Rise of the Horde

Chapter 23

Commander Eru raised his claymore and was barely able to deflect an ogre’s club, he was sent stumbling backwards and struggled to regain his footing. His arms felt like jelly already, he could barely lift his arms and defend himself.

His legs threatening to buckle as they were now clearly trembling due to fatigue. Glancing left and right, his sweat covered gorgeous face can’t help but turn ugly. His clear brown eyes filled with hopelessness as he watched his fellow knights get killed, squashed, bitten and defeated by the ogres.

“My goddess...protect my beloved from harm”

He silently prayed then looked back again at the triumphing ogres after closing his eyes a bit to pray for the safety of the high priestess. His eyes now filled with resolved to take as many ogres as possible with him to the afterlife, his possible death, he already accepted it. He will happily die protecting her.

*****

‘Boom!!!...Boom!!!...Boom!!!Boom!!!Boom!!!’

A fast-paced beating of drums caught Commander Eru’s attention and his knights and even the ogres glanced at the direction where the sound was originating from.

There in the distance, he saw an extremely rare sight, the war-loving race marching together with discipline not breaking their formation, even for a bit. The perfect synchronize movement of their legs, the almost perfect battle line from the left flank to the right.

.....

Commander Eru’s pupils can’t help but dilate at what he is seeing but soon a complicated look replaced the look of surprise in his face.

“We’re totally screwed!”

One of the surviving knights exclaimed in frustration, helplessness was apparent in his eyes and had given up trying to resist their inevitable end.

“Gather on me! Form a circle!”

He bellowed loudly to rally his men who had given up resistance and were now slump on the ground, just waiting for their executioners to do the deed.

The knights who had already given up, sloppily gathered near Commander Eru and slowly formed a circular formation. The circular formation would allow them to respond to attacks from all sides.

The war-loving race, the orcs, stopped a good distance away from them. Commander Eru and his men were nervously awaiting at what the orcs would do, their hands gripped their weapons tighter to prevent their hands from trembling, their already sweaty foreheads perspired even more because of their uncertainty about the orcs whether they are friends or foe, or just some passersby but basing on their stance, they aren’t just simply passing by.

A whooshing sound whistled through the air as spears rained down, Commander Eru prepared and gathered his remaining mana to cast a magic barrier if needed be.

To Commander Eru’s and the remaining knight’s surprise, the spears struck the ogres and decimated their numbers. The rain of spears halved the number of the ogres. Impaled by longer, with thicker shafts and barbed spearhead spears, the surviving ogres started to panic, the howls of agony of the ogres who weren’t killed outright by the thrown spears echoed.

At the forefront of the orc army, he spotted an almost seven-foot-tall green skinned orc with bulging muscles, a long-braided hair probably reaching his waist, giving commands to the orc army.

“By the light, what is going on!”

The knight to Commander Eru’s left exclaimed as they watch the orc army lower their spears and started marching forward, their steps totally in sync as they moved. The first two lines had their spears pointing forward, the next two rows pointing slightly upwards, followed by the next two lines whose spears were raised at a higher angle than the ones in front of them, the rest at the rearmost had their spears pointing directly to the sky.

“Boom!!!...Boom!!!...Boom!!!Boom!!!Boom!!!”

The pace of the war drum’s beat slowed down a notch from the previous paced it had, every beat of the war drum, the orc army stepped forward, left, right, left. They were displaying discipline and coordination perfectly much like elite soldiers.

The orcs march forward with their outrageously long spears dangerously getting closer and closer. The ogres rallied together, shouting in an unknown language, waving their primitive weapons before charging forward.

The ogres charge forward the forest of spears bravely or stupidly, getting their bodies mercilessly skewered by the long spears. Some of the orc’s long spears had their wooden shafts snap into two with a loud cracking sound.

“Hold!!!Hold!!!Hold!!!”

“Push!!!”

Xiao Chen commanded and at the same time, shields were thrusted forward with such strength that some of the wooden shields broke apart. The ogres got push back away from the formation and had to break through again against the new wall of spears presented at them.

Commander Eru and his men were in awe as they watch the orcs easily repelled the ogres and slowly reducing their numbers. Thrusting with their spears then shoving them away with their shields when they get too close, the orcs performed these actions in synchronize rhythm.

Xiao Chen acted with his men, moving together with them in killing the ogres, the battle against the Galuks, he didn’t participate much but now he had to control his army closely and not let them arouse the hostility of the remaining knights, which can result in the failure of his missions.

Commander Eru and his men watch closely at the almost perfect fighting style of the orcs. Moving forward in an almost perfect horizontal line, their outrageously long spears relentlessly piercing the now hapless ogres who were supposed to be able to match the orcs.

*****

Hours later, bodies of ogre were now everywhere, dead bodies, bodies’ riddled with holes from the orc’s spears. Some unfortunate ogres had multiple holes in their body, closely packed together.

The good-looking commander and his men stared in disbelief at the very odd orc army that just obliterated the ogres who had almost slaughtered them all.

The orc army stood in formation but now their spears were all pointed upwards which seemed like they were waiting for the next command to be given before they move.

Spreading his gaze around the battlefield, Commander Eru saw no fallen orc among the scattered dead bodies around, only those hanging at the rear of their formation who were nursing their wounds or those who had lost their weapons.

The green skinned orc who Commander Eru suspected to be the commander of this orc army soon came forward, walking slowly towards them and only halted a few paces away.

His thoughts were in a total mess, the orc commander seemed to want to communicate with them. Fixing his bearings to be presentable and respectful, he walked forward, steadily and snappily utilizing what he had learned during his trainings.

“Greetings...brave human warriors”

Xiao Chen said in Ereian language, hoping that the good-looking knight in front of him speaks the same language since it was the only human language that he knows that is applicable in this world.

Commander Eru was dumbfounded, his eyebrows raised and became curved and high, wrinkles appeared on his forehead, his pupils dilated and his mouth opened wide in disbelief. He had not expected that an orc knew how to speak a human language nor bothered to learn one, since orcs were notorious for their aggressive nature and didn’t bother negotiating nor try to communicate diplomatically ever.

“Greetings to you to..... chieftain”

Commander Eru paused a bit after his greetings since he didn’t know what is the title nor standing of the orc he was communicating with, glancing at the still standing orcs in formation and trying to find any hint that could help him identify to which tribe do they belong to.

*****

The sound of approaching horses could be heard coming from where the high priestess’ retreated to, turning around, Commander Eru saw the majestic white steed of the high priestess and on its back was his one and only beloved and behind her was his second in command and the two knights who he entrusted her safety to, yelling at her to stop and not do anything foolish.