Fallen Crown (Orc Destiny Volume II) (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) (3 page)

“Jen say wait kill chief. Make plan. Use plan. No get hurt.”

“Smart dead girl,” Bota replied with a nod. “What think
Gnak? What plan?”

“Not know. No kill chief sleep. No honor. No pride. No wait
long. No time. Need fast plan,” Gnak stated simply.

For many long minutes both he and Bota stood in the tent
thinking, but it was the weaker Orc, not Gnak whose head shot up first, a
wicked and cunning grin upon his face.

“Bota make plan.”

Though it did not take long for Bota to explain his thoughts
to Gnak, it was more than half an hour later before he had replied. He thought
through the scenario time and again, and could find little fault with the plan.

“Bota make good plan. Make chief strength, weakness. Make
anger, weakness. Maybe clan learn lesson,” Gnak said, with his own wicked grin.

Then, however, he thought of the implications for Bota. If
the plan did not succeed, the Orc would be seen as weak and treacherous. And
would certainly be put to a dishonorable end. Something needed to be said.

“Is no pride, Bota plan. Look like pride, but no pride,”
Gnak said.

“Gnak pride yes. Gnak pride, Bota pride,” the smaller Orc
replied.

That was enough for Gnak. It was obvious that Bota was
indeed intelligent for their kind. He knew that what he would be doing went
against all current Orc beliefs. He knew that it was a shameful act. But he
also knew that so long as he was not discovered, Gnak would become chief, and
with it he would be granted the title of captain. Both would have an abundance
of honor and pride. Smart indeed.

With no preparations to make, Gnak simply nodded to his
ally, an odd thing among Orcs, and left his tent. He wondered what Jen would
think of their plan. He knew that she would understand that for many to be
spared the chief had to die, but he wondered about her thoughts on the morality
of the plan by which they had chosen to carry out the chief’s death. He hoped
she would be understanding when next they spoke.

Standing outside his tent with his massive armored arms
crossed, Gnak watched as the camp was torn down around him. He was not spared
the hundreds of peculiar gazes, questioning looks, or the obvious avoidance of
his tent, the only one still fully erected within what was once a sprawling
camp. It was only a little more than three hours later when the last tent
between himself and the chief fell to the ground with a muted thud, as the
poles supporting it were pulled out from beneath its weight. It took no time
after that for the chief to register the still standing tent and lock eyes with
the Orc who stood before it. Rage appeared on the face of the chief.

Stomping across the now nearly empty expanse of what used to
be their camp, the chief came, lesser Orcs scattering to avoid his wrath.
Within seconds all work in the camp stopped as all eyes turned upon what would
surely be a confrontation. Gnak watched the chief come, defiance plainly upon
his face.

Stopping within mere feet of Gnak, the chief loomed large
before him, but Gnak did not flinch nor cower away from the Orc. Instead, he
lowered his arms, jutting out his jaw, and did the unthinkable.

“What chief want? Gnak busy,” Gnak said, an obvious insult
to the chief.

“Gnak no busy!” the chief shouted. “You work. Get tent
down.”

“Tent stay. No want down yet. Gnak busy.”

“Take down tent or chief take down Gnak,” the chief grunted,
his maw snapping open and closed, his muscles rippling beneath his taut skin.

Gnak knew he only had seconds to outsmart the chief, and
wasted no time. Letting his shoulders slump slightly, he began to speak again.

“Gnak no take down tent. Can’t. Gnak more smart chief, make
tent too strong. It no come down. No even chief can take down,” Gnak said,
insulting both the chief’s intelligence and strength.

That was all it took. With a growl of rage the chief strode
forward and Gnak stepped aside as the chief took his challenge. He
had
to. It was now a matter of pride.

Letting the chief pass, Gnak watched as the massive Orc drew
his thick iron blade from his belt and hefted it in preparation for chopping
through the tent’s front supports in a single blow.

“Stop!” Gnak shouted.

All watched as the chief paused and turned to sneer at Gnak.

“You see. He listen, Gnak order. Gnak new chief. Now bow on
knees!” Gnak demanded of the chief.

With hatred in his eyes, the chief raised his blade anew and
opened his mouth to roar, but nothing happened. With his breath escaping him,
the chief staggered a step forward, away from the front of the tent, his legs
buckling beneath him. The entire camp gasped.

“I, Gnak, take power. Take pride. Take honor. And take chief
from Gobgob, father of Gnak,” Gnak shouted.

Lunging forward, Gnak drew both blades from his back and,
using them like scissors, removed the head of the chief in a single blow. With
spurts of blood shooting straight into the air, the chief’s head toppled from
his shoulders to land at Gnak’s feet in the sand, his mouth still moving. His
father deserved a quick death. There was no help for the injury done to his
pride.

Kicking the headless body of his father over, Gnak thrust
one blade down into the spine of the fallen Orc warrior, into the same wound
that Bota had made spearing the chief in the back from within the tent to sever
his spine. With the other blade, he stabbed down through the king’s heart,
watching as the blood stopped spraying from the severed neck.

Without any sign of fear of reprisal, Gnak pulled his blades
free and faced the Orcs he now would rule. Stepping upon the body of his fallen
father, he grasped up the Orc’s severed head and held it high for all to see.

“Gnak kill chief. Gnak
is
chief. Gnak no shaman,” he
said, his eyes seeking out and locking on those of the shaman who Bota said
feared him. “Gnak chief. Have magic from new god. Gnak change, clan change. Old
gods no serve clan, clan no serve old gods. Gnak serve Ishanya. Clan serve
Ishanya. New god make Orcs strong. Make Orcs smart. Gnak make Orcs better.”

None cheered. None cursed him. None spat. And better, none
opposed him. He knew they would come, but not in the open, not when he was
ready and armed. Jen had warned him to be cautious with his life. The strongest
and most ambitious would be the captains. The very same who were the most
likely to oppose him. But there was nothing he could do except wait for them to
come. In the meantime, he still had orders to give.

“Bring all holy bones, big fire. Captains take, make big.
Make to Ishanya. All pray to Ishanya. Then we go. Back work. Pack camp.”

With nothing more to say, Gnak reached down and grasped the
essence of his father that sought to escape, and pulled the small glowing orb
within his own person. Striding into the tent he was met by a grinning Bota,
holding a spear with a tip stained in blood.

“Bota plan work,” said Bota.

“Yes, Bota good plan. But need new plan.”

“New plan?” Bota asked.

“Need know Orcs like Bota. Smart Orcs. Need new captains.”

Within the hour Gnak had a list of a dozen Orcs who,
although slightly inferior to the strongest among their race in physical
prowess, had survived among their kind using their intelligence and cunning.
They were not weak, simply weaker than the strongest. As such, they had little
if any chance for achieving anything considered important to Orcs in their
traditional sense. Gnak already knew he could more or less purchase their
loyalty, and as such he sent Bota out to collect the Orcs for a meeting in his
tent.

In the time that he waited, he had thought to try and rouse
Jen again, but thinking better of it, he instead passed the time in silence. He
wanted to talk to her. Needed to. She could tell him if he was doing things
right. Doing things smart. But he did not want to call upon her only to have to
ignore her when the Orcs showed up.

He did wonder, however, if he could call upon his father,
now that he contained his essence as well. Though he did not actually want to
speak to his father, knowing that his deed had been dishonest, evil, and
against everything Orcs stood for. He could not help but wonder, and decided
that he would test the theory in the future to see if he could commune with any
dead, or just Jen. Such knowledge could create for him an advantage in the
future.

It was over an hour before his tent flap was pulled back and
Bota peeked inside. Waving him in, Gnak watched as Orcs filed in behind him,
each a face he recognized, but knew no names to assign to them. They were
obviously the lesser amongst the Orcs, each of them smaller than he in both
height and mass, but even so he did not look down upon them. For in this group
that now stood within his tent, could be the man to save his life one day, or
save the lives of many through an idea or plan. Gnak eyed them all as his equals,
for he would rely on them in the days to come to not only keep himself safe,
but also to keep each other safe and help him to guide the clan.

Once they were all comfortably inside the tent he stood and
looked upon them all, nodding to each with respect before he began to talk.

“Gnak now chief,” he stated simply, to many a replied nod.
“Gnak want make Orcs better. Make stronger. Make smarter. This why Gnak call
you. You smart Orcs.”

For a moment Gnak trailed off, letting his words sink in. It
had been apparent at first that several were concerned for their safety, but
now some of the Orcs’ eyes widened, realization appearing upon their faces.

“Old chief have six captains. Chief before old chief have
six. Chief before him have six. Gnak have twelve.” He watched as more of the
Orcs realized what he was saying.

“Old captains, Gnak make mad. Take captain away. They want
kill Gnak, want kill new captains. No more fight for captain. We work, all one.
All captain have partner. Six partner. Any old captain want fight, have fight
two new captain. Have fight
all
new captain. You serve Gnak. You serve
Ishanya. Gnak make new captains,” Gnak stated, watching as chests began to puff
out and heads began being held higher.

It was several hours later when he released them from his
tent. He had explained to them the importance of working together, and paired
them up into teams. If any one of them was attacked they had another to watch
their back and lend aid. It was up to them to protect each other and Gnak. Two
teams were assigned to watch Gnak’s tent. With their newfound positions, each
of the captains would defend him to the death. They would defend each other.
They would follow him blindly, having been given proud positions, allowing them
to be the Orcs all of them had dreamt of being. In return they swore to worship
Ishanya, carry out Gnak’s new beliefs, and answer to only him. They were to be
the example he would set for the rest of his people.

As for Bota, Gnak had not made of him a captain, choosing
instead to make for the Orc a new position, his own loyalty having already been
proven. Bota was Gnak’s new second in command. He was not the most fierce
warrior but he was intelligent, and the captains too were sworn to protect and
obey him. In the span of only a few hours he had completely altered the way his
clan was run. Now it was time to inform the clan.

Stepping out from his tent he watched as his new captains
strode away, each pair moving into positions only a short way from their new
chief. His father, the previous chief, had been removed from the front of his
tent, likely carried off and burned in one of the many fires outside the camp.

With naught to do but proceed, he nodded to Bota who roared
loudly, gaining the attention of all. Looking across the nearly open expanse,
he could see where a great shrine of bones was being erected at the command of
the prior chief’s captains. He could not help but appreciate that they had done
a fairly good job at overseeing the project.

“You captains no more!” Gnak shouted across the expanse of
what had been their camp. “Gnak make new captains. No can kill captains to take
captain. No more work. Gnak make captains only. Attack them, you die. These new
captains.”

With that, his new captains all raised their fists to be
known to the clan. It became apparent quickly that at least one of the old
captains doubted Gnak’s words.

Charging across the camp, the large Orc first hurled his
spear in Gnak’s direction, though it was knocked from the air by a new captain
well before reaching its target. On the Orc came. Drawing its sword, the beast
of a man raised the weapon and made to lay down the new captain who had
thwarted his spear throw. He was nearly in range to launch his attack when, as
if of a single command, more than six spears lanced from different directions,
each impaling the once captain and driving him to the ground in a heap of
shafts and limbs. His screams did not stop for more than a dozen minutes, yet
still none moved.

Deciding he could speak once more without interruption, Gnak
continued.

“New chief. New captains. New high captain,” Gnak said,
gesturing to Bota at his side. “We make you new clan. Better clan. Make more
strong. That all. Do work.”

Gnak again turned and strode within his tent, Bota on his
heels.

CHAPTER THREE

It was a clear night when Gnak again emerged from his tent.
Looking to the sky he saw no signs of clouds, and took that as a good sign. The
nearest camp belonging to their kind lay several days to the east. This, he
discovered, was where they were supposed to join with the big chief, and many
of the Orc clans. With a summons to come and aid in a war, it was again Orcish
pride that led them to do as they were blindly told. To not come would be seen
as fear or weakness. But there was nothing Gnak could do. Not yet. It would
take time to slowly change the way his clan acted and reacted to the world around
them. It would take subtle changes and influences to make them see better ways
of doing that which they had been doing wrong all along. No. Gnak could not
simply order them to stay. He and Bota had discussed it at length. They
would
heed the call of the big chief. It was up to Gnak to keep as many of them alive
as possible, in order to carry out his plan after whatever war they were being
dragged into.