CHAPTER TWENTY-NiNE - TRibulATioNs

Tarn looked around the center of the orc village, horried at what he saw. Two of his closest friends were giving homage to a demon both of them hadsworn to kill. He began shaking violently, rage welling up within him, and ittook every ounce of his strength not to charge forward. He knew that wouldonly result in his death, and so he held back for the moment, his sword trem

bling in his hand.Logan, however, was unable to check his emotions. Bellowing out a battlecry, he brandished his axe over his head and charged across the little villagecommon. Tarn watched as the hellspawn began to chant a spell as Loganpicked up speed. The cleric seemed oblivious to the demon’s actions, so Tarnstarted to shout a warning to him.Half a second too late. The creature swept his arm outward and angled his palm toward theonrushing cleric. Logan’s war cry was deafening and he never heard thedemon’s words. He raised his axe over his head, ready to strike…… And was blown backwards by a bolt of darkness which shot out from thedemon’s palm. The spell slammed the cleric down, and he landed in a crumpledheap next to one of the bound and tortured orcs. Tarn worried that the demon would move to nish him off and raised his sword, ready to die defending hisfriend. The beast made no move to strike the fallen priest, though. Instead, it satback on its haunches and resumed eating the severed arm. Taking a largebite, the creature spread its jaw in a wide, evil grin, and started to laugh. This was not the laughter of mortals, however. Deep and rumbling, it sounded likea herd of buffalo running across hot gravel. As it laughed at him, Tarn felt hismorale begin to fade, and tried to steel himself for whatever lay ahead.After a few seconds the demon stopped laughing, and stood up haughtily,inging the severed arm at Tarn and the orc shaman, who now stood next tohim. “Fleshy mortals, do you really think you can threaten me? You fall soeasily into my trap. I will take extra delight in your deaths. In fact, I think I willmake you mine, as I have the other mortals over there.” He nodded toward Nylaand Tonath, who were for the moment mercifully silent.Words left Tarn, but the orc Shaman found his voice surprisingly quickly.“You will not succeed, Ancient One. Though your powers be great, and the one who called you high in the favor of Lord Grummish, I will avenge what youhave done to The People this day!”

The demon looked at the Shaman, bemused. “You? What do you think you can do to me? For that matter, what do you think you can do to she whosummoned me? Too long has my kind been banished from this plane. I willhave my pleasure, and in so doing, will take my revenge for the long years of banishment I have suffered because of the failures of The People!” Tarn shrank back from the creature, its power shaking him again, and hefelt as if wave after wave of fear were crashing over him.

Maybe we are already defeated. I have no idea what I’m up against here!

Shaman Nightcaller, though, seemed remarkably in control of his fear. “Hah!She who summoned you is an abomination of the laws of Lord Grummish. She will pay for her sinful ways. It is only true that her power shows how far wehave fallen before the Lord of the Night!” Tarn struggled to make out the old orcish words. Strangely, though, he hadno problem understanding the stealer. “She matters not, puny one! She too willfall before me, as will you, when the time comes. For now, though…”

The demon raised his arm again, and Tarn heard Tonath begin to stand,followed by Nyla. A chill shivered down his spine as heard Tonath’s broadswordstart to

schnick

from its scabbard, and as he muttered the words, “Yes, master.As you command.”

By the gods of light, no!

The knight moved toward Tarn and the Shaman, dropping his weaponinto ready position. The Shaman snarled a war cry and grasped his axe, readyto defend himself. Tarn tried to stop him, but couldn’t; the orc lunged at thesmaller human.“Tonath! NO! Stop!” His anguished cry seemed to jar his friend back toreality for a moment, but that moment was short, then gone. Sword clashed with axe haft, and the two combatants began to duel.Both warriors were snarling, but Tonath seemed to be in control of theght. He fought with an easy grace that, despite all the other man’s years as aknight and warrior, Tarn had never seen him display before. “I’ve been waiting,for this, orc! You insufferable piece of worm-ridden lth! Time to meet yourMaster!”Enraged, the orc snarled and started to swing at Tonath with a viciousseries of overhand blows. The smaller knight parried each one effortlessly, and Tarn began to wonder if he would have to intervene and save the orc. Tarncould tell that Tonath was simply waiting for the right moment to strike andnish off the Shaman, and he grasped his sword anxiously, realizing that werehe to try and save the Orc, he would only end up ghting his friend – a friend

who he was increasingly sure he couldn’t defeat even if he wanted to. Waves of anxious indecision crashed down on him, and he twisted the hilt of his swordin his hands as he watched the combatants.In his angst he never looked back toward the other people present, andso he never saw Nyla stand up. Logan did, though, as he fought to regain hisbreath, desperate to be able to intervene. It was obvious to him that the girl was ghting something deep within her, for she was moaning out loud. For amoment he wasn’t sure what was going on until the demon looked over at her,and mouthed a simple command: “Obey!”He watched as the girl stood up straight and taut, every muscle her bodyrigid. “Yes, Master. As you command!” She reached into her spell pouch, andLogan knew she was losing this battle of wills.Standing with an effort he didn’t know he was capable of, he started tomove toward the girl. He called out to her softly. “Nyla, don’t do this! You know

are your friends, and that

thing

isn’t!”She spoke to him, never changing the direction of her head as she staredat Tarn. “I… can’t! The Master calls! I must… obey!” With that, Nyla nally lostthe war of wills raging within her. She grabbed a pinch of amber and cinnabarand began the incantation to ing a lightning bolt across the green at Tarn.“No!” Logan ung himself bodily at her, causing her shot to go wide of Tarn’shead. Tarn, visibly shaken by this new threat, staggered and nearly f

ll. He sawLogan wrestling the much smaller Nyla to the ground, pinning her down, andthen turned to see Tonath switching over to the attack, laughing diabolically asthe orc shaman began to falter.For one long moment, he didn’t know what to do. The situation was nallytoo much for him, and his sword slipped from his hand, falling to the groundin front of him. He watched Tonath effortlessly force the orc shaman back anddown, driving him to the ground with a series of uid blows that left the orcdefenseless. He battered the orc’s axe from his hand, leaving it splintered andin pieces in front of him. The knight stood over the fallen shaman, ready to deliver the killing blow. The orc looked toward Tarn, deant as ever as he shouted, “I knew you wouldbetray me, pinkskin!” The Shaman then spun toward Tonath and snarled

“ByGrummish, make it quick!” Tarn reacted without thinking. He leapt up, grabbing his sword with onehand, and swung it over his head in a desperate parry as his leap carried himbetween Tonath and the Shaman.