Jake and the Opals

The commanders of the orcish hordes were in great confusion. A new threat was rapidly encroaching upon them and yet how could they dare leave their war with the humans? The humans would surely invade them seeking to destroy the orc's homeland.

One of their mightiest generals, a rock troll called Bonesmasher, roared over them and counseled that the humans could not be trusted and that to turn their backs on them was to invite destruction.

An old, obese black orc, called Kulzag, who had lived many decades and was well known for his hatred of the humans counseled instead that the shadow which grew to the north was the more pressing danger. If it continued to grow, the shadow of death would surely envelope the land and consume it, leaving neither orc nor human to claim the land.

Many were taken aback by Kulzag's words. Surely this famed warrior of their hordes was not putting aside his hatred for the humans. The orcs and trolls muttered amongst themselves, small fights breaking out before the bosses could quell them. Bonesmasher roared again, the fighting ended as quickly as it had begun. Bonesmasher was reputed to have personally slain his own horde when it had not fought to his demands. He was legendary for his intolerance of disobediance as well as his murderous rages.

Kulzag himself stepped back from the rock troll's rage. The troll's enormous nine foot bulk heaved in anger. Holding his mighty axe in one hand he shook with rage and glared out into the hordes surrounding the ziggurat. He began to step down from the top of the ziggurat, but before he could speak another voice interjected.

A robed figure, its features hidden away in the cowls of its robe, suddenly stood upon the ziggurat and whispered in a terrifying voice that all orcs heard as if it came from directly beside them. A clawed hand broke free of the robes and gestured about. Its sickly yellow skin made even Kulzag shiver in revulsion.

The Nazragath spoke. "The shadow must be stopped. The humans are no longer our concern."

Bonesmasher exploded with rage. "No!" he roared. Proceeding back up the steps of the ziggurat the rock troll bellowed, "The humans are our enemy! We will NOT turn..." He got no further as suddenly the clawed hand pointed towards the rock troll and a crooked flash of black lightning lashed out to envelope the troll. The troll screamed in pain. Unable to move and helpless in the grasp of the shadowwalker's magic the troll's flesh began to burn away before the eyes of the assembled hordes.

Silence swept through the masses. The final screams of the troll were alone. Even after the screams ended and bleached bones fell bouncing down the steps of the ziggurat the orcs remained silent, watching the robed figure and knowing the price of dissent.

The shadowwalker pointed to Kulzag, who froze in place, hardly daring to breathe. "You will go south. The humans discuss the creeping death even as we do. You will go to them, and tell them that in this we must be as one. The growing shadow must be stopped." Again the frightful whisper which reached all ears.

Kulzag bowed before the Nazragath, nearly prostrating himself before the terrifying figure. None dared to defy the Nazragath.

Kulzag backed off the ziggurat and turned as he reached the steps, gesturing furiously for his retinue to clear a path for him. He did not even look back to see if the shadowwalker was still there. It didn't matter. They would know if he disobeyed, and Kulzag had not gotten so old by being stupid. It would be as the Nazragath demanded.

Well to the south of Gothshar where Bonesmasher had so recently met his demise, the humans still fretted and argued over what course of action to take. By now, word had reached both the elves in their mysterious forests and the dwarves beneath their mountainous fortresses. Both had sent envoys to join the war council taking place.

The councilors and generals had come to no conclusion over what action to take. Great was the fear that should they wait until the Shadow of Death had reached the Sovereign Kingdoms it would be impossible to stop. Even now, it was unclear what action they could take.

It was then that astonished soldiers burst into the council room to announce the arrival of a band of orcs. Their astonishment was spread to the room when it was announced that the orcs had come to parlay and offer alliance.

A furor immediately broke out, with the contingents of both the elves and the dwarves demanding that the humans turn away the orcs. The humans were divided, half arguing that the orcs were here to trick the humans and the other insisting that the orcs be heard.

The matter was settled a moment later when the orcs were escorted into the hall. A ragged bunch, nearly dead from days of hard travel clearly made at the run. The largest of them, a grizzled monster of an orc stepped to the fore. Despite a heavy gravelly voice the orc's word were distinctly the speech of man. "I come to offer alliance..."

The room broke into a roar of argument, voices drowning out what more the orc said as they shouted their disbelief. The orc stopped and stood, the anger evident upon his ugly visage.

Once more the mage from the south brought calm to the hall. "Be at peace! Be at peace! Hear me! Silence! Settle yourselves! We come to nothing by bickering amongst ourselves like children!"

The assembled generals and wise men stood chastised, again realizing that his words were true. General Taren approached the orc, his large frame fully enshrouded in armor he stood nearly half a head taller than the old orc and yet despite his impressive size, he seemed nearly small when compared to the orc. General Taren had served along the borderlands for his entire life. Nearly five decades of warring with the orcs. He spoke to the orc in hard tones. "I know you, orc. You are called Kulzag."

General Taren glared at the orc, hate evident in his eyes. The orc turned a yellow eye up to gaze into Taren's eyes as well. He rumbled, and the soldiers guarding him bristled with alertness. "And Kulzag knows you Taren of the Men. Many times have we crossed paths."

General Taren hid any surprise he might have felt, his face closing into one of unforgiving loathing. Turning away from the orc the tall general addressed the room. "Hear me! I know of this orc, and have sworn his head shall rest upon my lance. I have lost bloodkin to this orc and I shall not meet with him as ally."

The room went silent as the general strode away from the orc. Before anyone could speak the orc chuckled. "Kulzag had heard Taren of the Men is afraid of orcs." The general froze in his tracks, anger bristling from him. "It must be true...."

The general spun about his sword nearly leaping from its sheath. Levelling the blade at the orc the general's hate-filled eyes locked on him. The orcs tensed readying themselves for a fight as did the soldiers guarding them. Only Kulzag remained motionless, offering no response to Taren's sword.

"Be still!" commanded the mage from the south, his voice thundering with the punch of magic. A third of the room nearly fell from their feet from the effect of the magery. Neither Kulzag nor Taren so much as flinched.

"It matters little to me what hate you hold for each other. I swear before Mohandru that the next to speak will most assuredly speak his last if it be not about our mutual problem and how we ALL shall face it."

Kulzag hesitated, noting the similarity between the power of the mage and that of the shadowwalker that had commanded him here. Finally he bowed, though not so low as with the shadowwalker. "Kulzag hears and will obey."

The room was taken aback in surprise. General Taren's sword dipped to the floor in astonishment.

The mage smiled grimly. "Now...where were we?"