Chapter 21 - Part 5

The gnome scampered quickly for one of its kind. He had spent more than half his life in the Labyrinth, first as a guest, then as an ally, of the Maruk Ghaash’kala, and he had learned about sprinting in the demon-infested wilderness. The gnome’s outline flickered as the magical blur effect slowly receded from it. Before the illusion spell ended, he was tumbling down a steep slope into the shady depths of the Labyrinth.

Strong hands with green and gray skin caught him, and the gnome looked up into the red eyes of Gaan’den, the holy warrior whose face was marked by a ritual scar of Kalok Shash.

“You take too many chances, Little Brother,” the orc said in his birth tongue, his deep voice a heavy whisper.

“All worth it,” the gnome said, scrambling down from the massive fingers. He spoke to the orcs in their own language, a fluency that had saved his life when he had first met them years ago. “I saw the dragon’s corpse, and the hundreds that it slew.”

“Praise be to the Dragon for killing evil, may Kalok Shash comfort its soul,” intoned Gaan’den. “But this does not explain why Little Brother risked his life.”

“A zakya,” the gnome grinned. Creaking of armor could be heard at that, as the other orcs in the area listened in to hear. “Leading some of the lesser fiends into the Split Rock Trail. The zakya is the captain who slew your father, I recognize his hair beads.”

A deep growl came from Gaan’den, and the orc licked his lips at the opportunity to avenge his father. “We go to ambush now,” he said, turning to the tribe hiding in the darkness behind him. “Little Brother will sing the battle song, and the fiends’ blood will flow!”

Orcs pumped their fists silently, wanting to roar their approval, but not wanting to alert their prey. Outside the Labyrinth, the demons were the hunters, but when they foolishly ventured into this place, they became the hunted.

Little Brother did his best to keep up with his adopted family. He wanted to tell them more, especially about the sudden masses of fiends that had abruptly turned and charged towards Ashtakala when he flying thing had come with the message tube. The orcs were more driven than he was curious, but maybe one day he would have an opportunity to find out what prompted such a great migration.