“Halt! Shield wall forward!” ordered Akira as the mines came into view below them.
Around the entrance to the mine, there were somewhere around 100 stone gray-skinned male warriors with stubby spikes coming out of their heads. Each of the warriors was wearing what looked like a light set of fur armor made from some unknown type of furry monster.
Akira focused on the male in the group who had a small crown of stubby horns on his head [Kamen warrior lvl 50].
Akira moved to the front to join the heavily armored warriors holding his shield in front of him adding to the shield wall. His guards stood just behind him so they could support him.
Fluffball stood behind Akira and watched the enemy between Akira and the guard's legs.
The Kamen warriors were standing still with no movement, not even a blink of an eye, it was almost like they were statues.
“You are trespassing on Kodria's land! Leave now or we will be forced to push you out,” shouted Akira.
As if awakened by his voice the gray-skinned warriors all turned their heads and looked towards Akira and the warriors that were atop of a small hill above the mine entrance.
As one the Kamen warriors crisply turned towards them and... started to shoot arrows at them.
“The enemy has made their choice, let's not disappoint them. Full charge forward! Smash them!” Roared Akira.
“YAP!” Fluffball let his feelings be known as he excitedly agreed with Akira.
“Stay here behind a rock,” Akira ordered Fluffball before joining the charging front line heavy infantry as they charged down the hill shields raised covering for those behind them. The warriors behind them held their own shields above their heads as protection from any arrows that fell from above.
Without a need to order them the skirmishers used their hand crossbows when they were in range. The javelins from the warriors were sent flying towards the enemy as the distance narrowed.
BAM!
The werewolves charge slammed into the loosely formed Kamen and sent several of the mute gray-skinned warriors flying backward into others or a stone wall behind them.
“Shield wall! Surround them and push them back!” Roared Akira to be heard over the clash of battle.
The 1-5th heavy infantry fanned out with well-practiced steps and began to surround the enemy in a U pushing them back against each other.
The warriors behind the heavy infantry stabbed at those that were in front of the shield wall. The heavy infantry was able to get in several attacks of their own as the enemy stumbled.
The rest of the warriors went to work throwing javelins and stabbing at the enemies' exposed body wounding and killing many of them in the first few minutes of the battle.
The shaman commanded by Klyn stood at the back of the werewolf warriors formation and continuously sent several debuffs towards the enemy fighters to allow the werewolf warriors to have an easier time defeating them.
Akira traded several attacks with many of the Kamen warriors while he looked for the stubby crowned leader of the group. When he found him commanding from the center of the enemy warriors Akira sent a few of his own javelins towards the man.
The javelins were intercepted by the warriors around him either with their shields or their bodies. The attack drew the stubby crowned man's attention towards Akira.
With a few guttural shouts, the Kamen officer managed to reform a line of battle to try and fend off the overwhelming werewolf force. There were now less than 50 warriors that were still standing and could fight.
Now that the initial momentum and chaos from the charge was over the Kamen warriors were putting up stiffer resistance to the werewolves who were pushing forward with the shield wall attacking whatever was in their way.
The Kamen officer let out a guttural battle cry and charged towards Akira with several Kamen warriors by his side intending to kill Akira.
Unfortunately for them the shield wall Akira was part of blocked their path forward. Akira's guard made sure to block any Kamen warriors from getting around the wall to attack Akira from the side.
At each end of the shield wall, the skirmisher units were using their hand crossbows to great effect due to the short-range.
Swoosh! The Kamen officer's sword missed Akira's head by an inch as he leaned his head to the side and stabbed his own sword out over his shield at the officer.
Thunk!
His sword pierced the exposed gray skin but it felt like he was stabbing stone.
As the Kamen officer was fiercely attacking and being attacked the rest of the Kamen warriors started to rain their own attacks on the shield wall trying to push past them to attack those behind them.
Under the renewed onslaught of enemy attacks and push forward the shield wall held firm not budging, while those behind them continued to hurl well-aimed javelins and other attacks at the enemy picking them off one by one.
The Kamen warriors were step by step being pushed back towards the entrance where they made their last stand.
Akira and the officer continued to trade several blows with each other with Akira receiving no damage to his body only concussions from the constant battering of attacks on his shield and armor.
The Kamen officer was covered in several wounds, blood dripping from each one onto the ground where he stood dying the snow a pinkish red.
Akira was going to use a skill to finish him off but two large javelins came hurtling over his head and slammed into the Kamen officers' head and chest knocking him off of his feet and piercing him to the stone wall behind.
“You started the fight without us! How uncool,” said Varbu from behind as he ran up to take the right flank.
“Let's clean up the rest of this rabble and then my warriors will enter the mine first,” said Akira as he stabbed his swords at a nearby Kamen warrior.
With the Orcs swarming them from one side and the werewolf's on the other the remaining Kamen warriors were cleaned up nicely.
“I'm really growing to love this Battleax!” shouted Varbu as he looked at the body of a Kamen warrior who had been cut in half from one of his swings.
Ding!
All warriors under your command have gained a better understanding of battle tactics and have leveled up!
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Akira took a quick looked over his warriors to assess what state they were in. There were only a few who received minor wounds since the shield wall had done its job and held the enemy back.
“Kof, why have you transformed without my order?” asked Akira as he saw one of the heavy infantry warriors was in his furry werewolf form.
Over the past few weeks of training, he had been trying to get them to be able to fight without having to rely on their werewolf transformation which would greatly preserve their stamina and allow them to fight longer.
“I have no excuse. I let the battle frenzy get to me,” said Kof.
“When we return make sure to do an extra 10 laps around the village,” said Akira.
He returned his gaze to the entrance of the mine and pointed shi sword towards it, “Line formation, forward march, double time!”
The werewolves entered the mine with three heavy infantry in the first row leading the way with their large shields blocking the path of anything from getting past them. Akira stood in the second row sandwiched between Dolph and Vilkas. Behind him was Klyn who was making sure to buff those around him.
The mines were dark as the enemy had destroyed the lamps and any torches on the wall as they had passed them.
As they ran down the dark tunnels they could hear the sound of howls and the clash of heavy attacks on skin echoing throughout the tunnels ahead of them.
“Hurry!” shouted Akira as he ducked to pass a wooden beam that was supporting the low ceiling of the tunnel.
The cramped tunnel was a real pain for Varbu and the other large Orcs who were following behind Akira and the werewolf warriors.
As they got closer to the sounds of battle the low tunnel ceiling began to rise and widen into a large cavernous room with several mining branches. Several lamps hung from the ceiling near the tunnel entrances lighting up the mined room.
Near the central entrance, there were around thirty transformed werewolf warriors who were surrounded by some 100 Kamen warriors.
The transformed werewolves were wearing no armor and only their pickaxes and fists as weapons. Those still standing had many wounds on their body as they fought for their life.
As Akira entered the room he saw several werewolves fall to the ground joining several other still bodies on the ground.
“Javelins! Crossbows! Fire!” ordered Akira.
When the javelins and cross bolts flew out Akira shouted, “Arrow formation! Forward charge!”
The enemy was taken by surprise by the attacks on their rear and was slow to form a defense against the charging warriors.
Akira joined the charge at the tip of the arrow his square shield raised up as he ran right into the enemies' weak defense plowing right through them splitting the group into two as he fought and pushed to reach the miners that were still fighting off the Kamen warriors surrounding them.
Klyn and the shaman who followed behind the warriors started to send several buffs to the wounded miners who were still fighting fiercely giving them a boost to their fighting power and recovery.
With Varbu and his Orc warriors exiting the cramped tunnel and joining the fight, the enemy was outnumbered and losing warriors of their own quickly until there were only 50 warriors left.
The leading officer of the Kamen warriors who had a medium-sized stubby crown of horns on his head held up his sword in a salute to Akira and shouted in a deep stony voice, “Great warrior king, I Frafrak admit defeat.”
“Warriors halt your attacks! Surround them with a shield wall!” ordered Akira.
When the Kamen warriors were completely surrounded Akira again spoke.
“Why have you come here picking a fight with Kodria village?”
“These odd people came to us and told us of a place rich with diamonds and other minerals.”
“Were they short and stubby with bushy beards?” asked Akira thinking of Burkin and his caravan.
“If you're talking about the Dwarven kind that traded with us some time ago then no, it was not them. The people who I speak of looked to be humans but had powerful skills that could kill easily.
They said we could have the mines if we cleared out the bandits that occupied them. We did not know that a village was here or that you owned the mines. Please believe these words and allow us to return to our tribe.”
“Are you blind? Could you not see the many boats on the lake or the village on the large island?” asked Varbu.
Akira held up his hand to calm him down.
“The fact still remains that you attacked us and killed several people,” said Akira pointing to the still bodies of several miners and warriors who had been slain.
“And you have killed most of my warriors, such is life in Kaldrbiod.
If you are strong enough to take what you want, you do. If you are not strong enough to defend it, you do not deserve to own it.
There are no hard feelings between us so please allow us to leave,” said Frafrak.
“Drop your weapons and come quietly back to the village, where you will await judgment,” said Akira.
“Where is your honor? This is not the way of Kaldrbiod! Tried by who? A tyrant like you who does not respect tradition and the laws of Kaldrbiod?”
“You are in Kodria's territory and we do not follow your laws. We have our own.
I will not be the one who judges you, that will be up to Kodria's grand elders to decide your fate.
I will only say it one more time. Drop your weapons or we will take you by force,” said Akira as he pointed his sword at the man.
“But...”
Akira raised his sword ready to smack the officer with the flat of his sword.
Seeing this the Kamen officer stopped trying to protest and dropped his sword. The rest of his warriors followed suit.
Akira motioned for several warriors to step forward and gather the dropped weapons while the heavy infantry still stood ready to stop them from doing anything stupid.
“We will treat your warriors with respect, and I will take you to present your case to the grand elders,” said Akira.
Ding!
Honor +2
“Form a single file line and we will guide you back,” Akira ordered the Kamen warriors.
There were several notifications that had popped up but he could not look at all of them as he had to keep a close watch on the new captives as they marched them out of cramped mine and onto the boats.
***
“So what do you think?” asked Akira as grand elders exited the room that held the captured Kamen warriors.
“They are from the Kamen tribe and from the information they gave us the people responsible for leading them here are most definitely demigods,” said Carl.
“That fits with what the shaman scouts reported. They sent a few birds to scout some suspicious people at the edge of the lake who were watching the movement of our warriors. When they noticed the Goblins who were sailing towards them they escaped into the woods heading north,” said Àaron.
“The captured officer also told us that they were not the only wandering tribe that was told of a land of honey and rich resources,” said Seoc.
“So that's why we haven't heard from the demigods in a while. It was only time before they showed up. There is no way we could hide our village from them but we need to hurry the plans for building the village and its future defenses,” said Akira.
“The warriors that attacked us were just a small scouting party of a larger nomad village camped a week or more away. They said their village numbers around 5000 but they are only one clan of many that numbers around 25,000 who are all scattered around Kaldrbiod,” said Àaron.
“How can there be such a large population in such a desolate place?” asked Akira.
“We asked the same thing and we were told that each nomad tribe lives in a different area only gathering when war with another demon race happens. He laughed at us when we mentioned the south being nothing but barren snow lands,” said Hegir.
“With the information gathered we decided that we can not act rashly. The majority of the captives will stay locked up for now but tomorrow the officer Frafrak and a few of his soldiers will be allowed to return to his tribe. He has agreed to inform the commander of his tribe about our demands and ask him to come and negotiate the terms of release for their warriors,” said Carl.
“Wait, what if he just brings their army to fight us?” asked Akira, worried about the possibility.
“Frafrak assured us that his honor would not allow him to do such a despicable thing. He said that unlike us, his tribe valued honor and tradition over everything else,” said Àaron, a humorous smile.
“As for the ships that were supposed to be guarding the lake the captains have already been demoted and sent to the brig. This light punishment is due to them being volunteers,” said Seoc.
“Even if they are volunteers their negligence can not go unpunished. I have informed the new captains who have taken charge of the large ships that I expect that they will properly patrol the lake,” said Àaron.
“I really don't know what to think about the Kamen since they have a weird sense of honor,” said Akira. “I'll make sure that the army is ready before they arrive or the demigod's attack. I already have several things in mind that were revealed to me during the fight that needs to be remedied right away. Hopefully, I can take care of everything so that we aren't caught flat-footed again.”
“Agreed, we need to formulate our plan on how to deal with the demigods and any future attacks,” said Àaron.