Rise of the Horde - Chapter 342:

It was already the right time for the dazzling light in the sky to show its true might, radiating with its intense heat like any other, the temperature of the vast desert rose significantly. Clad in their crude but effective metal armor, the orcs felt like they were being baked alive.

“Too hot! Damn these bastards!” A Raksha at the very front of their formation complained. His face was fully covered in thick beads of sweat and his torso was also drenched by his very own perspiration.

“Fight Us! You cowards!” a deafening voice thundered from the battle line of the orcs to taunt their foes to clash against them in real combat. No matter what the real purpose of the roar was either to taunt their enemies or to release his frustrations of being unable to retaliate against their foes, it didn’t matter.

On the opposing side, the duke was happily watching his new forces assault the enemy battle line without receiving any kind of retaliation from their foes. Although they were being pushed back from the initial battlefield, he didn’t care.

“So far the enemy commander hadn’t done anything to respond to our way of attacking. The enemy reserves are keeping their distance from their vanguard and the enemy cavalry were still yet to participate on the battle.” General Trakaros made his report to the king after receiving words from the scouts that he had sent out to monitor the movements of the enemy rear.

“It’s not that the commander is not arranging anything but because he or she can’t. The number of our fast moving missile troops greatly outnumbers theirs if they even had some. The only effective way of taking out a missile cavalry is by making use of a fast moving cavalry to chase after them, although they would be exposed to arrow fire but after closing the distance, most missile cavalry would be dismantled by a melee light cavalry and our range cavalry are nothing but novices.” The duke happily chatted and explained with his commander looking all relaxed since it was obvious that they are winning. Although not so much, his fresh units were doing damage against the enemy forces.

Under the protection of their armor and formation, the Yurakks by far sustained no casualties except for a few unlucky ones who got their feet struck by arrows after moving forward. It was the Rakshas who were sustaining casualties although only by a meagre amount which won’t faze them. Unlike their Yurakk comrades, the Rakshas were a bit exposed against the heavy arrow fire from their foes. A well arcing shot from a novice archer accompanied by a stroke of luck would land on the exposed body parts of the Rakshas.

A single arrow nor a few arrows won’t discourage an orcish warrior for as long as he can move and fight, he would continue on his path to get to his enemy. Some of the Rakshas already had a few arrows sticking to their bodies but they remained composed and still eager for a real fight against their foes.

“I think there is a chance for us to greatly damage the enemy forces…” the old general informed the duke as his gaze was directed at the tall dunes that were not so far away from where they are at. They had been moving or to be precise retreating away from the real battlefield as their Camel Archers lure the enemy forces.

“What do you have in mind?” the duke’s interest was piqued after getting bored with the monotonous battle that was happening in front of them. If there were a chance for them to damage their foes more, he would take it.

“Look over their Your Grace.” The commander pointed towards the direction of the tall dunes which were not so far away from where they are at.

“What’s there? All I see is a hill made out of sand.” The duke wasn’t able to figure out why his general pointed towards the dunes.

“Yes Your Grace, those can be of great use to us in setting up an ambush against the enemy army. I have noticed that they run a very tight formation for their battle line like a moving wall.” General Trakaros explained. The general plan of how the war should be fought was directed by the duke but the real fight upon the battlefield relies on his decisions and plans and he was well aware that being of merchant origin, the duke lacks knowledge and experience in battles.

“I am listening.” Duke Hanbal was prepared to listen to the plan of his commander on how they would be able to cause casualties on the enemy army by using those tall hills of sand. He knew of his own shortcomings upon the bloody battlefield that involves clashes of two armies since his strength is fighting in another kind of battlefield which includes power, influence, wealth and interest.

“If we position a portion of our heavy cavalry behind those dunes and have our riders lure them towards it we can deal a significant amount of damage against the enemy battle line.” The general explained his plan to the duke.

“Since the enemy battle line looks like a long moving wall, we will use a battering ram to destroy it.” He continued and waited for the approval of the duke for his plan.

“Wait… wait… Wall? Battering Ram? I don’t get it.” The duke questioned looking all confused since he was not of the same way of thinking as his general. He knew what a wall was like and true, the enemy battle formation looks like a long moving wall as they marched forward but what he can’t figure out is the thing about the battering ram. If they were to make use of such a slow moving siege weapon against their foes, it would do them more than good. And the thing about a portion of their heavy cavalry to be hidden behind those dunes, he can’t a make a relation with their hidden units with battering rams.

The old general wasn’t frustrated or annoyed by the slow thinking of the duke but instead it relieved him since if Duke Hanbal is a capable commander upon the battlefield then his presence wouldn’t be needed and his life would be very different from what it was now. With the duke needing a capable and loyal commander of his army, Trakaros gained wealth, power and influence among the Ereians although mostly limited to the territories belonging to the duke.

He was but just a nobody before the duke recruited him to his side and with the rise in power of the duke was the rise of his own. Being adored, respected and know was one of his ambitions before and with the help of the duke, he got it all with more things in tow like beauties and wealth.

“The wall which is the enemy battle line would be smash down by our battering ram which would be our heavy cavalry. By smashing open their tight formation which was susceptible to a heavy cavalry charge, our missile cavalry would be able to deal more damage against them if their formation is destroyed.” The general patiently explained his plan. He knew that there was a slim chance for their heavy cavalry that he will send out to destroy the enemy army’s formation to make a return. Although it looked like he was sending their forces to the grave but with enough damage dealt to the enemy forces, the death of the heavy cavalry that he will send out will not be in vain.

“Alright then… do it. I will be watching with eagerness on how it will play out.” The duke responded with excitement since he will be able to observe a fresh change on the boring battlefield.

“But Your Grace.” The commander wanted to inform the duke with the great risk of his plan. He wanted inform him that their forces that will be send out to smash open the enemy formation would be unlikely to make a return.

“Yes?” the duke shifted his gaze towards his general to listen to what else he had to say.

“The portion of our heavy cavalry that will be involved in my plan would be unlikely to return.”

“As long as we can deal more damage against the enemy forces, their fall wouldn’t be useless.” The duke’s cold response came. He didn’t care how many of his forces dies as long as they die with a purpose and able to aid him in his new ambition of seizing the throne of the kingdom to further his own power.

“I’ll be on it.” The general saluted then rode away to make arrangements for his plan to be executed. Although he pitied their forces that he will send for a suicide mission, that was all there is, he just pities them.

Nobody knew who started but a chant broke out among the orcish warriors who were enduring the rain of arrows that kept coming. Their morale was weakening and their patience growing thinner and thinner, if the warband masters weren’t there to curb their impatience and knowing that their chieftain is watching them, the orcish warriors who were subjected to being attacked but not being able to retaliate would have already broke out in a massive charge to get to their enemies as soon as possible if they could actually reach them.

Although contradictory with their nature, the orcish warriors still maintained their discipline and didn’t delve back to their original instinct. The training and hardships that they were subjected to were finally paying off.

The thundering chant of the orcs gave off a vibe that they were just out there on a stroll and the enemy attacks were non-existent. Some of the Rakshas and Yurakks would open up their formation from time to time to taunt their enemies while they were on the process of reloading their arrows.

“Dush’kara!”

“Truv’ar Nomka!”

That was the taunt that the orcs roared to their cowardly foes. There orcish words translates to “I am here!” and “Come hit me!” as soon as they hear the whistle of the arrows soaring through the hot winds of the desert, the Yurakks and Rakshas would again hide in their formations then laughter among them would ensue.

Although they are not dealing any physical damage to their foes, their taunting actions and the vibe that they gave off was dealing damage against their forces not in physical sense but mentally. Seeing that the morale of the orcs soared instead of decline, the Camel Archers felt like they were idiots as they exhaust themselves firing arrows after arrows.

They were exhausting themselves but their enemies seemed to be enjoying their current predicament which gave off the impression that they were the ones losing the battle. Upon the actual battlefield, the orcs sure are the ones who are on the losing side on the engagement with the employed tactic of their foes but with their act of taunting them and their thundering chant, the orcs were winning the mental battle.

It didn’t take long until the duke realized what was going on. At first he thought that it was just some useless action of the enemy forces but he clearly noticed that the firing speed of their missile cavalry was slowing down as the time goes by.

“Go and tell General Trakaros to hurry up with his plan.” The duke tasked one of the riders that were accompanying him. He was well aware that even though the enemy were yet to deal any casualty to their side but if he lets the situation persist, the looming impression of being defeated would haunt his soldiers until they will be really defeated. An army the size of what he currently has in his possession needed to maintain their morale or else utter defeat is not far away.

Khao’khen gave off a chuckle after seeing how his warriors were coping up with their predicament. Although he wanted to provide aid to them, there was no plausible way for him to do so. The Drakhars were more fragile than their vanguard, their light cavalry were greatly outnumbered by the enemy missile cavalry and would surely lose if the enemy missile cavalry decides to overwhelm them with numbers, the Warghen Cavalry were fast but lacked the stamina for a prolonged chase and the Rhakaddon Cavalry would be too slow to chase after the enemy cavalry.

The First Kanikarr Corps were still yet to make their debut upon the battlefield and the ogres were too huge of a target for the enemy forces and there was still the existence of the huge beasts from the enemy side that he still had yet to figure out its identity. If it was just a beast of burden like the Thyrians on their side, it would be great but if they can be employed upon the battlefield then it would spell disaster upon them. He was reserving the number of the ogres to counter those unknown huge beasts of their enemy army and the iron bolts of the First Kanikarr Corps were still well stocked.