The Game of Fates

by Joel Babbitt

  “Really?”

  “No lie,” Khazak Mail Fist answered.

  Karthan shook his head. But then, the more he thought about it, the more he remembered that he’d felt very much the same. He suddenly felt very old, as a faint glimmer of how he had thought and felt twenty years before passed through his heart.

  Soon the five males, resplendent in their armor and ceremonial garb, came in line behind their future lifemates, each of which looked equally resplendent in their spring gowns.

  “Fellow Children of Kale,” Lord Kale began, using the traditional greeting for such occasions. “We gather together on this Day of Joining to witness the renewing of hope, the birth of joy, and a uniting among our people.”

  Lord Kale looked at the five couples gathered in front of him. “Please turn to face your lifemates,” he said in a low voice to the five females. In a whisper of flowers and a splash of expectant smiles, the five of them turned about.

  “Since the days of The Sorcerer, when our first parents were created by Him, we have been commanded to join together as lifemates. Be one together, as it states in our Scrolls of Heritage. Today, you five warriors of the Kale Gen have come together to obey that commandment, and to reap the benefits of it. And you five,” he said looking down the line of females. “You have chosen to give yourselves to these five. Therefore, as lord of the gen, I approve of these joinings, and I join these kobolds this day.

  “My love, will you please do the honors,” Lord Kale said as his lifemate, Lady Kamia, the Lady of the Kale Gen came forward, dressed in a resplendent dress of flaxen yellow, to symbolize her stage in life. Starting with the first pair, she took the ribbon out of Trikki’s hands and, as the pair grasped hands, she wrapped their left hands with the ribbon.

  As Lady Kamia finished wrapping their hands, she stepped back while Trallik fumbled with the bracelet of gold he had picked out for Trikki, eventually getting it on her wrist. In return, Trikki placed on his right hand a duplicate of the snake-shaped ring she had placed on his left hand before. They had their own tokens of love for each other from their self-joining in the cave under the Dwarven Outpost, but they had felt it important to be joined now by the authority of the lord of their gen, now that they were no longer outcasts.

  Lady Kamia went down the line from Trallik and Trikki to Gorgon Hammer and Myaliae of the Krall Gen, both of whom were staring starry-eyed at each other. Their passion for each other could be clearly felt, and she hoped that they would keep together once the realities of being joined began to be felt as well.

  Next in line, Darya beamed with more life and enthusiasm than anyone should be able to. Though she was a little more than a year younger than normal, Lord Kale had allowed her joining to Keryak, based on the abuses she had suffered under Khee-lar Shadow Hand and his henchmen. As the Lady of the Gen wrapped their hands, she could see the deep love and concern Keryak felt reflected in his eyes.

  Ardan, who had recently received the honor name of One-Horn, was probably the most reserved of them all, though the same certainly could not be said of Miratha. Both of them were well past the age of the rest of the kobolds here being joined this day, but age certainly hadn’t dampened Miratha’s enthusiasm at all.

  Finally, as Lady Kamia wrapped Durik’s bronze-scaled hand to Kiria’s rust red scaled hand, and the pair exchanged simple, plain rings of bronze, Lady Kamia nodded and moved off to the side.

  “Lifemates, embrace each other and be one,” Lord Kale said.

  None of them needed the prompting, but only the permission. As one, each couple embraced, each of them soon being joined by their families, extended families, and many friends. As Lord Kale and his lifemate stood looking on they could see that, though they were many different people with many separate desires and abilities, this day, in this place, they were one.

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  About the Author

  Joel Babbitt is an officer in the U.S. Army and a bishop in his church. He has spent his entire adult life living and teaching principles of leadership and team building in a warrior environment. Joel and his family live in Virginia.

  (Joel and his illustrator in 2006)

  Follow the author at:

  www.authorjoel.com

  www.facebook.com/authorjoel

  @AuthorJoel on Twitter

  Standing Orders for all members of Durik’s Company

  1. No one is ever alone.

  2. Take care of yourselves. Watch your feet for blisters. Drink lots of water. Sleep when we let you. Keep wounds clean and bandaged so they don’t fester. Make sure your teammates are taking care of themselves as well.

  3. When we’re on the march, move stealthily. See the enemy first.

  4. Tell the truth about what you see and remember details. The rest of the company depends on you telling the truth, even if you’re scared.

  5. When on the march, if you can see as far as a bowshot’s distance, then draw your bow and have an arrow ready. If you can’t see that far, then keep a hand weapon out. Always keep your shield handy and at least ten arrows in your quiver at all times.

  6. Keep your armor on at all times unless ordered otherwise, even if it’s hot, chafes, or is dirty and wet. It’s when you take your armor off that a sneaky enemy will attack.

  7. When making the shield wall, keep your shields together and your heads down. Only the top of your head to your eyes should be over the shield wall, and your weapon should be hid behind it until you stab with it, so you can strike with surprise.

  8. When ordered to charge, throw your spear or javelin first, then draw your sword and hold your shield high to hide your sword so you can strike with surprise. Yell ferociously to frighten your opponent and to break his concentration.

  9. When we’re on the march, teams stay far enough apart from each other to maneuver. Warriors in each team stay close enough to be able to quickly form a shield wall, but far enough apart to not hinder each other’s movements.

  10. If we strike soft ground, we spread out so that we don’t make such deep tracks. If you’re sure something is tracking you, make a circle and come back onto your tracks, then figure out whether or not you can ambush whatever was trying to ambush you.

  11. When we march, we keep moving until dark, then we shift our resting spot after dark. That will keep the enemy guessing and give us the advantage if they try to ambush us.

  12. When we rest or eat, we post at least one sentry per team, more if the situation warrants it.

  13. Every time we rest or stop you’ll be told where to meet if scattered. If you get lost, go back to that rallying point and wait for us.

  14. Don’t ever return by the same path you left on. Take a different path so that you won’t be ambushed.

  15. No matter whether we’re traveling as a company or in teams, every formation will keep a scout twenty paces ahead and twenty paces to the rear. If there’s enough of us, we’ll also keep scouts twenty paces to each side.

  16. Don’t use bridges, fords, or narrow passages through rocks, unless there’s no other way. Enemies and predators will wait for you there and try to ambush you.

  17. Don’t sleep beyond dawn. That’s when most things that can’t see well in the dark wake up and start looking for food.

  18. If we take prisoners, keep them separated until we have time to question them. That way they can’t make up a story between themselves.

  19. Never leave another member of this company to his doom. We’re all in this together. Everyone stands by everyone.

  Glossary

  Axebeak – A large, flightless bird (eg: ostrich) with a sharp, heavy, axe-like beak at the end of a muscular neck that it uses to defend itself. Though it can outrun most pre
dators, the axebeak is willing and able to defend itself if pressed. It has thick, sharp claws on its feet and its legs are much more muscular than other similar birds. Its body is covered with thick, protective feathers. Axebeaks stand about five feet tall at the back, and about nine feet tall at the top of their heads.

  Broomweed – A tall plant that resembles the end of a broom sticking up out of the ground.

  Brutal Races – The designation given by The Sorcerer to the races of Hobgoblins, Orcs, Goblins, and Minotaurs. While Trolls and Ogres are certainly brutal, they are not numerous enough to be considered one of the eight major races. The Gnomes, though they were designated a civilized race by The Sorcerer, their alignment with the Brutal Races during the Great War about a millennium before the time period depicted in this book have led some to designate them as a brutal race also.

  Castes – The male kobolds of the Kale and Krall Gens are usually divided into castes. A kobold is casteless usually until some ceremony or competition which marks the transition to adulthood. Female kobolds remain casteless until they are joined to a lifemate, at which time they assume the caste of their mate. The four castes are: servant (or worker) caste, warrior caste, elite warrior caste, and leader caste.

  · Servant caste kobolds do most of the mundane chores of the gen and are not responsible for the defense of the gen. There is no movement out of the servant caste.

  · Warrior caste kobolds generally perform most of the skilled labor of the gen and also carry the responsibility of protecting the gen. A warrior may become an elite warrior through hard work or other proof of merit.

  · Elite warrior caste kobolds are the middle managers of the gen. In many gens they subside on the efforts of their warriors, in some gens they must work to sustain themselves in addition to coordinating the efforts of their warriors.

  · Leader caste kobolds are the social elite of the gens. They generally spend all of their efforts in leadership tasks and political positioning, and are the real power-players of any gen. They are usually supported by taxes, tribute, and plunder. The number of leader caste in a gen are usually determined by the number of seats on the gen’s council, and are usually the eldest sons of existing leader castes, though others have been made leader caste in times of need.

  Chew Weed – A leafy, green plant. It is a mild narcotic. Continued use of this addictive drug breaks down the central nervous system over several years, leaving one without control of bodily functions and completely incapable of taking care of one’s self.

  Chop – Also called the Wall. It is the mountain range to the north of the Kale and Krall Gens. It is shaped like a pair of praying hands, pulled slightly apart. It runs the entire length of the southern valley where the two gens live. The great rift that runs through the ridge of the Chop is spanned by a bridge called Demon’s Bridge, or Fiend’s Bridge.

  Civilized Races – The designation given by The Sorcerer to the races of Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Gnomes. While Halflings are certainly civilized, they are not numerous enough to be considered one of the eight major races.

  Day of Beginnings – The day that kobold gens celebrate the day that, according to legend, the first kobold came into existence. It is in the early spring and is generally the same day that the Trials of Caste are conducted by the Kale Gen.

  Dwarves – A race of short, stocky, human-like, bearded people who generally inhabit mountainous areas.

  Elves – A race of tall, thin people who resemble humans with pointed ears.

  First Meal – Breakfast; usually the simplest meal of the day.

  First Watch – The night is divided into three time periods. These three time periods are called ‘watches’, because the warriors who stand watch at night generally divide their shift into three. First watch is from the going down of the sun until the end of the burning of one torch.

  Gen – A kobold tribe, generally consisting of genetically related kobolds, though gens have been formed from remnants of other gens.

  Goblins – A race of short, humanoid people who are generally clever, resourceful, and cruel.

  Gnomes – A race of short, human-like people who are known for their ingenuity, creativity, and ability to make complicated items. Their history is marred by their alignment against the other civilized races in the Great War.

  Hall of the Mountain King – An ancient dwarven hall whose entrance is built into a small, hollowed out, flat mountain, the chambers of which extend far into the mountain that the flat mountain leans against.

  Hobgoblins – A race of pig faced, militaristic humanoids who stand about human height and are more muscular than humans. Their empire lies to the east of the two valleys.

  Krall Gen Castes – Unlike the Kale Gen which conducts one large, centralized trials of caste event for the entire gen, the Krall Gen lets each warrior contingent leader conduct his own trials for any male kobolds who want to join his contingent. A kobold may only try once to join a warrior contingent, and it must be during the kobold’s fifteenth year of life. If the kobold chooses not to try or fails, then they become worker caste from that point forward (also called common or servant caste) and belong to their father’s warrior’s contingent. Kobolds who are accepted become warrior caste, and can eventually become elite warrior caste by merit. Leader caste in the Krall Gen is by appointment and is usually reserved for male relatives of the Lord of the Gen (denoted by names which end in –ar).

  Kobolds – Small humanoids that stand between three and four feet tall. Their bodies are covered with rust red scales, with larger scales on flat surfaces of their bodies and smaller scales near and at the joints. Kobolds have long, whip-like tails that start somewhat thick and taper toward the end. Their tails are almost long enough to touch the ground. Male kobolds begin growing straight, ivory horns at puberty. As a kobold grows older, his horns will generally bend forward, eventually curling on the oldest of kobolds. Female kobolds do not grow horns and are generally shorter than their male counterparts. Kobolds have a sharper than human sense of smell. Many kobolds have trained their sense of smell to the point where they can track using their noses. Kobolds also have heat vision. Using heat vision, they see black and white only, with cold things appearing black or dark gray, and warmer things appearing lighter gray. Hot things appear bright white. Kobolds’ heat vision is spoiled by normal light (torches, daylight, etc) as well as excessive heat. Though initially thought to be of reptilian descent, kobolds have several strange features that belie a completely reptilian heritage; they are warm-blooded, having the ability to sweat. Additionally, their children are gestated internally, not adhering to the reptilian trait of laying hard-shelled eggs.

  Minotaurs – Minotaurs appear to be rather large humans with bulls’ heads, and hooves instead of feet. They are usually covered with thick, course hair from head to hoof and are usually rather muscular. The minotaur tribes of the eastern steppes loom large in this story.

  Orcs – A race of brutish, warrior-like humanoids with greenish-black skin, sloping foreheads, sharp teeth, and red eyes. They are organized into tribes, with the strongest orc dominating the warriors of the tribe and securing the loyalty of the warriors by dividing some of the females among them. As they breed and mature at a rapid pace, a war party of young orcs from a growing orc tribe out to prove themselves is a common thing to encounter.

  Palacid – The legendary citadel of The Sorcerer. It disappeared from its location in the heart of the human lands at the end of the Great War, almost a thousand years before this book.

  Second Meal – Lunch; usually a more substantial meal than breakfast.

  Second Watch – The night is divided into three time periods. These three time periods are called ‘watches’, because the warriors who stand watch at night generally divide their shift into three. Second watch is from the end of the burning of the first torch to the end of the burning of a second torch.

  Sorcerer – The Sorcerer was a person of great power that lived a thousand years before the time period depicted
in this book. He unified the humans, elves, and dwarves. He possessed phenomenal magical powers and used them to better the state of the races.

  Sweet Bark Cider – A non-alcoholic drink distilled from the bark of the massive trees that surround the heart of the Krall Gen.

  Third Meal – Dinner; usually the most elaborate and substantial meal of the day.

  Third Watch – The night is divided into three time periods. These three time periods are called ‘watches’, because the warriors who stand watch at night generally divide their shift into three. Third watch starts at the end of the burning of the second torch until the pre-dawn light fills the sky before the sun actually rises.

  Trials of Caste – The Kale Gen conducts a singular event each year where all male kobolds in their fifteenth year participate. These same kobolds spend an entire year before the event arduously preparing for the event. Those who are not able to complete each aspect of the training become worker caste. Those who make it all the way to the trials of caste become warrior caste, no matter where they place in the rankings. Usually the top kobold from each year-group is made an elite warrior each year. Rarely, and almost always to fill a gap in the council, a kobold will be appointed leader caste.

  Wallaya Root – The Wallaya plant has a large, tuberous root which, when boiled, gives off a pleasant, relaxing smell.