Hello everyone, how are you ? I hope you're fine and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

I posted late because I was with my familly at one of their friend's house and I did not had my computer.


So here it is The battle.

City-state of Luccini. Six days before.

I was watching the green tide, observing every movement it made. Out of the blue the sounds of war drum filled the air and the green-skins began their march toward the city.

« TO ARMS ! TO ARMS THE BEASTS ARE COMING ! »

My shout was heard by many mens and they moved into their respective positions. The Miragliono's marskmen were the first line so they could have clear shots. My company occupied the second line while the Alcatani pikemens occupied the third and last line. The Marskmen would retreat the moment the ork put their siege tower or their ladder in position. When they finished retreating my unit will take the first line and stop the orks with our blades. The Alcatani will be protected and thus will be able to impale the orks. While it was not the most impressive tactic it was effective enough.

I saw my lieutenant, Isabella, rush to me, she was pale and seemed out of breath. She tried to talk to me but only panted.

« Wow, wow calm down Isa. What do you want to tell me ? »

« The.. huff.. mercenaries.. uf. Most of them have fled. »

My eyes bulged from my skull. One does ot simply walk away like that !

« WHAT ! How many!? »

« At least three thousands, if not more. They fled by boat, unarmed boat. They were all sunk by greenskins ship. No need to worry 'bout an attack from behind. » she said after seeing my pale face They got cocky and tried to attack the port. They were so stupid and excited that they crashed and ram into each other. The rest got picked off one by one by the cannons. »

That was bad … It was a third of our defences. The worst was that most of the city's own military forces were composed of poorly trained conscripted militias. The only good point was that the remaining mercenaries were the bravest and fiercest of the hired swords. I quickly calculated in my head. If we lost three thousands men then that means we're stuck with seven thousands including two thousand five hundred regular soldier, four thousands militiamen and five hundred mercenaries. While the manpower was sufficient the men themselves weren't good enough.

The militias were badly trained and equipped and had low morale. The regulars were better but lacked actual experience, only a handful of veterans had experience. The city's government, who was very rich prefered to hire mercenaries rather than sending their own troopes. It was also the reason they hired so many mercenaries.

Well coward mercenaries They got what they deserved.

I looked at the walls and saw militiamen instead of mercenaries. The militiamen were supposed to be the reserves, the mercenaries and regulars were supposed to take the brunt of the assault. After allless mercenaries equals less payment.

« Well, we'll have to do without them. Get ready. »

« Sir, yes sir » said Isabella with a mock salute.

I smiled a bit when she turned her back. Even close to death she still tried to lighten up the mood.

I focused my attention back on the green tide. The sounds of their march was like thunder. It was a green unstoppable tidal wave. And it headed straight at us. The orks kept running towards the walls when suddenly the sound of cannon and the smell of gunpowder culd be heard. The cannon had opened fire. Cannobals and mortar round shredded the massive ork steamroller. Dozen of orks and gobin were sent flying. Despite this brutal rain of death the orks kept running. The trebuchets also began to launch their dedly projectiles. The boulders were wrapped in inflammable tissue and sent ablaze to deal maximum damage. I suddenly remembered a sentence from my mentor.

If the ennemy is at range then you're also at range.

To confirm this quote boulders came from the ork's side. They were launched by those ork's trebuchet called rock lobba. The boulders crashed on the city's wall but the fortification resisted the assualt. Some boulders went higher and crashed onto nearby house. I even saw on an other section of the wall a rock crashing into ranks of militiamen sending them in every direction.

Just after the crossbowmen took aim and unleashed a deadly volley of bolts. The bolts soared in the sky before piercing the freenskins with their steel tips. The musketeers fired soon after and the deadly projectiles found their way into ork's body. The shooters disn't really need to aim because the green mass was so compact that a hit was guaranteed.

The artillery unleashed volley after volley of cannonballs, boulders and mortar rounds. The muskets and crossbows reaped waves after waves of green-skins. Unfortunately it wasn't enough as the green tsunami still continued to advance. Primitive orks and goblin arrow landed on the defenders. While some were lucky and found their way into soft flesh most of the bounced on armor or shield.

Soon ladders were put and siege towers set. The Marskmen fell back while my men advanced. Some of them began pushing the ladders with success. Unfortunately hooks and dozen of ladder wre set and green-skins began to climb. However the greatest threat was the siege tower just in front of me.

The huge door opened and slamed the wall with a loud thump. Cry and shouts of 'WAAAAAAAAAAAAGH' could be heard .

I quickly drew my gun and fired on the tallest orks that I saw, the bullet pierced his skull. However the greenskin was so hellbent on killing me that he kept running for several seconds. Around me my brothers and sister in arms followed my example and many orks died pierced by bullet. I thanked whatever god that guided me to this forgotten armory full of pistols and ammuition. It wouldn't stop the hord but at least kill a few and save more lives.

« BRACE YOURSELVES MEN ! AND KILL AS MANY ORK YOU CAN ! FOR LUCCINI ! FOR THE LEOPARD ! »

The men soon shouted cry for victory and glory, as well as some insults for the Orks. I braced myself as the first ork was charging toward me. I waited for him to come at my range. When he did I stepped back, letting him on the walls so he could not take advantage of the high ground. I brough my sword down on him to cleave his head. He countered whith his own sword., a glorified rusted bt of cutting metal. I quickly stabbed him in the head with my dagger. I withdrew my dagger and attacked the next ork. This one was bigger and had a big nasty looking axe. He made circular movemet, cutting the head of one f my comrades, a woman by the name of Gretel. In his momentum he left himself wide opened, I used this momentary weakness to run at him and stick my sword in his heart. The rusty piece of armor he wore couldn't stop my blade. I pushed with a rough kick and freed my blade, it was covered in green blood now.

All around me the battle was raging, hundreds of men were resisting the assault of hundreds of greenskins. Each side refusing to yield, refusing to retreat. Iron brethren were cutting green limbs, Alcatani were piercing green flesh sometime pushing orks and making them fall over the walls. However the orks themselves were killing many of my fellow human. They hacked swordsman into pieces while nasty small goblins were sneaking behind them and were killing pikemen. It was pandemonium.

It can't get worse.

Of course I had to be proven wrong as suddenly an enormous explosion rocked the fortification, sending orks, goblin and human alike on the floor. I managed to get up quicly while killing a fallen greenskin. I looked and saw that a good portion of the neighboring wall section had been blown up.

I heard the sound a powerful horm rang. It was a charge. The shaman had blown the fucking wall. I saw the Warboss and his retinued charge at the wall, a portion of his force behind him.

Shite.

It was the only though in my head. I was so shocked that I didn't saw the ork coming near me, a bloodied hammer in his hand. I spotted him as he raised his hammer, It was impossible for me to block, but before he could brought the hammer down a blade pierced his throat, the steel tip was visible. The blade was withdrew and behind him stood Isa, my lieutenant, my savior, my comrade, my friend.

« Nobody. Touch, Him. Except. ME ! »

I gulped. Wow that's scary.

She looked at me and said.

« Well don't stand here you little shit. Do something ! »

I didn't reply and chose instead to get up and fight. I whirled around and saw an ork looming over a disarmed soldier, I rushed toward the green beast before plunging my sword in his skull. I freed my blade and kicked the ork's corpse to make it fall. I helped the soldier up before plunging into battle once more.

An ork arm was cut by my sword before my dagger plunged in it's owner eyes. A well placed kick reaped an ork leg, shortly after a blade was deep in a greenskin brain. Three goblins tried to attack me, I kicked the first hard enough to sen him on the floor. The second was rewarded by a throwing knife in his head while the third got his arm and head chopped off.

I saw Isa with her dual blade spinning, jumping cutting and stabbing ork. She was truly a deadly whirlwind. While most of my men were brutal, she kept her feminine grace, she was like Myrmidia a Godess of war. With horror I saw her get bashed in the stomach by an giant Ork. Her attacker had a deep green skin and wore elaborate set of plate as an armour. He wielded in one hand a tower shield and in the other a hammer covered of spike. The Black Ork raised said hammer, but before he could bring it down I was already on him. I crashed on his exposed flank and managed to repel him. He lost for a moment his balance before regaining it. He turned his head toward me and looked at me with deadly red eyes.

I looked at Isabella.

« Together. »

She answered with a nod. It was all I needed.

We rushed at the monster. I charged head on while Isa circled the beast to the right. The green-skin lifted his hammer in the air before bringing it down to crush me. I narrowly evaded it by rolling on the floor. The impact sent me even farther. I quicly got up while throwing two knives at the Black Ork. One of them bounced on the armor while the other stuck itself. The ork swatted the knife which falled on the ground.

« Oi'm gonna krush ya little 'Umie. » roared the ork

He rushed at me once again but an impact on his back sent him on the ground. He falled face fisrt and met the floor with a harsh sound. His nose must have been broken because blood spilled on the floor. I did not wait for him to get up and duel him loyally, I swiftly jabbed my sword and my dagger in his skull. Digging as deep as I could. I freed my balde and the ork twitched for some moment before finally dying. I exhaled deeply

« We need to get out of here QUICK ! » yelled Isa.

I looked around me and saw many ork encircling us We were cut off from the main group who was cornered near the stair. I looked at Isa with determination.

« Together again »

And without confirmation, which was not needed whe rushed at the ork carving a bloody path through the living wall. My left arm was grazed by an axe. It's owner soon fell on the ground with a bloody wound in his skull. We killed a dozen of ork and goblin before joining with the main group.

We both narrowly avoided a couple of pikes coming at us before the soldier saw that we didn't had green skin. The mercenaries let us passed by opening their ranks. There were a quarter of my men still alive and half of the pikemen.

What a butchery.

The Alcatani leader was dead, I saw his head being brandished by an ork. I shouted.

« Fall back at the exit of the stair and in order. I need five volunteer to hold the place. »

My plan was simple. Since we'd lost our advantage at the wall we would reatreat at the exit of the stair. The exit being narrow the ork wouldn't be able to use their numbers as an advantage, knowing them they wuld probably fight between each other to decide who was going through the gate first.

go. I hoped that the city's guard at the other side of the wall would be able to hold the greenskins. They were trained and had actual good shield and spear, they adopted a tetsudo formation and were able to fend for themselves, for now.

I neede only five men to hold the place until we finished our retreat. Ten men volunteered. I told them that five was enough but they wouldn't budge. I sighed, the volunteers were a mix of Alcatani and Iron Brethren, I saw a stray regular with them. The rest of the men retreated, leaving the volunteers behind, we knew that they wouldn't survive. I was with Isa the last to leave.

« Good luck ! » I shouted.

« We don't need luck we nedd a bloody miracle ! » answered one of them.

I did not see who it was because I was already in the stair tower. As I climbed the stairs down I prayed for them. I did not pray for them to survive because it was impossible, I prayed for them to have a quick death and to kill as many ork as possible.


I skipped the part about Isa and me. I did not want the council to know about that.

We waited for five minuted before hearing the ork running down the stairs. I thanked the men for keeping them occupied so long. I steeled myself and unsheathed my sword and dagger. It was payback time.

The first ork to exit was promptly stabbed in the head, the second blocked by the first got his his throat pierced by a pike. It kept gong on like this for a dozen of minuted. Most of the orks were dead. The only injury was a grazed leg.

Good.

And hell broke loose.

« If something goes down the drain then it will keep going down the drain. »

-Law of maximum pain in the ass.

-Loi de l'emerdement maximum. (In french)

Author : My familly


Cliff hanger !

HA !

Sorry.

I hope you'd a good reading.

I'm soon going to enter high-school but I'm going to try to update as quick as I can.

Goodbye

Oracle 14