by Seth Ring
“Hey, wait. What about Thorn and the Arhtu the Cursed?”
At his question, the leafy figure stopped and turned to look at Corvo, her face lighting up with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
***
Once Arhtu had left, Thorn found that the threads of the [Aeon Curse] in his vicinity had increased drastically. They curled around him, occasionally drifting close enough to wrap around him and try to sink into his body, forcing him to use his [Spiritual Sense] to defend himself. This regular battle between the [Aeon Curse] and his [Spiritual Sense] prevented him from using his [Spiritual Sense] to gather up earth elemental energy to hasten his recovery, effectively halting his attempts to rest.
While Thorn could use earth elemental energy to burn away the threads of energy from the [Aeon Curse], doing so would alert Arhtu, who seemed to be able to sense the threads of energy from a distance. The Orc Shaman had known immediately when they started to be corroded the last time and Thorn did not want to chance it.
He was seriously considering just killing himself when the flap to the tent was thrown open, revealing two Orcs. The Orc in front was dressed like a normal Orc warrior except for the jewelry that covered his arms and neck. A thick torc with two large jewels on the ends was matched with the pair of ornate golden bracers set with a variety of gems that covered his arms. One of his tusks had been broken at some point and replaced with a gem encrusted golden tooth that jutted from his lips.
Behind him, an Orc nearly as wide as he was tall lumbered into the tent. Thick muscles rolled under skin that was nearly completely covered in tight blue tattoos. The thick-set Orc was completely bare apart from a loin cloth, but that did nothing to take away from the air of savagery his small beady eyes projected. Stomping into the tent, he glared at Thorn as his decked out companion addressed the two guards.
“Get out. We want to have a chat with the prisoner.”
“I’m sorry, but the Shaman…”
Holding up a hand that was heavy with rings, the Orc Chieftain gestured for the guard to stop speaking.
“I don’t care what that old fool said. I am in charge of this camp and I want to talk to the prisoner.”
“Haha,” the thick Orc laughed evilly, cracking his knuckles. “Yeah, we just want to talk to him.”
“Chief Goldtusk, my orders are very clear. I can’t leave the prisoner alone, even with you.”
The bedazzled chief stopped and turned to look at the guard, clearly shocked that someone had denied his request. Taking a good long look at the Orc guard, Goldtusk raised his eyebrows.
“Are you sure you want to fight me on this? Has it been too long since I painted a mural with someone’s blood? Maybe you would like to volunteer?”
“It sounds like he does want to volunteer.“ said the wide Orc, turning to look at the trembling guard with interest. “We could pull his fingers out one by one. That could be a fun way to spend the evening before we skin the human.”
“I’m not going to repeat myself,” Goldtusk said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the entrance to the tent. “Get lost before I let Chief Furg take you apart piece by piece.”
It only took a moment for the other guard to pull his clearly hesitating companion out of the tent, leaving Thorn facing the two Orc chieftains. Still sitting on the carpet, Thorn cracked an eye open and surveyed them for a moment. Once he had taken a good look he let out a dismissive sigh and closed his eyes, completely enraging both Orcs.
Chapter Sixty
“Hahaha, looks like we got a tough one here, Goldtusk.” Chief Furg guffawed as he closed in on Thorn.
“That’ll just make it all the more fun to break him open.”
Furg’s meaty lips curled back in a wide grimace, revealing a horde of broken and jagged teeth. Slamming his fist into his palm, the thick Orc Chieftain was about to step onto the carpet when Thorn opened his eyes and held up a hand.
“Hold on. You don’t want to do that.”
“Huh?” Chief Goldtusk sneered at Thorn from behind Chief Furg. “Don’t want to do what?”
“Come on the carpet. It is liable to be quite bad for your health. Why don’t we talk from here?”
“Oh? Not so tough anymore, now that you’re faced with real power, are you?” Goldtusk said, the sneer on his face deepening.
“No, I just would hate to be responsible for your death.” Thorn replied with an easy smile. “Or at least, partially responsible. It’ll be Arhtu who actually kills you. He has set up magic on this carpet and if you enter it you won’t be able to leave. It's a prison of sorts.”
Standing just outside the carpeted area of the tent, Chief Furg glared at the empty air in front of his face. Shooting a suspicious glance at Thorn, he saw nothing but open honesty on the Titan’s face. Unable to see the magic that Thorn was talking about, Chief Furg lifted one of his sausage-like fingers and waved it in front of his face. Tension filled the tent as the Orc jerked his hand back and stiffly waited for something to happen.
“Hah. What a load of nonsense.” Chief Furg said in his rumbling voice when nothing happened to his hand. “What can that weakling do, anyway? Now, are you going to cooperate peacefully, or do I get the pleasure of using your fingers as toothpicks?”
“First,” Thorn’s smile slipped slightly as he placed his hands on the ground and began to stand up. “You have not yet informed me as to what you need my cooperation with, so I don’t actually know if I will be willing to cooperate.”
Taken aback by Thorn’s height as the Titan stood up straight, Chief Furg had to stop himself from stepping backward into Chief Goldtusk. The feel of Goldtusk’s hand on his back helped him, but he still found himself staring up as Thorn stepped closer.
“Second, I am Arhtu’s prisoner, not yours. If you would like to gain my cooperation you should probably ask him, not me.”
“That weakling? Bah.” Chief Goldtusk spat on the carpet as he glared up at Thorn from the safety of Chief Furg’s broad back. “Arhtu has no say here. I...We are the strongest Orcs in the camp and what we say goes!”
“I was not aware.” Thorn replied, his smile fading. “And what is it that you two chieftains want with me?”
“Haha, nothing much.” Chief Furg jumped back into the conversation, his beady eyes gleaming with cruelty. “Just your head really. We don’t need the rest of you.”
“It’s true. The defenses of the harbor were a tough nut to crack last night but delivering your head to them should help shake them loose.” Chief Goldtusk agreed, making a slicing motion across his neck as he stared up at Thorn.
“Really? How so? Don’t you think it will just make them angry?” Thorn asked, pretending to ponder the question as he activated his [Spiritual Sense] and began to pool earth elemental energy under the two Orc Chieftain’s feet.
Though he had barely recovered any of his strength, Thorn was confident that he would at least be able to keep himself alive until Arhtu arrived. Still, he could not rule out the very real possibility that the cursed Orc Shaman was watching from nearby, using these two brutes to force out Thorn’s hidden cards. If that was his plan, Thorn was not about to let him have his way. Continuing to question the two Chieftains, Thorn waited until he sensed one of the invisible threads of the [Aeon Curse] swimming near the ground.
As soon as it dipped down toward the earth, Thorn reached out with the earth elemental energy under his control, wrapping around the [Aeon Curse] sliver and dragging it into the earth. As the earth elemental energy began to burn away at the [Aeon Curse] Thorn opened his senses fully, searching for signs of Arhtu nearby. Within less than a minute he spotted the ancient looking Orc hurrying toward the tent. Hiding a smirk, Thorn turned his attention back to Goldtusk and Furg.
“Are you sure that you have the authority to do this? I’m not questioning your strength, but it seems awfully convenient to come here when Arhtu is not around, you know?”
“Hah! Even if that old fool was here I’d say it to his face.�
� Goldtusk sneered, his broken tusk flashing.
“Say what to my face?” Arhtu’s mild voice bore no malice, but it still caused Chief Goldtusk’s legs to lose strength.
Watching the jewel covered Orc tremble, Thorn stifled a laugh and looked toward the tent’s entrance where Arhtu’s bent form stood leaning on his staff.
“You were going to say something to me about my prisoner, right?” Arhtu advanced into the tent, his eyes looking past the two Orcs toward the carpet Thorn stood on. “Well, I’m here now. I’d be happy to listen to what you have to say.”
Seeing Arhtu’s obvious lack of attention seemed to ignite something in Furg’s mind and his anger flared, overcoming his sense and causing him to take a step forward aggressively.
“Listen here, old man!”
“Be quiet, I was not talking to you.” Arhtu said evenly, his turbid eyes resting on Chief Furg for a second before continuing on toward Chief Goldtusk.
Though none of the others could see it, Thorn could clearly see the tendrils of the [Aeon Curse] that surrounded Arhtu reaching out toward Chief Furg through his [Spiritual Sense]. Thorn took a quick step back as the tendrils began to worm their way around the thick-set Orc’s body, sinking into his skin and beginning to sap the life out of him. At first Chief Furg did not notice the effect of the curse but after a moment his large muscles began to shrivel at a visible rate, causing him to stumble backward, horror plastered across his face.
As Furg’s body began to shrink, Arhtu’s did the opposite, growing thicker and stronger at a visible rate. The most pronounced effect was seen on his face as the thick wrinkles began to become smooth, his jaw and cheeks filling out. The various dark spots that littered his face and neck shrank, vanishing as his sallow looking skin gained a healthy sheen. The sparse hair that rose from his head began to turn black, as if ink had been dropped into it, growing thicker and longer by the second.
As Arhtu grew bigger and younger, the exact opposite happened to Chief Furg. Skin that had been tight and healthy a moment before began to sag and wrinkle, gaining the discoloration of age. Dark spots began to appear, making the formerly healthy Orc look decrepit. His thick, broad shoulders that had been packed with muscle, bent under the weight of years as his back curved down. The large, polished tusks that he had displayed so aggressively began to rot, pieces of them crumbling away as the [Aeon Curse] sucked his life from him.
Under Goldtusk’s fearful gaze, Arhtu stepped forward, his shoulders broadening as more and more of the [Aeon Curse] was transmitted to the unfortunate Orc Chieftain by his side. Rolling his neck, Arhtu stretched his arms, letting out a contented sigh.
“It is not often that someone else is willing to bear my curse, but I always welcome the relief. No matter how brief.”
Equally as horrified as Furg, Chief Goldtusk retreated from the advancing Shaman, his eyes darting between the withering Orc Chief and Arhtu’s growing body.
“What...what are you doing?” Goldtusk hissed, his words barely making it through his clenched teeth.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Arhtu glanced at Furg who had crumpled to the ground and laughed lightly. “I am just sharing my gift with him.”
“You know the rules, Arhtu! You can’t kill him!”
“Kill him? Who wants to kill him?”
Even though Thorn could not see Arhtu’s face from where he stood behind him, he could easily imagine how ruthless his smile must have looked to Goldtusk.
“Besides, I thought that the strongest Orc made the rules? Isn’t that what you were telling my prisoner a moment ago? Do you fancy testing your strength today? All you have to do is show me how strong you are and I’ll let you do whatever you want with him. Cut his fingers off, stick his head on a pike, I won’t stop you.”
By this point, Arhtu’s body had swelled to nearly the same size as Furg had originally been. Coming to a stop in front of Goldtusk, Arhtu’s hand suddenly shot out, gripping the bejeweled Orc by the neck and lifting him from the ground. Holding the struggling Orc Chief up in the air, Arhtu’s mouth split open in a wide smile, clearly showing the tusks jutting from his lower jaw.
“But if you are not going to fight, stop wasting my time.”
Arhtu held Goldtusk in the air for a moment, letting his words sink in. Just as the Orc Chieftain began to twitch, Arhtu tossed him aside and turned back to Furg who was gasping for breath on the floor of the tent. Pausing, Arhtu savored the strength of his body for a moment and then sighed.
“It's a shame, really, to leave such power with those who are weak.” Arhtu said to Thorn, gesturing to the two Orcs on the ground. “They posture with their physical strength until they are crushed, never realizing that true strength comes from a willingness to suffer. Still, their strength does provide some benefit, so it is better to punish them but leave them alive. If nothing else, they can serve as a warning to others.”
Breathing in, Arhtu summoned the tendrils of the [Aeon Curse] that were sucking the life from Furg back to his body. At first the curse seemed hesitant, but as Arhtu offered the life he had gained, it grew eager, wrapping itself around his body once again. This time it was Arhtu’s body that began to wither at a visible rate. Despite what the curse was doing to his body, Arhtu’s expression remained the same. Without even so much as a grunt, he walked back over to where Thorn stood, his body shriveling with every step.
By the time Arhtu stood in front of Thorn, his body had returned to the hunched, ancient looking state that Thorn had first seen, yet the feeling of danger that Thorn felt was stronger than ever. Arhtu seemed to notice Thorn’s tension and smiled lightly, gesturing for Thorn to take a seat. Pulling over the chair that he had been sitting in when he talked with Thorn earlier, Arhtu sat down, a gentle smile on his face.
“I hope I did not startle you. I admit, the way we Orcs negotiate can seem a bit, uh, barbaric to outsiders. But it is simply part of our culture.”
Watching as the two Orc guards from earlier dragged the barely breathing Orc Chieftains from the tent, Thorn was not sure that he would call what had just happened a negotiation but considering where he was he decided not to push it. Giving a small shrug, he turned his attention back to Arhtu. After a few more minutes of chatting, the Orc Shaman excused himself and Thorn was once again left alone in the tent with the two Orc guards.
Closing his eyes, Thorn carefully thought over what he had just seen in the altercation between Arhtu and the two Orc Chieftains. The Shaman had used the [Aeon Curse] almost exactly the same way that Thorn used earth elemental energy. The main difference was that the [Aeon Curse] lived on Arhtu’s body when it was not sucking the life out of another victim. Somehow, Arhtu had been able to create an equilibrium with the curse, preventing it from depleting his life beyond a certain point.
It seemed that, by forcing the [Aeon Curse] onto his target, Arhtu was also able to recover his own physical strength while the curse was occupied with the other person. Thorn was not sure if Arhtu was absorbing the target’s strength or simply being restored to his own strength from before he was cursed, but regardless, the Ash Maw Shaman became a formidable warrior as soon as the curse was even partially lifted.
With a sigh, Thorn examined the strands of energy that surrounded him on his carpet prison. Just like the energy that surrounded Arhtu, the energy forming his prison obeyed Arhtu meticulously. Thorn had not missed how, during the moments when Arhtu was attacking and defeating Furg and Goldtusk, the strands of energy on the carpet had swirled around his body, controlled by Arhtu to lock Thorn in place, preventing him from interfering with the fight.
Though Thorn had not been able to determine quite how Arhtu was controlling the energy of the curse, he assumed it was similar to the [Spiritual Sense] that he possessed. If that was the case, then Thorn knew he would have a tough time escaping. Thankfully, Arhtu’s [Spiritual Sense] did not seem to be as well developed as Thorn’s, lacking some of Thorn’s ability to see remotely. Instead it was completely concentrated around manipulating the [Aeon
Curse].
Letting his mind sink into his body, Thorn carefully examined how his recovery was going while he opened up his perception fully, bringing the area around the tent into full view. The Orc patrols outside continued to walk around the tent and the two guards inside the tent continued to stand by the door as the day progressed. Eventually, when the sun started to set, Thorn felt a flicker in his mind as a small creature crept into the range of his [Spiritual Sense].
Casting his attention over that direction, Thorn could see Akira hiding near the edge of a tent. Tucked behind a barrel and a few boxes, Akira waited until the guards looked away and was about to dash into the tent when the ground suddenly caved in under her. With a startled squeak, Akira fell into the hole that had appeared, vanishing into the earth.
Alerted by the sound, the nearest guard nudged his companion and jogged over to the tent where the sound had come from. Peering over the barrel, he saw nothing but some slightly messed up dirt. A frown crossed his face as he took a closer look. Finding nothing he shrugged and walked back to his team.
“Nothing there. Must have been a rat or something.”
Chapter Sixty-One
[Master! Master! Don’t worry, master! I’ll get you out!]
Akira scrambled through the tunnel that Thorn had created under ground, quickly arriving under the carpet where Thorn was sitting.
[Akira, don’t come out. There are guards here.]
[Don’t worry, master! I can beat them in a flash. I’m super strong!]
[Hold on, relax.] Sensing how eager Akira was to get into the action, Thorn broke out in a sweat. [We will take them down but not right now. There are too many guards and Arhtu is somewhere around here too. If I try to escape now I’ll just get caught. We need a plan first.]
[A plan? Oh, right, a plan.] Remembering something, Akira fished around in her pouch, pulling out a small piece of paper. [Mr. Corvo gave this to me to bring to you. I don’t think he thinks I can understand human, but I totally can. Mr. Corvo and Lady Velin…]