‘Yes,’ Coinin replied, though he did not feel confident in the slightest.
‘Good. Now, if you can spare me twenty minutes to make my way back, and to check preparations are complete, I will just say may the gods be with you.’ Menin nodded, and her eyes smiled. ‘Oh, and thank you.’
Curator Menin turned sharply back towards the pit and disappeared into the semi-darkness. Coinin felt alone for the first time in days. This did not particularly worry him, it just had the unfortunate side effect of giving him time in which to think. That he did not want to do; he knew it could weaken his resolve to complete his task. He had to do this, people counted on him, and besides, if he didn’t, he would never be able to look the lovely Reena in the eyes again. It was the thought of seeing Reena that gave him a renewed sense of purpose. He would succeed at all costs.
After he had sat in deep thought for a while, he rose and worked out a cramp in his legs, and then set off. He brushed his way past tree after tree, until he broke free of the tree line. Ahead of him was a grassy incline, and in the distance, the natural rock wall of the volcano rose dark against the early morning sky. The first rays of sunlight had begun to breach the rock sides of the Sanctuary. Coinin squinted and brought a hand up to shade his eyes, and after a moment he spied the cave in the rock wall. Steeling himself, he stomped through the dewy grass.
The giant, who had waited patiently outside the cave, saw his kin approach. He greeted his kind willingly, though, still with an ingrained suspicion, as was the giant way. Friends in the giant world were rare. The race was in a constant state of conflict, and apt to kill one another where they stood for a mere morsel of food. As a result, the multitude of clans from the Northern Waste had all but destroyed each other. Only a handful of tribes remained, and in times of food shortages would form brief alliances to skirmish for sustenance in other lands. Other than that, the only time Giants were seen together in numbers was if hired to fight. Often food was payment enough, although gold and its value had entered the consciousness of the giant mind, and greed had become the driving force of most clan leaders. After all, gold bought you mountains of food, if you had enough. Why hunt or steal food when you can buy it and have it transported to you. They instead stole gold every opportunity.
Coinin approached the seated giant, who sat and flicked rocks at a nearby tree stump. His hit rate left something to be desired. One look at the scattered rocks told him that, alongside a quick dodge of an incoming missile. The giant looked exceedingly grumpy, and frighteningly large, as Coinin knelt next to him.
‘Wha’ you want?’ the giant grunted.
‘I found food,’ Coinin replied, trying to simplify his response.
The giant’s reaction was instant; his drooped shoulders straightened, and he looked at Coinin with a toothy grin. ‘Where?’
‘In the woods.’ Coinin indicated behind him. ‘We go eat, yes?’
The giant looked about him with a puzzled expression on his dirty face. ‘Where Glurp?’
Coinin was momentarily stunned. ‘Glurp?’ What was a Glurp?
’Friend Glurp. Where he?’ said the giant, and appeared annoyed.
Coinin breathed again, remembering the now dead giant on the other side of the woods. He started to panic, and he thought quickly. What could he say?
‘He meet us at food,’ he bluffed in the hope he did not sound too intelligent.
The giant scowled at him and cocked his head, and then after a moment he again sported his toothy grin. He heaved his massive frame from his seated position and stretched with a loud groan.
Coinin took this as a sign that he had won a small victory; the giant was hungry, as Menin had predicted.
‘Come,’ said Coinin and indicated that the giant should follow him.
Both giants stomped down the grassy hill and into the trees, and Coinin noted again that his counterpart was considerably larger than he, albeit not as muscular. All hope was that Menin’s ploy would work. He did not stand a chance in a fair fight with this beast, even if he did resemble a lump of congealed bull fat.
As they fought their way through the trees, Coinin scanned ahead for Menin’s telltale tree carvings to point the way. At first, he had not spotted any, until his companion swung a large tree branch out of the way and released it, only for it to swing back at Coinin, who then howled as it struck him in the nose. Fortune, though, had favoured him, for as he rubbed his sore nose, he spied Menin’s mark clear as day.
‘Dis way,’ said Coinin, clutching his nose.
The giant laughed heartily at Coinin’s bloody nose and traipsed off in the direction indicated.
Minutes later, they could smell it before they saw it. Mouth-watering wafts of roast pig invaded their senses. Never mind that the other giant was hungry, he was too. He secretly hoped that he would get to taste what must be succulent meat before they took a long drop to oblivion.
The trees began to thin, and suddenly they were in the clearing. In the centre was the wooden platform, and upon this, a dozen roasted pigs waited to be devoured. A Carcass had been abandoned on its spit above a roaring fire. Coinin’s heart threatened to burst from his chest, as he realised that they must have disturbed Zaruun and his men mid-preparation. He puzzled how they had had time to cook so many pigs, and then remembered they were wizards. Time was inconsequential when one knew magic.
His companion’s eyes lit up as he rushed forward and jumped onto the platform. Coinin’s heart dropped. He thought for a moment that the platform would collapse under the giant’s weight. It creaked and groaned in protest, yet held fast.
The giant barely noticed Coinin clamber aboard the platform, content to stuff his face with roast pig. Coinin positioned himself as close to the other giant as possible and ensured they were both over the trapdoor. He looked about him, and his heart thumped hard in his chest. The wait for the floor to drop away was scary, though nothing happened.
At the edge of the clearing, a figure waved frantically. It was Zaruun, Menin’s personal guard, who beckoned to him.
‘I find Glurp,’ Coinin muttered. He did not expect a reply, the giant was too busy tucking into a mass of pork belly. He stepped off the platform and half ran, half walked to Zaruun.
Coinin found him in near panic. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, and looked from Zaruun to Menin.
‘Together you are too heavy for the trapdoor mechanism to work,’ said Zaruun, his brow beaded with sweat.
‘How about now? I’m not on it.’ Coinin eyed the platform.
‘That’s the other problem; the catch must have stuck somehow. Perhaps it has bent. You will have to release it by hand.’
Coinin sighed deeply. ‘Where is it?’
‘Follow the rope, you’ll see it.’ Zaruun pointed to a thick rope that trailed into the clearing. ‘Just pull the pin, and that’s it.’
‘If it doesn’t work?’
Zaruun and Menin looked at each other and shrugged.
Coinin rolled his eyes and looked for an answer from the gods. The stress was palpable. ‘Oh, that’s just great! I’m panicked as it is, and you don’t have a backup plan.’
‘I guess we would have to use a destruction spell on the platform, though that runs the high risk of knocking the giant from it and not into the pit. For that to work efficiently, however, we would need to be exceptionally close, which in itself runs a risk of being spotted,’ Menin responded.
‘Coinin, you must go now,’ Zaruun said. ‘That food will not last much longer.’
‘Fine, but after this, I’m done, I can’t take the strain.’ He strode off towards the platform and muttered oaths under his breath as he went.
Indeed, by the time Coinin arrived back at the platform, the giant had almost eaten all of the food. His stomach looked bloated, and he had a dreamy satisfied look about him.
As Coinin approached, he spotted the trapdoor mechanism. It was an iron bolt that slid. On closer inspection, it did appear to be slightly bent. The pin was attached to the rope Coinin had f
ollowed and was greased with fish pulp to ensure it slid between two brackets easily. However, the sheer weight of the giant prevented it from being operated by human hands.
Utilising his enormous strength, Coinin wrapped the rope around his forearm, grasped it with the other, and tugged. The bolt slid fractionally, so he tugged again. There was a yell, and the giant on the platform disappeared.
Coinin dropped the rope and clambered aboard the platform. All but one pig Carcasss had gone, and so was the giant. He turned to signal to Zaruun that they had succeeded when a large hand grasped his ankle.
The giant’s hand tugged hard, and he kicked free to turn in a blind panic. The giant had not fallen to his death; instead, he attempted to use Coinin to clamber out of the pit.
The giant again made a lunge for his leg, and Coinin only just managed to sidestep. Seconds later a horse galloped up behind him, and although he could not afford to look around, he assumed it was Menin.
Several tense moments later, a figure rushed by.
‘Do I have to do everything for you?’ Marrok yelled and drew his sword. Without hesitation, he dived headfirst into the pit.
‘No!’ Coinin screamed and lunged for him.
He need not have worried; Marrok had fastened himself to the platform with rope and busily hacked away at the giant’s hands, which desperately clung to the wooden frame of the platform.
‘Come on, fall, you damned monster!’
It took several more slashes with the blade before the giant fell with a silent scream into the fiery depths of the pit. He made a grab for Marrok, and thankfully missed by a fingertip, to Coinin’s relief.
Marrok swung slightly in the warm sulphurous updraft that came from the crevice. He looked up and gave Coinin a bloody-faced smile.
‘That was fun,’ he said with the look of a drunkard about him.
‘I will never forgive you for this,’ Coinin snapped.
‘I don’t want your forgiveness. What I do want is to get out of here,’ said Marrok, suddenly annoyed.
‘You got yourself in there, you get yourself out,’ Coinin retorted and turned his back on his brother.
‘Will you stop acting like such a child, and help me out of this bloody hole!’
Coinin was taken aback; Marrok had never spoken to him quite like that before, even when they had argued as children. He realised in that instant that Marrok had watched over him ever since their parents’ deaths. Right now he continued to put his brother in grave danger with his selfish actions.
‘You are right, Marrok, I’m sorry.’ Coinin lowered his head in shame. His brother had risked his life for him, and he had repaid him with the behaviour of a child. He turned back, reached into the hole, and yanked his brother out by his outstretched arm. Marrok winced; his arm felt as if it had been ripped from its socket. Coinin swung him and deposited him in a heap.
‘Thanks.’ Marrok sat where he had landed and rubbed his sore shoulder. ‘You nearly tore my arm off.’
‘Sorry,’ Coinin mumbled, unable to look Marrok in the eye.
Marrok paused a minute to regain his breath and then attempted to untie the rope around his chest without success. ‘Would you?’
Coinin inwardly smiled. His brother’s temper was short-lived. He knelt before him and pulled hard, and with a snap, the rope parted.
Marrok stood and stretched. ‘Come on, there’s still work to do.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, but first we have to stop and pick up a friend, he has important information for Menin.’
Marrok sprinted to the tree line at the far side of the clearing, followed by Coinin’s thunderous footfalls that scared the birds from the trees.
A few feet into the trees, Marrok pointed to a man who lay on the ground, writhing in great pain. ‘Coinin, can you carry him to Menin?’ he asked.
Coinin grunted and walked to the man. He knelt beside a bloodied Lieutenant Quindil who had lost a good portion of his left arm. Coinin baulked at the sight. The stump had been tied up with cloth, and Marrok had carried him there on horseback.
‘Don’t be afraid, I’m here to help. I will take you to Curator Menin,’ Coinin told the man as he hoisted him into his massive arms. He stood and turned and then headed back to the clearing, only to find Menin and Zaruun had come to investigate their sudden disappearance.
Menin’s face turned ashen, and without a moment’s hesitation, she rushed to them. ‘Su’un, what happened to you?’ she asked. ‘Please, Coinin, put him down here; I will see to it that his wounds are treated.’
Coinin did as instructed and carefully laid Quindil against a nearby tree, and then stepped back.
Menin dropped to her knees at Quindil’s side and examined his wounds. She shook her head. ‘This man will not survive without immediate help. Zaruun, please send for a healer.’
Zaruun nodded, and without hesitation sped back into the clearing.
Quindil grasped Menin by the collar and pulled her to him. Despite the intense pain shown on his face, he whispered something to her and then passed into unconsciousness.
Menin stumbled back and landed on her rear. She had a look of shock about her, and a hand went to her mouth as she sucked in a deep breath.
‘This is bad,’ she said. ‘Jericho, you fool.’
Coinin looked at Marrok, who shrugged at him, puzzled.
Menin composed herself and stood. ‘Gentlemen, it seems General Jericho was taken by a dragon during his fight with a dark wizard.’
Coinin gulped. ‘I thought dragons were a myth.’
‘We had thought they were extinct, but this proves otherwise. The question remains, is someone using them as a weapon, and if so, who?’ Menin frowned. ‘I doubt Jericho’s disappearance is coincidental.’
‘You think he was taken on purpose?’ Marrok asked sceptically.
‘It’s entirely possible. An unknown enemy wants to destroy us. They certainly made a good attempt at it. Now they’ve taken my most trusted and experienced general, leaving us vulnerable.’
‘Do you think they will try to attack us again?’ Marrok asked, and half expected to see a fresh horde of goblins head his way.
‘Perhaps; we are in a weakened state, though I doubt it will be today. It takes time to muster an army that size. However, I will post guards to ensure we are not taken by surprise again.’
‘I volunteer,’ Marrok immediately offered.
‘No, Marrok, I thank you, but I need you elsewhere. There is a cave of goblins to dispatch, and your natural lethality hasn’t gone unnoticed.’
Marrok visibly swelled with pride. ‘Where is this cave?’
‘Coinin will show you, won’t you?’
Coinin was conflicted. He had said he would not perform further tasks for Menin, but the situation had worsened. How could he refuse when his brother was up to the challenge? ‘Yes, of course,’ he said. ‘Although I thought we had to destroy this giant’s body?’
‘All in good time. Let’s rid the Sanctuary of these foul beasts first.’
Coinin nodded his assent, not overly happy with the decision, yet Menin knew what she was doing. At least he hoped she did.
‘Marrok, follow me,’ Coinin growled sullenly.
‘Coinin, wait,’ Menin said. ‘I will have a troop of men meet you at the cave. Do not try to take them by yourself.’
Marrok muttered something unflattering about his desire to tackle this himself, which prompted Coinin to kick him in the shin, only to knock him off his feet.
‘Sorry,’ said Coinin, with a cringe.
Marrok looked at him with daggers in his eyes. ‘You are getting far too big for your boots.’
Menin sighed from behind them, hands on hips. ‘Perhaps you are yet too young for this task, I will send someone else.’
‘No, please, Curator,’ Coinin begged. ‘I’m sorry for my actions. I don’t yet have full control of this body.’
‘I just don’t know if I can trust you to accomplish this task.’
‘Yo
u trusted me to kill the other giant. Why do you distrust me now?’
‘It’s not a matter of distrust in that sense, Coinin,’ Menin began. ‘It is that I believe that you may be too young for this task.’
‘I’m too young to kill goblins but old enough to be Curator. You need to make your mind up, Menin.’ Had he not risked his life? Indeed, he risked it, even more, the longer he stayed in the mind of the giant. He would show her that he was capable of this duty.
‘Marrok, with me,’ Coinin demanded.
Marrok looked from his brother to Menin, confused.
‘I said to me,’ Coinin spat and stormed off into the trees.
‘He’s my brother, despite the fact that he’s an annoying little toad.’
‘I understand, Marrok,’ Menin said, ‘please take good care of him. I fear we may have need of him yet.’
Marrok nodded and trotted after Coinin. ‘That was very rude,’ he shouted when he caught up with him.
‘I had every right to be rude; I’m putting my life on the line for her. The least she could do is trust me, even a little.’
‘It seems to have escaped your notice, but I too am risking my life.’
Coinin was pierced with pangs of shame. He stopped abruptly. He fell to his knees with a sickening crunch, and put his hands to his face and cried.
Despite his anger, this threw Marrok. ‘Coinin, what is it?’
‘I don’t know, one minute I’m angry, the next I just want to cry,’ Coinin said between sobs.
‘I don’t like this, Coinin, I think you’ve been in there too long. Please, let me help you out of there.’
‘What about the goblins?’
‘Forget the goblins, you are far more important. Menin will manage without us.’
Coinin shakily stood, and took a moment to steady himself against a tree, only to then hyperventilate.
‘What’s wrong?’ said Marrok, the worry evident in his furrowed brow.
‘Everything is blurred.’
‘Damn, we need to get you to the pit, and quickly, before you collapse and we have the real giant to contend with. Come on, let’s move!’
Coinin grunted and howled in pain, but rose to his feet and staggered after Marrok back into the clearing. His vision blurred again, and an excruciating pain behind his eyes near crippled him. He collapsed with a thud onto all fours just feet from the platform.
The Aduramis Chronicles: Volumes 1-3: The Definitive Collection Page 12