Chapter 141
Beer Turned to Gold
Ogo
Our speed of travel over land was proof that the Legkeds were invaluable. In almost one week, we had managed to reach the city of Quarotte with our carts full of obsidian and orcs. The feat of speed seemed a small matter to the stilted creatures. Since they could see over the buildings of the obsidian-paned city Fitz-Dhis, we located the multi-domed tent and met with Lord Jeresh.
It was our cart filled with obsidian that changed Jeresh’s tune this time around. With eagerness he traded coin for obsidian, and we left the city. Now our carts contained hills of pearls, mountains of coin, and every orc.
Just outside the split-rail fence at the edge of Fitz-Dhis, I called for a halt. We halted not for rest or food, since we had bellies full of roasted rats. We halted because I wanted to satisfy a different hunger, and I knew all my orcs felt the same. I wanted us to feast our eyes upon the coin we earned with muscle.
Beet shook his head as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Hang me upside down by my toes. You did it, Ogo.”
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“We’ve earned it!”
Every cart held a mound of coins. There were gold coins which sparkled in the eyes of my comrades. Cloudy light glinted off the edges of silver coins. The copper seemed so fresh it was almost pink. When an orc grabbed a handful of coins and let them fall between his fingers, we laughed at the tinkle of metal on metal, and we laughed at the heap of it, and we laughed at our hard earned wealth.
The pearls were a dull smear of pastel colors compared to Hawkin’s barrels, but they held as much value as the coins. They rolled like crackling pebbles over each other. Orcs perched upon the walls of the carts like they were mesmerized by firelight. It was the same way that the sea would pull you in the middle of a moonless night. Each pile of coins was an entirely separate gravity.
Jix clapped me on the back. “Who knew, eh? All that beer could turn to gold.”
“The human does have magic after all. A very valuable magic.”
Thinking of Hawkin had me fingering the pearl ring on my tusk. If he were still doubling production every month, then we would have an impossible amount to trade with the next time I saw him. This year’s next yield of coins will need a thousand more carts!
“Up!” I said.
We were all eager to sit upon the piles of our treasure like they were thrones. The Legkeds lifted the carts by the handles and sprinted south. They ran so fast that we seemed to make our own wind. The terrain was simply streaks of browns and grays and whites to either side. We desperately laid our armor over our treasures to keep them from flying off when we hit bumps in the road.
With tremendous squeezes of my diaphragm, I shouted directions to the Legkeds. Soon we would come upon land where spring survived. Soon we would come upon the coast. Soon we would return to our anchored ships. Soon we would celebrate with the beer we’d left there.
Then we would sail the Sea of Ogo!