Shadowrun - Earthdawn - Lliferock by Jak Koke Read Free Book Online

suspect that money could not replace lost opportunities, nor could it make people like him. Perhaps this expedition would be his last.
    Sarbeneck heard footsteps coming up the trail behind him, and he turned. An ork approached, huge compared to the dwarf, but he stood at a discreet distance to show respect.
    The ork was tall with dark skin and long, curly brown hair which blew loose in the wind. His ears came to a dull point, a dangling earring hanging from one. The jewelry was fashioned from silver and enameled with an idealized image of an Espagra — brilliant scales of iridescent blue, fancy blue-green wings, menacingly sharp tail and claws, plus eyes and a mouth of deep red. The real beasts were far more frightening.
    “You bring news, Gingreth?”
    “Yes, sir. The tunnelers are secure in their tents. And Sarahem says that the evening meal is nearly ready.”
    This Book Belongs to: Andrew Tobin (black _ [email protected]) Liferock 
    38
    

Jak Koke
    “Good, I’m hungry. She is preparing roast boar. Quite excellent.” Sarbeneck eyed the ork, considering the other’s company. Sarbeneck had eaten alone most of the trip, and he was getting tired of it. “How about you, Gingreth? Would you like to share my table this evening?”
    The ork’s tongue passed slowly over his jutting incisors, a thin line of drool escaping through his parted black lips.
    Sarbeneck immediately regretted his offer; he hated eating with orks. Gingreth had never been taught the social graces of fine dining. Or crude dining for that matter. All that time spent with his animals. “Or if you’d rather not —”
    “I would like nothing better, sir,” the ork replied. “My espagra will miss my company, but I can hunt with them afterwards.”
    “Um . . . good, we can discuss the days ahead. Come, the rain is nearly upon us.” Sarbeneck turned and made his way back toward the encampment.
    Gingreth followed. The two of them had been on thirty-four mining expeditions together. The ork had been with Sarbeneck’s company since the beginning, but they had never been to this part of Barsaive. Sarbeneck had never been offered so much money for a relatively simple job.
    His employer had warned him that security might be a problem, and that he should bring plenty of armed mercenaries to ensure that his operation could not be impeded. Some of the locals didn’t want their rock to be violated, despite the fact that there was a rich vein of orichalcum to be mined.
    Sarbeneck guessed that they just didn’t appreciate the fine points of free market economics. Orichalcum in the rock had no value to anyone. But mined and purified, the precious metal was beautiful, golden and potent with magic. It was valuable and a great asset to any community. Name-givers from all over would come to this part of the jungle in search of fortune, and the locals could only benefit from the influx.
    This Book Belongs to: Andrew Tobin (black _ [email protected]) Liferock 
    39
    

Jak Koke
    All those new people would have to eat and sleep and live in houses.
    Yet, some didn’t see any of that. Perhaps in time they would come to appreciate what Sarbeneck and his mining caravan were about to do. In addition to his company of smiths and miners which numbered forty-three dwarfs and humans, he had rented an ork cavalry consisting of a hundred warriors and their families. Plus Gingreth and his five trained espagra.
    Security would not be a problem.
    This Book Belongs to: Andrew Tobin (black _ [email protected])  Chapter Six 
    Rain pelted the roof of the temple and lightning struck the slick rocks outside. Pabl heard the booms of thunder and the muffled roar of the rain from inside the temple as he waited for Chaiel Ro.
    The massive slab which formed the ceiling of the large chamber slanted slightly from above the entrance downward to the opposite end, and was held several feet above the walls by evenly spaced pillars of black granite. A weather cloak spell