Rise of the Horde

As soon as Barika arrived at the residence of Baron Ragab, he quickly barked orders to gather all the soldiers available. He was exhausted and famished from fleeing. Directing his gaze at the servants of the manor, he ordered them to prepare a good meal for him.

While Barika was eating, a soldier came to him to make his report.

“Sir, we have four thousand trained men that are ready to serve under your command,” the soldier reported.

“And what of the survivors from the battle?” Barika questioned. He was certain that there were also those who fled towards the baron’s lands after they were routed by the orcs.

“Less than a hundred remained of them. Most of them just made a stop here and continued to flee northwards after gathering enough supplies for the journey,” was the reply that the commander received.

Barika nodded his head then dismissed the soldier as he focused his attention on his meal.

With only four thousand trained men, not even regular soldiers to command. There was no way that they could mount a counter-attack against the orcs. Nor would they be able to mount a proper defense against the eventual siege. With the current military strength of the place, there was no way that they could win against the orcs.

He had no plans at staying and risk being killed or captured by the orcs. Who knows what they might do to him if he becomes their captive.

After having his meal, he headed towards the treasure room of the territory’s noble to grab as much of his wealth as he can. He ordered the servants to prepare him proper steeds to carry the wealth that he just plundered. “This should be enough…” he muttered to himself.

Barika planned to offer the fortune of the baron to the king in hopes to appease his anger on their recent defeat.

He was about to head down to the dungeons to behead Ragab and add his head to the riches that was to be offered to the king when the alarm was raised. Barika quickly spun around and headed towards where the prepared horses were at.

With great haste, he galloped northwards without looking back.

*****

Haguk signalled for the riders who were with him to halt their advance. He felt that something was wrong with the town as he observed the walls. The alarm was already sounded by the sentries but the enemy soldiers were yet to show themselves.

The gates were also left wide open. It seems that the defenders had no plan of closing it anytime soon.

“Lead half of the riders forward to get a closer look. At the first sign of trouble, withdraw immediately,” he ordered towards the most experienced rider under his command.

A little over fifty of the Warghen Cavalry sprinted forward towards the gates and there was yet any sign of the defenders on the walls.

“Everyone, be prepared to charge forward to lend aid to the others when needed,” he turned towards the remaining riders who were with him.

He suspected that this might be a ploy of the enemy to lure them in. Little did he know that the town was already consumed by panic and fear because of their arrival. The residents quickly scampered to their homes and barricaded the doors and windows with anything that was available and prayed for the best.

The four thousand trained men that the soldier reported to Barika was nowhere to be found. As soon as news of his escape spread around, most of the soldiers who remained also fled. Only few remained as they hid among the residents while also hoping for the best.

Without a leading figure to take command of them, the trained men were of no use. They were just residents who received minimal training to serve as supporters of the army. Asking them to take up arms and fight on their own was impossible.

The members of the Warghen Cavalry that was sent forward by Haguk cautiously entered the town.

“The place looks deserted,” one of the riders commented. The streets were practically empty except for the occasional pests that were scampering around.

“Check the walls for any sign of trouble,” the leader of the group ordered.

A few moments later, the sound of someone struggling came from the stairs that led to the walls. The sentries who were slower than their peers were hiding in a corner of the walls.

“Found this lot among the weapon racks by the walls,” one of the riders who went up the walls pushed the trembling men forward. They were covered in bruises and blood.

“Head out and inform the chief of the situation. Also ask for his opinion on what should we do. We will be holding the gate for now,” he ordered.

It didn’t take long for Haguk and the rest of the Warghen Cavalry to enter the town.

“This place looks deserted,” Haguk commented.

“That’s also what we noticed upon entry chief. There were no defenders on the walls except for these few lot who seemed to be acting as sentries.”

“Work in pairs and spread out around town. We need to find out if the place is safe or not. At the earliest sign of trouble, retreat and regroup,” Haguk gave his orders.

An hour later, the Warghen riders regrouped by the gates and have finally confirmed that the strange situation of the town wasn’t a trap set by their foes. The place just doesn’t have any army to defend it. And the town wasn’t deserted as they have thought. The residents of the territory were just holing up in their homes, fearful of what would happen if they head out of their households.

“Send out a pair of riders to inform the chieftain of the situation. The rest of you, prepare to make camp by the gate,” the chieftain of the Warghen Clan gave out his order.

The town having no defenders was a bit strange but it does happen sometimes so it didn’t come as a surprise to Haguk.