanya want. Gnak have vision. Will find way.”

  “I wish I could help you,” she replied.

  “Jen does help. Make Gnak not alone. Help Gnak see right way. Help Gnak learn.”

  “Thank you, Gnak. That is very kind,” she said with a long pause before she resumed. “I have to go soon. Where are we?”

  “We in cave. High on mountain. This where Gnak build city. Will be great fortress. Orcs, goblins, and trolls work together. Make new home. Good home. Gnak want to show Jen,” he explained, and waited for her reply.

  It was several minutes before he gave up and realizing that a reply would not come, Gnak closed his eyes in the semi-darkness of the cave and went quickly to sleep.

  * * * * *

  Deep inside the cavernous depths the goblin slavers toiled. With cracking whips and clattering chains they demanded obedience of every beast given into their charge. Here the darkest of evil dwelt within man and beast alike, yet it was given unto the slavers to keep them in line, pounding and beating at the hot stones to breathe life into a city for those who were better men.

  Consigned to lives of hard labor, those killers, and thieves, and takers of virtue were brought before the whips of the slavers to earn their redemption through sweat and blood. Here they worked day in and day out until their lives escaped them. But even then, beyond the reach of normal pain, the great warlord would not let them shirk their condemnation. Without pity, he would raise them from their rest once more to continue on until they could no longer perform the tasks given.