Rise of the Horde

278 Chapter 28Atef sprinted as fast as he could and the rest of his group who took off after him were just a few paces away from him, they were like sprinters competing a running competition as they tried their best to outran those who were running with them. Some were gifted at running while others were not but they didn’t stop from hurrying less the they get chased and mowed down.

At the part of the town where Atef’s group and Lishtal’s fought, a slaughter fest was going on with the hounds hunting those who disobeyed the orders of their captain. Some of the disobedient groups had the ability to protect themselves as some of their members were capable enough to repel the hounds, even the elite ones. Blades of battle energies were being sent everywhere and any slight carelessness would claim a life with how chaotic the fights were.

Some groups abandoned their peers while some stayed to fight together. Groups with strong members who could contest against the elites among the hounds were the ones with the least casualty as their stronger members protected their weaker peers. “Commander, should we chase them?” an elite among the hounds turned towards their commander, he was drenched in sweat but happy as he had enjoyed the crazy fights.

Those who disobeyed the words of Commander Lastam fled the scene en masse after the stronger groups created a solid defense line against the hounds and denied them from moving forward. “Let them be! We’ll take the castle first and enjoy our spoils… The lesser our number…The lesser we have to share.” Their commander’s decision was quickly supported by cheers. Those who were defending against the hounds slowly pulled back after noticing the attack of their foes lessening, they wanted to get away as possible but they feared that this was just a trick of their enemies for them to them lower their guards and possibly to weaken their defensive line.

After creating a more than hundreds of meters gap of distance, the hounds could no longer be spotted and the defensive line quickly crumbled as the ones who formed it began to flee and another sprinting contest happened. Their legs carried them as fast as they can leaving behind those who they worked with before in order to survive.

Commander Lastam scanned their surroundings, his line of sight shifting from one place to another. There were dead bodies everywhere, wounded trying to hold on dearly to life and the ruins of the destroyed surrounding structures. “Treat our wounded. End our foes and gather in front of the castle gate.” Lishtal felt grateful that their commander came to save their assess but little did he know that the conflict that happened between them and Atef was just what the commander needed to solve the problem of having too many people to share the loot of the town with.

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Those who managed to escaped from the range of the hounds first were glad when they noticed that they were among the first ones to escape but their faces soon turned grave upon noticing the blocked gateway and the unknown warriors that stood in their path. They halted in their tracks, huffing and puffing for air, drenched in sweat and faces filled with worry as they didn’t know what was going on. ‘Are they friends or foes?’ this was the question that the ones who were first to arrive wanted to be answered badly.

Khao’khen and his group turned their heads towards the sound of rapid footsteps that was heading their way and the sight of people trying to outran others came into their view. The Skallsers smiled from ear to ear and words like “Finally enemies…” “Time to kill!” rang out among them while the Drakhars just silently formed up their battle line. A few moments later, rows upon rows of armored soldiers formed up and creating another wall right before the blocked gate.

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Their path being blocked by those who were faster than them, the Ereians who fled from the hounds had no choice but also to stop. They questioned the ones who were in front of them on what was going on and why did they stop but the answers they got was that “I don’t know… I am still trying to find out.”

Atef himself was among the earlier ones to arrive, he had noticed the army that was blocking their path and he was quick to move as he hid in an alley nearby. He wasn’t sure if the army that was in their path was friendly or not but the mere presence of the orcs among the army that they saw was enough for him to exercise the utmost caution possible. Some of the surviving members of his group followed after him in the alley, there were only now seven of them who were together and they didn’t know if there were other survivors from their group but they had no time to care as it seemed that they had to fight yet again another battle after fleeing from the previous one.

The ones who held back the elites of the hounds were the last to retreat arrived at the scene and were confused by the situation that they saw. Their path forward was being blocked by a crowd, “What is going on here?” a man just a bit over thirty roared and his loud voice caught the attention of the ones who were at the rear of the crowd. “We don’t know but there is no way forward.” Someone answered him while facing towards the one who asked then turned to the front after giving his answer.

Khao’khen began organizing their battleline to adapt to their current battlefield which was by far very different from the ones that they were used to before. Their current battlefield was comprised of streets, small alleys and structures which would divide the battlefield into numerous smaller battlefields. Khao’khen’s warriors were primarily drilled to fight in pitch battles specially the Drakhars who make use of a formation to fight but luckily or unluckily the Skallsers were yet to be taught to fight in formations and their old style of fighting would still be somewhat effective in their current situation.

The strongest of the Ereians finally managed to squeeze their way to the front from the very rear of the crowd, they even had to make use of their battle energies at some point to move forward or else they be trapped at the center of the crowd. Their eyes almost bulged out from their eyes and their jaws hang low after seeing the wall of men that stood on their path and the presence of the orcs at the flanks of the armored men gave them even more to worry about. “Shit! Screw this!” someone from them cursed as soon as he caught of sight of what stood in their path.

The Drakhars lowered their spears and presented one solid forest of spears towards their enemies then marched forward in unison. Atef who was on the upper floor of a nearby building heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that the army that was blocking their path was not so friendly. He sneaked with his group to a building, a street away from the very front of the mass and hid in its upper floor since it would seldomly be checked.

Khao’khen himself felt excited of the battle that was going to unfold since this was as battle that would decide whether his arrangements would be better or the original arrangement of his warriors would be better than his. The Drakhars slowly move forward with their spears at the ready and skewer anyone who was foolish enough to stand within their path. The Drakhars have been trained to take their foes with their formation and are going to do just that while the Skallsers would do what they lacked which was to engage their foes in a chaotic battle. The Skallsers had the upper hand than the Skallsers when it comes to prestige among the warriors of Yohan which was what they respected as no one among them would want to jump the hierarchy which was established. Equip with there mighty spear the Drakhars slowly moved forward in their formation and aimed to take down their foes who were in a chaotic formation. Khao’khen himself knew that their foes were subjected into confusion after he and his warriors suddenly appeared unto the battlefield were threatening the existence of their opponents. Khao’khen himself had to take charge of what was going on as his warriors were not used to the battlefield that was going on which was totally different from the battlefield that they were used to. The Skallsers were securing the flanks of the Drakhars as they moved forward with their spear at the ready to skewer anyone who was foolish enough to stand in their path while the Skallsers secured their flanks while they moved forward.