Read Online Three Kings (Book 3) by Jeremy Laszlo - Free Book Online Page B

the congregation that was now dissipating to begin upon his tasks. Entering the large building where he had been brought as a captive, he walked to the back corner and, seizing up his orc body, he hefted it over a shoulder. Leaving the building, he stalked away from camp at a slow steady pace towards now familiar trails that would speed his descent.
     

CHAPTER SEVEN
    With night upon him, Gnak lumbered down the mountain trails within the troll king’s body. Though his pace was somewhat slow, at least relative to his size, he stretched out his stride to its limit with each step. With gravity on his side, every step down the mountain propelled him at least twice the distance he would be able to cover with his orc legs. All in all, he supposed he moved at a decent pace considering he literally had to carry himself down the mountain.
    It was strange to Gnak that the trails he followed were both new and familiar, as he made discoveries that he had seen hundreds of times before. Each bend in a trail was both a confirmation of his memory and a realization of someplace new. For hours he enjoyed it immensely, playing a game with himself where he would guess what lay around the next bend only to turn the corner and verify it. He was right every single time. It was as if he were psychic. Then again, for all basic understandings he supposed he could be, if he only took the time to peer at the world through the eyes of everyone he met.
    The thought sent him reeling. What a wonderful way to learn all the secrets of the world. He could discover in mere minutes from the memories of those he met, what would take a lifetime to achieve in the natural manner. He could become the most knowledgeable leader in the world. Gnak set himself a new goal. He would not just gain a better understanding of the common tongue. No. He would master it, and every other language upon Thurr. He would learn the world over without leaving his home. He would know everything there was to know and he would use it to lead his people into a better future. Ishanya’s gifts were amazing.
     
    It was several hours of daydreaming later when Gnak decided that he was far enough away from the troll village to be seen by prying eyes. He doubted any would follow him, but that did not mean that there were not others out upon the face of the mountain, hunting or gathering supplies. Assured of his security, he placed his orc body upon the ground and shifted into it with ease.
    Stretching and wiggling his extremities, Gnak blinked away the severe dryness of his one good eye, realizing that for future shifts he would need to remember to close his eyes first. It took many moments to remove the dust and ache from his eye, but when it was gone he realized yet another discovery that excited him. Having been absent from his orc body for several hours, and now returning, he felt invigorated, as if he had just awoken from a nap. It made sense, he supposed, that as his body lie frozen it was at rest, essentially sleeping without his will to control it. He would never have to sleep again! He could just shift from one body to the other, back and forth, for all time. With a satisfied grunt, he nodded to himself, jutting out his jaw and gnashing his teeth. He would be able to learn the world twice as fast now. Things were really beginning to look up.
    Knowing now that both bodies could rest independent of the other, he sought to devise a way to continue traveling whilst in his orc body. After all, the sooner he got back to camp, the better. He dared not build a round cage of lashed saplings and branches as he had done once before. Such a structure was likely to harm both of his bodies if he lost control of it. Instead, he decided he was better off creating a litter of the likes the trolls used to haul supplies.
    Whereas an orkin litter was essentially two long poles with a hide lashed between them, that one could pull while dragging the far ends upon the ground, the injured upon the hide, the