Introduction

Welcome back to Maledicturs Terra. This is a Chain Story between myself and @lex-zaiya, meaning that we each write the parts alternatively.

If you have not read Maledictus Terra Book 1: Mortis Custos yet, it starts HERE at Part 1 and ends at Part 101 HERE. At the end of the Part 101 post you will find links to all 101 Parts!

Maledictus Terra Book 2: Sanguifex started HERE with Part 1 and ends at Part 111 HERE

The previous part by @lex-zaiya can be found HERE.

Part 14

"Camp, seems to be... a disparagement..." Adrian said as he looked over the landscape behind the party of greenskins. There were parts of the encamped army that had the look of a village, other parts looked like absolute chaos while one whole hillside and plain was covered in neat tents arranged in plum straight lines.

Gorma gave a throaty chuckle. "I don't mean the whole of the Tribes' encampment. I mean the camp of the Tribal Leaders. It is not where all the Chief's sleep, but a place of meeting."

"So am I to understand that you were sent here, not to conduct the meeting, but to check that our party is... acceptable?" Adrian asked.

Magna kept a neutral expression on her face, set with a sort of resolute hardness. She was the warrior heir of the throne who had just bested this, Gorma, Thunder Splitter. It made no sense to her but it seemed that she was...

Gorma smiled warmly at Adrian. "Strength of the leader shows honour! It has been thus since ancient times. If the leader has honour, then that leader shall keep their subjects under control. Such strength shows trust."

Adrian nodded, in thought. "And how do we know that we are safe in the care of your leaders when there is such a large army encamped here?"

Gorma's grin widened, showing just the hint of two prominent sharp teeth set in her lower jaw. Magna looked around at the other Orcs in their company. Most were helmed, as Gorma has been when they had started their fight. There was one that bore the leathers and bow of a ranger or scout who was not dressed in heavy plate. Instead, he had a cloak over his leathers.

She hoped that she was getting it right and that this one was a male, for he had large tusks that protruded from his closed mouth about two to three inches. His face had a strong extended lower jaw and heavy muscles.

Magna turned her attention back to her brother and Gorma. She could not really tell why the "princess" of the Orcs had decided to talk to Adrian, a non-fighter instead of her, who had bested her in a fight.

"As I said. We Orcs believe that the strength of the leader shows power and control... and honesty. For only the weak hide their intentions and strikes an underhanded blow. We Orcs are strong, see?" And without hesitation, the Orc woman parted the leather jerkin at her waist to reveal pale green abdominal muscles that were crisp and well-defined.

Magna blushed instantly, wondering when this Orc princess had taken the time to unfasten the leather jerkin. She looked about as muscular as the most muscular man Magna had ever seen, but there was a hint of wild femininity about her as well and a softness. Magna realized too late that there was a softness to Gorma's chest above those rock hard abs, though covered and obscured by the jerkin.

Adrian seemed to be at a loss for words, his blush three times deeper than her own. This seemed to please the Orc princess.

Magna cleared her throat and stepped forward to walk between Gorma and Adrian. "So Gorma, Thunder Splitter. Sporeseer Zreld called you a princess... well not in so many words, but he inferred it. Is that true?"

Gorma closed her leather jerkin, though not in a hurry and smiled warmly at Magna. "Ah! Princess Magna... Stoneface of Dragonshold. I like that name. Its a good name!"

"Stoneface?" Magna asked, bewildered. She glanced over her shoulder at Gorax, who shrugged. Apparently talking Orcs was not something he understood.

"Aye!" Gorma pointed at the dark green bruise and cut on her forehead that had started to scab. "You knocked your head against an Orcs and struck me down. No human has ever done this."

"No human would have ever tried!" Gorax called from behind them. "But the Princess is known to be hard headed!" He guffawed and was joined by the soft laughs of some of the Orcs escorting them.

"Ah! You see!" Gorma said expansively. "This name gives you much honour among Orcs and Greenskins." She clapped Magna on her shoulders. If she had not been wearing armor, the blows might have hurt. She did the best to make sure that the slaps did not unbalance her as she walked.

"I see... thank you." Magna replied.

"So to answer your question Princess, I am the daughter of the Chief of the Ironpeak Tribe of the Orckin, the strongest of the Orc Tribes of the Mawlands. Long ago, we fought for that right, but one of my great ancestors unified all the Tribes of the Mawlands."

"Where are the Mawlands?" Magna asked.

Gorma's smile faded. She looked serious and a little sad. She gestured widely. "All around us used to be the Mawlands. Far and wide... all around here..." She looked over the landscape and then pointed at a mountain in the west. "That was there... but where is the sea?"

Gorma stopped and knelt and the whole party stopped, jostling one another a bit, except for Magna's party who had kept themselves more spaced out. The Orc princess dug in the ground. Though the soil was light brown, she grinned and held some dirt up for Magna to see. "See the sand? It is big and rough... this is sea sand... it was sea sand."

Magna's look of confusion must have been obvious. Her brother had recovered his embarrassment and stepped forward. "Over long periods of time, the landscape changes. The sea is that way, next to Dragonshold."

"But it would take more than three thousand years for a sea to move so far surely?" Magna asked.

Adrian smiled, pleased that his sister understood. "Indeed, you are right. However, there were some extreme wars fought with magic and blade in the past two thousand years and I believe that this what caused the definition of the sea to change."

Remember when Adiran rode that massive stone monster? I can believe that sort of magic could change the ocean's shape.

Gorma's head whipped around and she stared at the massive wolf that had been walking behind Magna. "Your mount speaks."

"He's not my mount. He's..."

"Prince Derric! Son of King Garric of Loghaven!" Zreld Stretmog interrupted excitedly. "I believe that the Prince and the Princess are... an item?" The Goblin grinned, showing off rows of sharp teeth.

"What? Another Prince?" Gorma said. "A wolf?"

"Oh, he is much more than a wolf!" Zreld turned to Derric. "Hey boy, do you want to race to the Chief's camp and back? Need to see how good your wolf form is!"

You want to turn into a crow again and fly there? I mean, I could become some sort of bird other than a hawk? Otherwise it would hardly be fair.

"Are you kidding? I need to run a bit. Flying is great... but I need to stretch my legs!" Zreld said. The Sporeseer held his staff before him and his body seemed to melt and change. Magna has seen this sort of action before. It was all too familiar.

Soon enough there was a wolf standing on the ground before Derric, smaller but sleek looking.

You can turn into a wolf as well!

Well you saw me as a raven.

I thought that was the only form you could shapeshift into. I did not know you were a poly-shifter.

Of course pup. Who do you think your ancestors learn from? Now let's go!"

The smaller wolf set off at a blinding sprint. Before Magna could say anything, Derric tore after Zreld, his paws tearning at the grass and dirt.

"So... is your Prince of Loghaven a human or goblin?" Gorma asked Magna.

"Oh he's human. Mostly." Magna sighed. She felt that this has already gotten out of hand, though there was not immediate physical threat or political issues. "Let's catch up with them before they came a scene."

Gorma laughed. "Aye!"

@lex-zaiya back to you!

Thank you for reading!

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