Orcs: Inferno by Stan Nicholls

Author:Stan Nicholls
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Action & Adventure, Orcs, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Men's Adventure, Epic, War
ISBN: 9780316033718
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2012-04-09T22:00:00+00:00

16

The veil between the worlds is thin as gauze, unbridgeable as an ocean. It separates an incalculable number of realities, an infinite array of glittering pinpoints hanging in the velvet firmament. Seen closer, if that were possible, they reveal themselves as globes. Some are barren rocks, or beset with volcanic activity, or icebound. A few are fertile.

Two species lived beneath the blue skies and pure white clouds of one such world. The race of humans had carved out a far-flung domain, the Peczan empire, now suffering its first setback despite its great military strength and possession of magic. The newly liberated race of orcs, cause of that humiliation, occupied a more remote, much smaller segment of the planet. Bolstered by their reawakened martial spirit, they were resolved never to fall under human dominance again.

The orcs’ land was Acurial. Taress, its largest city by far and the capital, had borne the brunt of the recent occupation. Free at last, the populace determined to erase all trace of Peczan’s regime. Buildings that had been commandeered were returned to their original purpose. Structures built by the empire were being torn down, with detention camps, torture facilities and execution blocks the objects of particular fury. Guard stations, billets, signposts and anything else pertaining to the overthrown were demolished and consigned to bonfires, along with portraits of Peczan bureaucrats and military chiefs. Marble busts were pounded to smithereens.

At the same time, Taress was rebuilding itself. Invasion and rebellion had devastated many parts of the city, and legions toiled on reconstruction.

The main square had been one of the first areas to be reclaimed. Work there took a commemorative form. Statues had been erected. The tallest, although in many ways the simplest, honoured the late Principal Sylandya. Acurial’s ruler before Peczan’s occupation, and leader of the resistance, her martyrdom was the spark that gave fire to the revolution. She was shown seated, but didn’t give the impression of being enthroned, as would be expected of a head of state. Her attire and demeanour were humble, her expression mild. The sculptor had made no effort to flatter her memory by disguising her advancing years, as might have been the case with a more vain subject. Her frame was slight, even frail. Yet she exuded an unmistakable authority.

Two orcs stood at the monument’s base, looking up at the figure. They were twins, male and female, and less than thirty summers old.

“What would she have thought of this?” Chillder wondered.

“Not much, I reckon,” her brother replied. “Our mother had little time for the conceits of power. It was one of her many virtues.”

“So was dealing with the mountain of parchmentwork that plagues us now.”

“Not as exciting as fighting as rebels, is it?”

“No, Brelan, it’s not.”

“But it’s what running a state’s all about. It has to be done.”

“You’re more like mother than I am in that way. I think you like shuffling paper.”

He smiled. “Like I said; it has to be done. Taking care of the formalities is a price we pay for getting our freedom back.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.