Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) (176 page)

Weak and nauseated, Gnak rose to a seated position as spears bristled all around him towards the troll body he had just abandoned. So busy had he been looking forward, that he had never thought to look behind to see if his own trail had been picked up. Gnak smiled. His race was clever, if nothing else.

Turning to face those who served him, Gnak pushed through the pain and summoned his voice.

“Gathos no hurt troll. No fight. Is troll king. Troll king Gnak ally,” he managed, and as sweat poured down his face he looked as their heads nodded in understanding.

“Lead us back camp,” he ordered. “Send runner. Bring shaman.”

Collapsing back to the sled, his vision went black as unconsciousness threatened to take him. Before it could, however, Gnak shifted back to the troll king.

Lowering his arms, the king of trolls took up the cord to the sled once more and began trudging through the sand. To either side of him orc soldiers guided him towards his camp as the fastest among their group disappeared beyond the dunes ahead.

Watching the man vanish into the ruddy golden sands beyond, Gnak reveled in the sensation of the hot sun on his skin. It was only an hour before a small procession appeared atop a dune in the distance, and Gnak watched through troll eyes as the procession noted him and his envoy and began racing towards them. It was a dangerous game he was playing, not wanting any to know of his secret, and as such, he sat down as if to rest his old arthritic joints, and turned to watch as the scene played out before him.

Cresting the dune, the false shaman sprinted out to meet Gnak’s fallen body and even before reaching the side of the injured chief the supposed orc began to pray. With head tilted towards the heavens, the shaman stumbled up the last rise and fell to his knees beside the litter that bore the leader of his clan.

Watching on, the troll king witnessed as the shaman placed his hands upon the fallen orc as he burst into light that encompassed his whole body. Those orcs that now served as the chief’s envoy shared grunts of surprise, and watched on in awe.

With his near vantage, Gnak watched as pus seeped from scabbed wounds as if to escape the healer’s power, before steam rose up from others. Where it had become thick and clotted over the previous days, blood began to seep once again as flesh and muscle were mended. Here and there, bits of dirt and grit rose up through the skin, forming a small lump before breaking free and falling to the ground, leaving already mended flesh in their wake.

Within minutes the most minor of his wounds were erased completely, as the shaman now worked upon those larger wounds from both the wolves and the white beast that attacked him in the mists of the mountain crater.

As if it were alive, the flesh on his chest began to undulate and stretch, as it knitted back together like tiny fingers reaching out from all sides of the wound in search of one another. Closing, the long gashes seemed to scar before they vanished in entirety. It was less than an hour from the arrival of the shaman when he sat back upon his legs, his inner light fading, before he collapsed to the sand with a crooked grin upon his face. Gnak needed to act fast.

Rising as quickly as he was able, the troll king gathered up the fallen shaman and laid him in the litter with the orc chief. Then, turning back to the direction they traveled, he made his intentions clear.

“I’ll pull them both. Show me the way.”

Though he could only imagine what they were thinking, hearing a troll speak their own language, he was not disappointed by their unspoken reply. Without hesitation the orcs sprang into action, marching forward in two columns, each upon an opposite side of the chief they served, with occasional nervous glances in the direction of the troll. Trekking further into the desert sands, the dunes grew higher and higher with deeper valleys in between. Though it was a struggle pulling the litter atop each dune, it was far more dangerous traversing back down the other side. Seeing his dilemma, the orcs in his retinue began helping both to push up one side of a dune, and then grasping the sled to slow it down the other. It was slow going, but topping a final rise, Gnak witnessed the bloated vision that was his camp after three hours of relentlessly steep dunes.

Below, carved out among the dunes, was a great valley filled with tents. From his perspective it appeared a great colony of insects had been disturbed, as it seemed that an unending mass of writhing bodies moved about the camp leaving no path between the structures uncovered. Many had come and joined with his camp. He dared not even guess how many, but it had easily doubled in size.

Not even realizing he had paused, Gnak shook his thick head and began again, pulling the sled down the face of the dune to the edge of camp. So well did he play his role, that he even let the entourage with him guide him to his own tent in the central ring of the camp. Once there, captains watched on, as did the goblin king, as Gnak was again forced to put on a show for those he commanded.

Moving to remove his orc body from the sled, several orc captains intervened, putting their bodies between the troll king and the inanimate body of their chief.

“Gnak said that I was to watch over him,” he said through the troll king’s lips, creating the excuse quickly.

“No. We guard. You no go,” one of the orcs said.

“I suggest you ask him,” Gnak said, pointing at his orcish body before he shifted.

“Let troll king take me and shaman into tent. Guard outside. Is good,” Gnak’s orc body said without even opening his eye.

Shifting again, Gnak resumed the body of the troll king and shook his head at the orcs around him.

“See? Gnak and I are allies. I will see that he is rested.”

Stepping aside for him, the troll king grinned at the orcs as he gathered up the body of the chief and carried him into the tent. Without warning, the flap burst open behind him and spinning, he was glad to see it was just his captains bringing in the shaman as well. Once his and the shaman’s bodies were situated, Gnak waved away the captains and watched the tent flaps close behind them before he finally sighed in relief. At least that part was over.

With his orc body healed, Gnak lay the troll chief down to feign sleep, and shifted. Rising from the ground, not only did he feel rested, but once again he felt healthy and strong. Not daring to leave the shaman to awaken in the tent with the troll king, Gnak approached the unconscious visage of an orc. With several quick kicks to the ribs he roused the man, and stood looking down upon him.

“Get up, Kukta. Gnak need speak.”

“Yes, chief. It is good to see you too,” said the would-be shaman as he struggled into a seated position, rubbing his ribs.

Watching him rise, Gnak noticed him squinting before he reached up to rub at his temples. Perhaps he should have let the man rest a while longer. Too bad. Gnak needed information.

“What happened in camp while Gnak gone?” Gnak asked.

“It’s really kind of exciting, Gnak. Many goblin kings have come to join us, and rumor has it that even more are coming.”

“Have no fights, no problems?”

“Well, to be honest, there have not been any fights, but two of the new kings of goblins that have arrived have been killed. Your little green friend now claims the peoples from both goblin kingdoms that lost their ruler. That
has
caused some contention among the other goblin kings.”

“Goblin king is greedy. Is what drives him. Makes him strong. Is also biggest weakness. Gnak will see about killed goblins.”

“You think he killed them?”

“Yes. Goblin king want more power. Try to steal more power when Gnak go see trolls.”

“And you brought one back with you,” the shaman said, nodding towards the resting king of trolls.

“Yes, is troll king. Trolls join Gathos.”

“That is good news for your cause, chief. I am glad you have managed so much with so few deaths.”

“Yes, is good. Now Kukta go. Gnak have much to do,” he said, pulling the other man to his feet and ushering him towards the front of the tent.

As the false shaman departed, Gnak pulled the flap of his tent closed. He needed time to think.

It was hours later as darkness fell upon the camp, when the orc chief emerged from his tent. The camp was unusually loud as goblins seemed to pour from the tents, laughing and gesturing wildly as Gnak passed. Here and there they danced to odd tunes, covering even vertical surfaces as they clung to any vacant spot they were able.

Though he had seen the precision that goblins could employ when needed, their behavior in camp was near that of madness. He needed something to put their energy towards something more productive. Thinking hard as he strode through the camp, it seemed he would never find the answer he sought.

“Good evenings, chief,” said the goblin king.

Though Gnak had not seen him approach, it was no surprise that he managed to sneak up on Gnak, with all the goblins swarming around them.

“Gnak hear many more goblin come,” he replied in lieu of a greeting.

“Yes, manys more goblins have arrived and we yets expect a few more kingdoms.”

“And all agree to serve? All work for gold?”

“Yes, yes. Alls is precisely as you instructed,” said the goblin king to appease him.

“How many goblins come?”

“My last count was nears seventy thousand, Gnak.”

With his jaw dropping slack, it was no wonder the goblins seemed to be underfoot. If their number was not amazing enough, more were believed to be coming.

“Need something for goblins to do,” Gnak said, more or less thinking aloud.

“If you have mades peace with the trollsies, thens I suppose we won’ts be needed to fight,” replied the goblin king with a wink and a nod.

Then it hit him. Freezing in his tracks, Gnak turned to face the small king at his side. How he had not seen it immediately he did not know, but many things were missing from his vision. This was his opportunity to see it done before they marched to build his great castle city. Lowering his gaze to the smaller man, Gnak then gave his orders.

“Gnak want you catch giant. Many giant. Make harness for giant. Giants do lifting big rocks. Rest goblins gather all metal not used for hunt. Use metal. Make hammers. Make carving tools. Make stuff for build city. Gnak want all Gathos, goblin, orc, and troll be ready build. Have no time.”

“I will sees that it is done, my chief,” said the goblin king as he began to turn away.

“Gnak want one more thing,” he said leaning over to look the smaller man in the eye. “No more goblin kings die. Yes?”

“I haves no controls over those who lives or dies. That power is orcsie’s alone,” the goblin said, gesturing towards Gnak with a wicked grin.

Even with his denial, Gnak had given his warning, letting the smaller man know that he was on to him before they parted ways. It was about an hour later when Gnak made it to the edge of camp, and already vast amounts of goblins had struck out from the camp. Those remaining darted about the camp collecting what metallic items they could, to use as the temporary forges owned by the goblins. Soon, ringing sounded from all sides of the camp as the goblin blacksmiths began constructing all the tools his peoples would need. Turning around, Gnak could see down the entire aisle between the tents as he smiled and strode back the way he had come.

Both night and day Gnak traversed the camp, keeping up with the progress of his wishes. By day he wore the flesh of the king of trolls and by night he reclaimed his own body. Just as he planned, the goblins worked ceaselessly to create for him the implements that they would all require in the weeks and months to come.

Though it took the goblins but one night to produce a harness that he required to enslave a giant, it was three days more before the first of the giants was pulled from the sands beyond camp.

From over the dunes a great thrumming began early in the day as the troll king made his rounds. As the hours passed, the sounds grew nearer and clearer and scout reports poured in that a giant had been captured. Wanting to witness the feat, Gnak turned his ancient body towards the sound and lumbered out of camp. Cresting the nearest dune, he could barely see in the distance as a long row of goblins heaved upon a thick rope in the valleys created between the mounts of sand.

Snaking between the dunes, rather than climbing over them, the long line of goblins pulled as one with steady rhythm. Though they moved only a foot per pull, they heaved and tugged until the great beast came into Gnak’s sight.

He was a beast of a brute, all wrapped in chains and ropes from his shoulders down to his feet. Though he was not the biggest sand giant Gnak had seen, he was massively muscled and wider of shoulder and chest than any creature he could recall, including the memories retained by the troll body.

Foot after foot and yard after yard, the team of more than a thousand goblins dragged the giant nearer and nearer the camp until finally they brought their efforts to a halt. Watching as they dropped the massive braid of rope into the sand, Gnak stretched his troll body and turned to watch as the harness was brought out to meet the giant. Though fairly simple in design, the harness had been altered in wicked and menacing ways. He wondered how they planned to put it on the beast, as a lone goblin runner dashed off towards the center of the camp.

Realizing their intention, Gnak summoned every ounce of speed the troll’s body could muster and stretched out his strides as he too moved towards his tent. They wanted him to freeze the giant so that they could install its harness. But they sought out his orc body and sent a runner to meet him in his tent.

Though the goblin beat him by several minutes, the guards outside his tent had been ordered to allow no one to enter except the troll king. As such, when he arrived, the goblin started waving its arms frantically, and looked up to him before it started talking excitedly.

“Master troll. Master troll. Brings out the orcsie king. We needs him, troll, we needs him, troll. Bring, bring, bring.”

Gnak stifled a laugh at the creature before bending forward uncomfortably as his joints protested the move. Stepping through the fabric wall, he moved into a corner where he could not be seen from the door and shifted into his orc body.

Stepping once again out of the tent, Gnak waved the strange little goblin away and turning, he pumped his legs and ran up the wide aisle between the tents towards the giant’s location.

Topping the dune once more, he looked down upon the beast. Raising his arms towards the great creature, he summoned from it the will of life and watched as its thrashing and squirming stopped. Then, like ants, the goblins swarmed over the giant, cutting and hacking at the ropes that bound him. Within minutes it appeared as if the giant laid upon a bed of thick hair, so many ropes lying discarded in the sand.