Savior of gilgin, p.1
Savior of Gilgin, page 1
Savior of Gilgin
The Crystal War Saga, Volume 3
Roderick Donatus
Published by Prince of Spires, 2023.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
SAVIOR OF GILGIN
First edition. May 15, 2023.
Copyright © 2023 Roderick Donatus.
ISBN: 978-9493334007
Written by Roderick Donatus.
Also by Roderick Donatus
The Crystal War Saga
Defender of Gilgin
Betrayer of Gilgin
Savior of Gilgin
Standalone
Emperor
Sky Pirates
Watch for more at Roderick Donatus’s site.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Also By Roderick Donatus
Fleeing Gilgin
Brimir
Birchwood
Nighttime Raid
Under Attack
To Pythia
The Slave Camp
Rolf
The Prophecy Stones
Captured
The Siege of Brimir
The Road Ahead
The Ochloroc World
The Journey North
Back to Xipuhn
The City of Svartalfheim
Niflheim
Into the Darkness
The Crystal of Creation
Planning
Jorun
Stirgard
The Siege
The Black Pyramid
Gilgin
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Further Reading: Sky Pirates
Also By Roderick Donatus
About the Author
Fleeing Gilgin
Finn marched along the forest road with Henge the Manhir by his side. Elina and Kristofer trailed behind him, as did the rest of the refugees from Gilgin. Birch dominated the forest around them, interspersed with the occasional alder tree, as it did for most of the lands between Gilgin and Brimir. He hummed quietly to himself, content to simply hike through the local lands without having to worry about the backstabbing politics of Gilgin.
The early afternoon sun found a gap in the canopy and fell on Henge, highlighting the red mark on the rock-like being's shoulder. This dragged Finn’s thoughts back to how Jorun and Gudmund had forced them to flee Gilgin, even as Elina had managed to bring back Henge.
His friend noticed his look, gave him a smile, and asked in his deep, rumbling voice, “Have you already decided where to go after Brimir?”
Finn shook his head. “All I know is that we can’t stay there. Jorun is bound to show up with his new friends, looking for me.”
“The Manhir will protect you.”
“Yes, but I can’t ask the people of Brimir to get into a war over me. Besides, it would simply put us in the same situation as we were in Gilgin, fighting a war of attrition we can’t win.”
“It will be the same in other places.”
“I know,” Finn sighed. “Did you learn of a way to defeat the Ochloroc while you were a crystal?”
“Being a crystal was a strange experience. At first I was aware of nothing, but after a while I attuned myself to the Light and Dark Crystals, and I began to see the echoes of magic all across the world. I felt the Ochloroc building their pyramid, and Elina practicing her magic nearby. I could even see a strange force sitting far to the north. Unfortunately, seeing and understanding are two different things.”
Finn sighed. Henge having any extra knowledge had been a long shot, but one that would have helped them immensely. “We’ll figure something out. There’s always a solution to be found. We’ll just make the best of it until we find it.”
The forest made way for a grassy vale as they chatted about all that had happened over the past months. Wood smoke, heavy in the air despite the warmth of the summer day, announced an upcoming village. The land flattened out, and the village became visible in the distance, smoke rising from the various buildings that lay along the ford across the river that ran down the middle of the valley.
A guttural cry rang through the air, and Finn froze in place so suddenly that Elina bumped into him. Ochloroc! “Get down!” He ducked and rushed to a rise in the land beside the road, getting out of sight of the village, his companions hurrying after him. He motioned for silence and listened intently for any indication they’d been spotted as he drew his axe. Another Ochloroc shout answered the first, this one more distant, but there was no alarm in it; just two people having a long-distance conversation. They hadn’t been seen.
“What are they doing?” Elina whispered. “There’s nothing here.”
“I’ve got a hunch,” Finn replied. “Stay here.” He got down on his stomach and crawled through the waving grass to the side of the rise, where he had a clear view of the village. As he spied out the place, he realized he’d passed through this hamlet just a few weeks ago as he’d led half the Inquisitional army on a useless search for Ochloroc raiders. The little bastards had finally shown up.
Flames licked the wooden sides of one of the houses near the ford; the source of the smoke they’d smelled earlier. Maybe two dozen diminutive figures wandered among the buildings. From this distance they looked like teenagers dressed in long, dark robes, their faces hidden behind gleaming silver masks. The Ochloroc herded the human inhabitants towards the center of the hamlet, to where a stone golem, looking like a crude imitation of Henge, stood watch over them.
He crawled back to Elina, Kristofer, and Henge. “They’re gathering slaves.”
“We’ve got to free them,” Kristofer whispered. Several of the men and women around his friend nodded in agreement.
“There are more than two dozen Ochloroc in that village,” Finn said, “and they also brought a golem.”
“We can’t just abandon those people,” Kristofer said.
“I didn’t say we would. I was just making sure everyone knew what we’re getting into.”
“I’m with Kristofer,” a woman, Klara her name was, said behind him. “No one deserves that treatment.” Others muttered in agreement.
“So what’s the plan?” Kristofer asked.
Everyone turned to look at Finn. “Give me a moment.” He ran over what he’d seen of the hamlet in his mind, adding to it what he remembered of the surrounding lands. “There are two directions the Ochloroc can take when they leave. Either they’ll come towards us, following the road west towards Gilgin, or they’ll cross the river. From there they can head north back to their underground realm or east to Brimir.”
“So we split our forces to cut off both directions and ambush them?” Kristofer asked.
“The past few weeks have shown us that splitting forces is rarely a good idea. Besides, we don’t have the manpower to do so. With their golem, the Ochloroc would overwhelm half of us.”
“Then what?”
“I’m sure they’ll head east across the river,” Finn stated. “There’s nothing for them to the west, while if they cross the river, they can head north towards Stirgard and make for one of their underground cities. They’ll have to split their forces as they move across, with some leading the captured people and the rest following. If we attack when they’re halfway across the river, then we only have to fight half of them.”
The men and women around him nodded their assent. It was a simple enough plan, which he liked. There wasn’t much that could go wrong with it. Putting his axe away, he crawled to the edge of the road and found a place from which he could just about make out the hamlet. When he was certain the Ochloroc weren't looking his way, he dashed across the road and ducked behind a hip-height wall bordering a field. One by one, his companions flowed after him.
From there he crawled towards the river, where a few birch and alder trees and some low shrubs offered the most cover. Weaving through the trees, he approached to within fifty paces of the hamlet, where he hid behind a cherry bush. Within minutes, Kristofer and his followers had gathered around him.
“We wait here until they get ready to leave,” Finn whispered. “Then we sneak to the edge of the village. When part of the Ochloroc group has crossed the river, we attack. Any questions?” He looked round the group gathered around him. One by one they shook their heads. “Very well, we move on my signal.”
He crept round the bush until he had a clear view of the hamlet, and pulled his axe. The Ochloroc ambled around the place, seemingly without a care in the world, pillaging the houses one by one and setting fire to them after they’d dragged out anything valuable. All the goods were loaded onto a handcart so large it could only be drawn by the golem. The humans were herded into the middle of the hamlet, where two Ochloroc chained them together.
One of the humans shoved his captor away as he was about to be chained to another woman and fled between two buildings, making for the forest’s edge. An Ochloroc yelled an order and pointed with a finger, and the golem rushed after the man, catching him before he’d passed the first building. The clay creature lifted him by the back of his shirt and dragged him back to the line of prisoners. When they got there, the Ochloroc said something and the golem dumped the man on the ground, holding him down with a slab-like hand. The Ochloroc overseer pulled out a whip and lashed the man again and again. With each strike the man cried out, his shouts echoing along the river. Finally, the Ochloroc grew bored of doling out punishment, and the golem dragged the whimper
The sun had moved a hand’s width and the smoke from the burning buildings had grown thick in the air, mingling with the sulfuric scent that seemed to always accompany the Ochloroc, when one of the little bastards shouted an order. His companions who’d spread throughout the hamlet returned to the line of prisoners, and the golem took up his position at the front of the handcart. This was what Finn had been waiting for. He waved at his companions to get their attention and motioned towards the hamlet. He made his way around the cherry bush, keeping low, and dashed towards the closest building.
Finn pressed his back again the rough bark of the house’s log wall, and strained his ears as his companions joined him. The sounds coming from the village didn’t change. The Ochloroc chatted to one another in their harsh, guttural tongue, and, apart from the still-whimpering man, the humans were silent. Finn's group hadn’t been spotted.
He spied round the corner of the building, getting a clear view of the ford. Hidden from view on the other side of the building, the handcart creaked as the golem set it in motion, its wheels clattering on the uneven surface of the road. Any moment now, the first Ochloroc would make their way towards the ford and across the river. He’d wait until the human prisoners were in the middle of the river to make his attack. With the humans in the way, the half of the Ochloroc force that would be across the river would be hindered when reinforcing their comrades.
A low whistle came from behind him. Elina, who stood at the farthest corner, waved him over, a distraught look on her face. As he rushed over to her, she pointed round her corner of the house. He glanced round and cursed in a low voice. “Shit.” The Ochloroc column had set in motion, but they weren’t heading towards the river; they were going the other way.
Why? There’s nothing for them there. The thought flashed through his head; he pushed it away. He could be surprised later. Now he needed to act before the Ochloroc got out of the hamlet and they lost all possibility of surprising the little buggers. They’d just have to make the best of it.
He waved over Kristofer. “Take half our men to the next house,” he whispered, “and charge in from the flank. I’ll do the same from this side. Make as much noise as you can once you make contact with the Ochloroc.” Kristofer nodded, pointed at several men and women, and rushed away.
Finn turned to Henge and Elina. “Can you keep the golem occupied until we deal with the Ochloroc?”
“Sure,” Henge answered. “We’ve faced a few before.”
“Thanks.”
Kristofer had gotten to the back of the next building. Time to get started, Finn thought. He raised his axe and charged round the corner of the building. The Ochloroc had already passed the alley between this building and the next, and Finn burst out into the open behind the enemy column.
A dozen or so Ochloroc were ambling down the road leading out of the hamlet behind the group of captured humans. One of them wielded a whip several paces long, using it to encourage the humans to keep shuffling forward. The others had sheathed their weapons, and were chatting with one another. The golem pulling the handcart laden with all the pillaged goods walked between the humans and the other half of the Ochloroc soldiers, who chatted as carelessly as those at the rear.
Finn charged at the closest Ochloroc and buried his axe in the slaver's back while shouting at the top of his lungs. All around him his companions followed suit, attacking whoever they could. He jerked his axe free and attacked the next Ochloroc even as Henge rushed past him to strike the golem. Kristofer and his half of their troops streamed out from beside the next building, intercepting the Ochloroc rushing to the aid of their comrades.
The golem pulling the cart dropped his load and counterattacked Henge. With a series of earth-shattering punches, it forced the Manhir back. Then the ground underneath them buckled and the golem stumbled, its foot stuck in a rocky grasp. Finn spared a glance over his shoulder. Elina knelt with her eyes closed, one hand held to the ground; she’d trapped the golem with her magic.
Three of their soldiers attacked the stuck golem, striking at its side and legs. The hulking creature half-turned to face this annoyance, and with a lightning-fast strike of its arm swatted one away. The man crumpled against a house five paces back, blood streaming from a head wound. As the golem struck the man, though, it exposed its back to Henge. The Manhir jumped forward and pummeled the creature’s back with his fists over and over, until a crack like shattering glass rang through the hamlet, and the golem collapsed in a mound of rubble and clay; Henge had destroyed the crystal that powered the creature.
With the collapse of the golem, the last of the Ochloroc turned and fled, even as the captured humans cheered at the sight. The fight was over. Finn took stock of their situation. The man knocked back by the golem lay dead on the ground, his head caved in. Another woman had died fighting the Ochloroc, pierced multiple times by a sword. Three of their soldiers sat on the ground, bleeding from large stab-wounds, while a handful of others bled from smaller injuries. All in all, they’d done well to get out of the encounter, with minimal casualties.
Finn turned to Elina. “Can you triage the wounded? I’ll free the prisoners.”
“Sure thing.” Elina ordered several of the men standing around, looking uncertain about what to do, to heat water and bring the wounded over to her, even as she hurried towards a man leaning against a fence with his cradled arm against his chest.
Finn headed over to the prisoners, who huddled together by the side of the road. “Did anyone see if one of the Ochloroc carried a key with him?”
“Master Finn, I thought I recognized ya,” a voice from the group said. A man with greying hair round his temples stepped out of the line as far as his shackles allowed. “Ne’er did have time to send me boy to tell ya we spotted some of them Ochloroc, but it seems like ya didn’t need to be told anyway.”
“Master Torbin, I’m glad to find you alive and well. Let’s see if we can get you freed. We can talk after you’re more comfortable.”
“Aye, that’s true, that is. One of ’em little folk has the key all right. Not sure which one, though. They all look the same to me.”
“Don’t worry,” Finn said. “I’ve got a different solution. Henge, can you lend a hand?”
The Manhir walked over from where he’d been examining the golem’s remains. “What do you need?”
“We’ve lost the key. Can you get them out of their chains?”
“Shouldn’t be too hard.” Henge walked over to the line of prisoners and went down to one knee. When he reached out with one of his boulder-like hands to grab a chain, the people shied away.
“Don’t be afraid,” Finn said. “You can trust him. He’s one of my best friends.”
Master Torbin stepped forward, holding out his arms. “If you says we can trust ’im, then we can trust ’im.”
With exaggerated care, Henge reached out with two fingers and snapped the chain, freeing Torbin’s legs one at a time. After seeing how careful the towering figure had been, the other prisoners closed in on Henge, eager to be freed. One by one all the chains fell away, until Henge had freed all humans of their shackles and the chains lay in a pile of metal.
“I’m sorry we weren’t in time to save your town,” Finn said as Torbin approached him.
The man looked at the burning buildings around them. “Don’t be, it’s not yer fault. I’m sure ya came as fast as ya could. If it weren’t for you and yer men, we’d be marchin to the gods know where with that li’l bugger with his whip behind us.”
Where had they been going? Finn wondered as Torbin spoke. Both Stirgard and the underground realm of the Ochloroc lay across the river. On this side, they’d only get to Gilgin, and even though Jorun was a backstabbing bastard, he wouldn’t let Ochloroc into the city — especially not those herding human slaves. He wouldn’t risk antagonizing the city’s inhabitants like that, at least not until he would be more secure in his rule.
Finn kept the thoughts to himself. Torbin wouldn’t be of any help in figuring it out, and it would only worry the man. Instead he asked, “Where will you go now?”
