《The Beginning - Breath of War》


 Chapter 1- Part 1

    "Hi Mom, I''m going over to George''s house to work on my assignment. We are going to write a speech about the new planet."


    "Okay, sweetie, be careful."


    .....Six hours later.....


    "Tally, where are you? It''s 9pm and you''re not home."


    "Sorry, the person you are calling right now is unavailable, please call back later or leave a ten second message after the beep......beeeep"


    .....Half an hour later.....


    "Honey, please, please pickup, your father and I are getting worried, where are you?"


    "Sorry, the person you are calling right now is unavailable, please call back later or leave a ten second message after the beep......beeeep"


    ~ * ~


    Location Unknown, Year 2061


    Talmen waited, hiding in the shadows of the balcony above, watching as a band of Orcs in heavy black armor marched into the clearing below him, sniffing the ground. Their footsteps thudded against the earth, obsidian black axes swinging at their sides and beady red eyes glaring all around them. He could barely make out twenty of them in the dull moonlight. They grunted back and forth in their guttural language, pointing towards the house. Shit!! He needed to move and move fast. He quickly grabbed his 9mm pistol, stuffed it into the back of his pants, and pulled the bag over one shoulder. He waited till the Orcs made their way into the house, then carefully climbed over the balcony and reached out for the nearby drain pipe and slid down.


    He nervously checked his surroundings before rushing for the nearby underbrush, when an Orc hanging back caught sight of him and let out a loud growl to alert its brothers inside. Talmen cursed and started running. The wind whistled by him as he ran deeper into the forest, his long legs propelling him forward. He could hear the Orcs grunting and growling behind him as they came after him. Panting, he stumbled over tree trunks and brushed through tree branches, scraping his arms and legs in the process. The orc grunts grew louder. Out of breath and close to collapsing, he tripped over a stone and slammed hard into a nearby tree. Head spinning, shoulder aching, blood dripping down his forehead, he stumbled on and pulled out his pistol. He reckoned he had half a mag left, nowhere near enough to take out a whole Orc pack. He needed to find safety soon or he''d end up being just another dead roamer.


    The Orcs were drawing closer and closer. They spread out to either side of him to cut him off. They moved easily through the forest, loping forward in their heavy black plated amour like it was nothing, half-moon shaped axes in hand ready to swing. He swung his pistol around to the left, hoping to scare off the closest Orc, but the creature merely smiled, showing off large white tusks. He fired twice. The first round missed, smacking into a tree. The second round bounced off the creature''s thick breastplate, only slowing it for a moment. Palms sweating, he kept firing as he ran. But, the Orc''s around him simply ignored the bullets flying their way, pressing in closer from all sides.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Hearing the click, click of an empty magazine, he tucked the gun into his belt and started praying. "Shite, shite, shite." His legs were close to giving out, his body was soaked in sweat, and his arms ached with the effort of moving. His thoughts drifted off to his little brother, all alone in this dark world with no one to protect him or look out for him, when a small axe flew past his head to thunk into the tree in front of him. Another immediately followed, spinning towards his legs, barely giving him any time to skip out of the way and received a deep gash across the back of his left calf for his effort. The Orc''s excited by the smell of blood lunged forward, speeding up. Heart racing, body drenched in sweat, and lungs on fire, Talmen collapsed to the ground. The Orc''s whooped in glee their evil little red eyes savoring their meal. Any moment now, he pictured the axes swinging up before crashing down to bite into him.


    Wiping sweat from his eyes, he tried to stand up, so he could die on his feet, when gunfire erupted all around him. Three men and two women in ragged clothing carrying assault rifles appeared to his left, opening fire on the nearest Orcs. Snarling angrily at the sudden assault, the small pack of Orcs recoiled backwards. Three of them badly wounded from the rain of bullets that had managed to puncture their thick armor. The leader of the group, a middle-aged woman with flecks of grey in her scraggly blonde hair, waved at him urgently. "Get your arse over here." Talmen relief flooding his system, grinned stupidly at the command, and limped over to join them. As soon as he reached the group, one of his new companions, a tall well-built man who smelled of oil fat, lifted him up onto his shoulder. "Fall back to the river," called the woman in a gruff voice, "Damon, you lead the way with the boy. Rex, Hart, guard our rear." The well armed group quickly formed up around her to do as she commanded, beating a hasty retreat towards the west. Out of the forest and up a small hilltop. The occasional rat-tat-tat of gunfire still sounded, but the Orc''s had halted their chase.


    "You can put me down now, I can run," Talmen said.


    The man grunted and dropped him on the ground and kept running. Talmen cursed the fool for dropping him on his injured leg, and limped off after the big guy; his leg throbbing abominably. The woman who had saved him looked him up and down, her icy blue eyes calculating.


    "You with anyone?"


    Talmen shook his head.


    Her eyes grew colder and he could sense disappointment. Without another word, she sped up leaving him behind. The pair guarding their rear glanced over at him as they passed him by and silently pointed towards the long, snake like river. Where most of party were already crossing the river and waiting patiently on the other side with guns leveled.


    Gritting his teeth, he limped faster towards the sound of the burbling river, not wishing to be left behind. Reaching the embankment, he dived head first into the icy cold water. Wincing in pain as the water washed over his cuts and scrapes, before slowly swimming towards the other side with steady strokes. Limbs screaming at him to stop, he scarcely made it to the other side, before tumbling onto the ground, the cool wind chilling his bones instantly. He tried to stand up on his trembling legs, when he felt hands lift him up and grab at his backpack. He instinctively tried to struggle and slip free from their grip.


    The woman calmly pointed her pistol at his head. "Don''t move."Her hard cold eyes bored into his. He glared at her, his blood boiling with anger and confusion. Why bother saving him? When they could just as easily have robbed him? As if hearing his thoughts, she spoke quietly, "We don''t have any room for dead weights. Your wound will only slow us down.


    "You''ll be safe here, at least for a while till they find a way to cross the river." The big man that smelled of grease tugged the gun out of Talmen''s waist belt and the woman slung his backpack over her shoulder. The group then sprinted away, leaving him on his own again...


    Still wincing from the throbbing in his leg, he decided to keep moving. He didn''t want to be here when the orcs arrived. Head pulsing with anger at being called dead weight, he trailed off after the group, determined to reclaim his possessions and show them that he could make it on his own...

 Chapter 1- Part 2

    The moonlight weakening as darkness settled on the land, iron grey clouds rolling in above him and the sweet smell of desiccation filling his nostrils. He would need to find shelter soon; staying out here in the open when it''s dark was an easy way to get killed. Too many creatures preferred the darkness to hunt. His flame-colored eyes searched for anything he could use to rest up for the night, before lighting up on a huge squat oak tree with thick branches. He hobbled over to the tree, gritted his teeth, and climbed up. Using his calloused fingers, he gripped the bark-covered branches and scaled up to the highest branch he could find that would support his weight, releasing a heavy sigh of relief once he reached the top. Resting his back against the wide tree trunk, he tore off a piece of his black t-shirt and cringed as he bound it around his calf to stop the bleeding. He hoped that the swim in the river had cleaned the wound.


    Eyes red with fatigue and body taxed to the breaking point, he tried to get some sleep. The night air grew colder as the wind blew through the treetops. He wrapped his arms around himself and dreamt of his little brother... a young boy with golden eyes and short wavy black hair, dark shadows dancing around him. He stood upon the edge of a cliff staring down. Talmen gazed down with his brother, swallowing back bile. Strewn about the valley floor were the remains of men, women and children, limbs missing and scarlet red blood splattered all over the earth. Amongst the bodies loomed creatures of darkness and flame...


    His eyes snapped open, and he stared blindly in the darkness, his skin sweaty and palms itchy. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust and for his heart to stop pounding. He thought about going to back to sleep, when he heard twigs snapping and the rustle of leaves below. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the creature. A tall wiry goblin wearing leather armor covered in human rib bones that rattled with each slick movement stalked the grounds below him. The goblin carrying a torch made from fallen twigs bundled together in one hand, and in the other a throwing spear was studying the vegetation with great interest. Its pointed ears twitching as it yellow slitted eyes examined the foliage directly below him for signs.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Talmen''s heart beat faster and faster, his instincts screaming for him to move. The tall lanky goblin bent over and dipped two fingers into the earth and touched something to its tongue. Its eyes lit up and mouth widened into a smile, showing sharp crooked teeth. Without thinking, he leapt down from the tree and crashed into the goblin, tackling it to the ground, knocking the wind out of him in the process. He hit the ground hard and rolled. Groaning he looked up and saw the creature already up on its feet reaching for its fallen spear. He threw himself on the creature again and wrestled it to the ground. His arms wrapping tight around its neck. The goblin growled and clawed at him with powerful fingers, while its head swiveled side to side trying to snap a chunk out of him. He tried to twist and break the creature''s neck, but it was far stronger than he expected. Desperate, he let go of the neck and dug his fingers into its eyes. The goblin howled in agony and tried to shake him off. Ignoring his urge to vomit, he dug his fingers deeper into the goblin''s soft, squishy eyeballs till the creature passed out from the pain.


    Breathing heavily, he wiped his fingers on his tattered shirt and hurriedly stripped the goblin of its bone armor, which would hopefully confuse any other goblins in the area. He then searched the goblin''s dirty brown robes for anything valuable and found a pouch and some dried meat. He tucked both into his pocket. Picked up the bone armor and put it on, before picking up the fallen spear. He turned to leave, when he heard the creature groan. He paused, his hands still trembling and turned back. He strode back towards the goblin lying on its back with its mangled eye sockets and gritted his teeth, as he drove the spear point into the creature''s skull releasing the goblin from its pain. He twisted the spear free from the skull and started hobbling away as fast as he could. Leg''s aching; mind swirling with images of the dead goblin he dropped to his knees and heaved till his throat was tender. After a while he took deep calming breaths, to settle his nerves, before lurching back up onto his feet and stumbling onward, using the spear as a staff to help him walk.

 Chapter 1- Part 3

    The first tendrils of light were beginning creep back in through the forest treetops and birds began to reappear. Having created a large enough gap between him and the dead goblin, he paused to rest his back against a tree. In the distance, he thought he heard shrieks of outrage and anger coming from behind in the direction of the dead goblin. And knew then that he had made a mistake leaving the goblin''s carcass out there where it could be found, but at the time he couldn''t push himself to go back and drag the body away. Seeing what he was willing to do to live, frightened him. His hands still trembled at the memory of digging his fingers into the Goblin''s skull. He shook his head to rid himself of the memory, but it wouldn''t leave. He tried to think of his home, his family, how they would sit by the fireplace and play games like monopoly and felt his heart ache with homesickness. Shaking his head at his own weakness, he searched for another safe spot to rest and found another sturdy tree and clambered up it. He kept the spear close to him and watched for any movement below him.


    He couldn''t sleep, so he watched and waited, his breath misting in the cold air. After a while, he dug out the pouch he had taken from the goblin and spilled its contents onto his palm. To his surprise, the pouch only held fine black dust. Not sure what to make of his find, he poured it back into the pouch and pulled out the dried piece of meat. He moved to take out a bite from the dried piece of meat, when he noticed skin covering one side of the meat, human skin. He dropped the piece of human flesh and gagged into his arm repeatedly. Choking back bile that had risen up his throat, he rubbed his hands against his jeans trying to remove the feeling of having touched smooth dead skin.


    Dawn finally arrived, with the sun showering the clouds around it in a soft orange light. He stretched his aching muscles and rubbed his numb feet, before making his way down the tree. He rubbed his tired eyes and went searching for the trail the group had left behind. A part of him didn''t care that they had abandoned him, but the theft of his backpack with everything he had left in the world was too much.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    He followed his own trail back to where he had last seen them, making sure to skirt the area where he had killed the goblin. His eyes wandered the forest floor covered in bronze leaves and tree roots, seeking the slightest imperfection. His father''s words ringing in his mind, telling him to notice the little things around him and to be patient. It must have been at least an hour before he caught sight of their trail, heavy indentations in the earth and broken twigs marking the path they had taken; looks like they were moving north-east. He wondered if they were heading to a camp where there were more survivors, or were they like him, roamers wandering from place to place. Either way there was no time to lose; he tightened the makeshift bandage on his leg and started walking.


    It wasn''t long before his stomach growled and his throat became parched with thirst. The wound on his leg was throbbing again. He would need to clean it and soon, but first he needed food. He remembered his father telling him about insects being the best source of protein, and thus, he looked around for ant hill. Finding one near a tree, he quickly collected a single stick and placed it in the middle. Within seconds, the stick was covered with tiny black ants. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out the stick and commenced popping the ants one by one into his mouth and crushing them with his teeth. To his surprise, they had a pleasantly sour flavor.


    After eating more than half a dozen ants, he shook the stick to get rid of the rest, brushing off the one crawling up his arms. Now for some water,


    He moved around the tree to where the ants had made their nest and found a line climbing into a hole in the crotch of the tree trunk. He dipped the stick into the hole to see if there was any water inside. To his relief, the stick came out wet. He tore off another piece of his shirt and wrapped it around his stick. Then dipped the stick back into the hole, he waited for a few minutes for his shirt to soak up the water, before pulling it out. He then carefully squeezed every drop of water into his mouth, which tasted of sweat and bark. It wasn''t enough to parch his thirst, but for now he could continue his hunt.

 Chapter 1- Part 4

    Talmen pressed on ignoring the pain in his leg and reached a grassy knoll, where he discovered more footprints from the thieves. He was about to move on, when he noticed movement out from the corner of his eye. He froze before ducking behind a nearby thicket. Heart beating faster, he peeked his head through the underbrush, and scanned his surroundings, tightening his grip on the spear. Minutes passed by without any sign of movement. His injured leg began to throb again from the additional weight put on it. Wincing, he shifted his feet to try and relieve the pain. Tired of waiting, he moved to stand up, when he heard his father''s voice again:


    "Always be cautious, even when you think it''s safe."


    He pictured his father crouching down beside him, his face creased with wrinkles, and wise grey eyes gazing down at him. Sighing, he continued to wait. After waiting for a whole hour glass, he decided at last it was safe to move. Leg''s stiff and aching, he stood up to leave, when movement erupted opposite him.


    A small creature wrapped head to toe in a brown blanket waddled into the clearing. It gazed around nervously, before trudging towards the trail Talmen had been following. The tiny creature bent over the tracks, when without warning, it looked up and stared in his direction. His mouth went dry; could it see his tracks too? He had been careful, making sure to avoid leaving any visible marks. His instincts told him to run, but his feet wouldn''t move. Something held him in place. Maybe it was fear, anger or simple curiosity, he wasn''t sure. All he knew was that there was something very strange about this creature; its movements were too jittery and awkward to be human. At the same time, he sensed vulnerability, which was strange for a carnivorous hunter.


    His breath quickened as the creature waddled towards him. He needed to decide. He would either run or fight. If he ran back into the forest, it could mean bumping into more goblins and orcs. Running out across the open plain was equally dangerous, especially with no places to take shelter at night. His gaze drifted to the spear in his hand. Even if this was one of the lesser creatures that had invaded the world, it could still be dangerous, even if it appeared weak. Maybe if he caught it by surprise... The creature slowly drew closer and closer. He could make out pieces of dirt and muck clinging to the filthy blanket it clutched to its body. His hands tightened on the shaft of the spear as he prepared to strike.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    A hands breadth away from the thicket, he leapt out of the undergrowth, spear point driving forward in a jab at the creature''s chest. The creature screeched in fear, dropping the blanket as it dove for the ground to avoid his blow. Unable to halt his momentum, Talmen grunted in pain as he slammed into the earth and rolled back up onto his feet. He immediately swung around to go back on the attack, and froze in shock. Lying on the ground was an oddly shaped short stout creature with slate grey skin and bloodshot red eyes, wearing a worn brown toga wrapped around one shoulder.


    The creature rose to its feet mumbling what sounded like curses under its breath: "Fking humns." It glared up at him with its large red eyes at a poleaxed Talmen. What was this thing? For the most part it looked harmless, a bit like a worn-out teddy bear.


    He slowly lowered his spear, while the creature watched, then raised his left hand in greeting. The creature stared at him for a moment before grinning to reveal its razor sharp teeth, leaping into the air in a single quick bound to bite him in his shoulder. Talmen roared at the white-hot pain coursing through his shoulder. He quickly grabbed onto the back of creature''s neck and tried to rip it off him, but it refused to budge, instead biting down harder, nearly causing him to swoon. He desperately stabbed the spear up into the creature''s chest and twisted the spearhead in its guts. The creatures red eyes dimmed, as it slowly released its grip on his shoulder and fell away to plop onto the ground like a sack of potatoes.


    Tears trickling from behind closed eyes, Talmen dropped to his knees as warm blood spilled down his shoulder, soaking the left side of his shirt. Feeling lightheaded, he clenched his teeth and carefully began removing his bone armor. He then ripped the bottom half of his shirt and wrapped it around his shoulder to staunch the bleeding. Dizzy he fell to the earth, his cheek smacking hard against the stony surface, face planted firmly in the ground. He took one last deep breath before blacking out.

 Chapter 2- Part 1

    "Mom, Mom, why aren''t you picking up? Something bad is happening; George''s dad says we need to hide in the basement until it''s over....Mom I''m sooo scared"...*sobbing*"


    "Sorry, the person you are calling right now is unavailable, please call back later or leave a ten second message after the beep......beeeep"


    .....Five minutes later.....


    "Mom, please, please call back, I don''t know what to do. I saw George''s Dad go outside with a shotgun and now George won''t stop crying."


    "Sorry, the person you are calling right now is unavailable, please call back later or leave a ten second message after the beep......beeeep"


    .....Five minutes later.....


    "Mom, I think something bad has happened to George''s dad, he hasn''t come back. I think¡ªBANG!!BANG!! BANG!!" phone line goes dead.


    ~ * ~


    Location The Spire, Year 2061


    The sun was beginning to sink beneath the pale white clouds, which thinned and began to disappear. The sound of birds singing died away, leaving behind a dull, lifeless silence. A human settlement sprawled below lay in a slight dip in the valley. Tiny lights flickered to life in the small makeshift shacks surrounding a massive tower, similar to a lighthouse at the center of the settlement. The wind blew the scent of human waste to tickle the nostrils of Grul Han, greatest and smartest warrior of the axe caste. Familiar with the human scent, he grinned happily, drool dripping from his lips. Licking his lips, he gripped his newly sharpened war axe, eager for a feast. He hadn''t seen such a large group of humans gathered together since the beginning. This could be the fight he and his kin had been searching for their whole lives. His hunger for glory and fresh meat was mirrored in the faces of his brothers and sisters around him, who grinned and slapped each other on the shoulders delighted at their good fortune. Motioning for his warriors to be quiet, the hulking Orc warriors made their way slowly towards the town, careful to make no noise.


    ~ * ~


    Shrouded in the undergrowth, lighting squad an elite unit of hunters and warriors lay hidden, watching the large band of Orcs in heavy black-plated armor march their way across the worn out road towards their main base. After alerting the tower that Orcs were in the vicinity, Qazin, leader of the six-man squad, waved his hand down, ordering his men to crouch down and ready themselves for battle. Sergeant Hicks his second in command a solid fighter with years of battle experience immediately relayed his signal for the men waiting beside him on the opposite side of the road.


    The fighters dropped to their knees. M16 rifles were raised to cheeks, and fingers lightly caressed triggers. He raised his hand to signal his men to advance forward, when a scream rang out from the south. Qazin immediately touched his eyes and ears, a sign for his men to wait, watch, and listen. He then cursed his luck. This is just what he needed, some damn roamer blundering into his battle plans.


    The Orcs must have heard the scream too, because they also halted their march towards the human encampment. The leader of the Orcs, a huge grey skinned beast with two short tusks protruding from its mouth, called out something in Orcish, which Qazin assumed were orders for the band of Orcs turned away from the encampment and headed in the direction of the scream. With the Orcs no longer moving into the trap, he was now faced with a difficult decision. Order a tactical retreat or chase after the Orcs and hope to catch them by surprise. Both options were equally dangerous. All eyes were on him.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    After a moment, he waved his hand in a circular motion, indicating that his men should re-group. Hicks gave him a worried look, before repeating the motion. He waited a few minutes to make sure the coast was clear, before leading his half of the squadron across the road to join Qazin in the nearby Roseberry bush. Hicks crouched down beside him, arm casually resting on his rifle, grey steely eyes constantly shifting back and forth."What''s the plan, Chief?"Qazin rubbed his eyes wearily before replying, "The green bastards know the location of our main camp, we don''t have much choice, we have to hunt them down or risk compromising security back home."


    Hicks grimaced at the grim assessment scratching his earlobe. "It''s a large group, Chief. I counted out at least thirty of them; we could lose a few lads in a fair firefight."Qazin smirked, "Who said anything about a fair fight? We''re going to use the roamer as bait, and light up the filthy green bastards!" The men grinned, eyes lighting up at the prospect of some action. "Let''s roll out, can''t let them have too much of a lead." Hicks reluctantly nodded his head agreement and waved for his men to fall into single file.


    Lighting squad was soon, ghosting its way forward with Cora at the head of the column, followed by Qazin and the rest of the squad. As a former ranger she had plenty of experience avoiding danger and moving un-detected in the forest. Qazin had often wondered why she had chosen to join his unit. Rangers were to his understanding notorious loners, who preferred the silence. In any case, she was turning out to be an extremely useful asset. She kept the group moving along the edges of the main road, avoiding and circling around obstacles. The men cast nervous glances at the sky as it slowly grew darker with each passing minute. These men had few fears, but even they knew the forest at night was no place for humans. But there was no time to question his decision; they had to deal with the threat quickly, before heading back to base camp.


    Cora led the squad for at least two clicks before holding up a closed fist to halt the column. She turned to face Qazin and touched her gun, indicating enemy contact. This was it. He motioned for his men to fan out and get into cover. The experienced warriors spread out to either side of him with smooth easy movements, their guns leveled and ready. He waited a few seconds, before tapping Cora on the shoulder to lead them forward. She nodded and cautiously made her way past a thick bushy thicket towards the open flat plains. The Orcs, growling and swinging their war axes, were huddled up around something on the ground. He had to assume it was his bait. He couldn''t waste any more time.


    "OPEN FIRE!!"


    Bullets whipped out of the forest to pluck and tear into the Orcs, who cried out in anger. Six dropped to the forest floor in the first few seconds of contact, with the rest turning and charging at the squadron. Axes raised, they howled their fury and hunger for blood. A few of them tore off their armor in the heat of the berserker rage that consumed them white froth spilling from their mouths and rivulets of blood dripping down from eyes that gradually became red.


    Sweating heavily, Qazin adjusted his aim to fire at the blood enraged berserkers. His men quickly followed suit; berserkers were by far the hardest creatures to take down, so were always targeted at the onset of any engagement. Oblivious to pain, these creatures could wipe out entire units with their incredible strength, speed, and ability to regenerate. Luck was however on their side today and the Orc pack only held three Berserkers, who were dispatched with precision shots to the legs to slow them down and headshots. The remaining Orcs continued to close in rapidly, ignoring the chaos and gunfire. The giant Orc leader, eyes blazing with hunger and fury, pushed its way to front of the pack.


    Veterans of many engagements, lighting squad pulled back calmly and broke off into pairs. One squaddie firing his rifle into the blood frenzied Orcs while the other re-loaded his rifle. Orc after Orc dropped to the ground with well-placed rounds that punched into shoulders and faces. The mammoth grey skinned giant growled something in its harsh Orcish tongue and the band of Orcs spread out to either side of the lumbering giant. Their flame colored eyes focusing on their prey, their massive obsidian war axes swinging at their sides. Their plate armored feet pounding into the earth like a drum. The sun above shone one last burst of light to lighten the sky, before sinking below the horizon.

 Chapter 2 - Part 2

    Gralin a scrawny young man with a wispy mustache and violet-colored eyes could not believe the amount of action he was seeing on his first patrol with lighting squad. Having only recently been selected to join the elite unit, he had hoped they would show him the ropes first. Instead here he was battling a band of Orcs in the dead of night. Anxious to be home, and to be done, he searched for the commander and found him squatting down beside a gnarly old tree in the long green grass at the edge of the forest, waiting patiently.


    Curious to find out what the commander was planning, he squatted down beside him. "Sir, why aren''t we falling back with the rest of the squad?"Qazin gave a wry smile his black eyes not moving from the approaching Orcs, before speaking slowly, "Lesson one private, never waist your bullets on enemies with thick armor, and lesson two." He gave a broad smile his dark eyes lighting up with excitement. "You should always surprise the enemy."Gralin scratched his head at the commander''s strange words, and wondered if the rumors about the commander being a little bit crazy were true. The commander, as if reading his thoughts, chuckled and returned his attention back towards the Orcs.


    ~ * ~


    Stars began to sparkle into life as clouds disappeared to reveal the pale-faced moon. Senses on edge, Hicks stared down the barrel of his rifle with cold blue eyes, intent upon killing as many Orcs as he could. As he fired round after round into the enemy, a part of him wished that the commander had requested additional units to provide support. It was only as he was firing his rifle that he realized how useless that would have been. Out here in the night, there was no guarantee any of them would survive, so why risk more lives? Images of his beautiful wife and daughter flickered through his mind as he continued to fire. The Orcs didn''t bother to dodge; they took the hits in their stride and kept coming. The way things were going he was going to run out of bullets soon. The squad had only brought four magazines with them with 30 rounds each. He didn''t know if it would be enough to break these Orcs, they seemed determined to fight. He counted at least two dozen Orcs left, lumbering forward in their heavy black armor.


    Cora, a few meters behind him, was uncoiling wire from a spool her face tight with concentration. "You done, yet?" grunted Hick''s as he fired another round into the torso of a huge burly Orc barreling its way towards him, its flame-colored eyes intent upon him.


    "Almost, Sarg...


    Okay, all done."


    Wasting no time, Hick''s slung his rifle on his shoulder and took off running towards her. Then together they ran back towards the road to regroup.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ~ * ~


    Mouth dry Gralin raised his rifle to his cheek, feeling the cold hard metal. The Orcs much closer now; gazed at him with deranged faces filled with hate and bloodlust. Palms sweaty, he hurriedly wiped his hands on his military fatigues. The Orcs nearing the humans sped up. He could hear their harsh breathing and feel the ground pulsing beneath him. He turned his head to look at Qazin, hoping it was time to fire and retreat, but Qazin merely smiled and mouthed ''wait.'' Confused and worried, he tried to relax and take deep breaths. The Orcs were two meters out from their position, their eyes aflame with hunger and vengeance, when a loud explosion rocked the ground beneath him like an avalanche. Ears ringing from the explosion, he turned his head and saw a wide patch of blackened earth with the remains of at least four Orcs blown to oblivion. The commander with great agility for his age leapt to his feet and advanced forward, rifle blazing into the dazed Orcs who stood there stunned by explosion. Gralin heart in his throat, not wishing to be left behind rushed after the commander, when he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his side. He looked down and saw a spearhead jutting out from his stomach. Stunned he touched the spearhead coated in his blood and collapsed to the ground. He felt a biting cold, then nothing...


    ~ * ~


    Qazin, unaware of Gralin''s disappearance, was busy dealing with a pair of Orcs in blood-splattered armor who appeared to his left. Using reflexes honed by hours of training, he swiftly lined up his first shot and fired blowing out the creature''s brains out, splattering the ground with pieces of grey matter. The second Orc a big lumbering beast with wide brawny arms growled and lunged at him with its huge war axe. No time to line up a second shot, he dropped his rifle, grabbed the machete at his waist and swung at the creature''s face. The Orc leapt backwards and growled, its eyes turning from orange to crimson red. Not waiting for the Orc to strike again, he stepped forward and jabbed at its malevolent red eyes, succeeding in ripping one out and cutting a wide gash in its cheek. The creature howled in agony and swung its axe furiously. Qazin dodged and leapt into the Orc''s blind spot and slashed his machete into the creature''s throat, tearing its jugular open, spraying warm blood on his face. The Orc dropped to its knees and fell to the ground gurgling.


    The rest of the Orcs no longer dazed from the explosion turned their attention towards the lone human. Adrenaline pumping through his veins and the approaching threat he snapped, "Gralin!! Get your arse moving!! We''re pulling out!!" Receiving no response, he swung around picking up his rifle and opened his mouth to repeat his command, when he saw hundreds of goblins in dusty brown robes creeping their way forward through the forest, catching sight of another lone human the Goblins screeched their war cries and swept forward like a swarm of angry bees. As he moved to leave, he noticed one of the filthy green creatures carrying a spear with a decapitated head affixed to the top, its violet-colored eyes dull and lifeless. Face darkening with anger and pity, Qazin ran.

 Chapter 2 - Part 3

    The goblins appeared from all directions, sweeping past the Orcs with great speed, screaming their wild ululating war cries. Their savage yellow eyes glowing as they came at the men hard and fast. The warriors, caught by surprise, were forced to resort to the machetes strapped to their waists. Trained to use both machete and rifle, lighting squad fought back to back against the encroaching goblins. Their machetes hacking off the arms and legs of any goblin that got too close. Born into a twisted world, where they fought for survival each day, these men were determined to persevere. Blood splattered their faces; machetes rose and fell. The goblins howled and screeched their war cries in a frenzy of anger for their fallen kin and the night air grew colder as the darkness tightened its grip upon the land.


    Mouth quivering with rage at the death of his brothers and sisters, Grul Han''s eyes darkened, gradually becoming a bright red as he fell into the bloodlust. Delirious with rage, the Orcs lost their senses, and began attacking the passing goblins, their battleaxes scything through them with ease. Lost in the blood-haze, Han dropped his mighty war axe and used his fists, tusks, and teeth. He pounced upon the nearest goblin, tusks driving into the creature''s chest while he hammered it with his rock sized fists, breaking bones, and ripping off limbs with ease. Consumed by a savage hunger, the Orcs halted their hunt for the humans and feasted on goblin flesh, their armor becoming slick with the blood of mindless goblins.


    ~ * ~


    Head throbbing with pain, throat parched with dust, Talmen awoke to the sound of gunfire and a powerful explosion that rocked the ground. He anxiously pushed himself up onto his feet and gazed around, trying to remember where he was. The wide open emerald plain lay before him, its wide open grassy fields swaying in the breeze with three small hillocks to the east, their wide green peaks peeking over the grass. Behind him lay the forest with its overgrown trees and great arcing branches throwing shadows upon the ground. Whiffing the strong stench of death and decay, he followed the scent and felt his jaw drop open. Strewn about him were six dead Orcs in heavy black plated armor, riddled with bullet wounds streaming blood to create bright red puddles beneath them. Mouth widening open with shock at the discovery, he stumbled backwards tripping over the corpse of the strange creature that had taken a bite out of his shoulder. Heart beating rapidly, he lurched away trying to understand what had happened here.


    The wild ululating cries of goblins shrieking echoed in the distance, followed by bursts of steady gunfire. Nerves shot, he jerked backwards at the familiar sound, then quickly crouched down in amongst the long green grass. Rubbing his heavy eyelids, he tried to think. He couldn''t have been out that long. At least he hoped he hadn''t been. He had heard stories from his mother of men passing out from wounds and dying as they slept. But this... this was even stranger. Dead Orcs all around him, emitting a putrid stench that churned the stomach, human roamers or settlers off in the distance somewhere, battling against what he assumed was a tribe of goblins. As he was thinking of moving to a safer location, the earth beneath him grumbled and moaned with the thud of footsteps. Gazing cautiously over the tall green grass, he caught sight of hundreds of barefoot goblins in dark brown robes, racing north east towards the sound of the gunfire. Their pointy green ears twitching as they streamed through the forest like a surging river, their yellow malevolent eyes glowing in the darkness... the darkness... the darkness. SHIT!! It was night. The pasty white moon stood above him glimmering, surrounded by thousands of bright sparkling stars.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Terrified at the realization, he was out in the open during the time of the beast, he leapt to his feet, and made a mad dash towards the forest. His long gangly legs eating up the ground rapidly, his flame colored eyes drawn to a monstrous cedar tree ahead of him, which seemed like a good spot to wait out the night. Arms swinging, he reached the base of the great tree with its thick octopus arms, when he smashed against something solid. Bouncing back, his eyes fell upon a beanstalk of a goblin with wild eyes and leathery green skin. Yellow eyes lighting up with malicious delight, the creature attacked, swiping at him with its dirty, long claws, to cut his left cheeks and force him backwards. Feet slipping in a puddle of blood, he slammed into the rocky turf hard, skull banging against a rock. Fighting the pain and dizziness he grabbed hold of the goblin''s scrawny neck to keep it from biting him as it leapt atop him. The goblin growled and raked at him with its claws, cutting his face and arms, its mouth opening and closing to reveal its jagged yellow teeth.


    Struggling to wrestle the creature off of him, he punched and kicked recklessly at the creature, but the beast''s only reply was to dig its claws into his arms, refusing to budge. Gasping in pain, its fetid breath blowing into face, he could feel the strength in his arms weakening. Seeing the fear in his eyes, the goblin gave a baleful smile. Too weak to do anything, he began to despair; his mind going numb at the image of the goblins teeth sinking into his neck. I am going to die, I am going to die, I am going to die replayed over and over in his head. But he didn''t want to die, not yet. Shuddering with effort, he used all his remaining strength to shove the goblin aside to smack into a tree. The goblin back on its feet in an instant its mouth twisted in a snarl rushed at him, when all of a sudden its skull was cleaved in two like an overly ripe melon, splitting the creature''s head open. Jaws wide open in horror, he shifted his gaze to the blood crazed Orc standing over the goblin wielding a hefty battle axe. The Orc ripped the axe out of goblin''s skull, dripping pieces of gray matter and threw itself upon the carcass its hungry teeth seeking flesh.


    Pale with shock at the appalling sight of the Orc tearing away chunks of meat from the goblins body and shoveling it into its bloody maw he keeled over, emptying everything in his stomach. Mind numb with horror and throat aching he stumbled away, stopping short to sluggishly duck back down into the grass, as more goblins in grass stained brown robes stormed out of the forest past a large pack of well armored Orcs. Rubbing his eyes in confusion at the strangely surreal scene of Orcs killing goblins, he stared off into the distance at the flashes of light sparking off here and there, along with gunfire. Slapping his face to make sure he wasn''t dreaming, while hoping against hope that this was all some kind of awful nightmare. He winced immediately and clutched his cheek as his hand connected with the cut on his face. Cheek stinging, he swallowed his growing fear, scanned the forest ahead to make sure there weren''t any more goblins, before dashing inside. All the while hoping and praying this was all just a dream.

 Chapter 2 - Part 4

    Head down, arms swinging, Qazin ran through the forest dodging and heading towards the sound of gunfire, with more than half a dozen goblins closing in rapidly behind him. Their lips peeled back to reveal sharpened elongated teeth. But despite the danger, all he could think about was the look of surprise on the young recruit''s face, staring at him with blank eyes. He shouldn''t have left the kid on his own to fend for himself like that. A young man like that deserved to at least live another fifty to sixty years. Needing a breather, he swung around on his heels, leveled his rifle, and fired six rapid shots, killing the four nearest goblins with bullets to the head and chest. The goblins startled by the attack paused for a second, allowing Qazin time to continue sprinting. Spears flew past him to thunk into the trees. Panting for breath, he wiped the sweat that dripped down his forehead into his eyes and hoped the re-grouping point was close. He didn''t think he had it in him to run another mile.


    The slow methodical gunfire grew louder and louder. He wasn''t far now, one more push and he should be there. Catching his second wind, he scrambled over tree trunks and brushed past large branches. Realizing the human was escaping, the goblins launched another volley of spears. Most fell short, except for one that struck him in the side of neck, leaving a deep bloody gouge mark. He stumbled forward a couple of paces blood spilling from his neck to soak his green army fatigues. Ignoring the fiery pain, he kept running one arm gripping his neck to stem the flow of blood and the other clutching his rifle. Finally, he broke free of the forest, and gave a tired smile at the sight of his bloodied men lined up on the opposite side of the road with rifles at the ready. Bullets flew in all around him, driving the goblins that had tailed him back.


    ~ * ~


    Hick''s his eyes focused on the growing line of goblins across from his position was considering their remaining options, when Qazin appeared. Stumbling out of the forest the left side of his body sheeted in blood, rifle loosely grasped in his right hand. Face creasing in worry he called out to Soren his most able-bodied veteran, "Go retrieve the Commander!!Snap to it soldier!!" Soren nodded and raced over to the commander with the practiced ease of an athlete. Wrapping his arms around the commander''s thin shoulders, he half carried, half dragged him towards the defensive perimeter. He swiftly laid the commander out to rest against a tree trunk, and rejoined the firing line. Hicks his eyes still focused on the other side of the road where the goblins were massing, wished again that he had more men on hand. "What''s the plan commander?"Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Qazin stared up into the night sky his face void of all emotion. "Position Cora and Tommy our best shooters up in the trees, give them my cartridges." Hick''s frowned in confusion. "Chief?" Qazin pulled his hand away to expose the ugly wound in his neck. "This is the end for me," he whispered. Veins and arteries torn, this was a mortal wound. His friend needed a doctor right now or a medic. Unfortunately, those two professions were a rarity now.


    Hick''s hard face with its harsh edges and flat planes softened, his blue eyes moistening. His friend was dying. He had grown used to losing friends and battle brothers in the new world. But this somehow was different; he had known Qazin a long time, they had been together when all this had begun, they had fought side by side for years. His friend had been there at the birth of his child and had always been there to watch his back. He felt a lump welling up in his throat. He tried to speak, but couldn''t. His mouth refused to open. Qazin, as if understanding his thoughts, patted him on the shoulder and gave him a sad smile. He then opened the pockets in his cargo pants and pulled out his two remaining cartridges. Nodding his head, he took the proffered cartridges and stood up. Now was not the time for mourning.


    He gestured for Cora and Tommy to join him. "How many rounds do you have each?" Cora licked her dry lips, wiping the sweat on her brow. "Using my last mag Sarg, have around 17 rounds left." Tommy a short squat man with golden skin, pale green eyes, spat in the ground and help up nine fingers. "Here," he said and handed out one cartridge to each of them. "Now, get your arses up those trees and give us some sniper fire." The pair saluted slung their rifles on their backs and began climbing up the nearest trees, leaving him alone with Soren and Qazin on the ground. Eyes red with weariness, he squatted down beside the old veteran to await the end. He raised the M16 rifle back up to his cheek and clicked on the torch attached to rifle barrel. A small pool of light encircled the group of humans.


    More goblins filtered in from the forest with a few surviving Orcs who hadn''t lost their senses in the bloodlust. The grey-skinned giant its hunger sated by goblin flesh, marched to the front of the line coated head to foot in blood. The creature lifted its massive war axe to the sky and gave a deep-throated growl that reverberated in the air, sending shivers down his spine. Giving them a taste of what was to come.

 Chapter 2 - Part 5

    Floerke his hunger sated stood up, his eyes returning to their normal shade of orange. Black armor coated in flecks of blood, he bent down and grabbed hold of his war axe and smiled wolfishly at the feel of the heavy piece of metal in his hands. Hearing the deep-throated growls of his brothers and sisters, he wheeled about ignoring the dead goblin at his feet with its stomach torn and saw a puny human running into the forest. Licking his wet lips at the prospect of more fresh meat, he hastened after it.


    ~ * ~


    Entering the forest, Talmen headed east away from the fighting. Not exactly sure where he was going, he trekked carefully, ducking under tree branches and stepping over wide tree trunks, all the while making no noise. Walking alone in the darkness, memories surged forth from the furthest recesses of his mind. His father stood alone in a cave, with bright red flames all around him, he screamed with agony, his hands reaching out for him. His mother a short woman with dark brown eyes and graying black hair stood a couple of paces behind his father weeping and shouting for him to run. His eyes watered at the painful memory. Tears sliding down his mud darkened face, he wiped his cheeks and pushed back the memory. He couldn''t allow himself to dwell on the past, he had to focus.


    He forayed further into the vast forest, seeking shelter amongst the broad cedar trees and enjoying a long deep breath. The familiar pleasant scent of the trees calmed his mind. He thought again about climbing up a tree to wait out the night, but wasn''t sure if any of these branches could support his weight. He paused to think for a moment, when he heard the unmistakable crunch of footfalls coming from behind him. Whirling around he saw the Orc that had killed the Goblin right in front of him. The Orc in blood splattered plate armor smiled; exposing its short blood stained tusks and brought up its battle axe. Terror stricken, he fled headlong into branches, tripping over rocks and tree trunks in his haste to get away. The Orc bellowed with excitement and gave chase, its long strides eating up the gap quickly.


    Heart pounding and body quivering with fear, he ran and kept running; all the while tormented by a throbbing pain in his legs and shoulder. The heavy footfalls grew closer. Fear swelled up inside of him, as well as anger. Anger at his cowardice, anger at the world for taking his family, and anger at himself for always running away. Belly warm with anger he stopped running. He had enough of running. He faced the Orc, his orange-colored eyes lit with anger and mouth curled up in a snarl. The Orc, surprised by the move, slowed down and swung its axe upright ready to attack. It''s hot breath misting in the cold air and flame-colored eyes staring back at him. The Orc hefted its war axe and prepared to strike.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Talmen, anger fueling his tired body, strode forward to meet the Orc, hands balled up into fists. The Orc hesitated for a brief second before swinging its axe overhead, aiming for his head. Ducking instinctively he threw himself against the Orc, hoping to knock it off balance. He slammed hard against the Orc''s plate armored chest cutting his hands on its ridges and bouncing off the solid metal to hit the ground. He scrambled to his feet as the Orc attacked again, sweeping the axe towards his feet. He leapt backwards, losing his footing and falling to the earth again. The Orc walked forward, its orange colored eyes turning crimson as the bloodlust returned.


    Heart fluttering with panic, he hastily tried to stand back up, only to slip and fall on something squishy beneath his feet. Almost in tears, he scurried backwards. The Orc loomed over him, its ruby red eyes hypnotizing him with fear, the axe head came swinging down fast. Left cheek twitching he rolled out of the way, the axe head planting itself in the ground, inches away from his face. He scrabbled around for anything to use as a weapon, his fingers scraping against rocks and leaves, when he felt something hard and cold. Not waiting to see what it was, he pulled the piece of metal out from the ground and swung it at the Orcs head, smashing one of its tusks and forcing it backwards.


    It was then that he realized he had picked up a rifle, hope coursing through his veins. Praying that the blow to the Orcs head hadn''t damaged the weapon, he shouldered the weapon and aimed it at the Orc''s big, fat ugly face. He pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. The Orc chuckled, blood dribbling from its mouth and reached for the human. Cursing himself, he pulled the trigger again and again and again, each time hearing a soft click. The Orc grabbed hold of his neck with its rough, powerful hands and squeezed. His grip on the rifle weakened. He pulled on the trigger one... last... time... The front half of the rifle barrel exploded in his hands, spraying shards of metal into the Orcs face, neck and arms. Squealing with pain the Orc leapt backwards blood spurting from half a dozen wounds.


    Getting to his feet gingerly, he shuffled over towards the squealing Orc, the broken rifle still in his blood-stained hands. And with a grunt of fury he shoved the jagged edge of the rifle barrel into the Orcs throat. The Orc collapsed to the ground choking to death on its own blood. Mentally and physically drained, Talmen settled down beside the dying Orc and noticed several fragments of metal lodged in his chest and arms. Too weak to do anything about that for now, he lay there panting taking mouthfuls of fresh air, relieved to still be alive.

 Chapter 3 - Part 1

    ¡°Tally, this is your father, you need stay calm and prepare for the worst. And whatever you do, DON¡±T GO OUTSIDE. Try and gather any food and water and find a good place to hide, Okay.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, the person you are calling right now is unavailable, please call back later or leave a ten second message after the beep¡­¡­beeeep


    ¡­..One hour later¡­..


    ¡°The army has finally arrived, I can see them patrolling the streets, stay put and we will try to come and get you, be safe son, we love you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, the person you are calling right now is unavailable, please call back later or leave a ten second message after the beep¡­¡­beeeep¡±


    ¡­..Half an hour later¡­..


    ¡°Bastards are too scared to leave their posts, idiots are terrified of their own shadow, but don¡¯t you worry Son, I¡¯m coming, just need to find a way around their dam barricade?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, the person you are calling right now is unavailable, please call back later or leave a ten second message after the beep¡­¡­beeeep¡±


    ~ * ~


    Location: Forest of Glokeen, Year 2061


    The ashen-faced moon beamed one last burst of dim light before disappearing behind faint white clouds which rolled in from either side. A deep and all-consuming darkness blackened the land. The glittering stars above winking out of existence, leaving behind nothing. Lying flat along one of the cedar¡¯s great tree branches, Cora pushed her silver hair out her light blue eyes and adjusted her aim. Strong gusts of wind blew in through the forest treetops, chilling her to the bone and causing an eerie creaking sound from the tall cedar trees swaying in the breeze. Joints aching from the cold, she tried to rub her hands together, while holding her rifle. Down below her, across the road the goblins hooted and jeered, hundreds of bright yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.


    Unable to get a clear shot at the goblins who were well-protected by the darkened forest, she closed her eyes briefly and focused on her breathing. Orcs in heavily blood stained armor floated in and out of the torchlight, daring the humans to waste their bullets. But Cora accustomed to seeing such tactics used by Orcs and Goblins simply ignored them, waiting patiently for her opportunity. A brash young goblin with a scrawny frame, eager for battle suddenly hooted and charged towards the remains of lightning squad rushing into the glaring torchlight. The creature managed to reach the center of the road, before two well-timed bullets, tore through its jugular and skull simultaneously.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    In the tree beside her, Tommy laughed, ¡°Did you see that Cora, shot the gob right between the eyes.¡±


    Cora¡¯s lips tightened.


    ¡°Maybe you should retire Cora, looks like you¡¯re getting old and slow,¡± he crowed as he fired another round to blow out the brains of another unlucky goblin to step into the circle of torchlight.


    Having had enough of his preening, she retorted, ¡°Shut yer mouth, Tommy, this ain¡¯t no game.¡±


    Tommy chortled nastily and replied, ¡°Why? Are you afraid to lose?¡±


    Cora grimaced, and flexed her numb fingers. She disliked noise, she disliked talking, and she also disliked company. She preferred to hunt and scavenge on her own, but with so many patrols losing men or gone missing. Squads were becoming desperate for replacements to assist in defending the perimeter. Worried for her younger sister Katie, a shy young woman with no combat experience, she had put her hand up for the new assignment. Tommy a rowdy city boy with quick fingers and perfect hand and eye co-ordination had taken the appearance of a ranger in the squad as a direct challenge to his position as the best marksmen.


    Sighing, she tried to ignore his jibes, but he continued his one-sided rant.


    ¡°Reckon I could have taken a nap and still had time to kill more gobs than you, Cora? I am like a god with a rifle, nobody can beat me. Maybe if you had my skills, you wouldn¡¯t be shootin¡¯ gobs in the neck,¡± he proclaimed, voice so full of arrogance, it twisted her stomach.


    Hicks, overhearing the entire conversation bellowed, ¡°Tommy, shut that dam mouth of yours! We don¡¯t need you bringing any more goblins our way!¡±


    Tommy his brown eyes still twinkling with mischief replied, ¡°Aye, Aye Sarg.¡±


    As if waiting for the stillness and quiet to return to the forest, the huge grey skinned Orc lumbered forward, skirting the round pools of torchlight.


    Cora licked her dry lips and moved her finger to rest lightly upon the trigger. She had never seen an Orc the size of this one, not to mention the odd skin color. She wondered if it was a berserker, if so this creature would take more than one bullet to kill. The grey-skinned Orc swung its massive war axe through the air one handed, showing off its physical prowess, before stepping into the torchlight. Cora¡¯s eyes locked onto a weak point at the base of the Orc¡¯s throat where the jugular was and gently squeezed the trigger. Her bullet hit the mark, snapping the Orc¡¯s head back. The creature shook its lumpy round head, shrugging off the pain and continued advancing slowly. Tommy¡¯s rifle immediately fired after hers, smacking the beast solidly in the forehead. Again, the Orc grunted in pain, but continued its ominous advance. Cora worried now, fired two more rounds into the creature¡¯s knees to slow its advance. The first round hit the mark; the second ricocheted off the heavy plate armor.


    Tommy followed suit, firing round after round into any weak points in the plate armor, shoulders, knees and neck. The colossal Orc ignored the rain of bullets and continued plodding forward, its flame colored eyes never wavering, staring at them with malevolent intent. As it reached the center of the road, where the remains of the goblin lay at its feet with barely any scratches on its iron-grey skin, it gave a low menacing growl and lurched forward a little faster. The orcs and goblins screamed and howled with excitement. And like a bank bursting with too much water, they flooded onto the road after the huge Orc.

 Chapter 3 - Part 2

    Qazin watched through watery eyes as his men frantically tried to stem the tide of Orcs and goblins pouring onto the road in the wake of the great beast. The huge grey skinned titan continued to lead the way, bullets bouncing off its tough hide, drawing closer with each breath.


    "Sir, I am almost out of ammo!" shouted Soren, over the deafening sound of gunfire.


    Hick''s grunted, "Get up into the trees and stay up there."


    The sergeant stopped firing and ran over towards him. Grabbing him by both shoulders he tried to lift him up, but Qazin refused to budge from his spot. He shook his head stubbornly and thrust Hick''s hands aside, before pulling out a makeshift grenade from his chest pocket. Each squad member carried one in case of emergency situations. He''d make sure his death meant something.


    "Get up into the trees Sergeant, that''s an order!" he said, voice full of authority.


    "I can''t do that Qaz, so just put that grenade away and let me help you up."


    Qazin''s black eyes flashed angrily. "Leave me! You have wasted enough time," adding underneath his breath, "You need to take care of your family."


    Hick''s stepped backwards, tears prickling his blue eyes, as Qazin clambered up onto his feet, using the tree behind to support him. Holding the grenade to his chest, he shuffled forward towards the big grey-skinned bastard. And prayed his friend would make it out of the forest without him.


    ~ * ~


    Grul Han, his body badly bruised and armor dented, hungrily gazed at the human wobbling towards him, eager to have a taste of human flesh. His eyes turned ruby red at the intoxicating smell of human blood, his mouth dripping with drool. In two long strides, he stood in front of the juicy morsel. Wanting to feel the human''s bones break beneath his hands, he dropped his war axe to the earth with a thud and pounced. The human didn''t move. His hands closed in around the human, crushing the soft creature in his palms. Something small and round dropped to the ground. Not caring what it was, he leaned in to bite the humans head off, when abruptly his body was engulfed in excruciating pain, and a bright white fiery light.


    ~ * ~


    Time passed by. The dead Orc beside him reeked of death. Gunfire resumed once more off in the distance, maybe a few miles back. After waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, Talmen gingerly pulled the metal fragments from his chest and arms. Biting his lips, he tried to not scream as he felt his fingers dig into his chest to pull out the jagged pieces of metal. Tears slipped down his cheeks as he winced with every movement.


    "Fucking Orc," he muttered under his breath with each stab of pain. Taking another deep breath, he yanked out the one in his stomach, releasing a small fountain of blood. Gasping and close to passing out from the pain, he pressed his hand to the open wound and slowly worked on?removing two smaller pieces from his chest and one from his right?arm.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    As he rested again, he?tried to not think of the next part. Without any water on hand, there was only one way to clean a wound to avoid infection. He slowly pulled off his blood-stained shirt and laid it beside him. Then un-zipped his jeans, cupped his hands together and peed into his open palms. Grimacing in disgust, he splashed the urine?onto his open wounds, and then rubbed his fingers?gently across the wounds,?groaning as they stung furiously. Done, he thought about wrapping his injuries with pieces from his tattered shirt, but realized it would be pointless. His shirt was caked in blood, sweat and dirt, which would only aid in speeding any infection.


    He tiredly pushed himself up to his feet and zipped his jeans. More flashes of gunfire blazed off in the distance. He wondered how many were still alive, judging by the sound of the gunfire, he reckoned there were only a few left. In any case, they would all be dead soon, as would he, if he didn''t find a place to shelter from the night. He hurriedly bent down to pick up his shirt, when he saw the creature that stalked his nightmares... Skin blackened like molten lava, with red hot flames dripping down its naked lithe?body. It glided across the earth, its footsteps turning the ground beneath it to ash and giving birth to tiny flames that crackled to life. Twin flames burned within pitiless caverns where its eyes should have been. Its wide crimson lips slightly parted to release bursts of fire, revealing a corpse-like visage.


    Petrified, he stood still watching as it passed through the forest heading towards the sound of the gunfire, gracefully gliding forward. Images flashed before his eyes of his father curled up in a ball screaming in agony, waving his hands in the air begging the creature to stop as it melted the flesh and skin?from his bones, laughing all the while. Shuddering at the vivid memory, he broke free of the hypnotic appearance of the dread creature and hid within the crevice of a nearby tree; his body trembled uncontrollably. More lights dotted the forest as more of the creatures appeared. Burning the ground where they walked and lighting up the forest with their bright red flames. Too scared to move, he watched as the almost human like creature passed him by and felt an intense heat that caused him to sweat profusely.


    Heart beating furiously, he gazed up into the sky and mouthed a prayer:


    "Please, please, don''t let them find me."


    ~ * ~


    The powerful blast from the makeshift grenade shook the tall cedar trees and set them aflame, lighting up the darkness to reveal a seething mass of filthy goblins below in dirty brown robes with bits of human flesh hanging from their necks as they scrambled up the trees. The strong stench of blood, sweat and desiccation lingered in the breeze. Bullets whistled threw the air tearing away goblins from treetops and dropping them to the earth like rocks dropping into a pond. The Orcs clad head to toe in thick plate armor, stood at the base of the trees swinging their massive war axes, splintering wood and cracking the skulls of goblins that accidentally got in their path. Trees shaking with every blow, Tommy found himself struggling to line up perfect head shots. He fired into their chests instead, which wasn''t quite as satisfying. But that didn''t matter to him in the end, all he really wanted was for this fight to never end. He loved the feeling of warm blood gushing over him, the feeling of invincibility that followed the adrenaline rush. This was...this was the way to live life.

 Chapter 3 - Part 3

    Cora, her ears still ringing from the grenade exploding, felt a touch of guilt and regret at the passing of the commander. Qazin had been a decent man and a good leader. He shouldn''t have had to sacrifice his life like that, but then again, this world was like that, sacrifices had to be made every single day so that other men and women could survive. In this case however, survival was futile; they should have died fighting beside him. Rubbing her eyes gloomily at the pessimistic thought, she carefully aimed her rifle at the nearest goblins, making sure to make each bullet count. But with so many goblins climbing up from all directions it was difficult to keep track of them all. It was only till she heard branches shaking above her, did she realize she was in trouble.


    Cursing aloud at the sight of goblins above her, she called out, "Tommy gimme a hand. I got gobs up top!"


    Tommy glanced her way, smirked, and stuck up his middle finger and kept firing into the goblins around him. Her face flushed red, she swung the rifle onto her back, un-sheathed her machete and crouched down to make a smaller target. Two spears flew down, one punching into her right side, knocking the breath out of her, with the other grazing her thigh. Wincing in pain, she snapped the flimsy spear in half and staunched the wound quickly by wrapping a piece of her shirt around the spearhead.


    One of the goblins, excited by the sight of blood, dropped down from the branch above with a whoop and jabbed the spear towards her chest. Gritting her teeth, she parried the blow deftly, then lunged forward and sliced the goblins throat out. The creature held its torn throat with a look of surprise on its face as it toppled from the tree. Another goblin scrambled up to take its place. Unlike the first goblin it didn''t attack her; it stared at her with its sunken-yellow eyes. Worried by the careful way the creature positioned itself, she realized she was facing an experienced fighter and judging by the wrinkles, solid stature and scars on its face this creature had seen a lot of action. Knowing she was outmatched, she stepped back and whipped the rifle off her shoulder and fired in one single motion to blow the creature out of the tree with a gunshot to the chest.


    ~ * ~


    Hicks, temporarily blinded by the brilliant white light from the explosion, instinctively turned away and blinked rapidly. Please don''t be dead. The hard-faced sergeant twisted his head back and forth searching frantically for the commander, a part of him hoping his eyes had lied to him and that the commander had thrown the grenade and made a miraculous escape. Flames from the explosion were spreading far and fast to either side of him burning dozens of goblins alive, their squeals adding to the din of gunfire and battle cries. He could see the remains of his squad outlined against the flames, battling against the horde of goblins that were teeming against the trees. With flames engulfing the forest around him, most of the goblins and Orcs avoided his side, except for two determined Orcs who hacked away with their axes below him.


    He saw Soren''s muscular figure off to the side, climbing higher into the trees to avoid the smoke and goblins racing to reach him. He lifted his rifle to provide some support fire, when through the smoke and ash, the badly burnt figure of the monstrous Orc appeared. The creature lay at the edge of the road, armor shredded, one arm missing, tusks blackened, its skin red and raw. His mouth twitched in a slight smile at the thought of the creature suffering before it died. Then it moved... the huge Orc with pieces of armor melted into its flesh slowly rose to its feet. Mouth twisting into a snarl of rage and anger, Hick''s trained his rifle on the Orc, switched to semi-automatic and let loose a stream of bullets. The heavy rifle fire rang clear and loud in the forest. The well-aimed spray struck the Orc in the chest and head, tearing through flesh and breaking bones, knocking it backwards. The Orc howled and held up a muscular arm, but the rifle rounds tore right through its burnt flesh. His magazine empty, he took a deep long breath to settle his rage. But his anger refused to simmer down, eyes burning with fury, he un-sheathed his machete and prepared to leap down to finish the job; he could not let it live. The great big Orc, bleeding from more than half a dozen gunshot wounds, took two more steps before collapsing onto its knees, its face and arms a bloody mess.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ~ * ~


    Body soaked in perspiration, arms shaking, and bowels loosening with fear. Talmen his mind drowning in fear tried to think of a way to escape, but his brain kept circling back to image of his father burning alive. Flames crackled nearby and the sweltering heat grew stronger. The creatures were close ... He needed to move and soon, but where to go? Blood thirsty abominations blocked off the west. A battle raged off to the north with flames, smoke and bright bursts of gunfire scarring the night sky, which meant there was only one option, which was to head back south into the wide-open plains. Rubbing his temples to massage his growing headache, he mustered his courage and took a breath. Swallowing the bile rising at the back of his throat, he surged out of his hiding spot and sprinted towards where he thought the flat open plains would be using the forest fire burning in the distance to guide his path. An abomination its skin oozing liquid hot magna slipped out of the shadows to block his path. Its pitiless flame lit eyes flaring a fiery blue at the sight of him. He jerked to halt, thought of turning back, but it was too late... more abominations closed in to surround him.


    Biting his lips, he bolted past the creature of pure flame. Saw out of the corner of his eyes the creature raise its palms up and shoot liquid hot streams of fire from its palms towards him. He vaulted out of the path of the fiery blast, the white-hot flames incinerating the branches and earth like acid. Choking back a panicked scream, he kept running, when he felt the white-hot flames scorch the skin off his back. Howling in agony, he kept running oblivious to the tree branches and rocks that cut and slapped at his hands and feet. The pain in his back throbbed angrily, the breeze slapping against the open wound, wafting the smell of burnt meat. He could hear hoarse screeching coming from behind him, as the creatures communicated with one another.


    Losing concentration for a split second he tumbled to earth, scraping his palms and chest against the hard surface. A mixture of fear and adrenaline pumping in his veins urged him to his feet, and kept him moving. It was only until he began passing the bodies of dead goblins and Orcs that he realized he had run in the wrong direction. Cursing his stupidity, he turned to run back the way he had come and gaped at the sight of hundreds of abominations spreading out to either side of the forest, lighting up the night sky with their un-earthly glow. Sighing with resignation, he charged towards the sound of gunfire, growls, and wild cries.

 Chapter 3 - Part 4

    Hicks dropped down from the tree and rolled to his feet. Flames dancing all around him, heating his face and bare arms. The pair of Orcs busy chopping down the tree behind him faced him, their raven black hair swishing in the hot breeze, and violet-colored eyes regarding him hungrily. Female Orcas, he thought. This would be a challenge. Slightly slimmer than their male counterparts and smarter, Orcas were considered better fighters, although quite a rarity among Orc war bands. The pair of Orcas circled to either side of him, flashing their tusks and waving wicked sharp axes to either side. He rushed at the taller of the two, left swinging for her un-protected face. She blocked the blow easily with her forearm and swung her axe hard and fast, grunting with effort. He stepped back barely in time to dodge the blow, the axe head grazing his chest to leave a trail of blood. Biting his tongue at stinging pain, he barely had time to recover his footing, before the second Orca swept in her axe head, scything towards his feet. He leapt backwards and nearly tripped on a charred goblin corpse. He quickly righted himself and tried to go on the offensive, but the skilled pair of female Orcas worked closely together, driving him backwards towards the flames.


    Tiring fast, he threw himself at the shorter female Orca. She adjusted her axe swing to meet him, too slow; he knocked her over and gained a few cuts for his trouble on her ridged armor. The second Orca growled at her sister''s fall and brought her axe head down hard to cleave him in two. Expecting the blow, he rolled off the Orca and watched with delight as the second Orca beheaded the first. The surviving Orca fell into the bloodlust at the sight of her fallen sister. Grabbing the axe of the dead Orca, he swung the weapon at the Orca''s feet. The creature ignored the blow and began launching heavy swings of her axe. Blood spurted and the Orca tumbled to the earth, one of her legs cleaved clean off. Lifting the axe, he brought it down to behead her. Breathing heavily, he stumbled back a few steps to search for the Orc that had killed his friend. And found to his surprise a half-naked man sprinting along the outskirts of the road, his clothes torn and bloodied. Bleeding from dozens of wounds, face caked in mud and dirt. Mouth agape he watched as the crazy roamer, for it could only be a roamer that would be so stupid dodge and weave his way through the horde of goblins.


    Curious to see what the roamer was fleeing from, he turned and nearly bit through his tongue. Fiends...hundreds of fiends, dreaded night creatures that emerged from within the bowels of the earth each night to cleanse the land were closing in from all sides. Goblins and Orcs alike turned to flee their presence like a tidal wave breaking on rocks. He opened his mouth to scream a warning to his squad, when he felt an intense torment burn in his side. White hot flames seared through his stomach and chest eating the flesh and skin from his bones. Mouth frothing with blood, he cast one last glance up at the creature that had snuck up behind him, and saw the familiar inhuman gaze that had taken so many of his battle brothers and sisters. He closed his eyes, and prayed he would be with Qazin, wherever he was going...


    ~ * ~


    A bewildered Cora watched as the goblins and Orcs massing at the base of trees broke and ran. The goblins wailed in fear, clawing and biting each other in an effort to escape the forest. But with so many goblins pressed in tightly, many were being crushed in the stampede. The Orcs in their blood-smeared armor used their weight and size to plow their way through the mass of goblins; their massive war axes clearing a path with powerful scything blows that sent limbs and blood flying. Her ears sore from the goblins wild shrieks, Cora tried to get a sense of what was happening. Her pale blue eyes caught sight of a speck of light growing rapidly in the distance, with hundreds more appearing to join the first. Her mouth went dry...fiends. Thousands of fiends were marching through the forest their bright lava colored skin lighting up the darkness. They strode forth with palms upraised releasing fountains of white hot liquid flames to scorch everything in their path, leaving in their wake smoke, ash and death. Memories of a school bus surrounded by flames flashed behind her eyelids; children screaming and banging against the bus door that been fused shut. She shuddered and shook her head. Some memories never leave...The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Most of the goblins surrounding her tree had fled, with only a dozen or so stragglers. She detached the torch from the rifle and slung it on her shoulder, sheathed her machete, tugged the robes off a dead goblin she had killed earlier and slipped it on while grimacing at the stench, before dropping down to the forest floor. The wound in her side broke open and seeped fresh blood, throbbing with every movement. Gritting her teeth, she held the spearhead and kept the torch turned off and waited for a moment in the shadows of a wide cedar tree. Seeing no signs of goblin stragglers, she clicked on her torchlight and headed north. She walked north-east for several clicks before seeing Soren ahead of her his shoulders slouched, limping eastward, biting her lips she sped up her pace to try and catch him. Nerves on edge, Soren crouched down and instinctively swung his machete in a wide arc.


    Cora hurriedly stepped aside. "Easy there Sor, it''s me."


    Soren grunted, "Sorry."


    His hard-bitten face appearing very grave in the moonlight and without another word continued limping forward.


    She tagged along beside him, her eyes gazing around her for any signs of danger. "Have you seen Hicks?"


    Soren didn''t break stride; slightly turning his head to look at her. "Dead."


    Cora''s heart sank, she had hoped he at least would survive the night. With Hicks dead, she was next in the chain of command, which meant saving the rest of the squad was up to her. God! She wished she hadn''t put her hand up now.


    They were nearing their initial staging point, an old rundown police station that had later served as army headquarters and now as an outpost for rangers, when Tommy decided to make his appearance.


    "There you are! Thought you guys had gotten lost!" crowed Tommy with a wide grin on his golden face, peeling himself away from a nearby tree where he had been hiding. "I was lookin for you guys everywhere."


    Without thinking, she spun on her heels and raised her rifle to her cheek, pointing it at Tommy''s chest. Soren gave her a confused look, but didn''t move.


    "Whoa! There Cora, it''s me Tommy" he said raising his hands as he spoke.


    She advanced towards him, hands shaking. "You nearly got me killed! You bastard!"


    Tommy''s emerald green eyes flared. "I was doing you a favor, Co ¨Cya."


    "Doing me a favor?" she laughed bitterly, "How the fuck were you doing me a favor?"


    He shrugged and brushed his fingers through his long jet black hair. "Only the strong survive," he replied simply.


    Cora could not believe what she was hearing, her every instinct told her to blow this bastard''s brains out on the ground.


    Seeing her eyes hardening with violent intent, Tommy looked to Soren, with a pleading expression. "You''re not going to just stand there and let her shoot me, are you?"


    Soren shrugged his shoulders and replied softly, "Not my business."


    Seeing no intervention was coming, Tommy turned his attention back to Cora, his expression switching from annoyance to fear. "Is now really the best time to be doing this?"


    Cora forced a wicked smile. "Now is the perfect time."


    She aimed her rifle and pulled the trigger.


    End of Sample


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