A/N: I didn't get my two reviews that I asked for. How very disappointing. And it's not like I was asking for that much. Well, I'll answer the review I got.
Chapter 10 Reviews:
Hel – I'm happy you like my little creatures! (I'm trying to avoid using the word 'glad' – in my opinion, I've used it too much to respond to reviews already) I know what you mean about the nameless one should learn something from what happened, but you're not sure what – I feel the same way. Perhaps the nameless one will learn something from this encounter, but I doubt it – he's too stubborn and refuses to see what's directly in front of him (I'm sure there's a word for that, but I can't think what it is right now). I'll show you more of Grôltakh's vicious side, but I'm not going to tell you anything about how he earned his nickname – at least not in this story, anyway. Yes, my dear readers – horror of horrors! – I'm planning a prequel. And you thought (hoped) it would all be over at the end of this adventure.
~Chapter 11~
Ragnäkah and the nameless orc ran as fast as they could, a group of the little terrors on their trail, chirruping amongst themselves as if urging each other onwards. Both of the orcs had their hands between their legs, protecting their most sensitive body parts from the little bastards as they ran along. They creatures were catching up with them quickly, and if Ragnäkah and the nameless one didn't watch it, soon the little creatures would be tearing the flesh off of them as well. They had managed to find a path and were higher up than they were before, with rooms that led off of the main route but had no doors to keep their pursuers out. Ragnäkah contemplated if this was the time that he had been waiting for to throw his companion away whilst he made his getaway. He decided not – he would build up the creatures' appetites more first. They passed a large crevice in the canyon walls and both skidded to a halt, sharing the same line of thought. Both had noticed that there were weapons in there. They ran back and into the crevice. Once inside they noticed that it was not a crevice, but a room – and it had a door. Together, they pushed the slightly rotting, ruined door into place and locked it with spears and swords that were scattered on the floor. The little devils squeaked on the outside of the door, not about to give up even if they could not get to their prey.
After making sure twice that the door was going to hold, they turned to survey the room. For one thing, there were no windows or doors to escape from, or ways in for the creatures for that matter. From the amount of weapons in the room, it had been an armoury, belonging to the dwarves. Here and there, there was a table with plans and more weapons. In the corner were two skeletons, one of a dwarf, and one of an orc, the orc body hunched over the dwarf, and a sword in the dark creature's hand sticking through the rib cage of the dwarf. Another dusty skeleton sat in the corner, belonging to another orc, an axe in his hands and its head pierced with two arrows. Ragnäkah guessed that they must have all killed each other. Perhaps the dwarf had used the bow to take out the one orc, and severely wounded the other whose skeleton was now leaning over him. In retaliation, perhaps the orc with the sword had killed the dwarf with his last dying gasps.
The nameless one immediately began to plunder the dead, looking for everything from weapons to clothing; he still needed boots, and the leg and arm armour that the orc was wearing would suit him nicely. Ragnäkah was more interested with something he had seen on one of the tables though. The table he walked up to had three spears, two swords and a bottle of wine on it, and Ragnäkah immediately thought of Gob and the message from Kurzblod. He began to wonder if the two orcs in here were the two mentioned in the writing on the pillar, and if Kurzblod had carried out his threat on Gob. He doubted that both thoughts were true. Pushing the spears onto the floor, he found a small, brownish black amulet inset with a blood red stone. It wasn't really the time to be ensnared by a little trinket, but something drew Ragnäkah to it, and he picked it up. The writing on the edge of the thing was the Black Speech of Lugbûrz – something Grôltakh knew better than him. Ragnäkah could only read the Black Speech of Orthanc, and a little of the orcish languages of Moria, the far north and Lugbûrz. He put it around his neck and decided that he (or Grôltakh, if he ever saw him again) would translate it later. Right now he wanted to get out of the armoury, and he picked up the less rusty of the two swords on the table. Of course, he would have preferred his whip (malevolence rose in him again at the thought of where it could be now) but a sword would make do for the time being. The other orc had decided to take the ankle high boots of the skeletal, sword-wielding orc, as well as the armour. He was finishing the last straps on his right arm. Altogether, his new armour was protecting his knees up to his shins, his outer thighs, and he was wearing a set of fingerless gauntlets as well. The orc finally had a full set of clothes.
"We're going to get out of here," Ragnäkah told him. "So prepare to fight those things." The nameless one had never fought before, and excitement gleamed in those forest green eyes of his. He yanked the sword out of the dwarf, and snatched the scabbard from around the orc's shoulder and ribs, causing both skeletons to crumple to dust. Ragnäkah sneezed. The orc wiped away the dust on the sword to reveal its true shape; by design, it was made by elves, but by the grim, black and light blue edge and the script on the blade, it had been for orcs. It's style had long since gone out of prduction. The most reasonable assumption was that slaves had made it for some great orc tribe long ago, and it had come to rest here through the ages. The blade also had a stone near the very top of the hilt on the one side of the blade, but the nameless one did not pay its shape or its colour attention.
There was a terrible shriek from outside, and the nameless one ran to the door to investigate. He peered through one of the door's many cracks.
"Uh-oh," he gasped.
"Uh-oh?" Ragnäkah asked, not at all liking the tone in the other's voice.
"Looks like the little creatures brought along some bigger company."
~End of Chapter 11~