A Game of Chi Book II: A Throne of Tears

Chapter 19: Gorzan III

GORZAN

Gorzan awoke from his slumber, well-rested and alert. Stretching, he got up, retrieved his hammer and made his way towards the hall, where he knew Crokenburg would be. "Your Grace," he said in greeting as he strode into the hall. The Steeljaw nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to his floor map, which he was examining alongside his other advisors. "How far north did you place the trenches, Gorzan?" he asked. "About two dozen kilometres north of here," Gorzan replied. "Good thinking," Crokenburg said. "It'll trip them up before they even get close."

"The Crocfort has also been appropriately reinforced," another crocodile said. "We've installed ballistas along the walls and we'll take down the bridges, meaning that the only way towards our fortress will be swimming in the lake. The rhinos won't be able to do that fast enough to evade our bolts, and the crocs who do will have to fight an uphill battle against us." Crokenburg stood up and looked around. "I am impressed with all of your efforts," he intoned. "But I will not let this make us overconfident. I am fully aware that our defeat in the Citadel was my fault." He turned to share a knowing glance with Gorzan. "My advisors spoke out against me, and we lost because I ignored them." That look, Gorzan realized. Now I understand what he meant when he could genuinely tell I wasn't a bad person. Crokenburg's got this look in his eyes that shows me that he really doesn't want the throne for power; he truly believes it's rightfully his. "Luckily, this time, we are defending, not attacking, so I will not have the opportunity to make a bad call and cost us a victory." Some of the other crocodiles chuckled and Gorzan cracked a light smile, but he knew that Crokenburg hadn't meant that as a joke. "I shall fight on the front lines alongside you, so that I actively contribute to our victory. I derive no pleasure from taking lives, but I fear I will become desensitized to it if I remain back." Gorzan nodded and stepped forward. "That is most wise, Your Grace. It is a good way to ensure you remain virtuous." Crokenburg rubbed his jaw absent-mindedly as he examined the map once again. "Gorzan, I want you to head out to scout ahead. Once you see my traitorous niece and nephew's forces arriving, come back and warn us. Your traps will stall most of them, but many will still come. As you leave, have the guards lift the bridges. From this point on, we shall be on guard at all times."

"Understood, Your Grace. I will depart at once." While Crokenburg continued barking orders to the rest of his advisors, Gorzan grabbed his trap-map and left the Crocfort, mounting his Speedor. The bridge was down for now, and as Gorzan drove past the guards, he waved at them. "The king commands you to raise the bridges," he hollered. "I'm going on ahead to keep watch."

"Stay safe out there, Gorzan!" shouted Crunch, a myrtle green crocodile whom he recognized. Crunch had always been friendly to Gorzan, even when he had first joined the Steeljaw's posse. I hope he survives what's to come, Gorzan thought. I hope we all do.

With little to no resistance from the muddy ground, Gorzan quickly made it to his trench line. Leaving his Speedor hidden behind some reeds, Gorzan scampered up a nearby tree; one that wasn't too tall so that he would still be able to survey the situation. He found a sturdy branch on which to sit and he leaned back, placing his hands behind his head looking up at the sky. The sunlight was piercing through the canopy, and the blue sky was somewhat visible through the leaves as well. What a beautiful day, he thought. The perfect day for an attack. Gorzan began absent-mindedly fiddling with his necklace, his hand resting on the blue flower that cured persuader plants. "They're called clarity blooms," Crunket had told him. "For an unaffected person, these flowers are odourless, but to someone affected by a persuader plant, getting too close to it and smelling it can stimulate a reaction. The best way to use them to cure the effects of a persuader plant is to boil them and have the affected person drink it. Chewing an entire clarity bloom also works, but the affected person tends to have a much more averse reaction to it. And remember, once someone has been cured, they can't be controlled by persuader plants anymore, and a clarity bloom near them will trigger a reaction."