Endless Chaos (Story)

8/3/2019 Endless Chaos (Story)

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Endless Chaos

Chapter 1

For as long as anyone can remember the war between the Adorean Alliance and

the orc tribes has been on going for generations after generations. Many lives claimedthat in the 100 year war on our world, Adorea. Casualties on both sides increased daily

and yet so many young souls still take up arms against the orcish tyranny and to avenge

their fallen comrades.

Whereas I did not know anything about the war or even what an orc looked like. I

was just a young lad of ten years old that lived in a cottage in my peaceful village. My

life was simple, helping father run the farm, while my elder brothers would assist him inhis foundry. It was simple, hardworking but a pleasant life. However all good things do

come to an end. The life I once knew to be laughter and peace would be taken away and

my journey of endless chaos would begin.

It was like any other day where I would start the day by carrying out my daily

routine. I would get up as early as daybreak to head out to the chicken coup to collect theeggs. Afterwards, I would milk the cows for the freshest milk I ever had the privilege of

tasting. By the end of the day the family would have sat down for dinner with the food

we grew and planted ourselves. Well they would have if an unforeseen event didnt come

knocking on our doorstep.

As we were about to settle to dinner, the town hall bell was sounded. The sentry

was hammering as hard as he could to warn us of an impending danger. The townsfolkwere running and screaming as though some natural disaster had struck. However it was

no natural disaster, more like a nightmare. Out of the blue our neighbour came barging inon our front door with his face all pale and frightened.

Quickly Connor! Get you and your family out of the house and head for the

Florencia Fortress.

Slow down Lenard, now tell me what is going on?

Its orcs Connor! They are raiding our village. We have to get out of here andnow! Quickly pack your things, me and my family will be waiting for you behind your

house. I just hope the town guards will be able to hold them back until we get to safety.

The news somehow put the whole family in terror. I on the other hand had been

confused over the whole matter. I had no idea what is an orc or why we even had to move

in the first place?

I looked up to my father trying to seek his wisdom in times of my confusion.

Father what is happening and why are we moving?


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Im sorry Tyreal but there is no time to explain. Everyone go quickly and pack

your things. Take only the things you need and meet me here at the dining table. Now

quickly go!

But father I tried to ask him further but I was dragged back by my two

elder brothers who had the same serious look in them just like our neighbour and myparents.

As soon as everything was packed, we quickly head to the back of our house andmet up with our neighbour and his family of six. As we joined up with our neighbours

family, we saw what devastation the orcs had brought upon our village. Fires were

breaking out, houses were burning and people were being slaughtered like a lamb in the

abattoir. Indeed I was terrified and understood why our neighbour had that pale look inhim for these orcs are terrifying creatures with no mercy. Together we departed with

other refugees who were leaving the village which I would one day return to fight for it

back as a soldier of the Adorean Alliance.

Chapter 2

The following day the refugees from my village had finally arrived at the

Florencia Fortress. Tired and terrified over yesterdays nightmare, the refugees were

brought to their respective places in the fort by Florencia soldiers. Food and shelter wereprovided therefore we were never hungry or tired but we could not remove the fear that

burrowed deep in our hearts. Fear had made it uneasy to sleep. Fearing one day we

ourselves will be killed by the hands of those monsters. Though it is not just the barbaricorcs we must worry. There are indeed other forces in this world that are unknown that we

should rightfully be weary off. Orcs are not the only beings that can instil destruction and

chaos.

After recuperating in the fortress for a week, we were then moved to the capitolitself where we would make our new home. The Florencia Kingdom is apart of the

Adorean Alliance. A kingdom rich in resources and fertile land has always given support

to the alliance in terms of vital supplies for the alliance armies located at the front lines.

However it is rumoured that the Florencia Kingdom has the interest of the orc tribesbecause of its plentiful resources. At first what seem to be hopeless raids by the orcs in

some areas of Florencia is slowing turning into a wide scale invasion of the kingdom.

Armies of the kingdom had dispatched over the years to prevent the orcs from invadingbut as years passed by their hold against the orcs are weakening.

Even though there were many skirmish battles at the border lines of Florencia, itscapitol kept the people safe within its high broad walls. It was in the great capitol we

made our next home. My father had opened a blacksmith shop where his skills in crafting

and welding were put to good use. Even though our previous home had been torched and

burnt to the ground, our new home provided us with safety and now father is in demand


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more then ever because of his ability to create magnificent swords and other weapons

which helped the alliance during times of war. However this facade of safety we lived in

was only to be short lived.

When my two brothers had finally turned twenty and eighteen years old, they had

both enlisted in the Florencia army. Hoping they would make a difference if they joined.Both of them headed out to the recruitment centre in the city and never to be seen again.

Before they left, my father had crafted armour for my brothers. With that they left with

our families love and blessing in them. I wanted to join with my brothers but I was stilltoo young and my family still needed me to help around. Disappointed, I watched my two

brothers left our home and walked away. That was to be the last time I would ever see

them.

Just because you do not get to see your love one doesnt mean that you cant hear

about them or find out news about their whereabouts. From time to time we would

receive letters from my brothers telling us that they are safe and doing well. They were

finally making a difference as they both had wished for with each battle they fought inwas a victory. In fact their success had made them admirable officers in the army. My

eldest brother was a lieutenant and the other was a sergeant. They were famous in thearmy for their fighting style which had been battling side by side whenever they were in a

battlefield. It was their perfect combination to win a battle. Once they were nearly

separated because my eldest brother was given the order to be transferred to another

company. When that happened, the company he was in currently decided to dischargefrom the army. They felt that a single brother could not win any battle if his other brother

wasnt there to back him up. Even the captain of his troop had agreed that the pair was

vital to the companys victories. With that the order was reverted and my brotherscontinued to fight on.

Just like how our village turned into ruins, my brothers were going to face a battlewhich they could not win and very well not live to see it through. In the last battle that

my brothers fought, their troop was suddenly ambushed by hordes of orcs that was under

the command of a brutal and tyrannical ogre. Just as how they fought in previous battles,my brothers fought as a pair. At first the troop was fighting well. Morale was high and so

were their spirits despite the overwhelming odds against them. However the tables turned

when my second brother was killed in battle by the enemys commander. In retaliation,

my eldest brother faced and fought the enemy commander head on. With rage, mybrother manages to mortally wound his opponent with a stab wound in the ogres ribs but

like my second brother, he too was killed when an orc archer fired an arrow which had

pierced through his heart. He died side by side with my second brother on the bloodyfields of Florencia.

News of their death had caught wind quickly and soon it came to my parents in aform of a letter delivered by a Florencian soldier. Their death was a great shock to my

family and that was all I could endure from the orcs. Soon after my brothers burial, I

decided that I would join in the war to avenge their death. My parents were reluctant to

let me go but I left anyway. My mind was made up and there was no turning back.


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Chapter 3

I joined the army when I was 19 and I thought I was too young to be in it but soon

I found out that there were others who were just 17 years old who had enlisted as well.

As time passed by I realize there were many young boys in the army who were fightingfor freedom of their homeland. Before I was enlisted to my troop, I had to undergo

months of training where I learned the basics of combat and warfare but in that time I had

made close friends. One of them was Ramius. Ramius was someone who was mostskilful with a sword. So skilful that he once defeated our trainer in a duel. Then there was

Tiberius, a large man that he was. One may think not to cross him because of his

enormous size but once you get to know what a friendly and loyal friend he was, you

would want him wherever you travelled. Tiberius is skilled with a broad axe and with hisfist. With one punch, he once made a bull unconscious back at his village before it was

burnt down by orcs. Last but not least there was Dylan. Some say he was born with eagle

eyes because he can see further then most people can. When given a bow and arrow, he

transforms into the most accurate archer Ive ever known. Never have I ever seen himmiss a target before.

We even made a bet with him just to test his skills. His challenge was that he must

shoot down a particular apple that is hanging on a tree and that tree is located on a hill

250 yards away from camp. To make the challenge more difficult for him, the apple tree

was filled with ripe apples. With a target as hard as this to spot, it would be close toimpossible to shoot it down. Never judge a book by its cover was what my father told me

before. When Tiberius and I told him what his target was, we couldnt help but laugh. We

knew he couldnt make the shot. He maybe good but a target like that you need to beGod. Few seconds later he fired his arrow. Few seconds later our jaws completely

dropped as Ramius looked on smiling. As we emptied our pocket money, Dylan ate the

apple he had shot. With this Dylan had proved himself to be an incredible archer and alsothat we lost the bet and our pride.

Together the four of us trained in the same camp for five months and when ourtraining was completed, we were then assigned to our new troop as regulars in the

Florencian army. Our commander who was in charge of our troop was a man that his

reputation had made him famous to many. Together we would drive these barbaric orcs

out of Florencia.

The four of us were enlisted in the 12 th infantry regiment under the command of

Lord Conrad son of Count Alexander of Xarania. Our commander is a brilliant tacticianof noble blood. What makes this man more interesting is that he is a half-elf. His father

was an elf count in Xarania and his mother a famous cleric in Xarania. Even though Lord

Conrads mother was a human, love somehow had bloomed. It was said that Conradsparents met when his father was wounded in battle and was being treated by his mother in

a medical camp in Xarania. Apart from being of noble blood, he was most famous for one

battle he fought in.


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The plain of Orion which is a vast valley in Xarania was a bloody battleground

ten years ago. Many battalions were sent out to stop the orcs advancement from entering

into Xarania any further. Each battle that took place in that battleground had alwaysended up in a stalemate but Xarania was loosing its soldiers and supplies too quickly.

Xaranian generals did not know how long they could hold up the line before they were

finally pushed back. That time the Adorean Alliance did not even exist and even thoughXarania was strong and its armies large, it was soon loosing grip on her land. Back then

Lord Conrad was just a colonel under the command of his fathers regiment. Elves are

noble beings but they can be stubborn as well. The elves believed that Xarania does notrequire help from any other country or other races. They highly believed in their ways of

being an independent kingdom but with the situation they were in, Conrad knew they

needed help and fast.

Two nights before another battle was about to breakout on the plains of Orion,

Conrad rode to the human kingdom, the Kingdom of Viridian. His mission was to meet

with the king of Viridian of that time to forge an alliance between the two nations.

However before there could be an alliance, a certain condition needed to be met.

On the day of the battle over the blood stained plain, hundreds of orcs and elvesfought ruthlessly. Blood from each side of the field was being spilled. It was a horrific

battle of utter proportions. Under the command of Hector the Bloody, he led his army of

orcs and ogres into battle against the elves under the command of General Tolandeal. In

the battlefield, elves were being crushed by ogres and slaughtered by orcs. At the sametime huge thundering beasts trampled over elves and broke their lines. Even though the

elves are skilful warriors with the sword and bow but to fight with overwhelming odds

was just madness. With the lines being broken, the elf general believed that they couldnot hold the front any longer.

The moment General Tolandeal was about to sound the retreat, somewhere behindthe orc army was a sight to be hold. Behind the great orc army of three thousand strong

was the Viridian army of five thousand soldiers led by Lord Conrad himself along with

other officers of Viridian. Other then Viridian, countries like Tyrania and Florenciaparticipated in that battle as well. Conrad had arrived just on time to support the elves. On

his arrival, the morale of the Xarania army boosted and that was when their forces

retaliated and ran headlong into the enemy. At the same time the Viridian army charged

into battle with a heavy cavalry charge. Phalanxes at the ready, they crushed the backlines of the orc army. Forces on both sides of the field, the orcs soon discovered they

were losing and by the end of the day the victor were the alliance forces. With the help of

the Viridian army, the Adorean Alliance was formed with Xarania and other smallercountries soon joined in as well.

With that battle, Lord Conrad was soon recognised to be the Hero of Xarania andwas later promoted to general. A fearless commander that now serves the Florencia

kingdom as part of the alliance treaty which part of it states that weaker countries will be

given military support by the three superior countries which are Xarania, Viridian and

Aesir.


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Chapter 4

The 12th infantry regiment of the alliance army was dispatch on its first mission.Along the outskirts of Florencia lies a village that was destroyed by the orcs but now the

orcs have made it their encampment. Our mission was to destroy the orc encampment and

reclaim back the land. Finally I was going to experience my first battle. An experience inwhich would put me through my first hell. Excitement and fear flowed side by side in me.

It takes three days to get to where we were going and it was during that duration of time I

realized where we were heading. The village that the orcs ravaged had been my abandonvillage. The village which I had grew in. It was my Eden until they took it away. With

only revenge filling my heart, these monsters will get no mercy from me for they not only

destroyed my home but also murdered the only siblings I had. They will all die by the end

of the day.

By the third day we had reached our destination. There we set up our base camp

few yards away from the village, along the main road. The ground was soaked from

yesterdays light rain and the surrounding forest was covered in morning dew. The orcspositioned in their encampment knew we were coming for them but for them to receive

any supplies or reinforcements were impossible now. Other Florencian forces hadbarricaded the surrounding encampment, cutting off their supplies routes and thus making

them isolated. Any road that passes through that village had been sealed off by the 4th and

5th platoon of the Florencian army. This was the time to finish them. Despite the orcs

being isolated and unable to receive reinforcements, this did not make them any weaker.They still had a strong force of desperate orcs that were willing to give it all theyve got

for their final stand. To make matters worse, these orcs were veterans of many previous

raids and we were just fresh recruits. Our first battle would be our last for some of us.The night before the actual battle, many of us prayed for a good fight and to see the next

sunrise.

A new day has come and on the battlefield was the 12th infantry regiment of the

alliance forces. Our forces were in formation and outside the range of their archers that

were entrenched in their defensive positions. Swordsmen at the front and behind themwere the archers. Just my luck I had to be at the front line of the formation and usually

the first line of a formation does not last long against an orc charge. Well at least I had

Ramius beside me. For some us, we were terrified but there were others like Tiberius

who showed no fear to any adversary. It was this type of character that kept morale of thetroops somewhat stable.

Right before the start of the battle our visibility over the terrain was blurred bythe morning fog. This fog made it difficult for us to see the enemy lines and their

encampment as well but we were lucky enough to know the location of their archers. We

could not see them and they could not see us. It was only a matter of time before theywould make the advance on us and because of the fog, the archers could do nothing to

give us support. We swordsmen were on our own.


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Suddenly the ground began to tremble. The tremor started of small but it

gradually grew louder. They were coming and it seems from the sound of their armour

clapping against one another showed that they were heavily armoured. In my life, I haveseen soldiers abandon their fellow men when they face superior enemies charging at

them. To prevent this from happening to our troops, the sergeant would tell the men to

steady themselves and other words of encouragement. In Lord Conrads mind, he knewthere was no turning back. The unsheathing of his sword, the tremors below our feet and

the intense pounding of my heart made it hard to focus but somehow Lord Conrad had

manage to remove them by few simple words.

As his eyes were fixed on the battlefield, he shouted towards his unseen enemy,

For Glory! With just two simple words my mind was clear.

I had been waiting and ready eagerly for this day to come. When the first few orcs

appeared in front of us, my heart raced even greater. Then as I was about to swing my

sword at my first orc, an arrow pierced through its head. My kill to be had been taken

away by Dylan. It was then that the order was given to the archers to fire at will.However orcs and humans were already facing against one another. Axes were crashing

down on armour, swords were cutting flesh and bodies were being bashed and broken.Blood was spilling everywhere. The first clash between the orcs and our front lines had

sent some of our troops hurling into the air. As predicted, the first line was crumbling

however Ramius and I took down orcs one at a time. We held our ground and

remembered our training to fight with all our might.

Tiberius was happily cutting down orcs with his broad axe. He was more

menacing then some orcs which few have thought. If you gave him animal fur anddressed him up ruggedly, one might think he was an orc. The battle ravaged on with both

sides loosing their numbers. However because we had greater numbers on our side, we

were slowly pushing them back and soon they were on the retreat. With this ourcommander ordered the charge at the orc encampment. As we ran in high spirits, I

couldnt help but wonder why we took the field so easily and why these veteran

barbarians retreated so easily. The fog was thicker now which made our movementslowed down. It is only natural to slow down when youre moving into unknown areas.

Suddenly without warning, arrows came piercing through the fog and into my fellow

men. Instantly many fell and in a moment we raised our shields but this made us stranded

in one place. We did not dare move cause by doing so we had to lower our shields,making our chest vulnerable to enemy arrows.

All we could do was just crouched down and hoped some other company wouldfind the enemy archers and cut them down. Slowly one by one of my comrades were

being shot in the shoulders and thighs. Then as though we were blessed by the heavens

above, the fog had lifted and revealed the enemies location. Once that happened, werealise how close we were to the encampment. Victory was in our grasps. Conrad gave

the order of the cavalry to charge and eliminate the enemy archers. Later Conrad

signalled the other alliance troops in the vicinity to storm the village and finish them of.

As I fought, time went by slowly. Everything passed by like picture frames and soon the


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battle was over. Just as I promised myself before the battle, every orc in the encampment

died that day. The orcs never retreated nor did they surrender themselves. My village was

finally liberated from the orcs.

Chapter 5

We had won our first battle. The troops were overwhelmed by their victory that

when we made camp somewhere in the Florencian territory, they took out their musicalinstruments and played whatever folk music they knew. That night was a festival which

reminded me of my childhood back then in my village. I remembered how I use to play

with the village children. We had our little games and sometimes we would pick up long

sticks and imagine they were swords. Such silly games we played that but now it is just athing of the past. Ramius had also took his time to reminisces his past. He remembered

how often his father would spend time with him by training him with a sword. This

explains his amazing skill sword mastery. He enjoyed every moment he spent time with

his father. However, like me he too had a reason to join the army. When the orcs cameand raided his town, his father was captain of the town guard. He and his team of town

guards did everything they could to stop the orc advancement but their efforts provedhopeless. Ramius remembered all too well of the incident because he saw how an orcs

claymore pierced through his fathers chest. Such pain will never fade away for him. He

swore that day he would avenge his fathers death.

Tiberius on the other hand had been into battle long before us. When the orcs

stormed into his farm and slaughtered his cows, he told us that he took up his axe and

went on a rampage. That day he killed his first orc at the age of twelve. He even had hisfirst battle scar that day. He went completely berserk, not because his cows were

slaughtered but his entire family died that day. The next day he sat on a rock by himself

like a lost sheep. Even though the wound that he had received on his right arm wascausing immense pain, he merely covered it up with a torn up cloth and sat solemnly.

Behind him were the burnt ruins of his farm. Then as refugees were passing by, a

nobleman by the name of Ezekiel saw the misguided soul that was sitting on top of a rockin front of a burnt down farm.

Young master, are you just going to sit there and cry about your lost ones or are

you going to carry on living as how they would want it.

Tiberius understood the nobleman and later joined the other refugees. The

nobleman saw the strength the boy possessed and knew he would make a fine warrior.Tiberius was later invited by the nobleman to stay with him. He was even given a job to

take care of the animals at the noblemans manor. The nobleman treated Tiberius as

though he were his own son. When Tiberius was of right age, the nobleman gave him hisblessing to join the army.

Before Dylan joined the army, he had a life of hunting. Everyday he and his

younger cousin would go hunting whatever there was around. From wild boars to large


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bison, no animal he hunted could escape him. His elders had a prophecy the day he was

born that he would grow up to be one of the greatest hunters there ever was and they were

right. His family are nomads that constantly move from one place to another but onenight while they were camping by a river, their camp was suddenly attacked by a group

of orcs that were passing through. His family managed to escape the terror of the orcs

since his family were mostly skilled hunters however he lost his younger cousin thatnight. Now Dylan has a new target to hunt and this creature can be found in abundance.

Orcs are the only animals he would gladly hunt till extinction.

The following day Lord Conrad rallied the troops together. It was from there that

the regiment will separate into four large companies. My company was under the

command of Captain Edward. Our mission from then on would come from him as we

travelled further into the territory to counterattack any orc movements within theterritory. I was fortunate to be in a company where three of my closest friends were in as

well. Together, the company moved south of Florencia. Reports had confirmed that there

had been multiple orc movements in the vicinity and it was up to us to quell them. During

our journeys, we encountered many orc platoons but with quick and decisive actions theywere quickly defeated. As we move further into the territory, our battle with the orcs

continued and even though we were winning every single fight, the size of our companywas slowly being reduced. Supplies and strength of the company were decreasing as well

as we travelled.

Captain, the men have been travelling for fourteen days now. Our supplies arelow, we need to find a nearby town to rest and recover our strength sir.

I understand your concern sergeant. Tomorrow we will head for the town ofHollowwick. It is a large town where we can get plenty of supplies there. On top of that

we will even be able to stand down there for at least a week.

Thats wonderful sir, I shall inform the men immediately.

Wait! As great as our destination is, we have another problem on our hands.Scouts have returned with dire news of orc patrols that patrol the road we are going to

take to reach Hollowwick.

If they are patrols then that means there is probably an orc camp nearby. Damn!We are so close and then they had to show up.

Get a hold of yourself sergeant, what is the condition of our company?

Sorry sir, well the men would have regain their strength by tomorrow morning

but they are not to happy about travelling for so long without proper rest.

Yes I can understand how they feel. Tomorrow you will brief them of the

situation and tell them once it is over they will finally get the relaxation they have always

wanted.


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Yes sir.

When morning broke, we had received another mission which most of us werent

to keen on doing, however there was a greater purpose in completing this mission. If we

carried it out we could finally reach a nearby town and rest but if we decide to abandonthis mission then we would need to travel even further to get to the next town. With that

we would also have to face more unnecessary battles, but if we did except the mission

then we wont only get our desired break but also protect the town from a nearby orccamp that was situated not to far away from the town. Even though the captain gives the

orders in the end it is the troops determination that decides the judgement of a leader. If

the troop isnt ready then the captain cannot make an order to fight an enemy. That will

only endanger the entire company. However we were eager to get our break and the orcsas always were in our way. Therefore in the end we were battle ready once more. No orc

was going to stop me from sleeping on a proper bed.

We packed up camp and moved out to face with the enemy patrols. The objectivewas to defeat three orc squads that patrol the main road and later destroy their camp

which was located deep in the forest of the town of Hollowwick. Our battle was going totake place in a forest environment, which means we need to be careful of sudden

ambushes which the orcs might have had for us. As simple as the plan may be, we cannot

for one moment let our guard down. These orcs are cunning warriors.

Chapter 6

As tired as we were, we set out to face against enemy positions and hopefully bythe end of the day we will have reached Hollowwick. As our company moved further into

the forest, I cant help but wonder that we were being watched as we marched on. I

wasnt the only one with the same feeling, Dylan and my captain sensed something was amiss as well. However we kept to our plan and relied on the data that scouts brought back

for our mission. Then as we were marching, the path that we took diverged into two

paths, one on the left and the other on the right. The right one takes to the town but theleft one takes us to the enemy camp. We knew which path we needed to take to complete

the mission but some of us had the urge to just abandon the mission and head for the

town. However the decision had been made when orc forces suddenly appeared from the

left path and they had also appeared from our rear.

There was no other choice, we had to face them. The captain quickly repositioned

the troops. The archers were kept in the middle of the two infantry columns. The captainknew our current situation wasnt good for us and if we didnt act quickly, more orcs

from their camp would soon close in on us and if we try to flee, the orcs in front and

behind would have caught up to us and then we would be in grave danger. Therefore thecaptain could only do what he could at the time.

Stand your ground men! We first need to break their lines, once we have

accomplished that we will move in on their camp. Is that clear soldiers of the alliance!


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In unison we shouted our war cry. Huuuwaaaaah!

Archers give them hell!

The archer team was split into two groups, each to face one of the orc groups. Assoon as the order was given, the archers let loose upon the enemy but seeing how the

trees were in the way, not every arrow manage to hit their mark. Then the moment came

as both orc groups clashed on us. We held our ground as instructed but the forcedelivered by the orcs had pushed us back by a few steps. As we were fighting, I manage

to meet up with Ramius on the field.

So Tyreal, do you think we can escape from this one seeing how we are crampedup in this forest.

Im not sure but why not? We have been surviving through all this while and

orcs dont know who their messing with remember.

Hah! Thats right, if only they knew how pissed we are at them.

Yes now come on, lets push these monsters back and get to our beds.

Side by side we fought, slashing and cutting down the enemy as we made shortwork of those orcs. It was like a dance the way we battled. Everything was rehearsed and

was played to perfection. He protected my back and I did the same with his. I wonder if

this was how my brothers fought. Then our captain saw an opening within the orcformation. The order was given and the company immediately ran passed the enemys

formation and headed to the orc camp. The orcs at their camp were caught by surprise as

they were expecting us to be dead by the end of the day. I guess they shouldnt judge abook by its cover and because of such they werent even ready for battle. Some of the

orcs at their camp were not even wearing their chain mail armour. Sure most of them had

their swords and axes with them but they were not battle ready by the looks of things. Wetook the opportunity and massacred the orc camp. We burnt their camp to the ground just

as how they burnt my village years ago. We showed no mercy and took no prisoners.

We left the place as soon as the mission was completed and headed for the townof Hollowwick. The remaining orcs that had ambushed us earlier returned to what was

their camp but now a smoky ruin. Seeing how they had lost their camp, the orcs had no

choice but to move on. The sun was beginning to set. Usually by this time we wouldpitch up camp but today we did not have to because we had finally after many hours of

fighting and marching, reached the town of Hollowwick. We entered the town as heroes.

Flower buds were thrown to our feet, I even got lucky as a fair maiden ran up to me andgave me a peck on the checks. Just as the captain promised, we were given the chance to

retire to our barracks. Some of the men instantly fell asleep on their beds the moment

they removed their armour.


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I suppose I could understand why they were rushing to get to their beds. We were

all very fatigue and our morale to fight another fight had been depleted. On top of that I

too fell asleep the moment my body laid upon my bed. We were told that we would bestationed here for a week. It may seem as though our duties was to protect this town from

intruders for a week but actually it was our chance to be on holiday for a week. The

troops spent their time walking through the streets, flirting with young girls and enjoyingthemselves in the town tavern. Sometimes Tiberius and I would enjoy ourselves to a good

drink while Ramius was busy flirting with barmaids and young girls that walked passed

by him. Sometimes he would be turned down because some girls hold strongly in theirreligion but seeing how he is a soldier of the alliance army, most girls turn to please him.

Indeed he has a way with the ladies. Dylan on the other hand does not enjoy flirting with

women or drinking in pubs, no he is a hunter. As a hunter he trains himself to be better

and sharper each time. Sometimes I would find him sharpening his skills at the archeryrange and sometimes even I join him. I myself could use some practise after all practice

makes perfect.

Even though some of us were having a break from it all, we still kept security incheck in this town. From time to time I was sent to carry out patrols along the border of

the town. When I was not on patrol duty, I would sometimes be at the tavern along withthe others.

Ah isnt it great Tyreal, were on leave and the accommodations here are

fabulous, not to mention the beautiful barmaids they have here.

Youve drank too much Ramius but Ill agree to the last part of what you have

said.

I knew you would see it my way. Tiberius, you should enjoy yourself a little

more. Come and talk to one of these beautiful angels they have here in this tavern. Threeof the barmaids that were with him began to giggle and poor Tiberius, big and fearless as

he maybe was a little shy that night.

Well that would be nice but no thank you. I think Ill head back to the barracks

now. Just as he was about to leave, a barmaid reaches his arm and tries to pull him back.

Wait dont go, stay awhile with your friends. Tiberius looked at the fairbarmaid as she tried to persuade him not to leave.

Yes Tiberius, please stay and tell how you defeated a hundred over orcs over thepast few months. At that time a few heads had turned and faced Tiberius with

amazement however I knew what Ramius said was basically exaggeration.

A little too much wont you say Ramius, I mean a hundred kills. Seriously stop

spreading rumours.


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Oh dont be so uptight Tyreal, Im only trying to make our friend here look

good. Can you not see how comfortable he is with that one barmaid? Dont you worry, I

will be sure to get you a girl for you alright?

Just as I was about to reply Ramiuss comment, someone whom I did not expect

to enter the tavern came in. Dylan? Youre actually here!

Dont be too surprise Tyreal, I only came here for a drink. Training can make

one dehydrate at the end of the day.

In some parts of the world where there is laughter and happiness, there are those

who seek to destroy them because they do not possess them and therefore they envy those

who have it. There are also those who seek revenge and destruction for it brings themsatisfaction and amusement.

Somewhere in the forest of Hollowwick, the remaining orc forces that were

defeated by a company of alliance troops were on the retreat to the next camp they hadnearby.

Sir, what do we do now that the humans have destroyed our camp and killed

many of our warriors?

Have no fear and keep your spirits high young warrior. I will gather the forcesfrom the other camps and soon we will have our revenge upon those that murdered our

comrades.

Chapter 7

Chieftain, I come to you because I need your aid to eradicate my enemy that hasdishonoured my brothers in battle.

Tell me what has happened.

The humans attacked us in the forest of Hollowwick while we were doing

patrols. We engaged them but they used cowardly methods and avoided a direct

confrontation from us. Instead they headed for our camp where our wounded were stillrecuperating from their wounds. The humans slaughtered everyone and burnt everything

to the ground when we returned my chieftain.

With rage the orc chieftain let out a furious cry. These humans will pay for their

cowardly actions. I will avenge you and you have my word. Now go and tell the other

camps to bring their warriors before me and tell them we will have another battle with thecold hearted humans.

Yes chieftain, at once.


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The following day the surrounding camps moved their supplies and equipments to

the main camp along with the orc warriors that brought them.

My fellow warriors, once again the humans have attacked us with their cowardly

tactics. Now they must pay for their actions with their blood. United we are, we will

crush the humans that brought shame to our brothers whose camp was burnt atHollowwick. It is no doubt they are hiding in that town. Now take up your axes and

swords for we are going to destroy that human town.

With that speech, the morale of the orcs greatly increased and soon they left to

bring an end to the town of Hollowwick.

Back at the gates of Hollowwick, a scout returns with gravely news. He then giveshis report to his superiors.

They are what! Sergeant, rally the men and get them to the courtyard

immediately and also inform the governor that I want the town guards to be under mycommand.

Yes sir but what is going on?

Orcs sergeant, and this time theyve brought a very large number of them and

siege equipment as well. Now hurry and go!

Yes sir at once.

A new day has come but unlike the other days where we could live peacefully,

that day would turn out to be another hellish nightmare for me. All of a sudden the town

hall bell rang which alerted the troops in the barracks and apart from the town bell thatalerted us, our sergeant came rushing into the barracks rallying us to meet in the

courtyard. In five minutes we gathered at the courtyard and then we were informed of the

worst of news we had ever heard of then. Just as we were going to move out of the town,the orcs just had to engage us once more. The scenario this time would be a life or death

situation for the orcs had mobilized a large force to siege the town and they brought with

them heavy equipment which were large catapults, better known as mangonels. These

siege weapons were horrible news for us for these machines had the power to hurl largerprojectiles. From the reports of scouts, our captain was unsure if he could defend the

town which was why he advised the governor to evacuate the people. So even if the town

was destroyed, at least its people will survive. Buildings and structures alone does notmake a town. With the people saved, they can always return to rebuild what they had lost.

The orcs were closing and time was running out. Defences needed to up quicklyor the orcs will run down the town like a wild bush fire. Within minutes the captain

planned out a strategy to defend the town.


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Sergeant, get the archers to the wall. Corporal, inform the towers to load their

ballistae.

At once sir and sir I have brought the four soldiers you have requested. It was

that moment the four of us had finally been noticed of our skills in combat. This could

explain why we were assigned a different task from the rest of the men that day.

Gentlemen out of all the veteran soldiers I have under me, you four are the most

skilled. That is why I need you now. This gate here is located at the far end of the walland because of limited troops, we do not have enough men to protect it. If the orcs get to

it they would have an access into the town. This is your mission, defend that gate until

reinforcement arrives. It is a small gate and the only access to it is by a bridge which is

directly below the gate. Try not to fall off the bridge, the river below it has strongcurrents. This gate is vital in our victory. It does not only stop the enemy from coming in

but also we will be able to outflank the enemy from there. Now go quickly, there is a

squad of town guards waiting outside for you to be of assistance. God speed gentlemen.

With that short briefing, I, Ramius, Dylan and Tiberius along with six other town

guards made our way to the gate. Indeed the gate and the bridge are small which meantwe did not have to protect a lot ground and the six town guards under us were archers and

their weapon of choice as instructed by Dylan was the long ranged longbow. This gave us

the upper hand. Dylan and the archers were positioned on the walls whereas Ramius,

Tiberius and I were standing outside the protection of the walls. Just in front of the gatewhere we held our ground.

The time had finally come, the orcs assembled in front of the main gate. Just asthe reports stated, the orcs came in large numbers along with their catapults. To give

them the extra edge to this battle, the orcs brought with them the giant half-brained ogres.

Large creatures they were and their favourite weapon was usually a massive spike club.On top of that, these giant beings were born with thick layers of dead skin that act as

natural armour. With such monsters on their side, they would be able to destroy the gate

within a short period of time. Times like these I wish the reports were wrong.

As predicted the orcs made their first move but because the orcs came out of the

forest, they didnt had much space to run. In front of them was the towns stonewall and

towers. Behind them is the forest that they came out from and because of limited space,the moment the orcs made a charge the archers would be able to open fire on them.

However they had catapults to bombard our archers. This battle was later to be

remembered in our history books as The Great Siege of Hollowwick.

The orcs made their charge to the walls. Archers had fired upon them but at the

same time the walls were being pounded by mangonels. The orcs quickly made their wayto the base of the wall where they threw their grappling hooks in order to scale the walls.

The soldiers positioned on the walls immediately went to secure the part of the wall that

was being invaded.


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Captain the west wall is being over run!

Send more troops over there, we cannot let them advance and capture the towers.Sergeant, reinforce the main gate.

The orcs knew the only way into the town is through that main gate and the sidegate which my team was protecting. Just as how they brought their catapults to hit our

walls, they also brought battering rams to cripple our gate. From my point of view, I

could tell the orcs were pushing harder to break our gates but just as how they werefighting fiercely, we were doing our best to break them from our walls. Ballistae from

towers opened fired on ogres that got to close to the walls but we only have a small hand

full of towers and they had a much larger force then my company and the town guards

combined.

Orcs were up to their dirty tricks once more. They flamed their boulders with

poured oil and fired them. Whatever part of the wall that got hit, the flames from the

boulder quickly spread across some parts of the wall. Soldiers did their best to extinguishthe flames but this gave the orcs an opportunity to storm the walls. I could see the events

that were taking placing but I could nothing. I had my orders and if I left, the side gatewould have been less defended.

Tyreal! Orc squads are heading our way.

How many squads do they have Dylan?

I see three banners, only three squads are heading our way.

Three squads, that means thirty six orcs. Why are the odds always against us?

Archers take aim, Dylan you command the archers. You may fire when ready.

Understood, archers take your aim. Keep steady and fire on my command.

As thirty six orcs were approaching the side gates with their axes and spears,Dylan and the six archers kept their cool and waited for the right moment. As they got

closer I was beginning to wonder when Dylan would open fire. Ramius and Tiberius

looked at one another. It seems they understood each other and understood what Dylans

motif for the delay was.

Fire! Kill them where they stand.

Instantly they fired upon the enemy and each time they fired six or seven orcs

would have fallen. Dylan could have given the order to fire sooner however the orcs had

still some cover within the forest. Now it was my time to shine, the first orc thatconfronted with me had its chest sliced up as I swung my gladius, a favourite short sword

of mine through its body. However the next orc learned quickly of its predecessor and

immediately went into defensive to counter my attack but orcs are not as fast as humans.

That orc may have blocked my first swing but my next one caught it off guard which


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cause its life. Ramius being a skilled swordsman used dual scimitar blades which he had

bought at the towns market to enhance his effectiveness on the battlefield. After all the

scimitar is a light weight weapon and perhaps two swords are better than one if you canhandle it. With one blade Ramius is able to block his opponents attack keeping his

opponent focused on his first blade, Ramius then uses his second blade to pierce through

his opponents heart. Swift and fast kills were his tactics in winning battles howeverTiberius had a different approach. He wins his battles through brute force. Annihilate the

enemy by crushing them where they stand and he does this so with his broad axe. With

one swing from his axe he is able to knock off an orc of its feet or if he brings down hisaxe, no orc shield would be able to withstand his blow. The shield would brake before his

broad axe and the orc that wield the shield would have been crushed by his axe. There

may have been thirty six of them or more that day but we were much more skilled then

any of those vial creatures.

As the battle continued, the walls were quickly being over-run by them and the

main gate did not look like it could withstand anymore blows from the orc rams.

Captain the east and west wall are being over-run. We cannot hold out any

longer and the gate is crumbling.

What about the situation at the south gate? How are they holding up?

Tyreals squad, well they are holding them back but I fear more will come and Ido not know how long they can hold their ground. Captain we need to retreat to the

keep.

I understand, tell the men to pull back to the keep. We will make our stand there

and once the gate breaks down, tell the sergeant to order his team to engage the enemy.

The archers from the keep will provide cover for him.

At once sir!

The situation has developed into this, well it is to be expected so now we must

wait for the right moment to counterattack.

It was already mid-day and the walls had been breached. Now there was no whereto run. The keep was all they have left to defend and hold off the attackers. Then as the

battle continued on, the main gate finally broke down and orcs just poured into the

garrison. However they had a little surprise waiting at the other end of the gate, thesergeant had a porcupine placed facing the gate. The porcupine is a human invention and

its purpose is a murderous one. It is design to carry six rows of arrows and each row had

ten arrows. If you were caught in between the firing range on a porcupine then there isjust no hope of survival. With just one push of a lever, the porcupine unleashed hell upon

the foolish orcs and with them confused the sergeant ordered his men to retaliate.

Instantly they charged towards the confused orcs as arrows from archers positioned on


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the keep gave them covering fire. The tables were slowing turning and we were slowly

reclaiming back our ground.

Just as we pulled a surprise counterattack on them, they too had a trick up their

sleeves. At first glance we assumed the orcs were on the retreat but in fact they were

regrouping and this time they brought an ogre to lead the front. Our men were froze asthe ogre came charging towards them. They could do nothing to bring it down. Anything

that stood in the way would have been crushed and it was impossible to block an attack

by it. The force delivered by an ogre is too much to block. However it isnt in humannature to just give up without a fight to the end. However it was pointless for those who

tried because they were instantly swept away like dirt on the floor. The brave soldiers that

were pushing the orcs back had been crushed by the overwhelming power of the ogre.

The sergeant even though had a broken rib and multiple cuts on his body made his bloodyway back to the porcupine to make one last effort to bring down that ogre. Archers did

not do much to hurt the ogre but it did slow it down giving enough time for the sergeant

to reposition the porcupine. Time was running out. The ogre was getting closer to him

and he himself was loosing too much blood. Lack of blood made visibility for thesergeant hard for him but everything became clear when the ogre stood before him in

front of the porcupine with its club raised high. With the push of the lever, sixty arrowsfilled the monster with arrows and with such amazing force the ogre fell dead before him.

With that the sergeant knew he could finally rest in peace even though he had his body

stabbed multiple times by orcs that had over-run his position. The last image he saw was

the bright clear sky above him as he closed his eyes to eternal slumber.

Chapter 8

By the time the orcs took control of the main gate, their numbers at the side gatethat I and my squad were defending double and the battle quickly became more intense.

My mission was to defend the side gate from intruders, so far I had been successful but

how long can one hold up against overwhelming odds. These barbaric orcs just keepcoming. I didnt know for how long I was fighting but my sword and shield began to feel

heavy. Fatigue was beginning to overwhelm me but even with that my focus over the

battlefield remained sharp and without it a soldier would end up dead minutes into the

battle. If my focus wasnt sharp that day then I would had never realised the hidden planthe orcs had.

Just as the battle continued, the orcs had still not laid a finger onto the gate but thetables soon turned once more when I saw an orc running down from a slope of a small

hill and charging towards the bridge. In its hand were small balls of explosives wrapped

up in a net. My eyes widen and fear filled my entire body. Quickly I alarmed Dylan andwhen he saw what was coming for us, he wasted no time in taking his aim. However, just

as he was about to make his shot, he himself was shot in the chest by an orc with a

crossbow. The other six archers were oblivious to the suicidal orc but when they finally

noticed it, the orc was already too close for comfort.


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One hand holding a net full of explosives and the other a torch to set of the

explosives, which was all that orc had. No armour and no weapons to defend itself. It had

one purpose, to destroy the gate whatever means necessary. As that orc was runningtowards us, archers began firing arrows into it but that still did not slow or stop that

suicidal orc until finally Tiberius grabbed an axe which belonged to a dead orc and threw

it to the orc. The orc fell but it was already too close to the gate. When both explosivesand the torch fell, all hell broke out. The next thing I remembered was this enormous

blast that appeared in front me which had hurled me into air and into the raging cold

waters of the river. After that everything went blank. I though I was dead. I though mytime had finally come because I remembered returning to my home in my village where I

saw my two brothers and my parents waiting for me. It felt like a dream and yet it also

felt so relieving. Then my eldest brother whispered something to me which I could not

make out. No matter how hard I tired to heed his message, it still did not reach my ears.Then I notice that I was being pulled back by some unknown force. The more I struggled

the more it pulled me back. I shouted and screamed for freedom but soon everything went

blank once more.

Then in darkness I heard a voice, it was faint but I could hear it. Hey, hey look at

me. Looks like you had a rough day my friend. Hey guys this one is alive. Put him withthe other three that we found earlier. After that everything went silent and blank once

more.

Chapter 9

Tyreal, Tyreal can you hear me? In that same darkness I heard a familiar voicecalling out to me. Tyreal, Tyreal hang in there.

Is he awake? For some reason that sounded like Ramius but I couldnt be suresince it was hard to keep my focus.

His eyes are slowly moving, what does that mean Dylan?

It means that he is alive Tiberius now move aside.

Oh right I knew that.

The little explosion we had really did something to your head now didnt it

Tiberius.

Hah it will take more then just a small display of fireworks to hurt me Ramius,

oh Dylan you were shot werent you. How is your chest?

Wrapped in bandages around his chest and forehead, Dylan helped me up and

placed me against a tent wall. When I had finally come around I realised that I myself had

been wrapped in bandages. My head, chest and arms had been wrapped. It must have


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been a huge blast. I must be truly blessed to be alive. Someone up there is giving me a

second chance of life.

DylanRamius Tiberius, youre all here. Thank God.

Well little explosions cant hurt us, we are invincible right Tiberius.

Speak for yourself Ramius, where exactly are we? It doesnt look like some orc

encampment or prison so thats good.

I dont know but I think we are going to find out soon enough.

Footsteps were drawing closer to our tent. The footsteps seem light so it had to besomeone of small build. As the steps drew closer our tent door was opened by a nurse.

She seemed rather shy of us. Well it cant be help. After all the four of us are half nude,

striped of our shirts and only left with our pants.

So youre all already awake, so soon.

Well my young foxy girl, we are big, strong and dashing men after all, said

Ramius as he once again tries to make his move on yet another innocent maiden.

However this time his effort was cut short because of his injuries. The minute he tried to

get up, the injuries in his ribs began to react and with that an amazing tingling pain ranthrough his body. With such intense pain coursing through his body, he instantly

collapsed to his knees once more clinging on to his ribs.

Well, well Mr. Big and Strong, I guess your not all that healed up but I can agree

to the dashing part. Now then let me check those bandages.

When our medical check up was finished, Field Marshal Ezekiel of the Viridian

Kingdom entered our medical tent. Field Marshal Ezekiel, one of Viridians most famous

officers and one of the best they had. This was the man responsible to leading the firstalliance army to retaliate the orc invasion of Xarania. If not for the support of this hero

then Xarania would have been a slave camp for the orcs. The elves have much gratitude

towards this man even though he is human. However because of his selfless act, all

difference was put aside and with that he was able to establish an alliance with theXarania kingdom.

He came in with his blood stained full plate armour which reminded me thatpreviously I had a battle at the town of Hollowwick. Then a though had occurred to me,

had I failed my duty to prevent the orcs from entering the side gate? Did we win that

battle but more importantly were the people unhurt. Feelings of guilt and concern filledmy body however there was nothing that could be done. What has happened has come to

past. If I were a mage then I would have been able to have done something like perhaps

travel back in time yet time travel is a spell even most mages have not mastered. It is said

only a small number of mages have the ability to time travel. Nonetheless the damage


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was done, the next step was to come up with a solution to prevent future catastrophes.

Even though I was unable to defend the town till the very end, I am still alive and

breathing and with that I can still make a difference.

The moment Field Marshal Ezekiel entered the tent, the four of us tried to stand

up in honour of his presence however we soon came to fail at that as well. We were stillin a horrible shape but the marshal is an understandable man and therefore we had the

luxury to continue resting on our posteriors.

So you four are the survivors of the battle of Hollowwick. You four should be

thankful that you are still alive. From the reports Ive received the town was apparently

over run by the enemy and part of the town had been destroyed and it would appear that

both gates had been brought down as well.

Both gates were taken by them. Then it means we have failed. At that moment

it felt as though that all hope was lost and because of my failure the people of that town

will suffer.

Do not worry, you all have tried your best to hold the enemy at bay but theywere just too great of a foe for you to handle. I believe your captain must have informed

you that reinforcements were on the way in order to boost morale. Indeed he was right

and we arrived to reclaim back the town. However when we arrived both gates had been

captured and the orcs were already inside the garrison but nonetheless we defeated themthere and then. Those fools should know who they are fighting with.

The captain, how is the captain?

Your company suffered severed casualties, eighty percent of your company is

either presumed dead or captured. Captain Edward is one of the dead. His body wasfound in the keep with multiple stab wounds in his body but he did not go down so easily.

Five orcs died around him. Im assuming they were all his kills. Your captain fought well

but Im afraid your company must be disbanded for it has suffered too much of a loss.Therefore from now on you four and whatever survivors will join my army. Welcome to

the Viridian army my friends.

Sir what about the citizens of the town, did they manage to escape?

Yes captain they did, we found them in the caves in the mountains of Orion not

far of from the town. They are safe and rebuilding their town even as we speak.

Thank heavens wait did you called me a captain?

Indeed I did, you are now my new captain for this infantry troop. This troop had

apparently lost their commanding officer in battle and you are the perfect replacement.

My decision is made based on the reports I received from the survivors of your company.


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It stated that you were made squad leader of your group and protected the side gate from

impossible odds. I believe you will make a fine captain.

I am honoured sir, thank you.

As for Ramius, you have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant and will serveunder Captain Tyreal as his second in command. Dylan you are now the Captain of the

18th Longbow Company and Tiberius, you have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

You will be serving under my company. Congratulations to the four of you, rest now andin seven days we will depart for Viridian.

The moment the marshal left, we were thrilled by the overwhelming news. Not

only were the people of Hollowwick unharmed but on top of that we were now officers ofthe Viridian army and under the command of Viridians most famous field marshal.

Soldiers that achieve the rank of lieutenant and above will receive a different set of

armour to differentiate their status among the other soldiers. I was made the commanding

officer of my own company therefore I was given a gold and silver full plated armourwith a red cape. Full plated type armour were one of the most challenging of armours to

mend for this armour had been made to protect most of the users body. Apart fromcovering the entire body with armour, the chest plate of the armour had been made

especially to able to receive arrow fire without harming the user. To receive such armour

is indeed a great honour to the one wearing it and the craftsman who constructed it. Apart

from receiving new armour I was also given a new blade to replace the one I had lost.The marshal had presented to me a new broadsword which was double-edged and larger

than most swords I had used before. My very own arming sword had its own nickname

carved into it, Survivor. With that my journey continued on and more blood shed waswaiting for me as I continued on my travels.

Chapter 10

A week had passed and most of my wounds had been healed. Now it was time to

move on again. To get to Viridian we needed to pass through three locations, The Valleyof Merlidia, Draktol Pass and the Andromeda Sea. I was told that the journey would be

long and hard. Our first destination was The Valley of Merlidia. This is one the largest

valleys on Adorea and one of the most hazardous. This valley is under the territory of

Aesir but rumour has it that Aesirs forces do not patrol these parts because the valleymostly belongs to the nomads that stay within the valley. The nomads also known as the

wild men roam the valley as though the entire place belonged to them. The nomads live

in large groups but when a threat approaches, all of the nomad groups will unite togetherand defend their valley. Many times Aesir have sent its armies to disperse the nomads

because they pose a threat to anyone that try to pass through the valley. However as the

war with the orcs intensified, more and more resources were needed and more troopswere sent to the front lines which was why Aesir had stop sending its armies to quell the

wild men. Many years had passed and because of Aesirs actions the wild mens power

grew and if ever united they pose an even greater threat to the peace of Adorea.


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The wild men of the valley were originally fugitives of Aesir. Ages back Aesir

was facing troubled times. Crimes were escalating and unrest was on the rise. The power

to suppress the criminals was given to the premier of Aesir however after three years ofeffort, the criminals still roamed free. This did not please the king of Aesir well and

because of his failure he was relinquish of his power. The task had now fallen under the

king himself. Through his power he ordered his very own private army, the Vanguards toeliminate the threat that spread through his country like a plague. The Vanguards are the

most disciplined and highly trained soldiers in Aesir and probably in the alliance as well.

They obey any order given by their superiors and never hesitate to kill anyone who hasbeen marked as an enemy and within five months the fugitives were captured and placed

in a prison facility that was built in the Valley of Merlidia. That way the prisoners were

isolated from the rest of the world while Aesir had the opportunity to develop itself into a

greater nation. A moment of peace for the country but as time passed by the prisonersbegan plotting their way to freedom and within a year they broke free of the prison

facility and captured the entire prison facility as their own.

The prison facility was build like a castle. It was designed to keep prisoners in andat the same time it could defend itself from external threats. In spite of this the prisoners

had taken the facility and made it their very own fortress. This insult had made the greatking furious. He ordered his armies to be sent to the Valley of Merlidia to once more

suppress the insurgents. Armies after armies were sent but their efforts seemed futile and

the civil war between Aesirs armies and the fugitives of Aesir ravaged for many years.

The turning point came when a new king was crowned. He took different strategies intocrushing his foes and within a year the prisoners or the wild men were at the verge of

defeat however a new foe had shown itself. This foe was even greater then the wild men.

They were on the rise and had begun their invasion of Aesir. Two years after thecoronation of the new king, the orcs begin their invasion into Aesir. Aesir was so close to

finally eliminating the wild men but it had to turn its attention elsewhere but by doing this

it gave an opportunity for the wild men to recuperate and grow once more.

Years had passed since the war started and now their numbers have grown to a

number so large that it would take two full armies to crush them. That is if they were allmet in the same place. After marching for a few days we had arrived at the entrance of

the treacherous valley. There were other ways to get to Viridian but time was of the

essence and we were in a hurry to return to Viridian and the valley was apparently the

quickest way to get there. May God be watching over me as I cross through the Valley ofthe Sinned, once entered there was no turning back.

Before we entered the valley, Field Marshal Ezekiel ordered the troops to set upcamp at the mouth of the valley. We were to spend a night in our camp before we set out

into the valley. This way we would be able to reach the centre of the valley by next

nightfall. That night the men were feeling unease about venturing into the valley. Someof them did not even go to sleep, I did not sleep. Indeed the thought of passing through

the valley is a terrifying one. After all our opponents were the wild men, insane and

murderous people that will not spare a moment thought of killing you. Woman or child,

they are all the same in there. Its either killed or be killed, survival for the fittest. That


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night me, Ramius, Dylan and Tiberius gathered together by a camp fire and sat the night

away.

Hey Tyreal is it true what they say about the wild men, that some of them are

cannibals?

I dont know anyways it is just an old story our parents would tell to scare us.

Besides their just criminals, well cut them down easily.

Do not underestimate them Tyreal for you forget that not just the men but the

women and children are murderers as well. If given the chance they will kill you. We will

have to face them as well, are you prepared to kill them too. If you do not make the first

move, you will die. Women or children they will spare no mercy when it comes todefending their home. Make no mistake they are our enemy, if they engage us we will

fight back despite who our enemy maybe.

That is true Dylan but can you really come to your senses and strike against achild?

If I do not then they will. It will be the hardest mission we will ever have to face.

Many will perish from tomorrows battle. Its best to just stay focus on the objective

alright.

Dylan is right, these people are no different the orcs. Do not think too much of it.

Come let us all get some sleep now. We will need the rest.

Alright Tiberius well I guess Im going to bed now. Good night everyone, sleep

well.

You to Tyreal, well I guess Ill be sleeping now as well. See you guys tomorrow

in the morning. Get some sleep alright Dylan and the same goes to you Ramius.

Yes mother. Tiberius left for his tent. I left shortly after that but didnt really

leave at the same time. I felt as though there was something bothering Ramius and Dylan

during our conversation so I hid myself behind a shadow of a tent near the campfire.

Ramius

Huh? What is it Dylan.

Do you feel it?

Excuse me?

Do you feel as though we are being watched?


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So I guess Im not the only one then. Well then we should still get some rest.

Tomorrow is another bloody day Dylan.

The following day we packed our camp and we were about to set out into the

valley. Before we did, Field Marshal Ezekiel reminded the troops what war meant how itwill destroy lives if one should partake in it.

Gentlemen, I know how you feel about having to fight our enemy. As you wereall probably informed by your superiors, you know that your enemy are not only men but

women as well and possibly children too. Understand this, these people are fugitives and

an order had been passed for their execution. Do not hold back against them or they will

take your life. They are only still here today because we let them and if they get in ourway today they will face the consequences. This is war gentlemen, remember that. If they

dare strike at you, then you will put them down. Remember your training and God

speed.

Like a lion, our fearless marshal led his troops into the valley. We had marched

for about an hour or so until we had made our first contact with the wild men. As wewere marching, three large groups of wild men possibly the size of companies came

charging towards us. No archers, just men with blunt swords and axes. Some of them

barely wore any armour but those that did wore light armour. Most of their armour was

either made out of leather or many pieces of small metal rings linked together to form amesh or in other words these nomads were also equipped with chain mail. This was the

first of many confrontations to come. Responding quickly to the situation, Ezekiel

ordered the 17th, 18th and 19th longbow archer companies to open fire upon the enemy.Instantly many fell and those that finally crossed blades with the infantry were cut down

almost instantly. The first wave of enemy troops did not have any women or children in

it. Therefore this victory increased the mens morale however it will soon plummet in thenext few battles to come.

Alright we defeated them. That was not hard, did you see that. They dont standa chance.

Thats enough soldier, do not get carried away or you will live to regret it.

Yes Captain Tyreal, my apologies.

Young men that join wars only to kill others in believe that their doing the rightthing. They believe to fight for their country is the right thing to do because it is their

leaders who tell them this is the way. However what if it is not? What then, do we just

abandon our fellow men and run away because what we believe is different? I was madecaptain of my own company and as such I have the power to make my own decisions

even if it meant to abandon my mission in order to save my company. During the time I

spent crossing through the valley, I witnessed the brutality of war.


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The first attack by the wild men was quickly defeated but soon after they were

defeated we were once more engage in another battle. This time they had more numbers

and it seemed they were better equipped. This time they brought archers and betterweaponry to battle. Weapons such as the curved and light scimitar however theirs were

blunt and the destructive mace were used favourably by them. Once again we were on

defence. Our archers opened fire first since they were using longbows which meant wehad longer range to our advantage. As though our first encounter had happened again, the

same fate awaited these people. That battle was quickly won as well only because they

were not organised and that they rushed in to quickly. Before we finally reached thecentre of the valley, we were faced with many obstacles. This valley is surrounded by a

dense forest in which time to time the valley can be engulfed in mist. The nomads used

this to gain the upper hand.

Field Marshal Ezekiel, theres a thick mist up a head. I do not think it is wise if

we were to move into it.

You are right Tiberius, nevertheless this mist is coming towards us. Order themen to halt and to stand our ground. Tell the men to expect an ambush at any time. Lets

see what trickery they have for us this time.

When the mist had completely engulfed us, my heart beat was beating at a fast

rate. I was fearful because I could not see my opponents in such a mist. It was like my

first battle back in my village. This was probably what you call a fog of war. Then ithappened, in a blink of an eye many of the infantry were suddenly shot by arrows that

just appeared out of no where. We had our shields up so this reduced the fatalities. We

maybe blind but we were not death. After the first attack by their archers, we heardmultiple footsteps in a face pace coming towards us. We knew then they were charging in

and we knew which direction they were coming from. We stood our ground in close

quarters and applied whatever our training taught us. Within seconds we were fightingthe enemy that seemed to be everywhere. It was hard to tell who were a friend and a foe

because of the mist you only knew once they were close to your face and if it was your

enemy it could be too late by then. As I was fighting I saw an opaque image in thedistance. Instinct told me it was a foe but when I brought my sword down on him, he

suddenly turned at blocked my attack. When the mist cleared between us I had realised I

nearly killed my own sergeant.

Oh sergeant it is you. My apologies I thought you were the enemy.

Its alright sir, I get that a lot. Then without me noticing, someone had beencharging towards me with a killer instinct. Sir watch your back! Immediately I turned

and blocked my opponents strike and gave a counterattack which had killed my foe.

When I first joined the army, taking someones life wasnt easy and it was not justbecause of moral issues. As time passed by, my skills just kept improving that even a

simple defend and counterattack strategy from my sword could end a careless opponent.

Killing was done with such great effectiveness that it has become a reflex action to me.

When the mist cleared, my eyes widen for I had realised whose life I had just taken. It


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was a womans life. I froze by the sight of my own doing. All this long I had only been

taking the lives of orcs and corrupted men but never a woman. Then a thought occurred

to me, were my previous kills all women and possibly children. I could not tell as I hadalready killed so many so quickly. Growing up in the farm, my father thought me moral

values such respect your elders and also to never harm a woman. Such values had led me

to think whether my actions had caused me great sin. I just froze thinking about it whichnearly led to my own grave. As I stood there staring blankly into space, a man wielding

an axe took the opportunity to slay me from behind but his chance was cut short. As he

charged in full battle spirit towards motionless me, Dylan had shot an arrow into his skullbefore he could even swing his axe.

Tyreal wake up, you know we were going to face such a situation. If you do not

kill them then they will. We cannot afford to lose another officer now pull yourselftogether. His short speech was later followed by two slaps to the face. I guess I needed

it.

Dylan was right, these were our enemies and they chose to fight us. As such wewill defend ourselves accordingly. Woman or child, if they strike at us then they will pay

the price. When the battle ended we had finally reached the centre of the valley and set upcamp by nightfall. That night I kept thinking, why did the women get involved in the last

battle? Cant they just let the men handle it? Then I understood, this is their home and we

were trespassing. They were just trying to defend their own home. Somehow I knew the

road ahead was going to be a lot more difficult tomorrow.

Chapter 11

Even when we were asleep in the night trying to recuperate from our wounds,

they had shown no mercy towards us. Even at night they continued to attack us. A good

tactic but a dirty one, to fight your enemy when they were least prepared isdishonourable. However these are wild men, should not be expecting much honour in

them anyways. Without a doubt their attack was a surprise to us all and they killed many

of our comrades but they should not judge us so quickly. We were not weak as we appearto be. That night they attacked us but they did not send as many soldiers as they did

during the day. This was their flaw and because of that they were defeated after we had

regrouped and made our counterattack.

When day break came we were no longer confused over yesterdays strike. Now

we were more infuriated with them. That was the last time we were going to be pushed

by them. It was time to take the fight to them. The marshal assigned scouts to gatherintelligence of their camp sites and outposts. Some had failed to return. They were

presumed either dead or captured. To rescue them would put the entire force at risk.

Those missing in action knew the risk when they accepted the mission. Those that didreturn delivered us valuable information. They had three camps which had been

discovered by our spies however we were more interested in one of their camps. This

camp which was closest the exit of the valley was the biggest among the three. This camp

was more like their military installation. They had tall palisade walls covering their camp


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and on top of that they had a lot of soldiers positioned there. Even then they had women

and children living there as well. Our commander wanted to deliver the most damage he

could to these savages to avenge our fallen comrades however to attack a place whichholds women and children will need more caution. We did not want to recklessly to

slaughter away women and children just because they were the enemy. A life is still a life

and should be valued no matter where they come from which was why our marshal hadordered the men not to attack the unarmed. Our mission was to crush their military

installation. All unarmed or wounded were to be left alone.

It was a tricky mission but it delivered a message to them that they do not rule

over the land. It is the king of Aesir who rules all of Aesir. They have only been

surviving in that valley because until now they had been stubborn in accepting total

defeat. It was time to crush our enemies with an iron fist. Within half an hour the troopsassembled themselves and were combat ready. When we arrived at their encampment

they were already prepared for our confrontation. News travels fast of our whereabouts.

We had positioned ourselves in front of their gate where we set up our catapults and

prepared our battle ladders. To make the siege of their encampment more effective, webrought down a giant red wood tree and turned its trunk into a ram.

By noon all was prepared. Longbow men flamed their arrows and took their

positions. The infantry who were on standby with the battle ladders were praying hard

that they make it out alive through this battle. Everyone was fuelled with anticipation to

win this battle. Then the desired moment came when Ezekiel drew his sword to signifythe attack over the encampment. Archers from three companies fired their fire arrows

over the encampment. It did not take long before a fire started and spread fast it did in

their camp. To cause more destruction within the first few minutes, the catapultslaunched flamed oil pots to their walls. Over and over again the archers and catapults

fired into their camp but our infantry were still placed on standby.

Tyreal, why wont the commander order us to make the charge? We are more

then ready to lay waste to these fools. What are we waiting for?

We have not been given the order to charge. Im sure the commander has a plan

laid out for us. We are meant to await his signal. If you have noticed, most of the infantry

are placed in front of the gate. The marshal must have a plan for us or perhaps he is

waiting for something to happen. Be patient Ramius, our time will come.

All of a sudden they opened their gate. This was our grand opportunity to breach

their camp. Instantly Ezekiel gave his order to storm in.

Thats it. This is the time we have been waiting for. Everyone, charge into

battle!

When their gate opened, their troops had also carried out a charge towards us just

as we charged towards them. It was a face off. Within seconds both forces clashed and a

bloody battle took place beneath their gate. Petty thieves to murderers were no match for


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skilled veteran soldiers. Me and Ramius had led the front of the assault and within half an

hour we had manage to secure their main gate. Their walls were easily taken by our

soldiers with the use of our battle ladders since most of the damage had already beendone by the archers and the catapults. On top of that they had even withdrawn their men

from the walls to further defend their gate. This gave us a higher possibility to achieving

a quick victory.

Their defence finally broke and we were in their encampment causing havoc and

destruction but we remembered our objectives. We were there to remove their militaryinstallation and nothing more. Houses and anything not related to military were left intact

and by late evening we were already out of the valley. We had passed through the Valley

of Merlidia and after that we had to cross through Draktol Pass. It took us two days to get

to Draktol Pass and in between those days I, Dylan and a team of five other soldiers wereassigned to scout ahead of the army. That way we were able to report any hostiles in the

area back to the army and Field Marshal Ezekiel. As intelligent as the plan may be, it

came with a price and that was the scouting party. If the scouting party did indeed

discovered the location of an enemy, that party was still under risk of being caught and ifso they were most likely to be tortured or worse executed. If indeed a scouting party is

caught then all their information of whatever they saw would have been wasted and thiswould help bring the downfall of the main force of any army. This is such for two

reasons, the first is because the information gathered by the scouts will not be able to be

received by their superiors and secondly the captured scouts who most likely will be

tortured till death would have revealed the location and information of their army to theenemy in act of desperation.

Despite the risk of being a scout, I had my orders and my role was vital for thewelfare of my fellow men. Therefore my success in that mission was also important. My

scouting parting was given half a day to travel ahead of the army. Until the time we

returned, we had to survive on our own without the aid of the main force. When we left, Iremembered praying once more knowing that that mission could be my last.

Chapter 12

We set of as planned ahead of the army. Our orders were to scout the opening of

Draktol Pass. Halfway there we decided to rest our feet as it had been a long day of

walking. We made a small camp fire by the edge of hill that over looked a vast openbarren land. Where we pitched our camp is always important. One just does not set up

camp wherever he likes because if your enemy is able to locate your

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Endless Chaos (Story)