Orkish Endeavors (Chapter 5)
A grimdark fantasy
Previously:
Rudd attempts to find his brother, Rask. He is accosted by a disembodied, mocking “Voice.” The Voice reveals it holds Rask hostage and blackmails Rudd: Rudd must return to the castle, kill the wizard Milamber, and steal documents. To help, the Voice summons four “stupid” orcs to assist Rudd.
Chapter 5
The dim light began to fade, although it had been midday when Rudd and the larger orcs began their walk. Rudd had never really believed the stories about his kin—that they were big, stupid, and slow. Now, he believed it.
The castle came into sight and the orcs cheered.
“QUIET,” Rudd hissed.
The orcs looked ashamed and hung their heads. Rudd whispered, “When we reach the gate, I’ll go in first to see if the way is clear.” The orcs bowed in silence, acknowledging Rudd’s leadership.
Rudd entered the gate and crawled into the Great Hall. Finding his way to the library, he saw a dark figure huddled in a marvelous cloak sitting in a corner, reading a large book. Rudd began to speak. The wizard—Milamber—jumped out of his chair and turned around nervously. He had been reading a book of ghost stories.
Milamber looked at the orc, his fear replaced by annoyance. “What are you doing in here? Get out before I end your worthless life!”
“Miliamber, is that your name?”
“MILAMBER!” the wizard corrected, wondering at the daring of this creature.
“Well, Miliamber, outside four orcs stand guard. They are waiting for my signal to march in and kill you,” Rudd said.
“Oh?” Milamber said incredulously. “And why are you telling me this?”
“Because I have a proposal. Let us set a trap. When I march in with them, I hide and you kill them—but not me. Afterward, you let me go free. I don’t want to die for some stupid orcs.”
Milamber thought for a second. “Aye, that is a deal! But I warn you—if you are fooling me, I know what I am having for supper tonight!”
Rudd shuddered and crawled back out. He assured the waiting orcs that all was well and ushered them forward. They had barely entered the marble hall when they were hit by a giant fireball. Orc blood decorated the walls. The last orc charged with a giant sword, but after three withering spells, he crumbled to dust.
Milamber walked over to Rudd to thank him. He made a fatal mistake: he turned his back to cast a cleaning spell he had just learned that morning.
Everything went in slow motion. Rudd pulled his sword. Milamber started to turn, a look of realization crossing his face, but the blade was already there. With a sound like a squeezed grape, Milamber’s head departed from his body.
Rudd looked around the gore-stained hall. To ensure the wizard could not be resurrected, he performed a grim ritual, carving out the man’s heart—though in his haste and the dark, he mistook the heart for the tongue.
He searched the castle for the papers he had stolen from Merlyn’s suitcase previously, but in the chaos, he found nothing. He stumbled out, vowing never to return, and climbed back up the mountain.
Reaching the place where the voice had spoken, he screamed: “THE WIZARD IS DEAD! WHERE IS MY BROTHER?”
No answer. He called again, but only silence met him. Rudd fell to the ground in total exhaustion.
