Rise of the Horde

Darkness was finally chased away by the morning light, and there they are, groaning in pain with the exception of Trot’thar. They were all covered in bruises which speak volume of the torment that they just went through. Trot’thar being the wisest of the three only came to aid the two after the session was done. Dhug’mhar and Haguk watched the two limp away with the assistance of Trot’thar.

“Care to join for the next round?” Khao’khen questioned as he directed his gaze towards the two.

The two quickly shook their heads and went away in a hurry.

Khao’khen chuckled at the response of the two. It was a bit long since he lasts stretched his body like what he just did. He missed the feeling of it.

His fellow orcs were doubtful of Adhalia’s true aim but little did they know that he was more suspicious of her than they are. If the situation calls for it, he would pull back the horde at the earliest sign of betrayal. Being betrayed was his reverse scale because of what happened before in his previous life.

By the conquered fort, the horde waited for the logistics to arrive and replenish there much needed supply. Adding the number of captives to the amount of mouths to be fed stretched their current stock thin.

Although they were now currently prisoners of war. It won’t be long before they will become allies. They just needed to finish the war and they would soon be perhaps fighting alongside each other.

*****

Far to the east of Ereia, Adhalia and Faynah along with the Drakhars managed to march unimpeded by any opposition. The lands of the nobles who were with the old Commander Nassor were receptive of the last of the Darkhariss bloodline.

The defending armies sent out a quarter of them to assists the Darkhariss army to claim their ancestral lands. Supplies also came trickling in without much trouble.

So far, Adhalia’s road was as easy as it could get. The old Darkhariss family was an old long standing house of the kingdom. And there reputation was far from being bad. Almost all the people that they have encountered gave them their support. Only those who were in cahoots with the new king or were on the receiving end of the benefits that he provided firmly opposed Adhalia.

Numerous runners were sent towards the capital of the resurgence of Darkhariss by the supporters of the new king. Most of them, intercepted by the members of the Eye in the Shadows. Faynah was already prepared for such a move but she and her organization wasn’t able to create a hundred percent lockdown of the information.

Some of the runners managed to elude the net of interception and the ill news reached the king. The resurgence of the supposedly destroyed house infuriated the king.

“You were lucky to survive the purge! But! Luck won’t be on your side forever!” Gyassi roared in anger as he wrecked the collection of fine adornments in the throne room. The old fogeys and those who finally swore their allegiance to him wasn’t able to do anything as they protect themselves from the shrapnel that were flying around from the things that were being broken in their monarch’s rage.

“Any news from the frontline?” the king finally asked after sitting down in his throne after calming down a bit.

The people who were with him kept their mouth shut for the moment. They were afraid that they would turn into the monarch’s target after telling him of the bad news.

“Are you all deaf? Are my words falling into deafened ears?” he shouted. His anger threatening to spill once again.

“Your majesty, if I may?” someone gathered all his courage to speak. Not that because he was actually braver than anyone else who was present but because he was the one who was of the lowest rank of all those who were around and the eyes were all on him.

The king turned his head to the young man. The position that he holds, he doesn’t care nor does he have any interest in finding out what it is.

“Well?” he raised an eyebrow as he eyed the man.

“The army that we sent to the kingdom of Alberna is yet to respond to the message that we last sent. But the message contained in the last letter by a runner sent by Commander Nassor is far from ideal,” he said while gulping down a mouthful of his saliva because of his nervousness.

“Well, go on. What did he say?” the monarch questioned while showing signs of impatience.

“Your majesty, I don’t think you will like what the old man wanted to convey in his message…” the young man was now trembling in fear. He wanted to avoid the calamity that was going to befall him if he utters the words. The words which will surely infuriate the young king beyond reason.

“What is it?” Gyassi snorted in displeasure.

“Out with it or else…” he threatened.

Left with no choice the young man had to say the words that would surely spell his doom. When he was about to utter the statement of the old commander who he cursed under his breath down to his first generation, an idea came to his mind.

“Keeper! Fetch us the letter of Commander Nassor!” he shouted.

This was the only way that he can somehow managed to mitigate the king’s fury towards him. An old man quickly presented a letter to the king after being called out by the young man. He too knew that he was in for some trouble.

King Gyassi quickly unfurled the scroll that was presented to him and started reading the message of the old commander. His brows knitted together after being presented with a full scroll of words which he was too lazy to read.

“Tell me what the letter says,” he commanded as he threw the scroll towards the young man who gritted his teeth after coming to terms with the fact that he wouldn’t be able to escape the calamity lightly.

“Hurry up! I don’t have all day!” Gyassi roared at the young man who was hesitant to speak the words that would surely put him in great trouble.

“Well…Your majesty…T-the old commander says…t-that…” the young man was stuttering as he tried to gather all his courage but can’t seem to do so.

“What!? What does he want to convey!?” the impatient king roared once again.

“H-he…says that…y-you…Your majesty…Sh=should…”

“Out with it!” the king’s thundering voice echoed once again.

“He says that…You sh-should…. Go and f*ck yourself,” the young man slumped down to his knees. All his energy drained from his body after uttering those words.