Fallen Crown (Orc Destiny Volume II) (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga)

by Jeremy Laszlo

  Rising, the recently dead gathered up their weapons and converged upon the big chief. They were broken things, each moving with limp arms or legs that made them less than ideal warriors, but the gasps from the crowd assured Gnak that they were getting the message. The big chief, unafraid of the smaller beings, began stomping upon them, crushing them to shattered bits beneath him. But it was the delay, the valuable purchased time, that Gnak needed.

  “Look Orcs. See big chief. See big chief’s way. Him big. Crush those small. But gods no happy. Gods say Gnak take big chief power. Show Orcs new way!”

  And with his words he knew that it was time to cast the dice. His gamble, two-fold, had reached the point of no return. With the hope that the big chief relied on his size alone, and had lost the real skills of fighting long ago, Gnak prayed that his assumption was right as he reached out his hand and summoned the ball of glowing light from the big chief. In that moment the big chief did two things, as Gnak watched as sure defeat was replaced by a chance at victory.

  Freezing as the big chief turned to seek out Gnak once again, now that all the revived captains were dead again, he shimmered with a pop and shrank back to normal size. Gnak had been right. Without will, the god giving the big chief power cut off its supply and the giant was reduced to just another average Orc. But Gnak could not kill him this way. Not frozen. There was no pride in it. As soon as the Orc shrank, Gnak returned its essence and watched as the Orc showed both confusion and pain upon his face. Tripping as he came, the former big chief went down in a heap, a howl of pain escaping him.

  Looking to its cause, Gnak saw that his blade in the man’s ankle, that previously had shown no effect, now caused devastating damage. Sticking out both sides of the joint, the thick blade twisted as the Orc fell, catching in the sand and slicing the Orc’s opposite ankle as well. Rolling quickly, the big chief yanked the blade free from his joint with a roar and rose to his feet chanting.

  Gnak recognized the prayer for what it was, and rushed the big chief. Colliding, both men crashed to the ground in a heap, their limbs entangled, as Gnak found himself beneath the brute who suddenly got much heavier. Then, as if struck by a boulder, Gnak’s head was bashed aside as both ears rang, his head bouncing off both sides of his helm. Down rained another blow, smashing his body down into the sand, his armor the only thing preventing his bones and guts from being crushed. The big chief was big again.

  Crushing blow after crushing blow fell upon Gnak, rattling his bones as all thought but panic escaped him. Trying to escape, he was pounded over and over relentlessly, his body bouncing off the ground, as his armor began to give under the assault. Denting here and folding there, his armor began to dig into his flesh, as his head smashed again and again against the sides of his helm. His sight went black, only to return as his hearing seemed to change in volume with each blow.

  Taking another hit, Gnak spat blood from his mouth, trying to clear his airway to breathe, and still the blows came. Then, it was as if it stopped suddenly as Gnak no longer strained to breathe, the pressure and pain of his body relenting as both darkness and light enveloped him.

  “Don’t you do it, Gnak!” Jen’s voice shouted at him.

  “No do what?” Gnak asked, his mind filled with a numbing fog.

  “Don’t you give up. You’re so close.”

  “Close what? Give what?” Gnak asked confused.

  “He is nearly defeated. Don’t just lay there and die. Fight back!” Jen demanded.

  “How defeated? Is big. Too big.”

  “So make him small. All the Orcs need is to see him defeated. As long as his body dies, you win, Gnak.”

  Again Gnak’s head bashed the side of his helm with a sickly thud, as Jen was torn away from him again. Blood ran freely from both his ears and mouth, and his left arm refused to move no matter how hard he tried. Another blow smashed against his chest, driving out what little air he had managed to suck into his lungs. But Gnak clung to life, even if only because Jen told him to. He wondered, if when he died, if the various orbs he had collected would leave his body like his own would? And then it hit him. Stupid Orc brain.

  Gathering his thoughts, Gnak lifted his right arm, uncurling his broken fingers, and summoned to him the orb of the big chief once more. With an audible pop the weight atop him lessened, as Gnak selected another orb from amongst those he had collected. Pitting his will against the orb, he pressed it into place as the now average sized Orc began to spasm and jerk, falling from atop Gnak to land in the sand.

  Rolling to his side as pain lanced throughout his body, Gnak pressed himself up to his knees and remained there, wobbling uneasily. Tilting his head forward, he used what fingers he could muster to pry the helm from his head and, letting it fall into the sand, he looked out amongst the Orcs gathered there. Coughing and sputtering, he vomited up the blood blocking his airways as the convulsing Orc beside him grew still, its eyes popping open. Taking a deep breath despite the pain it caused, Gnak looked upon those who watched intently with his one eye.

  “Orcs see. Gnak god more power big chief god. Gnak take big chief power. Kill big chief.”

  Turning upon his knees unsteadily as the Orc beside him failed to rise with the injuries to its ankle, Gnak watched as the Orc raised its hands before its face, turning them this way and that, obviously confused. Picking up his blade that had been beneath his fallen body, Gnak stabbed out one time, the body of his foe leaning into him with the blow. Both weak beyond measure, with their heads nearly touching, Gnak looked into the Orc’s face, now filled with betrayal, before he spoke.

  “Gnak sorry Bota. Bota good Orc. Do Orcs good thing now,” he whispered.

  Yanking the blade free, Gnak watched as the body of the big chief fell into the sand, a thunderous roar rising from the tens of thousands gathered, as more than a handful of Orcs rushed towards him. Though Gnak did not see what followed as finally his body gave out, and collapsing, his vision went dark as a peaceful dream took him.

  The room was dark and damp, with moss and mold clinging to nearly every surface of the stone walls. Moisture glistened upon every surface, and Gnak recognized the room from his meeting with the goddess Ishanya. Though he knew that this time she was not present. He could not feel her.

  Turning, Gnak’s jaw fell slack as he registered the other that shared the room with him. She was small, perhaps a little over four feet. Her hair was pulled loosely over one shoulder, and she stood in the dark room smiling up at him as if no other in the world could make her as happy as she was now.

  “Hi, Gnak!” Jen exclaimed as she ran to him, wrapping her arms about his waist. Reaching down, Gnak hefted the small child, beneath her arms and pulled her to his chest in an embrace. It was a good feeling to hold her there, though he had never done such a thing ever before in his life.

  Pushing back from his chest, she looked into his face and grinned a happy grin before she began to talk in her small musical voice.

  “You did it, Gnak! You killed the big chief!”

  “Gnak cheat, but win,” Gnak admitted.

  “But you’ve done it. You’ve united the Orc clans. Now you can teach them to worship Ishanya and you can fulfill your oath.”

  “Gnak think no,” he said, his grin straightening into a hard line.

  “Why Gnak? Why can’t you do it?” she asked almost pleadingly.

  “Gnak think Gnak dead. Jen dead, Jen here. Gnak dead, Gnak here.”

  Shaking her small head she giggled, and looked at him with her best mock-stern expression. Raising one hand, she wagged a finger in his face very seriously before she spoke.

  “You are not dead, Gnak. Right now, because you made many good decisions, a healer is repairing your body so that you may rise again and lead the Orcs to a better future. I am here because Ishanya wills it. Perhaps she is rewarding you for the deeds you have done. But don’t you ever think that you are dead again. Don’t you ever give up, Gnak. You hear me?”

  Gnak found it odd to feel so puny before the sma
ll girl, let alone listen to her scolding him as if her were a child. But even so, he found meaning in her words. If Ishanya gave him this reward for uniting the clans, would she give him back Jen for real when he created for her a fortress, temples, and an army like Thurr had never seen before? Could he save Jen and his people at the same time? Was that what the goddess was offering him?

  “Gnak hear Jen. Jen smart. Help Gnak much. Gnak no give up. Keep fight. Promise.”

  “Good! I’m glad that you see things my way, Gnak. But the world needs you now so you have to go back.”

  Gnak felt the tug and watched as the edges of the room began to swirl in his vision, and strange sounds began to invade the place.

  “Will Gnak see Jen more?” he asked.

  “I’m sure we will be reunited eventually, Gnak. Just don’t stop fighting.”

  Then she was gone as the room twisted in upon itself and bright light erupted before his eye, causing him to cinch it tightly closed before blinking several times to adjust to the brightness. When the glowing hands were removed from his face, he looked up at the many expressions of those pressed around him. These were the Orcs who had come to his aid. They could have easily killed him while he was down and claimed the title of Chief for themselves, but something had stayed their hands.

  Testing his body, Gnak rose to a sitting position before clenching and unclenching his hands and flexing his many muscles. Grinning a proud, tusky grin, he rose to his feet and appraised those around him. Many were the former chiefs of other clans conquered by himself or the big chief. Others were smaller Orcs, with bright light in their eyes. All of them had come to his aid for their own reasons, and Gnak took that as a sign that he was on the right track. Turning to his shaman, he looked knowingly at the boy in the Orc’s body and reaching up he patted him on the shoulder.

  Looking around, he saw tents in all directions spanning out as far as he could see.

  “While the Orcsie was taking a nap, more Orcsies come and see dead big chief. They come and kneel. They join without even a fight,” the familiar voice said.

  Turning, Gnak looked to the goblin king and was both surprised and amused by what he saw. There, what had been behind him stood two, not one goblin, both with crowns of gold upon each of their heads. One he recognized, the other he did not.

  Bowing his head slightly to his small ally, he watched as the goblin jerked his head to the side several times, his eyes widening as if to say something without using words. Grinning, Gnak stole the orb of will from the second goblin king, effectively paralyzing him as his original ally pounced upon the non-moving foe, driving a twisted goblin blade straight through the man’s heart.

  Rising and dusting off his hands, the goblin king smiled wickedly before bending over and retrieving his fallen peer’s crown.

  “Well, that settles that problem. Can we get on with it then?” the goblin king smirked.

  Nodding, Gnak took the goblin’s meaning. He had the might of his Orcs and nearly ten thousand goblins, but there was much more to do. Goblins bred like rabbits. There were dozens of cities, each with their own kings and armies. Gnak would need to collect them all. In his vision he commanded the trolls too. That was yet another task he had yet to complete. No. His work did not end here. It was time to unite all of his neighbors and create for Ishanya a monstrous army of the likes never seen before upon the face of Thurr.

  Books by Jeremy Laszlo

  Clad in Shadow (Poetry for a Burdened Soul)

  The Blood and Brotherhood Saga

  The Choosing (Book One of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)

  The Chosen (Book Two of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)

  The Changing (Book Three of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)

  Crimson (Book 3.5 of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)

  The Contention (Book Four of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)

  The Champions (Book Five of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)

  The Crowned (Book Six of the Blood and Brotherhood Saga)

  Orc Destiny Trilogy

  A Blood & Brotherhood Series

  Twisted Fate (Orc Destiny, Volume I)

  Fallen Crown (Orc Destiny, Volume II)

  Three Kings (Orc Destiny, Volume III)

  The Beyond Series

  Beyond The Mask (The Beyond Book One)

  Beyond The Flesh (The Beyond Book Two)

  Beyond T

  he Soul (The Beyond Book Three)

  About the Author

  I live in southern Louisiana with my wife and children, and work full time as a civilian employed by the federal government. I like to spend time with my family and am excited that we will soon have a new addition in February of 2014.

  I spend as much time as I am able writing, but also enjoy downtime with the wife and kids, and am a bit of a movie buff as well. I thrive on sarcasm and nerdism and am currently addicted to The Big Bang Theory amongst other things.

  Fantasy has always been my reading genre of choice, though I am picky about who and what I read, and I refuse to read a series out of order. I have been known to devour entire sagas in mere days, emerging only when necessary for survival.

  I love to hear from all of my readers, and hope to chat with you on the Blood and Brotherhood fan page on Facebook, here:

  http://www.facebook.com/bloodandbrotherhood

  Or feel free to contact me through my website and send me an email, here:

  http://www.wix.com/jeremylaszlo/author

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  About the Author