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.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

~ * ~

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.