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| Gall The Raider: A New Home - By Zilor |
Gall The Raider: A New Home
Gall awoke to
the sound of a rooster outside his cave. It was being extremely loud for so
early in the morning and no matter how loud Gall would yell, the rooster did not
quit. So since he was awake, Gall decided to get something to eat.
A few minutes
later, Gall was roasting a rooster over a fire just outside his cave. As Gall
waited for the rooster to cook he glanced about the woods, it was quiet, very
Quiet. Gall decided after he ate his rooster he would go and look around the
woods.
Just as Gall
was about to take the first bite out of his breakfast, he heard in the distance
a huge sound like many large footsteps. Quickly Gall put out his fire and kicked
as many of the embers away as he could. Then he dove into his cave and grabbed
his Ax.
Gall sat in
his cave for what felt like days, the sound getting closer by the moment. Then a
large foot crashed down in front of his cave. Then another and another ran by.
Smaller creatures ran along at the large creature's feet. Gall snuck closer to
the cave entrance to try and get a look at what was running by, it was Demons.
After seeing that, he crawled to the back of his cave a stayed as still as he
could and waited for them to pass.
After about
an hour all the creatures had passed. Gall started packing things he thought he
would need. He took his healing potions, food, and some things that he just
liked. He set all his stuff outside and packed his cave with wood and dead
leaves, and then lit them on fire.
"No one will
have Gall's things but Gall." He muttered to himself.
Gall watched
for a moment as it burned, then picked up his things and headed in the opposite
direction of the demons. Gall was sad to leave his home, but he had little
choice, he was no match for demons.
Many days and
nights passed and Gall kept on. He would look for new caves to live in as he
went but, he found nothing suitable. He kept on walking day after day continuing
to find little in the way of a home. Now Gall was low on supplies, and weak from
lack of food. Most the creatures in the forest had run off when the demons
passed and even after all this time, had not returned. Gall had never realized
how large this forest was and he wasn't sure if he would ever get out of it. A
few more days passed and Gall was on his last leg, he was weak and hungry and
all the water he passed was tainted by the Demons, and no longer drinkable. Gall
laid down to rest, and as he did he noticed how dead the forest seemed now. The
trees were turning brown, the grass was dying and there were no living creature
for miles. Then Gall gave up the ghost, and in a swirl of colors, Gall passed
out.
"You know who
that is?" asked an unfamiliar voice.
"Yes, me
know." said yet another strange voice.
"Why bring
here?" asked the first voice again.
"He strong,
he lead us." said the second voice.
"He seem weak
now." said the first voice.
"He be ok, he
just was hungry. I cast spell, he better now." said the second voice.
"He wake
soon?" asked the first voice.
Gall sat up,
"I am awake."
"You're… Orcs..."
Gall said slightly surprised.
The older orc
stepped forward, "Yep. Me is Nakal, the high Shaman of tribe."
"I Deg, me
learning be high shaman." said the younger orc.
Gall looked
around for a moment. He was in a type of building he had not seen in a long
time, it was clearly orcish. It reminded him of his home and mom, from many
years ago. The two orcs were staring at him, and that's when Gall noticed he
hadn't said anything for a few minutes.
"Where is
this?" Gall asked Nakal.
Nakal
answered, "You be at orc tribes home. I use magic and see you weak. I bring you
here and make you good again."
"Why?" Gall
questioned.
Deg took a
step forward, "We need new leader, old leader killed by demons. You strong so
you make good leader, so Nakal bring you here."
"You be
leader?" Nakal asked Gall.
Deg added,
"We need strong leader, you strong..."
"Me must
think." Gall replied.
Nakal and Deg
left the building and Gall lay down again. He thought about his days of raiding,
all the people he killed, the things he gathered…
"My Things!"
Gall yelled!
Nakal came
running in, "What wrong?"
"Where my
things, things I had where are they?" Gall replied in a panicked voice.
"I not bring
things… no worry, me can get." Nakal said.
Nakal began
to wave his hands around and began chanting in words Gall could not understand,
yet sounded familiar. Soon a small white ring formed in the air, and then a pool
of what looked like water.
Nakal stopped
chanting, "Grab things Gall, it safe. Feel like water."
Gall looked
into the pool and saw his bags. He looked at Nakal then thrust his hand into the
pool. Gall waited a moment for his hand entering the pool blurred the image on
the other side, in a moment it was clear. Gall grabbed his things from the
ground and pulled them through the pool and into the room. Gall put his hand in
a second time and grabbed his ax.
"Ah, my ax."
Gall said in a sigh of relief.
Nakal asked,
"All good?"
Gall replied,
"All good."
"You lead us
Gall?" Nakal questioned.
"I live alone
very long time. Miss being part of tribe. I lead."
"Good! We
have much food tonight! Celebrate new leader!" cheered Nakal.
Nakal ran out
of the room, "Deg, he lead us!" Gall heard as he ran out.
A cheer of
joy was heard from Deg when Nakal informed him of Gall being their new leader.
Soon the whole camp was busy in preparation. Tonight they would welcome their
new leader, the legend… Gall the Raider. Being quite tired again, Gall lay down
and went to sleep.
"Gall..
Gall." said in an impatient voice.
Gall awoke to
see Deg staring at him. Gall sat up and took a moment to wake up all the way.
"What you
want Deg?"
"It is time
for feast!" Deg responded excitedly.
Gall smiled,
"Good I hungry."
"Follow Deg,
We go eat."
Gall steps
out of the building and looks around. The orc camp is large with at least 20
buildings. In the center are torches and bowls, and huge kegs of orcish ale. Orc
are dancing around fires and wrestling each other in mud.
It was the
Orcish Dream. Gall felt very lucky to now be the leader of this tribe of orcs.
Nakal came
running up to Gall, "Come, I show you to Orc."
Gall followed
Nakal into the feasting area. The place had a pungent odor that only orc could
find appealing. As Gall followed Nakal he wondered how he did so long without
other Orcs. Nakal led Gall into a stone ring with a big chair made out of stone
with his ax next to.
Nakal raised
his arms into the air and a burst of colors exploded in the sky, "Orc! New
leader has come! It is Legend, Gall the Raider! He Lead us!"
Nakal
continued, "The great warrior Gall! Fate give us leader of legend!"
They chanted,
"Gall, Gall, Gall!"
Nakal raised
a shield off of the ground, "The shield of tribe! The shield of leader! Gall's
shield!"
Nakal handed
the shield to Gall. It was made out of some type of metal Gall was unfamiliar
with. It was covered in nicks and dried blood, but was exceptional! Gall
snatched his ax from the side of the throne.
Gall raised
the shield in the air, "I will lead orc to great things!" he proclaimed.
Gall raises
his ax in the air, "Before great things, we eat!" he yelled.
Another cheer
went out across the orcs as they started the feast. Orc were guzzling ale by the
keg full ….it was truly a great orcish celebration. Some of the attractive
female orc began dancing for Gall as he ate and drank. A hundred different songs
were being sung across the camp and orc were testing their strength against one
another. The whole tribe was celebrating, and within minutes every orc in the
camp was drunk. Gall was the happiest he had ever been.
Gall awoke
the next morning sleeping on the ground, all around lay sleeping orc. There was
food and garbage lying all over the camp. The whole place was trashed; Gall
figured it must have been a good party, even though he remembered little of it.
Gall rolled
onto his back and sat up; he looked around the camp for a while. A ways off
Nakal was walking toward him. He stood and headed over to Nakal.
"Good
celebration Gall?" asked Nakal.
Gall smiled,
"It was good, much drink, much fun."
"That good.
Now thing leader must do." Nakal said in an anxious voice.
"What Gall
must do?" Gall asked.
"Last leader
had son, he bad orc, he stupid orc. No deserve leader." Nakal said.
"So? What
Gall care?" said Gall.
"Tribe have
rule, you must beat Tarb to be leader. He challenge you…"
Gall grinned,
"Oh! That all. Gall win, not problem."
Tarb came out
of a building near Gall. He was taller then the average orc and he looked very
strong. His body was covered in tattoos and scars.
Tarb walked
up to Gall, "Cocky Orc! You no win! No one beat Tarb!"
"I slaughter
you! No match for Gall!" replied Gall.
Nakal let out
a sigh, "You fight noon. Gall, you ax in tree there." Nakal pointed to a tree a
few yards away.
Gall snorted
at Tarb, turned and walked toward his ax, then turned and faced Tarb, "Gall
Destroy You!"
Gall then
walked into a near by building to go back to sleep. As Gall fell asleep he was
overcome with a sense of dread, as if there was something not quite right. He
wasn't sure what it was, maybe the fight, or the hangover. He did not know, but
he hoped he could handle it.
Gall awoke to
cheers and hollers from a crowd of orc, they were outside awaiting something.
"Oh, the
fight…" Gall said while yawning.
Gall stood
up, stretched, and glanced around the room till he found his axe. He picked it
up and took his shield off the floor. He looked around to make sure there wasn't
anything he was forgetting. Assured that he was prepared, Gall stepped out of
the building. As he did, a huge cheer went up from the orcish crowd. The crowd
parted before Gall as he walked forward, the orcs in the center moved out and
formed a ring. In the center stood Tarb, he was holding a massive two handed
sword and pacing about the circle.
"Finally you
awake, are you ready to die?" Growled Tarb.
Gall grinned,
"You die, not Gall."
"We will
see..." said Tarb.
Nakal stepped
from the crowd, "You fight to lead tribe, you fight in honor, you fight to
death. Gall, Tarb you ready?"
Gall raised
his ax in the air and spoke in a powerful voice, "I ready to lead tribe, I ready
to fight, I ready to win!"
Tarb spit at
Gall, "I ready…"
"Fight when I
out of ring and fight to death." Nakal said.
Nakal stepped
from the ring and into the crowd, the orcs in the crowd were chanting Gall's
name and cheering him on. Tarb wasn't concerned with them liking him or not, he
just wanted to lead the tribe, he wanted more power.
Tarb charged
at Gall with his massive weapon! The sword crashed against Gall's shield. Gall
slashed across Tarb's torso but his ax was parried by Tarb's sword. Tarb thrust
his sword at Gall's heart but was deflected by the shield once again.
Tarb backed
off a few paces and growled, then charged Gall with all his strength …. his
sword pointed straight out like a lance. Gall raised his shield to block the
charge. Tarb had counted on this and at the last moment moved his sword away and
rammed his body into the shield. The immense force of the hit flung the shield
out of Gall's hand and onto the ground. Tarb slashed at Gall's shield arm but,
was stopped by Gall's ax.
Enraged, Tarb
went into a fury and unleashed a wave of strikes at Gall. Each strike was
blocked by Gall's ax. Tarb was relentless in his attack and Gall had only time
to defend himself. Gall knew that he couldn't keep this up for much longer. He
would have to retaliate or die.
Tarb prepared
for a powerful strike. He came at Gall's left side... Gall took this moment and
swung his ax from the right. The two weapons met with a flash of sparks, the
moment seemed frozen in time, the orcish crowd was cheering.
"No!" Howled
Tarb.
A crack
appeared across Tarb's sword, and then it shattered is spray of metal shards and
bright sparks. Tarb dropped what was left of his sword and jumped away from
Gall.
Tarb panted,
"How.. how this be. I can't lose.."
Gall
growled, "Yes, you can."
Gall readied
his ax and charged Tarb.
"What of
mercy?" Tarb pleaded.
"No mercy!"
Said Gall, as he brought his ax across Tarb's chest. The spray of blood
splattered Gall and some of the crowd. Gall raised his ax over his head and
brought the ax down on Tarb, the force split Tarb's chest. Then he brought his
ax to the left and came across and lobbed off Tarb's head. The strike launched
his head into the crowd…. an orcish woman picked up the head, put it on a stick,
and raised it into the air.
Nakal stepped
from the crowd, "Gall you win, you are now leader! No other stands to challenge
you, you lead tribe."
"I will lead
tribe good! Best leader ever!" Gall yelled.
The crowed
gasped and stepped away from the ring, Tarb's corpse began to emit a red gaseous
cloud, and it engulfed Tarb's body. An orcish woman in the crowd had Tarb's head
on a stick. The head was in a flame of red energy; the women tossed the head
into the air and ran from the crowd. The head didn't hit the ground; instead it
floated to the center of the ring.
"They..
gave.. me.. power.." gurgled Tarb's head.
"Who!?"
demanded Nakal.
"The..
demons…"
"Why fight
me?" Gall asked.
Tarb gurgled,
"If.. I.. bring.. ax.. they give… me.. more.. power.."
Nakal asked,
"Why they want ax? Why?"
"I.. not…
know… why.. they.. want, but.. I.. will get!" gurgled Tarb in response.
The stick
jutting out of Tarb's head blasted out of the base of his neck. Tarb's corpse
began to stand; the head landed on the stump of a neck left from his
decapitation….strands of flesh flew out of his neck stump and burrowed into the
head, reattaching it to the body. Strands of flesh began to pull Tarb's chest
wounds back together sealing his chest again.
"I take ax to
demons and attain absolute power! Prepare to die, all of you!" roared Tarb.
"As leader, I
not let you hurt tribe!" Gall said in a powerful voice.
"You not stop
me Gall." Said Tarb in an overly calm voice.
Tarb roared
and a glow of red magic engulfed him, two dark blades burst from each of Tarb's
arms. His body distorted and expanded, his back burst in a spray of blood and
two demonic wings emerged. Spikes and spines burst out of his body, a bulge at
the base of Tarb's back broke open and a long tail flew out, a blade grew from
the end of the tail.
"You will
lead nothing." Tarb said in a demonic voice.
"What you
mean?" Gall asked.
Tarb roared,
he turned to the crowd and raised his blades. The blades began to glow red and
pulse with magic. Then he brought the blades down in a quick swipe. A burst of
magic shot out into a crowd killing all the orc it touched.
"You will pay
for that!" Gall yelled as he charged the demonic Tarb.
Tarb laughed,
"You have no chance of winning."
Gall brought
his ax back but, just before he could strike he was slammed by Tarb's tail,
sending him into the crowd. Tarb stomped forward, impaling orcs with the blades
on his arms and beheading them with his bladed tail. All the orc began to flee
into the buildings.
Gall stood
up, "You lucky that time."
Gall charged
Tarb again. Tarb thrust his blade toward Gall… but he dodged it, bringing his ax
across Tarb's stomach, cutting him badly.
"Ah, that ax
burns!" Tarb asked in pain.
The demonic
blood that touched the ax flowed into, until now, hidden grooves. As the blood
flowed into these grooves, it formed symbols across the metal. All the blood on
the ax formed into symbols, pulsing along the grooves as if flowing through a
body. In the center of the ax there was a red glow, the glow dissipated and a
pulsing gem lay in the center of the blade. The blood moved to the pulse of the
gem, like a heart feeding the ax power.
Gall stared
at his ax in amazement, "What…. what is this?"
"I not know!
But I kill you never the less!" Growled Tarb.
Tarb slashed
at Gall with his bladed arm, Gall parried the attack with his ax. The collision
between the two powers let loose a spray of magic. Gall slashed at Tarb but, was
deflected by Tarb's other bladed arm. Tarb brought his tail around and thrust
the tip of the blade at Gall's head. He dodged the attack and struck at the
tail, making contact, a burst of fire erupted from the wound. Gall pushed down
on the ax. Pinning the tail on the ground, he gave another push …cutting off the
end of the tail. Tarb roared in pain, flapped his massive wings and lifted into
the air. Gall's ax glowed as a few tendrils of red energy shot toward the
severed tail. The energy engulfed it and absorbed it into the ax.
"I not know
what that is, but if you can't hit me… you not hurt me!" Tarb screamed.
Several fully
equipped orc warriors came out of their houses, where they had fled to earlier.
Some lightly armored orc warriors pulled out crossbows and loaded them with
arrows. They aimed at Tarb and let loose a barrage of arrows. They struck Tarb…
but most were deflected by his thick skin. Some, however, did penetrate his
armored hide but did little to hurt him.
Nakal ran up
to Gall in an orcish shaman's garb, holding a glowing staff, "Gall, our warriors
at your command."
"Good, but
Tarb is right, long as he flies I can't hurt." Gall said in a worried voice.
Tarb flung a
bolt of magic into a group of warriors, the impact hurling them into the air.
The blast didn't kill them all …so some stood again. Nakal lifted his staff into
the air and chanted some words. A purple ray of light shot toward Tarb, it
splashed across his chest. It burst and tendrils of purple light wrapped around
Tarb. Nakal pulled back on his staff and Tarb slowly came to the ground.
"Tie him
down!" ordered Gall.
Orcish
archers picked up ropes and tied it to weighted arrows. They launched them over
Tarb, lodging them in the ground on the other side. They tied off their ends to
trees and other large things.
Tarb
struggled as Gall walked toward him. He tried to bring his bladed arm around and
cut the ropes.
"Why demons
want ax?" Gall asked.
"You saw what
ax do to me, they want ax power away from enemies."
Tarb roared
and expanded his wings against the ropes…. snapping them. He was free again.
"No!" Gall
yelled as he jumped into the air, he brought his ax across Tarb's right wing.
The wing burst into flames along the cut and the thin membrane burned away
leaving nothing but a skeletal shell of his former wing. The ax extended red
tendrils of energy to the fallen parts of the wing, absorbing the pieces of
flesh into the ax. The gem's pulse quickened its pace.
Gall prepared
to strike again. He went to attack and hit Tarb's arm blade. This time the
energy from the ax shattered Tarb's blade, and the ax tendrils shot into the
air, snatched the broken arm blade pieces, and absorbed them into the ax.
"This can't
be, what this thing is!" Tarb said as he slashed at Gall with his remaining arm
blade. Gall dodged and Tarb struck again, and Gall defended with his ax. When
Tarb's blade came in contact with the ax, the blade shattered into a thousand
pieces. The ax's tendrils absorbed the pieces once again.
Reduced to
nothing but his claws, he began swiping at Gall. But, the claws were nothing
compared to Gall's ax. Tarb struck at Gall with his right claw, Gall brought up
his ax and removed Tarb's claw. He jumped again and brought his ax across Tarb's
left arm, severing it from his body. The ax absorbed the two severed parts of
Tarb's body. Again the ax's pulse quickened and the vein-like symbols began to
glow. A wave of energy was coming from the Gem and traveling to the ax's edged.
"Warriors, no
let Tarb escape!" Gall told them, the warriors surrounded Tarb, blocking any
chance of escape; slashing at him when he came in range ….creating deep gashes
on his legs and stomach.
"They not let
you keep ax, give to me now… and you maybe live." Tarb said in an almost normal
voice.
Gall
chuckled, "You still think you defeat me?"
Tarb shook
his demonic head, "No, I not defeat you. But demons can. Give me ax and they not
come for you."
"What I do?
Stick it in one of your stumps?" Gall said jokingly.
"So be it."
Tarb said, he tilted his head back and lunged forward. A blast of demonic energy
rushed at Gall, quickly he brought up his ax, and the energy split against it
and dissipated behind him.
Gall cut
across Tarb's stomach tearing it wide open. The ax created flames along the cut,
burning Tarb. Small tendrils began extending to the blood as it sprayed from the
cut, absorbing it into the ax. A blinding flash came from the gem in the ax!
When full sight returned, the ax had changed once again. The gem had turned
white and so had all the blood markings! Although completely white, the energy
still pulsed through it like blood. The ax glowed in a white, misty energy. New
veins of energy had become visible and stretched to the blade of the ax.
"The light
burns! Make it stop!" Tarb screamed in pain.
"I'll make it
stop." Gall said in a cold voice.
With a yell
Gall ran at Tarb, jumping at his chest. Gall lifted the ax over his head and
struck at Tarb's chest. He cut through the thick armored skin he had grown, and
crushed the bones in his chest. The gem in the ax pulsed and let loose a blast
of white light. The gem returned to red and all the white energy was forced to
the blade of the ax. The energy burst from the blade and tore through Tarb's
chest and out of Tarb's back blowing his spine straight out of his body and into
the woods. Gall fell to the ground, his ax nearly normal again…. only the gem
remained.
Tarb
collapsed into a heap of demonic flesh, on the verge of death, "Gall, they will
come, they kill you." Tarb said as he coughed up blood.
"I kill them
too."
Tarb coughed
once and died. The ax sent out tendrils once more, and absorbed the corpse. One
tendril shot into the woods weaving around trees, reaching the spine and
absorbing it. The red gem glowed for a moment and the metal of the ax closed
back in on the gem covering it up.
Gall looked
his ax over, in a dazed sort of way until Nakal stepped up, "You do good Gall."
"Thank you
Nakal. Victory! We have won!"
The orc
cheered. Those who had hid during the battle came from the buildings and began
cheering for Gall and the warriors who fought the demon. Warriors were lifted
and carried around; Nakal waved his staff around and lifted Gall into the air.
"I lead on
many great battles!" Gall yelled to the crowd.
Nakal lowered
Gall back to the ground. He pointed his staff into the air and shot out hundreds
of balls of light, they burst in the air! "To our leader, Gall!"
"Nakal, tell
Deg prepare for new celebration! We have tonight!" Gall told Nakal, as he walked
to his stone chair.
Gall sat on
his chair and as he watched the celebration. As he did, he wondered how the
demons knew where he was, and why they didn't kill him in the woods by his home
when they destroyed the forest.
"Nakal, come
here!" Gall yelled over the crowd.
"What is
it?"
"When could
Tarb been touched be demons?" Gall asked.
"I not know,
but we need be on guard, he said demons come." Nakal answered.
Gall sighed,
"Tomorrow we prepare camp against demons… tonight we celebrate honorable deaths
and great victory."
As night fell
great meals had been prepared once again, and kegs brought from underground
cellars. The time began once again to celebrate, for victory and for death.
Gall stood in
the stone ring and a hush fell over the orc crowd, "Today I prove self as leader
to tribe, as tribe destroy Tarb, the orcish demon. Today we lost great warriors,
their honor never be forgotten. Best orc crafters make statue to mark honorable
day…. to mark honorable deaths…. to mark honorable duel…. to mark slaying demon.
Today never forgotten!"
The crowed
cheered as they continued eating and drinking. An orcish woman brought food to
Gall and he began to feast. As the night wore on, dancers entertained Gall, and
young warriors challenged him to arm-wrestle. Orc offered gifts to their new
leader Gall. After many hours, the celebration had dwindled; orc had passed out
or fallen asleep all over the camp. Gall himself was quite tired and ready to
sleep, when he realized he wasn't sure where he actually lived.
"Nakal, where
you?" Gall asked out-loud.
Nakal walked
up from behind Gall, "Yes?"
"Where I
live?" Gall asked.
"Follow me."
Gall hopped up and followed Nakal. They walked toward the northern most point of
the camp, where there was a large orcish structure with shields and skulls
decorating the outside. Walking inside, Gall sat on his bed. Nakal walked to the
door, "Welcome home Gall." Gall smiled and fell asleep.
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