Rise of the Horde - Chapter 344:

After a prolonged pursuit, the Yurakks who were more mobile than their Yurakk allies chased after the enemy infantry that dared to charge at their lines before retreating. Just like how General Trakaros had predicted and calculated, none of their heavy cavalry that he had sent out for the suicide mission made it out alive.

Under the pursuit of the Warghen Cavalry, a quarter of the Camel Archers was destroyed under the lead of Khao’khen. Although it was by mere coincidence that they weren’t focus fired upon during their appearance to the immediate battlefield, the Warghen Cavalry was by far considered as the saviours of the battle because without their presence and participation, the battle would have gone rather awry for the side of the horde.

Many of the Camel Archer unit commanders and a few of the high commanders of Duke Hanbal’s army see that the battle was but a waste of effort and manpower. They knew that they could have won the battle after their heavy cavalry destroyed the enemy battle line. The possibility of victory was very possible if their overall commander and their duke would have just committed more men to the battle.

The proceedings of the battle was heavily in their favour and before the enemy wolf –like cavalry joined in, their victory was very much secured but it was all for naught as the sound of retreat from their side reverberated through the battlefield. They were not informed or have no knowledge of the real plan of the duke which is why they had such kind of thoughts. Only if they knew that the duke had no plans in winning a decisive battle against the threat that challenge the might of their kingdom, they would have no such kind of thoughts.

Empowered by their most recent victory, the Yurakks gave chase like no other and even the Rakshas who were slower captured many of the wounded enemies or finished those who had no hope of living even after receiving aid from their healer like comrades. Although crude in form, doctors were created among the horde to treat the wounded.

They would stitch up open wounds, prevent further blood loss from cut off limbs and other easily and manageable effects of war upon the combatants. While it was crude in form and with no form of anaesthetic to numb the feeling of pain, the side of the horde had some kind of medical aid which was all owed to their chieftain. Many of the orcish warriors especially on the side of the Yurakks were recovered from the battle with differing kinds of injuries from major to the least kinds.

Although he was also a novice when it comes to medical knowledge, Khao’khen did all what he could to teach his horde of what he can. He even allowed surgeries that allowed opening up the bodies of their allies when needed to. Medical knowledge wasn’t something that was built on theories and lessons alone as it needed accumulated experience in order for it to be properly implemented. But most of the guinea pigs used by those who pursued the field of medicine of the horde would belong to their enemies before they would on their own kinds.

Often would you see opened up bodies of their foes among the called ‘Operation Table’ of the assigned or chosen doctors of the horde. Screams of pain and moan of agony often filled the area belonging to these medical workers of the horde as they exercise what they were supposed to do.

According to the standards of their chieftain’s old world, those who pursuit the knowledge and practice of medicine would be labelled as ‘quack doctors’ but among the horde, they would be the considered as the first real doctors of the horde who had no need of magic unlike the shamans and the witch doctors who were supposed to be the only ones capable of healing their injured allies.

As their chieftain once had stated, “Practice makes it prefect” but pity to their enemies who fall upon the hands of these practitioners as they were used to further their experience and knowledge upon the field of medicine. Khao’khen had no qualms making use of their enemies to improve the craft of his own version of doctors among the horde since they can’t always count upon the aid of their shamans who had other tasks which was to deter any magic units of their foes or to hold them off and prevent them from participating in the real battlefield. The witch doctors although more geared towards healing the shamans, they were more knowledgeable in killing than saving which was why Khao’khen didn’t opt for them to be the saviours of their warriors as they might readily kill more of his warriors to practice more of their lethal concoctions and magic upon them rather than save them from the clutches of death.

*****

Dispirited and exhausted from the previous engagement as they served as the rear guard, the Camel Archers although new to the field of battle did left their mark against their foes. Most of them had no training when it comes to fully utilizing the use of their bows but the simple commands and task that thy were given which was to shoot at a certain direction en masse allowed them to create a massive deterrence to their foes.

Before the previous battle, Duke Hanbal and General Trakaros already had their forces break camp and head out to the east first before them. They were to inflict as much damage as they can among their foes and delay their advance to prevent the rest of their forces from being assaulted.

The duke had planned things out very well in advance. He making use of a missile cavalry wasn’t a spur of the moment idea as with the aid of the War Elephants he brought more arrows than what was necessary. Along the path of their retreat, he had also arrange supply points which would give his massive army the much needed supplies to keep on going since the he knew that huge war beasts that accompanied the army of his general required tons of amount of food.

He wasn’t willing to allow those massive creatures to just be nightmare to them in a logistical sense as he wanted them to be also a nightmare to the opposing side. As long as their foes knew that they had something in their arsenal that could smash their battle lines into bits, they would have to proceed with caution in engaging against his forces.

*****

The battle resulted in the victory of the horde but it was without consequences as they lose more than two warband worth of Yurakks and many of them were wounded, some belonging to the Rakshas and the Warghen Cavalry but the one that took most of the hit was the Yurakks who were unlucky enough to be chosen as primary targets by the War Elephants of their foes since they employ a much easier formation against the massive creatures. The shield wall formation of the Yurakks in their standard stance in battle was seen as an easier target by the handler of the enemy’s heavy cavalry handlers unlike the formation of the Rakshas who also employed an almost similar shield wall type of formation in their standard stance albeit with the difference that massive longs spears were sticking out from their formation which was a huge deterrence to anyone foolish enough to directly ram themselves against their formation.

The victory of the horde entitled them to a celebration and the remains of their massive enemies were greatly put to use. Although at first they didn’t know how to deal with the massive beast but with the assistance from the chieftain’s personal cook, the orcs managed to butcher the enormous animal.

It was the first time for any member of the horde to have a taste of the giant fiend’s meat as it was not something that easily obtained or accessed because there was no such kind of creature along the vast expanse of the Burning Sands. With the expertise of Grogus when it comes to cooking, the previous troublesome creatures upon the battlefield were turned into delicacies that members of the Yohan Horde and Adhalia’s Army enjoyed alike.

It came as a surprise that the meat of the giant creature was surprisingly lean and the fat that accompanied its meat was not so much different than that of wild boars in the wild which were often hunted by the horde because of their abundance not because they like the taste of its meat. The taste of the massive beast’s meat was almost similar to the taste of beef but not as tasty as the prime beef that was offered as a reward to the original members of the Yohan First Horde when it was still their chieftain overseeing most of their training.

Seemingly almost similar, the meat of the troublesome creature was more dense and harder to chew upon than any kind of meat that the orcs have ever tasted. The taste was very unique but some didn’t like the taste of it but with aid of Grogus who had created different variation of sauces to dip into before consuming, many devoured the uncommon meat that was in front of them.

Before the real feast, the horde first honoured their fallen comrades as they burned their remains upon a massive fire and their ashes scattered with the wind to allow them return to the embrace of their ancestors. Among the orcs, dying wasn’t as scary as the others would have considered it because to them meaning you get to train more upon the grounds of Xanadu for the eventual clash at the end of times but what they feared was dying without honour which would deny them entry to their paradise.

According to the faith of the orcs, after their death a Wal’ku’rre or a battle maiden in the most common tongue of Azgalor would guide their souls to the gates of Xanadu where they will feast, drink and make merry during the night then train during the day in preparation for the ends of time. Any who was worthy that died among the orcs would enter the gates of Xanadu where they would join their ancestors and perhaps if fortune favours them would even end up in a bed with one of the Wal’ku’rre instead of the common women of Xanadu.

The old god or the Old Father of the orcs was both mighty in strength and wise which was why he quickly delegated the task of maintaining his influence among the orcs through his children as he made preparation for the end of times as soon as possible when he was informed about it. Nobody knew who would be their enemies but their clues that the enemies weren’t all of the same kind nor were they all of the same side. Some seek to corrupt, some to destroy, some to conquer and enslave and many more other reasons. The war at the end of times would include if not all most of the known to the Old Father which was why he decided that it was best for him to make preparations for it rather than maintain power, control and influence among the race that he belongs.

d|

The members of Adhalia’s Army didn’t have any participation in the previous clash with their foes but the victory of their allies was a victory of theirs also which was the same the other way around. Although they were of a different race but because of the war, the Ereians belonging to side of Darkhariss Family found connection with the considered war mongering creatures who were described to be more than nothing but blood thirsty brutes but after living and fighting alongside them, the stories about them were somewhat untrue. Sure they were brutes but in a good way, they were bloodthirsty that was correct but they were also very likeable especially if they are your allies.

Among all the races that was currently in Azgalor, the orc kind rank high among the strongest creatures when it comes to brute strength and they would also rank very high when it comes to resilience in many forms. Among the living, the orcs would be by far the ones who can endure the most pain and punishment but among all the races in Azgalor they would be below the undead as there was no concept of pain among those were already who had risen once again as they were already dead originally.

When it comes to technology, the orcs would be in the top five of those who possess the most undeveloped technology but that didn’t prevent them from toppling down powerful nations. The most notable achievement of the orc kind was when they brought down the massive Empyrean to its knees with nothing but clubs and primitive weapons when it was at its peak. That was one of the very reasons why the Empyrean hated the orc kind very much.

It didn’t end just there, after the orcs achieve the feat of making the might of the Empyrean buckle, they set their sights upon the mountainous regions where the dwarves occupied and the thick forest where the elves hid. Every other race besides their own and those who didn’t belong to the massive First Horde of the First Orcs were deemed as targets by the ruling chiefs.