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| Scroll Two: Refugees | |||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||
| Five days had passed since he was forced to retreat. So much had changed in such a short period of time. The Mountain King - the most powerful creature on the Forbidden Isles lay battered and wounded by the wall. Around him - were a handful of goblins and orcs - all that were able to escape. | |||||||||||||||||
| In a cavern deep beneath the surrounding ocean - the remnants of a once powerful nation and army were recovering and hiding - hoping and in their own way praying that this refuge would be safe from the hunting parties that had chased them . | |||||||||||||||||
| In the Mountain King's mind he remembered how the Volcanic Firebird sacrificed itself so that he could escape out of a trap that he himself foolishly meandered into. | |||||||||||||||||
| In his mind he could see the Orcish Demon Lord being cut to pieces by dozens of dwarven berserkers. He tried to save his surprisingly stupid servant - but when he tried to cast a spell potent enough to do so - the mana wasn't there for him to command. | |||||||||||||||||
| An army of thousands - possibly millions - now reduced to a small handful of twenty if that. He knew that none else survived. He gritted his teeth as he pushed himself up - propping himself against the wall. He had been around for thousands of years - never could he remember being in such pain. | |||||||||||||||||
| In his mind he remembered back to when he and Markys struggled for supremacy. He remembered how he had to hide in the beginning - until the two finally managed to hammer out an agreement - an arrangement. | |||||||||||||||||
| This - was nothing like that. | |||||||||||||||||
| Chaos - had no need to keep him alive - nor any such desire or inkling. He closed his eyes and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||
| "Master?" a weak goblin stammered. His eyes opened as he looked over to a poorly bandaged bleeding goblin. "Me broughts you food," it added - pushing a fish it had caught towards the master. | |||||||||||||||||
| "Were you followed?" The Mountain King asked seriously. The goblin shook its head. "Are you sure?" he repeated. The goblin thought for a moment and then nodded. "Good," he muttered. The goblin smiled as it limped back over to where the other goblins were. | |||||||||||||||||
| The Mountain king held his hand over the dead fish and prepared to use his power to cook it. He stopped. He shook his head and moved his hand to a bleeding wound over his eye. He remembered all of the other times they had been in hiding - various tunnels - caverns - forgotten ruins. Every time they were found and forced to flee. | |||||||||||||||||
| "He has been using me to find us. Every time I use my power - he follows the trail like a path of crumbs," he muttered. He picked up the raw dead fish and began to hungrily devour it. Of all the meals he had feasted on - never had he tasted anything quite so vile - and yet in his weakened state - he was in no position to be fussy. | |||||||||||||||||
| "Is nothing we do?" an orc asked. | |||||||||||||||||
| "Until Markys returns - there is precious little we can hope to do. Even then the chances will be slim," he strained. | |||||||||||||||||
| "What you mean?" a goblin asked. | |||||||||||||||||
| "I mean - when she gets here - she will be as a child. Her power will be no where near what it will need to be to deal with what Chaos has become," he stated flatly as he forced down another vile gulp of dead fish. "Worse - if she tries to cast a spell - Chaos will think she is me and be drawn to her," he added. | |||||||||||||||||
| "We doomed if she no come - doomed if she come," a goblin remarked. | |||||||||||||||||
| "We - need be patient. Mistakes are common to all beings - even newly born gods. It will only be a matter of time before Chaos makes a mistake. When he does - I'll be there," he reassured. An orc got up and drew his weapon. "You - can't be that stupid," he remarked. | |||||||||||||||||
| "Mountain King once mighty and feared! Now look! Is cowering under rock like a slug! He no have power! He weak like goblin! Slag no follow weakling," the orc hissed. The Mountain King quietly laughed as he slowly got up and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||
| "You want to go - by all means - go. You think Chaos will reward you for betraying me? I have seen how he rewards any he happens upon. By the wounds I saw - it took the poor fools days to die - if they in fact did die. You think me to be weak? I will admit - I am not at the peak of my power - but you are still - way beneath me," the demon lord stated seriously as he walked over to where the orc was and stood toe to toe with the primitive fighter - looking down at him. "One chance boy - put the toy away - or you will beg for death," he warned with a growl. | |||||||||||||||||
| For a few tense moments the orc just glared at the Mountain King defiantly. | |||||||||||||||||
| Everyone present dared not move or breathe. | |||||||||||||||||
| It was then that the orc snorted and sheathed his weapon. | |||||||||||||||||
| "Mountain King still strong? Or just have big bark like old dog? Slag can not tell. Time will tell," he remarked as he turned his back to the demon lord. The Mountain King smiled. In one fluid motion he reached forward - gripped the neck of the orc and snapped it with ease. | |||||||||||||||||
| "I - am still master here! Any that challenge that - will envy him and his fate!" he warned the awe-struck gathering. He then looked down at the battle-scarred orc he had killed. "You - fetch some dry wood. Make sure you aren't followed," he ordered pointing to a relatively healthy looking goblin. The beast hopped up to its feet and hurried out of the damp cave. | |||||||||||||||||
| "What you do to Slag?" one of the other orcs asked. The Mountain King smiled. | |||||||||||||||||
| "Slag - chose to oppose me. He chose to defy me. His death will be a reminder of the price of such foolish behavior. As for what will be done with him - well - we need to eat to keep our strength up - especially you orcs," he said as he walked over to the orc that had spoken. "So help me if but one piece of him remains - I will make sure that you beg that Chaos slays you before I get the chance," he stated seriously. | |||||||||||||||||
| "How long we hide here?" a goblin asked. | |||||||||||||||||
| "As long as we can. We have to stay in a place that he - his spies and his wretched spells can't find. Due to the location of this cave - it should be safe for quite some time," he replied as he limped back over to the wall and slid back down to the floor. | |||||||||||||||||
| "What if this place he finds? Where we go then?' another goblin asked. | |||||||||||||||||
| "He won't find us," the demon lord reassured. He closed his eyes and forced the reality of the situation from his head. There were no more places to hide. Every other place was too open - destroyed - under their enemy's complete control or under the power of some other hostile faction. | |||||||||||||||||
| "If you say he no find - he no find. You say we safe - me knows we safe," the goblin remarked happily. The Mountain king smirked as he shook his head. How long did he have before Chaos or his hunting parties happened onto the secret network of tunnels? How long would it take for Chaos and his minions to raze all that he once controlled? | |||||||||||||||||
| He knew that it was only a question of time before he was found. It could be a year - a decade - but it would happen. Or worse - Markys would return in her childlike state and get herself killed - and thus get him killed. | |||||||||||||||||
| Never in his life did he feel so - helpless. | |||||||||||||||||
| My fate is in the hands of a child - under the foot of a mad god. I have to keep strong lest they learn just how weak I have become. The Mountain King thought as the worst case scenario ran through his mind. Meeting his end against one such as Chaos would be one thing. Being killed off by weak - hungry goblins and orcs - that was another. No - I can not let such a thing come to pass. He thought as a serious look crossed his face. | |||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | |||||||||||||||||