A few days passed during which Alex decided to focus solely on practicing archery, as he still couldn't shake off the habit of wearing his heavy armor. The various groups had started their missions, and finally, Alex's expedition was ready to depart.
During the following days, Alex learned the craft of hunting from one of the Gnolls who had been with him from the beginning, Dregg. This cunning Gnoll had supplied food and provisions to the camp throughout, and now that Alex needed an archery instructor, Dregg stepped forward. Moreover, he was one of the Gnolls without a clan, displaying greater loyalty to Alex.
The next morning, Alex found Dregg at the edge of the camp, ready for his first hunting lesson. Dregg, with his grayish fur and shrewd eyes, looked at Alex and grunted in a friendly manner. "Human, today you'll learn to hunt like a Gnoll. Archery is an invaluable skill in these lands."
Alex nodded with determination. "I'm ready, Dregg. Teach me everything I need to know."
Dregg smiled and pointed towards the nearby forest. "First, you must learn to track. Observe the footprints on the ground, marks on the trees, and listen to the sounds of the wind. The animals in these lands are cunning, but they have predictable patterns if you know where to look."
They walked in silence, with Dregg teaching Alex to identify prey tracks. As they advanced, Dregg explained the importance of patience and cunning in hunting.
After a while, Dregg pointed to a clearing where a group of deer grazed peacefully. "There's your first prey, human. Now, get ready to use that bow of yours."
Alex unsheathed his bow, recalling Dregg's earlier teachings on proper stance and grip. He aimed carefully and released the arrow, which flew silently through the air and struck its target in the neck.
Dregg nodded in approval. "Good aim, human. Now, learn to be efficient. Always remember to retrieve your arrows; they're valuable."
The lesson continued with Dregg showing Alex how to skin and prepare the prey. As they worked, Dregg shared stories of past hunts and strategies for facing more dangerous creatures.
Over time, Alex started feeling more confident with the bow and hunting. Grateful, he said to Dregg, "Thank you for teaching me, my friend. I wouldn't have learned this quickly without your help."
Dregg chuckled gruffly. "Loyalty is earned, human. And you've earned mine. Now, prepare for the upcoming missions."
With Dregg's help, it became easier for Alex to understand the forest, or at least one facet of it. During the group's march, Alex often joined hunting parties, proving to be a valuable asset as he could pick up on many signals. These had been mere signs until now, but with his learning, he began making sense of the small details.
They soon reached the vicinity of the area where operations would begin. "Report," said one of the Gnoll scouts.
"Go ahead," responded Alex, taking a seat at a crudely made table to review his notes and take notes if necessary.
"We have identified the surroundings, and there is only one major settlement with defenses. Providing it with food are at least 10 smaller settlements, and each of these has at least 12 resource outposts nearby. All points have been determined to have an abundant presence of enslaved Gnolls."
Alex recorded the scout's findings and marked the approximate locations of the settlements on the map. The outposts were more challenging since they could move, but these were the best options to open this theater of operations.
"All right, we'll start by attacking the outposts of this smaller settlement. We'll strike all twelve points simultaneously in ambushes," communicated Alex.
"What about the bulk of the troops?" Atarra asked.
"They will be with you and prepare for the settlement. They need to prepare ladders for the walls. Once we take all the outposts, then we'll attack the settlement," replied Alex.
"There is a variety of resources in the surroundings that could be useful," commented Atarra.
"I'll leave it to your discretion, but keep in mind that we can't take too long to bring down the settlement. Once we start, they will notice our presence quickly," Alex replied.
"Understood," responded the matriarch.
"Very well, everyone. Reports indicate that in each outpost, there are at least twenty soldiers and one or two warriors. We'll attack each with equal numbers, move silently, and ambush when we find the opportunity to take down the majority in the first strike," Alex addressed his troops.
"Our enemies are mainly Goblins, with the occasional Hobgoblin. Although we have a strength advantage, never underestimate our enemies. Take them down quickly, and ensure the enemies don't have time to sound alarms."
"The main focus of our campaign is to free our brothers. Remember why we fight, for the freedom of our people, and soon a land that is solely ours," Alex concluded his speech.
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The Gnolls felt their blood heat up. They had been fleeing, crawling through the mud, and ultimately being enslaved for so long. Now that they finally had the opportunity to take the initiative and bring the fight to their enemies, they were eager for combat.
During this day, Alex performed final practices on his forest energy abilities. Unlike the ash energy that could brutishly enhance muscle strength, the forest energy focused more on endurance and tangentially on speed. Using a small flow of forest energy, Alex could engage in a battle for a quite prolonged time, continuously moving. Thus, Alex decided to equip himself with light armor, a short bow, and a pair of daggers. He had chosen to set aside the sword for now since every time he took one, he reverted to his old posture—a problem that didn't occur with daggers or knives.
The highlight of his equipment was undoubtedly the short bow, which he had brought from the city and could withstand great tension. Ideal for situations where he had enhanced stamina to endure its demanding use.
Finally, at sunset, the various groups arrived at their positions to ambush their respective outposts.
Alex was in the shadow of the forest, observing the small resource outpost that extended in front of him from the underbrush. As the sun set on the horizon, the daylight gave way to the shadows of the night, creating a dim and mysterious atmosphere in the forest.
The scent of damp earth and moss permeated the air, mingling with the subtle fragrance of nocturnal flowers opening in the dusk. The forest's silence was only interrupted by the whisper of the wind through the leaves and the rustle of branches under the paws of the Gnolls preparing for the ambush.
In front of Alex, the goblins' resource outpost revealed itself. The surrounding trees partially hid the rudimentary goblinoid structures made of wood and leather. Small piles of stones and stacked wood indicated the presence of resources collected by the enslaved Gnolls. Poorly maintained torches faintly illuminated the area, offering intermittent glimpses of the goblinoid figures patrolling the zone.
The forest itself showcased its rich diversity. Tall and lush trees stood majestic, while shrubs and ferns covered the forest floor. The gentle murmur of a nearby stream provided an aquatic backdrop to the natural symphony of the place.
Alex crouched among the underbrush, observing every detail with acute attention. The sounds and scents of the forest merged with the anticipation of the imminent combat. The forest energy flowed through him, connecting him with the nature around him.
As the shadows deepened with the encroaching darkness, providing additional cover for the approaching ambush, Alex exchanged a determined look with the Gnolls accompanying him. They were ready to liberate their brothers and carry out the mission they had precisely planned.
The silence grew deeper, only interrupted by the whisper of the wind and the faint rustling of leaves. In the heart of the forest, Alex and his allies waited, prepared to launch their attack at the exact moment when darkness became their ally.
Finally, the moment arrived. Most of the goblin soldiers were gathered in one area, and there were no Gnolls nearby that could result in collateral damage. Alex made a symbol with his hands to his followers and began stringing the bow, to which everyone else strung theirs and waited for their leader to release the first shot.
Alex aimed at the only warrior in the area, a well-built Hobgoblin who commanded the rest with an iron fist. Just as this one casually turned to look in Alex's direction while giving orders to his followers, Alex released the string, and the arrow flew like a gust of wind.
The power of the shot, combined with the short distance the Gnolls had managed to position themselves, caused the arrow to pierce the Hobgoblin's heart instantly.
The nearby goblins saw their leader fall backward with great force, but before they had time to process any thoughts, a rain of arrows fell upon them.
Almost instantly, most were dead. The few remaining emitted a thunderous scream that led other goblin workers to exit their tents.
All were massacred.
Following Alex's orders, no goblin escaped alive, and more than 50 small bodies were scattered around the outpost.
The camp that had had a slight buzz fell into silence again, albeit briefly, as the captured Gnolls started making a lot of noise without knowing what was really happening.
Many prisoners feared for their lives, thinking they were being attacked by a rival goblin faction. These were usually very cruel, and if they couldn't take the slaves with them, they would burn them to prevent the enemy from keeping them. However, when they saw a small group of Gnolls emerging from the nearby forest and approaching the light, it was as if their souls returned to their bodies.
"Search among the jailers for the keys and free the Gnolls. Today, we leave no one behind," commanded Alex.
Some of those accompanying Alex today had been among the first group rescued, those that Alex had liberated from the Kron's carts, and hearing the same line brought back memories that almost made them cry. Finally, they could rectify a great mistake; finally, they could free their entire people.
"Who are they?" "What's happening?" "Is it a rival faction?" "No, look closely; they're, they're Gnolls." "We're being rescued." "Wait a bit; we mustn't rush; they might be enemies. Don't make any sudden movements."
A multitude of comments and whispers flooded the boxes where the Gnolls were locked and lined up.
"Brothers, what's happening?" asked a teenage Gnoll.
"I don't know. Stay back," replied an older one. "Who are you?"
Although it was Gnolls who had killed the Goblins, no one dared to address them and interrupt them while searching the bodies. The following moments were quite tense for the prisoners until finally, one of Alex's Gnolls found the keys.
"Brothers, we're here to rescue you. Our group has two matriarchs who have joined forces to guide us in these tumultuous times," said a Gnoll to those who were imprisoned.
When the Gnolls were about to cheer to celebrate their liberation, Alex hurriedly ran near them and asked them to remain silent.
"Shhhhh, quiet. We mustn't make too much noise, or any of the other bases could be alerted," Alex told them in the Gnoll language.
Seeing a different being was a shock for the Gnolls; they began to doubt whether there were really two matriarchs on the side of their rescuers. Still, the Gnolls who came with Alex quickly understood what was happening and managed to calm the prisoners.
"We'll explain our situation in detail soon. For now, we'll release you, and we ask for your help in transporting all the goods from this outpost to our base camp," Alex told them.
The Gnolls accompanying Alex freed all the prisoners, including those who were not Gnolls, and then organized them to carry all the materials back to their base.
They had rescued more than 150 Gnolls in this camp alone. The fact that a small group of Goblins could maintain a population of slaves several times larger than their numbers demonstrated the high number of Gnolls in the vicinity. This showed that Alex's choice to strengthen his forces in this sector was appropriate.