Read Fallen Crown (Orc Destiny Volume II) (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) for Free Online Page B

constructed. When he told his second
in command that this day he would need privacy without disruption, Bota assured
Gnak that no intruder would enter his tent. Gnak was getting the hang of being
the chief, and his captains and clan seemed to be growing more accustomed to
the changes as well. This day, as the day before, two captains stood within the
center of the camp, but not wanting a repeat performance of the previous
attack, two more guarded the back of Gnak’s tent. The guard was dual purpose,
providing both security, and privacy to the chief. Needing the day hours to
experiment while the rest of his clan rested unaware, Gnak invited Bota in to
witness the event.
    Setting the small makeshift cages upon the sand floor of his
tent, Gnak gestured for Bota to take a seat with a grunt. Settling himself upon
the sand among the small cages, Gnak admired the small animals. They were light
in color, somewhere between the golden yellow sands of the desert and the red
muddy earth of the mountains beyond. Their long hair made them appear larger
than they actually were, and large pointed ears atop their heads darted this
way and that, listening to every sound. He had no measure of the creatures’
intelligence and so could not judge them in that manner, though he doubted they
were very smart.
    Choosing to first use the mother fox with a broken limb, in
case something went wrong, he picked up her cage carefully. Untying the knot
holding the top secure, he flipped it over as the small animal began to growl
and snap at him. Without fear Gnak reached in quickly and brushed against the
animal, feeling its essence. Pulling his hand away he tore free the glowing orb
of light with it, and watched as the animal settled instantly. It still
breathed, though its growls and snapping ceased. Its ears did not twitch like
the others’. It did nothing besides stare ahead blankly, its eyes unblinking.
Gnak brushed the animal again, releasing his hold on the orb and watched as it
rejoined the animal. Again the beast began its ruckus and Gnak removed his hand
quickly, flipping the top over to close the cage once more.
    “Bota see?” Gnak asked.
    “Animal no move. You magic hold still?”
    “Gnak think no. Gnak take animal power. Animal no move. Give
animal power, animal move.”
    “Humph,” Bota grunted.
    Together they pondered the discovery for a short time, and
Gnak realized that it was not the life he took from bodies, but something
different. Something like will or ambition. It could not be life, because the
animal lived when he took the orb from it. Stroking Jen’s essence within him he
discussed the discovery with Bota, and the two agreed that it was not life he
held power over. They also decided that he should continue with something
different.
    Pulling the tops off of two more cages, Gnak released the two
young belonging to the mother he had just worked with. Tipping the cages, he
allowed the two out from their confines and immediately both pups happily
bounded free of their small cells and converged upon their mother’s cage. For
many minutes Gnak waited as the pups whined, unable to reach their mother, and
the mother licked her pups through the makeshift bars of her cage. It was not
long, however, before the pups’ curiosities got the best of them.
    Wandering about the tent the two fox pups sniffed and licked,
bounding around excitedly, even going so far as urinating upon the sand that
made the floor. Still Gnak and Bota watched in silence. It was not until the
pups began wrestling about the floor, tugging upon one another’s ears and tails
with their teeth, that Gnak reached out and brushed one.
    Like before he could feel it within the animal, and like
before he pulled it away with him. As expected the pup froze, unmoving, as its
sibling continued to yank and pull at its ear. Gnak watched as the other pup realized
that something was wrong and backed away slowly half growling, half whining.
Gnak reached out and snatched the essence