Chapter 71
Chapter 71
After a week of preparation. They finally incorporated the Warghen Clan and Rumbling Clan into the Yohan First Battalion. The new orc recruits now know how and what they should and shouldn’t do.
“Battalion Form!”
Sakh’arran shouted as the Yohan First Battalion assembled in their battle formation to be presented to Xiao Chen. A long horizontal line of armored orcs was presented.
Following behind the core orc infantry was the light cavalry formed by the Warghen Clan warriors and their wargs. A hundred disciplined warriors accompanied by more than three hundred wargs who are ready to tear their enemies to shreds.
Right behind the warg cavalry were the massive Rhakaddons and their riders. All four hundred strong orcs, armed with shotgun crossbows, to strike at a distance before trampling those foolish enough to stand in their way.
A group of trolls also joined in Xiao Chen’s army as operators of the newly added weapon in their arsenal, the scorpions, which are smaller versions of the ballistas that were mounted on the walls. They then placed the scorpions on carts which are pulled by Thryrians. The trolls stood with slumped shoulders, unlike the orcs, who stood proud and straight as a spear’s shaft.
Trolls didn’t receive any other training except for operating the deadly scorpions that will surely decimate their foes. The scorpions operate on the same mechanics as the ballistas, which use the torsion of ropes to shoot out bolts of iron, but they have a quicker loading time than the ballistas.
Xiao Chen had a proud smile on his face as Sakh’arran presented his disciplined army to him. He nodded towards Sakh’arran in acknowledgement, then came forward to join them and begin their march.
*****
For a few hours, they marched until they were only about two thousand meters away from the camp of their enemies. Dust quickly formed up in the distance as the corrupted creatures formed their battle line.
They were stretched long and wide, their numbers probably over the ten thousands which was twice or thrice the number of Xiao Chen’s army.
Xiao Chen stood still and right behind were his three thousand strong orc warriors that served as his core infantry. The one hundred from the Warghen Clan and their wargs, anchoring the leftmost flank just beside the Black Tortoise group led by Sakh’arran.
To the right, most flank of his army’s formation are the heavily armored ogres who were wielding maces in both hands. They served as the shock infantry and they only have one purpose which was to break their enemy’s formations.
Just right behind the orc infantry are the towering Rhakaddons and their riders and at the most rear of the formation would be the trolls and the scorpions that were loaded on carts being pulled by their beast of burden, the Thyrians.
*****
Xiao Chen signalled all commanders to gather to him as he divulge the strategy of the battle. Using his spear, he drew a triangle on the ground and encircled the tip of the triangle. “Brazan, you and your ogre brethren will spearhead the charging formation. You and your kin have only one task to do, break and smash!”
The chosen leader of the ogres scratch the back of his head and stared at the pointed figure on the ground in confusion. He took out the two maces that were strapped to his back and strike the ground with both of them. “Ogres! We smash!”
Xiao Chen shook his head in surrender. Brazan was the only one who they can actually converse with among the ogres, the rest of them only asks the same things over and over again, “Food where?” And “Enemy where?” Which made him give up in teaching them complicated things. He just made things simple for the ogres, like pointing at certain direction and tell them to smash things up.
“Haguk, you and your clan, along with your wargs, will hang back and stay here on the left and protect the trolls. Wait for the sound of the horns before committing yourselves to battle. Ensure first the safety of the trolls and those things first.” Xiao Chen continued as he pointed at the scorpions loaded on the wagons.
“Dug’mhar! You and your Rumbling Clan will ride out and try to encircle our enemies. Take out anyone who pursues you with your new weapons. After going around the enemy battle line, charge right through them and quickly withdraw for another charge. Remember to not engage in the battlefield’s chaos, your task is to repeatedly charge at them and break them apart.” Xiao Chen raised his head and stared at the posing orc, who had his shotgun crossbow slung on his shoulder.
“Gliobs, you know where and when you should shoot. Be mindful of your allies. We don’t want those iron bolts to be skewering our own allies.”
Xiao Chen reminded the leader of the trolls who are operating the deadly scorpions.
“Make sure those things don’t land near me ever again!” Trot’thar commented by the side as one of the iron bolts nearly skewered him during their training.
“Nuh worry, mon. Everything is calculated perfectly an wi trolls ave di best aim dat yuh cya eva find. Wi handle things wid care dat one wi did just a misfire during di training. Yuh just haffi duck dung, ef one iron bolt cum flying yuh way, mon. Be hit by di iron bolt and yu ded, mon.” Gliobs answered as he smiled innocently towards the frowning Trot’thar.
“Come on. Have some trust in our friends.” Gur’kan butted in as he had a mischievous smile on his face while putting an arm around Trot’thar’s shoulders.
“I’m worried!”
“It is already a hard thing to watch out for our enemies’ attacks and make sure that I don’t get killed. And now I also have to make sure to watch my back before an iron bolt skewer me by mistake.” Trot’thar scolded while removing Gur’kan’s arm around his shoulders.
“Who told you to be loved by the iron bolts so much that they always come flying your way. Ha!” Gur’kan waved Trot’thar’s scolding off with a wave of his hand while trying to hold his laughter in. He remembered the many times that Trot’thar had to duck down and jumped away from the paths of the iron bolts during the training to avoid being skewered and trolls seemed to be intentionally shooting at him as a payback for being too strict with them.