Cain and the others awoke slowly, suprised that they had lived. Cain looked himself over, and disocovered him and the others were chained to a wall, and couldn't move. "What the hell is this?" He heard an Orc grunt a response from the far wall, near a solid steel door.
Andrew's guard turned to Cain, "Do you know where we are?"
Cain shook his head, "I'm not sure, but I'm more concerned about why we're still alive. Orcs usually kill and eat on site. Where'd this castle come from anyhow? I know these woods better than anybody around, I've never seen this place before." The room they were in was dimly lit, with four torches burning at the corners.
"Can you get out of here?" asked Andrew, looking towards Cain.
"Hey," scowled Cain, "If I could get of here, I would be by now."
"No need to get all tense, I figured you couldn't get out anyhow."
"I got out of that noose you put me in! Didn't I? Huh?" Cain was screaming sharply now, angry at the Andrew's comment.
"Now, I-" Andrew was cut off by the creak of the door opening. In approached the man that took them from the forest. His eyes moved from the guard to Cain, then focused on Andrew. His angry eyes pierced him.
Cain asked, "Who are you?" Cain wasn't sure whether to be afraid or not. Orcs were fierce, but a human who was friends with an Orc might be worse.
He grinned a smile that was as wicked as his eyes, "Is my name all that important to you? You are my prisoners, and unless you defeat me in battle, you will die." The Orcs around him laughed and snorted as if in applause of what he said, "But, I'll take your question as a last request. I am Cartegan." He glared at Andrew, and the prince looked at him as if he'd seen a ghost.
Andrew went instantly pale, and looked closley at the man. Covered in dirt, his clothes were stained brown and his cape was a maroon color. He looked familiar though, but Andrew couldn't figure out who it was.
"You've forgotten about me already, Andrew?" said Cartegan. "Just like you to, I suppose." He chuckled lightly, "But I'll bet you remember this..." An Orc brought Cartegan a long, bright sword with a silver handle and its tip edged out. He walked close to Andrew, and brought his sword to Andrew's arm. Cutting his sleeve off, he revealed to Cain and the guard a large scar that crossed into Andrew's arm. "It hurt, didn't it?" He laughed.
Andrew began shaking, finally realizing who this Cartegan was, "Brother..."
"So you do remember, then!" Cartegan laughed, "Excellent!"
Cain snarled at Cartegan, "What are you going to do with us?"
Cartegan turned to Cain and got close to his face, "You, peasant, are no concern of mine." He walked sheathed his sword and stepped back, "But if you must know, I intend to steal the Orc Stone."
"The what...?" asked Cain.
Andrew's guard answered Cain, "When Sir Walter Gaberini defeated the Orc Lord Karnak 500 years ago, he discovered he could not truly destroy him. Instead, he sealed the Orc in a sacred stone given to him on a previous adventure. The stone lies with the Arch Mage of our land, where he keeps it safe in his tower. There's no way, but through the Arch Mage himself to get that stone."
Cartegan laughed again, "You are mistaken. I have 10,000 Orcs under my regime at this time. 5,000 have said they will join when Karnak is released. Many other creatures of the mountains have also enlisted in my army. Even some elves! Ha ha! Gaber has a mere 9,000 in its army. My father cannot meet my superior power, and not even the Arch Mage can take on more than 1000 Orcs."
"Why do you need this Karnak, then?" demanded Andrew. Cain seemed suprised at his forcefullness, "You have enough to take Dakken as well! Why do you need him?"
"You see, brother, it is not just a matter of the number of soldiers I have, or the cities I destroy. You, brother, exiled me from my home! Because of you, I left ashamed of myself. No more, brother! No more! The symbol of Gaber, the Orc Stone, will be mine. The very essence of your crest will be mine!" He turned to the guard, "Keep them quiet, I'll be back in an hour. They will die then." The guard laughed at Cartegan's prisoners as he stormed out.
After the three pondered on a plan, Andrew spoke, "so what are we gonna do?"
Cain nodded to him and whispered, "I think I have a plan."
Andrew's guard turned to Cain, "Do you know where we are?"
Cain shook his head, "I'm not sure, but I'm more concerned about why we're still alive. Orcs usually kill and eat on site. Where'd this castle come from anyhow? I know these woods better than anybody around, I've never seen this place before." The room they were in was dimly lit, with four torches burning at the corners.
"Can you get out of here?" asked Andrew, looking towards Cain.
"Hey," scowled Cain, "If I could get of here, I would be by now."
"No need to get all tense, I figured you couldn't get out anyhow."
"I got out of that noose you put me in! Didn't I? Huh?" Cain was screaming sharply now, angry at the Andrew's comment.
"Now, I-" Andrew was cut off by the creak of the door opening. In approached the man that took them from the forest. His eyes moved from the guard to Cain, then focused on Andrew. His angry eyes pierced him.
Cain asked, "Who are you?" Cain wasn't sure whether to be afraid or not. Orcs were fierce, but a human who was friends with an Orc might be worse.
He grinned a smile that was as wicked as his eyes, "Is my name all that important to you? You are my prisoners, and unless you defeat me in battle, you will die." The Orcs around him laughed and snorted as if in applause of what he said, "But, I'll take your question as a last request. I am Cartegan." He glared at Andrew, and the prince looked at him as if he'd seen a ghost.
Andrew went instantly pale, and looked closley at the man. Covered in dirt, his clothes were stained brown and his cape was a maroon color. He looked familiar though, but Andrew couldn't figure out who it was.
"You've forgotten about me already, Andrew?" said Cartegan. "Just like you to, I suppose." He chuckled lightly, "But I'll bet you remember this..." An Orc brought Cartegan a long, bright sword with a silver handle and its tip edged out. He walked close to Andrew, and brought his sword to Andrew's arm. Cutting his sleeve off, he revealed to Cain and the guard a large scar that crossed into Andrew's arm. "It hurt, didn't it?" He laughed.
Andrew began shaking, finally realizing who this Cartegan was, "Brother..."
"So you do remember, then!" Cartegan laughed, "Excellent!"
Cain snarled at Cartegan, "What are you going to do with us?"
Cartegan turned to Cain and got close to his face, "You, peasant, are no concern of mine." He walked sheathed his sword and stepped back, "But if you must know, I intend to steal the Orc Stone."
"The what...?" asked Cain.
Andrew's guard answered Cain, "When Sir Walter Gaberini defeated the Orc Lord Karnak 500 years ago, he discovered he could not truly destroy him. Instead, he sealed the Orc in a sacred stone given to him on a previous adventure. The stone lies with the Arch Mage of our land, where he keeps it safe in his tower. There's no way, but through the Arch Mage himself to get that stone."
Cartegan laughed again, "You are mistaken. I have 10,000 Orcs under my regime at this time. 5,000 have said they will join when Karnak is released. Many other creatures of the mountains have also enlisted in my army. Even some elves! Ha ha! Gaber has a mere 9,000 in its army. My father cannot meet my superior power, and not even the Arch Mage can take on more than 1000 Orcs."
"Why do you need this Karnak, then?" demanded Andrew. Cain seemed suprised at his forcefullness, "You have enough to take Dakken as well! Why do you need him?"
"You see, brother, it is not just a matter of the number of soldiers I have, or the cities I destroy. You, brother, exiled me from my home! Because of you, I left ashamed of myself. No more, brother! No more! The symbol of Gaber, the Orc Stone, will be mine. The very essence of your crest will be mine!" He turned to the guard, "Keep them quiet, I'll be back in an hour. They will die then." The guard laughed at Cartegan's prisoners as he stormed out.
After the three pondered on a plan, Andrew spoke, "so what are we gonna do?"
Cain nodded to him and whispered, "I think I have a plan."