Inner Madness
#7 of Kingdoms
Einar waited in a bush just to the side of the silver mine. Morning had come and the workers had made their way to the entrance, but he pushed them away. A few sacrifices were necessary to speed the evacuation. Now it was just a matter of time before a good number of orcs ran into the mines only to meet their deaths.
The sun was bright today, and warm. Nothing like Wendlow, which always had a bit of a nip in the air even during the peak of summer. The climate was also quite dry, a boon for traders that wanted their supplies to last longer. Einar examined the flint he was given, a very coarse but heavy set of stones. From what he had learned, other nations traded these stones for the goods the trader city took in. He also learned that since the orc takeover, the city had no name.
The growly voices could be heard just past a ridge, so Einar made himself as invisible as he could. The black face covering he wore didn't blend in, but the orcs seemed to have trouble with details. Ten of the armored and well-armed orcs ran in blindly, shouting for Einar to show himself. He had to stifle a laugh, these were the majority of the orc guard left in the city.
He rolled the barrel of powder inside of the mine entrance and used the flint to light the fuse. Einar then casually walked away, only to hear a deafening explosion moments later. The other rebels had planned to use the momentary lack of a defense to eliminate the weaker orcs, so the city was in chaos. It wouldn't last long though, even the most poorly trained orcs were deadly in close combat.
Einar avoided the fading conflicts and made his way to the northern gate, where a great many orcs had gathered. It was humorous to Einar that these orcs had no idea that most of their comrades had been slain. Still, the opening wooden gate caught his attention as much better armed orcs entered the city. In between the two groups of them were three orc women bound together by chains. They were tall and pale green, but only one was muscular. The other two appeared frail.
"The king's harem is to be kept secure. If any of you touches a hair on their heads, you will be executed. Do I make myself clear?" The orc that spoke wore a helmet that was forged for him. The city orcs nodded, "To the castle then. I assume the king's newest bride is still unharmed?" The orcs nodded again.
It was pretty clear that he meant the princess. The tower was mostly unguarded for a short while, so Einar decided to pay a visit. Through the shadows and across a few rooftops he noticed humans and felines sweeping the dirt where orc blood had spilled. The bodies were nowhere to be found. He stared at the "castle" as the orc called it, though it was nothing more than a large stone home with a tower that stretched above the walls.
Spots of dried red blood were left on the stone, though there were no inhabitants. Einar didn't feel a need to rush, so he walked up the stairwell in the back of the stone house to the top. The construction was sturdy, though the rocks were not the type to last forever.
At the very top was a single room, turned into a prison by metal bars. The princess, an attractive enough human, was chained to the far wall by her hands and feet. She was also nude, "You there... please... kill me..."
Bowls and trays of food were scattered about the room and the insects of the region were swarming. Judging by how short the chains were, some of the feedings were not as effective as the others, "The princess I assume. Then again, your family has no royal claims anymore, so calling you a princess would be too much." Einar paced the room and felt the metal bars, "I doubt I can open these."
"Just kill me! Please! I don't want-"
"I'm not in the mood to kill you. Besides, you'll be good bait to drag out their king."
Her face twisted with horror, "What?! What are you saying?!"
"I'll leave you here. If you get taken away, the king may not come. So be friends with your new harem buddies, see you in a day or two." With that he left, a bit quicker this time as the marching of orcs could be heard from a window. He returned to the base of the rebels and sat as though nothing had happened, "How did things go on your end?"
The red headed woman still didn't like him at all, "Fine. We killed a lot of them, but they were mostly the ones pretending to be nobles or warriors. Not exactly a step in the right direction."
Einar bit into an apple, "So? Less of them means better for you. Be happy and celebrate."
"Now we're left with a bunch of pissed off soldiers that can tear us in half with their bare hands!"
"Just kill them better. It's not science, aim for the head or heart. Pathetic."
The red headed woman stormed off and shouted at the others, "We're relying on this bloodthirsty monster?! He's no different than the orcs! By the way," She turned to face Einar, "Some of the miners didn't come back. What happened?"
"Guess they got trapped in the mine. Probably told to work early." Einar's hidden face concealed an emotionless expression, "What are you accusing me of exactly?"
"Murder."
Einar looked towards the secret door, "Without proof? We should be working together, not fighting amongst ourselves."
The red headed woman fumed, "Are you joking?! Then answer me this: some of the city folk saw you entering and leaving the tower, without the princess. Why didn't you save her?!"
Einar took another bite of the apple, "I'll use her to bait their king here."
Even the veteran spoke out, "You are insane! The king will bring a small army and wipe out the rest of us! They won't be looking for prisoners anymore! How can we possibly resist them?!"
"Simple my dear fools. You say they formed a kingdom, and no doubt they are trading with the others. If that's the case, then a duel will be irresistible to the orc king. Nothing will make his empire more legitimate than fighting the leader of the rebellion one on one."
"Who said you were a leader?"
Einar stood up, "I did."
.......................................................
"Captain Tomlis, how much longer?"
"Didn't see you there lass. Well the wind has been kind, no more than two days to port. If that storm hits just right, a day. 'Course you seem to have the luck of the sea god on your side, so hopefully we'll get there faster."
"Thank you, keep up the good work and give your men my regards."
"That will mean a lot coming from you, I'll do it."
The feline nodded and looked out into the ocean. She was stunning to all who laid eyes upon her, and one of the most desirable women in Wendlow. Her lean form and fierce, but gentle, demeanor drew attention from the other kingdoms. Her armor was a combination of leather and plate, designed for maximum protection without the weight. A long, thin sword with just a hint of a curve rested on her belt.
She volunteered for the Journey and returned to find that her brother, Einar, had left without permission. Without hesitation, she asked for twenty men and a ship to hunt him down. Einar had some problems in the past, such as ignoring education and slacking off during training. His rage could not be contained no matter what was tried, but it was his greed and desire for power that was the most concerning. He tried to fight his own people when his thirst for death was not met by enemies.
"Ma'am, you should rest. You've been awake since the boat departed." A man in blue steel armor met her on deck.
"Please, my name is Astrid. There is no need for formality."
"My apologies Astrid. However, the rumors coming from our destination do not bode well and you must be rested. No warrior should enter battle exhausted." Rumors were just that, but tales of orcs running the largest trade city on a continent felt like something that wouldn't be created out of thin air. No doubt Einar was lured to that land in the hopes of getting to kill more.
She nodded in defeat, "You are right, but this feeling in my chest won't go away. A sense of dread that crushes my heart and makes breathing difficult."
The soldier lowered his head, "I understand, he is your brother. Whether or not the rumors are true, I believe that he would give in to his anger. The people there are in danger no matter what." he took a canteen off of his belt and handed it to Astrid, "It will help you sleep."
She smiled sweetly, "I accept your gift. I pray that the worst does not come to pass."
"As do we all." The man was the captain of his unit and a friend of Astrid. Even though he was human, she considered him more of a brother than her own brother. Some assumed that there was a romantic relationship, but that was no more than the gossip of old ladies.
Astrid retired below deck to the bunk room where several of her men were sleeping. The captain offered her his cabin, but Astrid told him that every warrior of Wendlow watches out for each other, and there was no need to hide her away. She rested on a cot and sipped the strong mead. It certainly did help her relax, but sleep was still a distant goal.
Her brother had always been violent, though Astrid once felt this way as well. The difference was that she focused her energy and let her parents teach her how to master that inner fire while Einar chose to let the fire consume him. Arrogance and greed caused problems in the family, so his fleeing of the homeland was not unexpected. It was how he left in the middle of the night that crossed the line.
Astrid remembered coming home after her experience, she was welcomed by all but by accident she overheard that her brother had fled to take a Journey without preparation. Her announcement to track down Einar and bring him home for punishment earned her respect, though her parents wished for her to stay around after the month of being away. Her mother gifted her the sword she now carries, meant to be given during a ceremony but to Astrid this was far more important. She even thought she saw her father smile when she said that, a rare sight.
It took a week to get to the ship, and a day for the captain of the ship to stock up and gather his men. The crew were nervous as the rumors were more prevalent in a major shipping port of the orc takeover, but with a large group of Wendlow soldiers they steeled their resolve and got to work. However, because of the fear of being unable to restock, the ship doubled its supplies and brought aboard extra weapons. There would be no chances taken, orcs weren't known for diplomacy and tact.
A wave of exhaustion washed over her and light faded from her eyes. She would sleep as long and restfully as she could, hoping that Einar had not done something that would cause the death of many innocents.
............................................................
Einar cut down another orc in broad daylight, "Come out! Meet your God!" The orcs remaining in the city were debating whether to run or fight, but those that fought died and those that ran found the western and eastern gates destroyed. The only exit was through Einar.
The red headed woman and the old man were treating the veteran's wounds. When he tried to stop Einar from going on a rampage, he was stabbed in the abdomen. The other rebels refused to help Einar, so he killed two of them and left the safehouse, "That bastard! I knew we couldn't trust him!"
"I know child... I thought that since he could fight the orcs he would be sympathetic to us. Instead I see the violence that he brings."
"Hey! He has those girl orcs and the princess at the gallows!" A young man acted as a messenger. Even if the orcs still held the advantage, he could fit into small spaces and hide, "Hurry!"
The red headed woman growled, "I'll go. You two, come with me but keep your distance from Einar." She grabbed her crossbow and the three ran towards the center of town, "If he does anything stupid, kill first and ask questions later!"
"Can we kill him?"
The question echoed in the red headed woman's mind, "I... don't know..."
At the gallows the four females stood with rope around their necks. They each wore thin cloth draped over their bodies, a material usually reserved for decorations on expensive clothing. The princess had a strip of leather tied around her mouth to silence her while tears streamed down her cheeks. Of the orcs, two were frail while one was quite muscular. Through the cloth, nipple piercings could be seen on the women. Some blood remained on the princess' cloth, "Late to the party, typical powerless rebel."
"What are you doing?!"
"Bait of course. What does it look like?"
"It looks like slavery and an attempt to murder more people."
Einar's laughter sounded as though it came from a madman, "You stand for the orcs? I thought you'd be the first to put them to death. Guess cowards can't handle much when it comes to action."
"This isn't right!"
"I've been killing since they brought the whores, the king will be arriving soon. When he sees this, he'll have to give in to my demands."
The red headed woman felt the terror of her allies, the princess, and the orc females, "You have no right to make demands. You don't belong to this nation, this city, or even this land! Stand down Einar!"
Another child ran towards them, "A ship! A ship!"
"What of the flag?"
"I haven't seen anything like it before. It's still far away, but they're coming here!"
The red headed woman turned to one of her allies, "Go gather some people, start a fire! Signal them with smoke!"
Einar looked through the northern gate, "Ship from the sea, orcs from the land. Oh this is just the best. I wonder who I'll get to kill first!"