The Emerald King

Donald sat in Gala’s gigantic war room, sipping on a glass of wine. By the orc standard, it was a regular glass, but with their kind being so much larger than humans, it may as well have been a glass bucket to him. Not only that, but the chair he sat in was so large, his feet couldn’t quite touch the ground, hovering roughly a foot above. He wasn’t exactly the tallest man in the world, but even a tall man would just barely fit in the seat.

The room had the sanded and polished stump of a large redwood for a table, and on it lay a map with a multitude of scribbles and pins, marking each of the Zruhk cities and neighboring capitals of the nearby countries. Around the room were iron candelabras holding large lit candles, and green banners with a golden horse circling above him on the bulbous ceiling. While the room was large and the banners very regal, there was a plainness to them that was lacking in banners and rooms of his king’s own castle.

Perhaps our leaders worry too much about how pretty things look, he had thought upon first seeing Gala’s city. It wasn’t pretty, but it was very much practical. It showed that her people only kept what they needed, and didn’t care for more extravagant things. However, Don had heard that wasn’t the case with all Zruhk lords. Gala had claimed once that if he had met her uncle, he would have quite the opposite perspective.

At the time Don didn’t have Nara around to explain, and while he could very well have brought her to this current meeting, he preferred that she stay and practice her magic. They had made a trade. She practiced her spells and he would practice the tongue of the orcs. And for the last month or so he had been, every waking moment. Every bit of spare time he could get went toward studying. At times he had become frustrated, feeling he was too old to be learning new things like this.

He kept his cool, however, as he knew this was a necessity. He was tired of needing a translator and it was easier now since coming to the city, seeing as he had so many he could practice speaking with. It came very much in handy with the very meeting he was in.

Sat around the table with him were Gala, two male orcs named Gorram, and Voor and another female named Yeera. The three were Gala’s advisors, and so far Don had nothing but respect for each of them. They were clearly seasoned warriors and had seen many things in their lives that earned them their wisdom. Each of them was close to his age, but as he had been told, orcs lived more than twice the lifetime of humans. If Don were an orc himself he’d still be a young adult. What he wouldn’t give to be young again.

“The messengers we sent out to each of the lords’ cities haven’t returned yet,” Gorram said. “However, we’ve received word from those who were sent to the Riverlands and the mountains.”

“What have they found?” Gala asked, eyes focused on the map laid before her.

“It seems that the mountain clans have no desire to join in the conflict, the fighting hasn’t reached their territory.”

“Typical,” Gala said annoyed and unsurprised. “I suppose for now we’ll focus on the investigation. I want to know whats happened with Kulg and the other lords. I had hoped the messengers would have sent word by now, at least one of them. This is troublesome.”

“Yes,” Yeera agreed, “but what of this emerald?”

Yeera gestured to the emerald encased in amber laying on the table next to the map. It had thankfully not caused any more trouble since Don had sealed it away several weeks prior. However, it also meant they couldn’t study it further, for fear of it causing more casualties. In the end, Gala and her advisors had agreed to keep it encased for the time being, at least until they could find out more regarding Kulg and the other lords.

Don didn’t care for this, as he wished to at least take a look at it more thoroughly for himself, the gem clearly could not affect him as it did the orcs, but he could understand their hesitance. An object like this was strange and unnatural, even by his own peoples’ standards. From what little he saw in battle, he could tell the gem wasn’t just some magician’s trinket. It had life within it, perhaps even a mind of its own. At the very least it was obvious to him that the old orc he had fought barely knew how to use it.

Don looked to each of the advisors and Gala, thinking on what had transpired.

“Clearly,” Don said after clearing his throat, “something has been kept from you, Gala.”

“It does seem that way,” she agreed.

“If I may,” Don said, “I understand your reservations towards pulling the gem from the amber, but I need to study it. Lock me up somewhere, keep me secluded from all others, but I believe this emerald is the key to answering many questions. Perhaps even answers regarding your brother.”

Gala and the rest showed clear hesitation, but they couldn’t deny Don’s point. It was, after all, a very good one. Gala rested her hand on the ember and slid it across the table over to him.

“Do what you must,” she said in defeat, “But you are responsible for any lives lost. You can use my chambers on the top floor, far from anyone else. I’ll make sure none of the servants go up there. You’ll have complete privacy to work, however long you need.”

“I’ll go there now,” Don said gratefully, hopping down from the large chair. “I’m not much for meetings and such anyway, I leave that to the nobles. Let me know what your next move will be when you decide it.”

“I will,” Gala assured him.

With that Don left them to their own devices, heading several stories up to Gala’s quarters. The climb up was almost like climbing a mountain to Don, as each stair felt like three. This was not something someone of his age should have to deal with anymore, yet here he was. When he finally reached the top he had no choice but to stop and lean against the cool stone wall, fearing his legs would give out.

He could feel his lungs lightly burning as he tried to catch his breath, his heart thumping like a war drum just before battle. He wiped the sweat from his brow with a sleeve and gave a quick glance down the hallway before him. It was only a few yards long with a single door a few steps forward and to the right. At the very end of the hall stood a ladder that lead up to what he assumed was the roof of the fortress itself.

Once he had collected himself he made way to the heavy wooden door and pried it open. The vast circular room inside was a sight to behold. The bed at its center easily four to five times the size of any bed back home, perhaps even larger than the one the king himself slept in. It had a polished white marble frame with bright green silk blankets line with a silver trim. The pillows were adorned with the orc’s crest of the golden horse and a silver button on each of their corners.

The walls surrounding were covered by shelves, banners, wardrobes, chests, candelabras, and racks holding various weapons more fitting to an orc’s size. Upon the shelves were different trinkets, stones, and gems most likely from all across the Orc lands. One item that had caught Don’s eye was a large smooth blue stone that looked as if it were filled with a swirling current of water and glowed rather brightly. It was so bright that it alone illuminated a good portion of Gala’s chambers.

What sorcery conjured such a stone as this? Don thought, nearly forgetting the reason he had come up here in the first place.

On the far end of the room was another door that was wide open, revealing a large study. Don walked over to it as he enjoyed the dry smell of parchment and mahogany that filled the room. Inside this new room wasn’t nearly as much as the previous. Only a desk, three chairs and a small table (relative to an orc) inhabited it. Along with a kettle and teacups that were made for hands far larger than his own. There were also three half-filled bookshelves along the wall, but seeing as Don couldn’t read orcish their contents weren’t of much use to him.

Don took a seat and placed the encased emerald on the desk before him. He placed his palm out above it and released it from its prison, dissolving the amber into nothingness. The emerald sat and did nothing as he looked it over. It did not glow, nor shudder like it had in the past.

Curious, Don thought.

He picked it up and stretched out his palm flat and then the gem was engulfed in flames. Do let the fire burn for a few moments before killing it and inspecting the gem again. Nothing. This time he tried a different approach, treating the gem as if it were no more than a mere trinket for storing magic. Don placed it back on the desk and got up from his seat, pushing the heavy chair back several feet to give him space. This time he outstretched both hands and focused on the gem.

Once again he unleashed flames upon the gem, feeling the hot prickling of magic flow through his flesh, but this time in smaller more concentrated streams that poured from each of his finger-tips. The emerald shuddered and writhed beneath the flames, but it did not glow and the shuddering was due to the flames and not its own making. He released the stream and sat, thinking. The emerald didn’t move or glow and Don had no ideas. He considered the fight with the old orc and the things that he had done.

Healing wounds and summoning a ghostly steed. Really it wasn’t much to go off of, the old fool didn’t even seem to know how to properly use it. A bird fluttered to the window, singing a sweet melody that only irritated Don as he tried to think.

“Bloody animal,” he spat. Normally he would welcome the company as he had a love for animals. But now was not the time, he needed to learn the secrets of the emerald. Then it dawned on him.

The horse, Don thought, and the emerald. The orcs pray to the animal spirits, perhaps... Can I?

Don looked to the bird, wanting to try something he had never considered. The magic of his homeland was wielded through the elements. Water, earth, fire, ice, air, even the plants around them. Really it wasn’t much different from what the orcs did, just applied differently. The animals in this part of the world were different than in his kingdom so very far away. They were intelligent, had true minds of their own. Even the little bird in the window.

“You can understand me, can’t you?” Don said, still looking at the bird. It ceased its singing and cocked its head and gave a slight fluttering of wings. “You can!” he carefully walked up to it, hoping it wouldn’t fly away. When it did not he felt more confident in his idea.

“Can you help me?”

Silence.

“Well?”

Silence still.

Don’t rolled his eyes and sighed, turning away from the bird to reclaim his seat at the desk.

Yes, a gentle singing voice whispered for seemingly everywhere and nowhere.

Don turned back to the bird, shocked. Was he hearing things? Could it really be possible that this little bird of black and brown was speaking to him? No, it couldn’t be, he’d never heard of such a thing. Then again, he never knew orcs existed until now either and yet here he stood, in the citadel of an orc.

“Say again?” Don asked carefully.

Yes! came the small voice again as the bird flew from the window and onto his shoulder.

“Ah- well then,” he said a little flustered. “I just need to borrow a small bit of your strength, if that’s alright with you little birdy.”

Yes, yes! This time the bird chirped along with the words and Don knew he wasn’t just losing his sense to old age.

Well, I’ll be damned, he thought.

Moving the chair away from the desk, Don gave himself several paces of space between himself and the emerald still sitting lifelessly on the desk.

“This is my first time trying anything like this,” said Don. “Bear with me.”

The bird cocked its head in affirmation and did a quick hop hop onto the top of his bald head.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

If nothing happened outside of the emerald, perhaps it was the inside he needed to see. First, without the bird’s help, he focused and pulled the magic from within his being and again it prickled and writhed through his flesh and out through his outstretched fingertips. The flames were more concentrated as he tried to shoved them into the emerald itself, treating it as he would a spellbook or orb. This time the gem reacted as it lit up, shuddered, and raised into the air.

At first, Don thought that he had succeeded without the bird’s help, but then the light of the emerald grew brighter and spat the flames back to him. Having little time to react, Don jumped out of the way as the bird flew from his head and hovered in the air above. He landed with a thud on the wooden floor and watched as the flames engulfed the small table and tea set. The emerald died and landed with a click-clack back onto the desk, nearly falling onto the floor as it bounced.

Quickly he extinguished the flames with a flick of his fingers, leaving the table and tea set black and smoking. He coughed and flapped his hands to try and clear away some of the smoke through the window. Once he could focus again he grabbed the emerald and placed it back at the desk’s center.

“This time you can help,” he said to the bird as it landed back on top of his head. Its tiny feet tickled him as it shifted around.

Yes yes! The bird said again.

Don stretched his arms and back, popping his joints and knuckles and enjoying the feeling of relief that came with it. He held out his fingers again, this time pulling magic from within himself and a small portion from the bird atop his head. The flames shot out as they had before, but this time he planned to make a golem that he could use to see inside of it. It seemed he was making some headway as the flames disappeared into the emerald. The Gem glowed and writhed again, but this time did not spit the flames back. The golem had been created, but to the uninformed, it looked as if Don had just blasted it with flame again.

Now that the golem was inside, Don closed his eyes and transferred his consciousness into his creation, in hopes that he would see what made the emerald tick. He left his aging fleshy vessel and flew across the room and into the jewel. There was a misty swirling haze of blues and greens as he soared. He could see himself plummeting towards his creation that sat seemingly leagues below him. He Reached his mark and what he found after disturbed him greatly. Through the golem’s eyes, he could make out hundreds if not thousands of orcs and animals, wandering a vast blue smokey void. Their eyes empty and faces nearly expressionless, save for a hint of despair, as their jaws hanged loosely in the stupor. They didn’t seem to pay his creation any mind, only focusing on nothing, wandering so very aimlessly.

What in Gorban’s great name is this? Don thought, feeling anxiety creep through his fiery vessel.

He tried to interact with the beings within to no avail, as they continued on their way as if he didn’t exist. He wandered through the void, trying to stir the souls within and see if he could speak to one of them, any of them. To no avail. By this point, Don had seen enough and was ready to sever his connection with the golem. Before he could release himself a great pain came over him. His body was no more than a formation of flames of his own conjuring, but he felt as if he were made of flesh and blood as the pain coursed throughout him. It was so intense he wanted nothing more than to fall over and die. He tried to break his link with the golem, but he could not. It was as if something was forcing him to stay.

You’re with my sister, I see, a proud voice rang in Don’s mind. Please, tell her I will be there for a visit once I am done with my business.

Who are you? Don tried to think back at the voice, still bearing the pain.

I am the true ruler of this land, here to clean out the filth of your ‘people’, and to cleanse my kind of those who seek to betray me.

Betray you?

Yes, the voice said gently as the pain consuming Don began to dissipate. There are those who would betray me. Some I considered good friends, even my own family... even my sister.

Gala, Don said.

Yes, The pain returned in force. In harboring you she is a traitor. You who would come here and burn my peoples’ lives to the ground. I’ve destroyed the other traitorous lords, but she still remains.

Don felt the pain in his mind intensify greater and greater. If he had to endure it much longer he would certainly pass out. He had one option left, if he couldn’t pull himself from the gem, he would destroy the golem instead. Before the idea could be realized, however, the mindless souls trapped within the gem began to disperse into a thick blue mist and form together. What formed from the mist was the large specter of an orc clad in black robes, emeralds embedded into his arms and forehead just like the one he was in now.

Once I’m done with your ‘people’ who invaded our lands, I shall go to your kingdom next. You’ll make fine slaves for the empire I will build in its place. I will save my people from the coming threat and be known as the champion of Oracvar. I will leave a legacy even greater than the hero Ver.

You can go the fuck to hell, Don retorted, focusing with all his might on destroying the golem.

What’s this? YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME, HUMAN?

Kulg looked as if he were about to crush him with a gargantuan fist, but before he could land the blow, Don felt himself fall the floor in Gala’s study. The gem was still floating above the desk, a raging light within it. No doubt it was the inferno left by the golem exploding. The light died out and the emerald fell back onto the desk and bounced off it with a clack, landing it on the floor near Don’s feet.

Don scrambled, he felt weak and shaken, with clammy hands. A cold sweat covered his entire body. With heavy breath he held out his hands, ready to seal the gem back in amber, when it glowed once again, zipping into the air and flying out the window. This had startled Don and caused him to fall flat on his ass. To his right lay the shriveled corpse of the bird, looking as if the life had been sucked out of it with a straw.

“Well,” Don said between shallow breaths, “this is a bigger fucking problem than we thought.”