FOREST FIGHTS
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Cave settlement
“Don’t abandon the front! Thrice impaled be your family, Harold!” Andre screamed. “I’m going back in, Radhi.”
Ten corpses were at the orc’s foot by the cave entrance. A group of twenty humans was surrounding it, throwing pickaxes and trying to poke it with spears much smaller than they would like to have. The orc was a three meters tall savage beast. Anyone who got too close was promptly smashed.
The humans, despite casualties, were gaining ground on it. It wasn’t as fierce as when they started the fight. The numerous bleeding holes were sapping its strength. A lucky spear throw in its eye had been the turning point in the fight.
“Great job Alissa! Charge!” Andre screamed from the top of his lungs. His body had no energy left, but adrenaline was keeping it up.
The orc fought even more valiantly at its death door, dragging another three people with it. The group got too confident when fighting goblins. Their enhanced bodies only made everything seem much easier. This, however, was on another level. It didn’t matter how strong you were when that beast hit you, it would swat away anyone alike.
When the beast fell in a pool of its own blood, the group dropped on the ground all at once, too tired to remain standing. Despite that, as one of them began cheering, soon others followed.
Andre was the first to get up, sadness hitting deeply on the loss of so many. Ana appeared by the entrance, the old woman who had been against fighting all along. Her judging eyes made him hesitate, but that didn’t matter anymore. He didn’t know if they made the right decision, but there was no more going back.
“Get up, everyone. You did great, but now we have to move.” He swept his eyes through the group as his voice attracted the people hidden in the cave. Many couldn’t or wouldn’t fight, but that was okay for him. “Those who fought, strengthen yourselves. The souls of our fallen brothers will make us stronger.”
Andre almost said ‘strong enough to fight those beasts,’ but the words got caught up in his throat. He couldn’t take responsibility for so many lives. Ana saw his indecisiveness and took the lead. “I think everyone could see what awaits us if we keep fighting in this madness. I propose we hide and wait for help. We are alone and lost in this world, there is no meaning to fight by ourselves.”
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Some people disdained her notions, but most shared her views. Now a big share of fighters perished people seemed to stick to the hope of salvation even harder. Most thought they shouldn’t have even left the underground. They would have been captives, and some would die with no food before help came. However, fighting those creatures was pure madness.
Andre shook his head and went on with the others to collect their souls, life force, or whatever it was. Most had already got over their distrust or sheer denial. It was pretty clear that this experience was the only thing that could give them a glimpse of hope from now on.
Overconfidence killed the most promising of theirs. Those with good blessings charged in the front and got thoroughly smashed. It didn’t matter if you had cheetah’s speed or bull’s strength when trying to fight an orc alone. Maybe Ana was right, and they needed to split up, hide, and pray.
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Forest edge
“What in damnation is that? We were so close,” said a young woman as she fell on her knees and started crying.
“Maybe… Maybe it’s nothing,” said the man by her side as he tried to support her.
“What is wrong with your head Carlos? Can’t you see it?” She pointed at the ominous dark red barrier a few meters in front of them. It was a wall of dark red flame that stretched in all directions, trapping them inside the forest.
“Here, let me try it, Suri. I said I would protect you, didn’t I? I will lead us to safety, and we will live together until we grow old.” Carlos clung onto vain hope.
Suri nodded. She just wanted to live, she would grab anything that could offer her the chance. Her blessing ‘erratic premonitions’ had clearly shown her the orcs, she couldn’t risk staying with the group back there, and Carlos was the only one crazy or naive enough to leave with her. She tried to warn the others, but they wouldn’t trust her anymore. Her first premonition had shown horrendous black snakes in the cave that would kill them all. It didn’t happen, and now no one would listen, she didn’t even know if she should listen to herself. Maybe she was just going crazy. That didn’t matter anymore.
Carlos walked up to the dark wall and passed its hand through. “See, it’s okay, it’s just an illusion. We will be fine.” He passed through and called her, “come, let’s go,” but his eyes started turning red and tears started flowing. Carlos’s expression got dull, and he kept trying to bash his head on the hard ground.
Suri watched it from afar, too afraid to move for help or say anything. She didn’t want to risk the same fate. Carlos kept bashing his head, but the ground was too soft to kill him easily. It took a minute or two before he lay there, motionless in his own pool of blood.