Rise of the Horde - Chapter 356:

Duke Hanbal’s plan for the throne was dashed after the previous defeat of his army. Looking behind him, he saw what remained of his soldiers but they looked more like refugees rather than soldiers with their current state. Tired, hungry, thirsty, and sleep-deprived with some even enduring the pain of their wounds.

The duke was almost in the same condition as his soldiers with the exception that he wasn’t as tired, thirsty nor hungry as them. As a noble, and a wealthy one at that, his personal guards would prioritize his safety.

“D*mn those brutes…” the duke gnashed his teeth in anger after recollecting the night when his life was almost taken. If not for the sacrifice of some of his own guards then he would be among the dead that night with no corpse as the blazing inferno would turn his body to ashes.

They didn’t know where or how the orcs got inside the camp with the huge battle that was occurring not far away. The fire started right around the very center of the camp where his own tent was located and he suspected that he was the real target of the orcs that infiltrated their camp. He was just lucky that he didn’t stay put within his camp and chose to stay near the entrance of the camp facing the battlefield.

The orcs that torched their camp were equipped with both range and melee weapons. And they were very proficient in using both of them. His guards didn’t just stand idle after discovering their existence as they quickly engaged with them. The duke expected a chaotic melee but what happened was out of his expectations, the group of orcs divided themselves into two groups. One unsheathing their blades, each of the orcs that engaged in the melee fight was equipped with two swords but the swords they were using were of different size and length.

Duke Hanbal didn’t know how many orcs assaulted them because some of them were hidden in the shadows but he was certain that their numbers were near thirty and his guards numbered more than a hundred. Even with the numerical advantage on their side, his guards weren’t able to overwhelm the sneaky bast*rds and they fought them steadily. His guards, although many were capable of utilizing battle energy in fights, were restricted by those orcs who kept attacking them from a distance as they dealt with the ones that were fighting them in close combat.

Even with their battle energies, the personal guards of the duke were fought on a standstill by the orcs. He discovered that the orcs were surprisingly clever and wouldn’t continue to fight after receiving heavy wounds. They would quickly disengage and someone from their enemies would take his place.

As time went on, the little flame that was started at the center of the Ereian camp turned into a blazing inferno that consumed everything in its path. Some sentries on guard volunteered at first to deal with the fire but after the first ones got prioritized by the orcs, the remaining sentries shirked in fear after learning that putting out the fire would attract the aggression of the orcs.

After some considerations, the duke decided that it was best for them to abandon their camp less they get consumed by the blazing fire. His personal guards weren’t able to defeat their foes and they were even losing numbers.

“Retreat… Ignore them, the camp is lost.” That was the words that the duke spoke before turning around towards the outside of the camp and spurred his steed to go outside. The guards of the duke weren’t hard headed nor battle maniacs and after seeing the duke retreat, they quickly followed after him.

The sentries and the other Ereian soldiers inside the camp also quickly abandoned it and the furious flames devoured everything in its path without anyone interfering with its feast. What followed afterwards was the retreat of the Ereian army from the battle.

*****

After the Ereian army under the lead of Duke Hanbal withdrew, the Yohan First Horde started the clean up of the battlefield. They saved those who could still be saved, both friend or foe with no exception. The only difference in the treatment would be those who were near death or those who were just waiting for death to claim them because of the wounds that they had sustained. The orcs swiftly ended the lives of their foes who were surely going to die to end their suffering.

Gur’kan was then again as always tasked in knowing the statistics of the battle. He hated the task but he couldn’t do anything about it since he was assigned by the chieftain himself to do it. The night battle was costly and claimed the lives of more than three quarters of the enemy army but that was without a cost as the Yohan First Horde had close to three warbands worth of warriors in casualties which was more than a thousand. Considering the number of enemies that they had taken out, the numbers were greatly in their favor.

The ones that sustained the most casualties were the new warbands or the newly arrived warriors sent by Galum’nor as reinforcements. Unlike the orcs who have been with their chieftain longer, the new warriors were a bit still undisciplined in battles. The Yurakks that Sakh’arran had seen diving deep into enemy lines and were isolated from their allies belonged to the new warbands.

The orcs had a great haul in the battle in the form of the new war beasts that they had stolen from their foes. These giant creatures were close to the heights of the ogres and could rival some and overpower some of the ogres with pure brute strength, well at least when it only comes to pushing each other. If the ogres were allowed to take a swing at the elephants then the poor creatures would surely be taken down by the ogres in a jiffy.

Khao’khen gave Sakh’arran, Trot’thar and Gur’kan a nod of approval on how they dealt with the previous battle. He wanted them to be able to lead the horde properly even without him around and this was their first ever battle without him interfering with their arrangements. The act of Gur’kan stealing away the War Elephants of their foes came as a surprise to Khao’khen.

As always, a great pyre then came into existence upon the vast expanse of the Burning Sands as the orcs gave their farewell to their fallen comrades. What followed was a feast and even Khao’khen joined in the celebration as he knew that the result of the previous clash was one that is worthy of a feast.