Fallen Crown (Orc Destiny Volume II) (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) by Jeremy Laszlo Page B
Authors: Jeremy Laszlo
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by others. Within a span of minutes, hundreds of huge
drums were pounded in a slow, steady rhythm that reminded Gnak of the beating
heart he had held in his hand not long ago.
Looking out across the side of the valley he shared, he
watched as many clans of Orcs gathered with goblins, trolls, and ogres. Forming
a solid line of black iron and flesh several hundred bodies deep, they began to
slowly move forward as more and joined their ranks. Even without his order to
do so, some of his clan began to move, but Gnak had a plan.
“Gathos!” Gnak shouted above the din of marching and
drumming. “Gnak pray Ishanya give power, give strength. Gnak pray she make Orc
and goblin better. Make learn new ways. Gnak pray Ishanya protect Gathos. Now
all pray!”
He watched as his captains took their cue and all began
repeating his prayer, the entirety of his clan turning away from the surging
tide of bodies to face the makeshift altar at the center of camp. It only
bought him less than five minutes, but every one of them counted. Then, when
the prayer was done, Gnak ordered them into battle formations and, taking Jen’s
words to heart, he ordered them forward, behind the vast majority of the army.
It was an hour later that they crossed the halfway point of
the valley, the ground shaking beneath the pounding of their feet. Ahead, the
humans collected on the northern slope of the valley, their numbers too few to
even have come. Gnak doubted they would last the morning. Onward Gnak and his
clan marched at the rear of the invading horde, and estimating, he guessed they
had at least ten times the numbers that the humans had mustered, but it was
then that his question from the previous night was answered.
From atop the valley’s crest, a wall of non-human troops
marched down to join the humans, and with them great dire wolves prowled in and
out of the lines. It was apparent that the fur-covered troops were related to
the four-legged beasts that walked among them. They were not a large force,
perhaps half a thousand, but they were muscular hulking creatures whose heads
swiveled as they marched, watching the movements of everything. Though Gnak
could not put his finger on it, for some reason he knew the creatures to be
unnatural. Looking to their head, he watched as an oddly armored pair of humans
led the beasts. Something about the human commanded his attention, but he did
not have long to ponder the matter, for at that very instant the roar sounded and
the wall ahead of him surged forward.
Drawing his blades, Gnak charged ahead with his troops.
Cursing the big chief’s stupidity, he watched as the humans held their ground,
the higher ground, waiting for the charge to come. Higher numbers or not, the disadvantage
of fighting uphill should have been apparent, but went ignored. Another quarter
mile passed beneath his feet, and all around him battle cries filled the air as
thousands of voices shouted their hatred of the opposing humans.
The humans retaliated by ripping down the nearest line of
tents to reveal large metallic machines. It took only a few seconds to discover
what the things were designed to do.
In a series of loud sounds, the war cries of both armies
were punctuated by the thwonk, thwonk, thwonk of the machines as giant
spears sailed through the air at incredible speed to slice through the Orcs and
goblins nearest the humans. Near a dozen were injured or killed with each shot
of each machine, the passing of each bolt carving out a swath through the
invading army. Those hit by the strikes cried out, their screams lost beneath
the feet of the onward surging line. Angered by the attack, those ahead of Gnak
increased their speed as explosions sounded all around. Gnak could not believe
his eyes.
From both forces, men of giant stature sprang up from the
armies, bearing massive blades, and hammers. Out to meet his kin the giant
humans came, stomping upon his kind, and striking them down by the hundreds
before the invading champions
drums were pounded in a slow, steady rhythm that reminded Gnak of the beating
heart he had held in his hand not long ago.
Looking out across the side of the valley he shared, he
watched as many clans of Orcs gathered with goblins, trolls, and ogres. Forming
a solid line of black iron and flesh several hundred bodies deep, they began to
slowly move forward as more and joined their ranks. Even without his order to
do so, some of his clan began to move, but Gnak had a plan.
“Gathos!” Gnak shouted above the din of marching and
drumming. “Gnak pray Ishanya give power, give strength. Gnak pray she make Orc
and goblin better. Make learn new ways. Gnak pray Ishanya protect Gathos. Now
all pray!”
He watched as his captains took their cue and all began
repeating his prayer, the entirety of his clan turning away from the surging
tide of bodies to face the makeshift altar at the center of camp. It only
bought him less than five minutes, but every one of them counted. Then, when
the prayer was done, Gnak ordered them into battle formations and, taking Jen’s
words to heart, he ordered them forward, behind the vast majority of the army.
It was an hour later that they crossed the halfway point of
the valley, the ground shaking beneath the pounding of their feet. Ahead, the
humans collected on the northern slope of the valley, their numbers too few to
even have come. Gnak doubted they would last the morning. Onward Gnak and his
clan marched at the rear of the invading horde, and estimating, he guessed they
had at least ten times the numbers that the humans had mustered, but it was
then that his question from the previous night was answered.
From atop the valley’s crest, a wall of non-human troops
marched down to join the humans, and with them great dire wolves prowled in and
out of the lines. It was apparent that the fur-covered troops were related to
the four-legged beasts that walked among them. They were not a large force,
perhaps half a thousand, but they were muscular hulking creatures whose heads
swiveled as they marched, watching the movements of everything. Though Gnak
could not put his finger on it, for some reason he knew the creatures to be
unnatural. Looking to their head, he watched as an oddly armored pair of humans
led the beasts. Something about the human commanded his attention, but he did
not have long to ponder the matter, for at that very instant the roar sounded and
the wall ahead of him surged forward.
Drawing his blades, Gnak charged ahead with his troops.
Cursing the big chief’s stupidity, he watched as the humans held their ground,
the higher ground, waiting for the charge to come. Higher numbers or not, the disadvantage
of fighting uphill should have been apparent, but went ignored. Another quarter
mile passed beneath his feet, and all around him battle cries filled the air as
thousands of voices shouted their hatred of the opposing humans.
The humans retaliated by ripping down the nearest line of
tents to reveal large metallic machines. It took only a few seconds to discover
what the things were designed to do.
In a series of loud sounds, the war cries of both armies
were punctuated by the thwonk, thwonk, thwonk of the machines as giant
spears sailed through the air at incredible speed to slice through the Orcs and
goblins nearest the humans. Near a dozen were injured or killed with each shot
of each machine, the passing of each bolt carving out a swath through the
invading army. Those hit by the strikes cried out, their screams lost beneath
the feet of the onward surging line. Angered by the attack, those ahead of Gnak
increased their speed as explosions sounded all around. Gnak could not believe
his eyes.
From both forces, men of giant stature sprang up from the
armies, bearing massive blades, and hammers. Out to meet his kin the giant
humans came, stomping upon his kind, and striking them down by the hundreds
before the invading champions
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