Revealing their true colors against the invaders and those who supported them made a difference. It appeared that did not last for more than several months in the western half of Kashmanol. Rumors of this larger horde of invaders and collaborators being the vanguard assault from the other Orc forces. Teniim Elves and the Orc forces that joined them were puzzled by receiving no word nor seeing any movements towards them from the nine thousand enemies. Two full days passed before anything else happened. Montis sat with his fellow elites and some Orcs who joined them. In a semi-circle smoking Vision Milkweed mixed with Wild Pokeweed, and crushed Mammoth Road Weed. Doing the math and calculations inside his own head Toros believed the Kashmanol Orcs still have some fifty-thousand and counting. Fourteen thousand five hundred fifty four Orcs prepared to engaged the twelve thousand enemies. The one thousand one hundred eighty seven Orcs joined their forces. Toros felt a little unease encroach inside him.
Nine thousand enemies hugged the patch of woods closely while their own brethren fought the Orcs nearly a mile away. To both sides it was a spectacle, an exciting event to watch. Toros watched as he smoked his pipe with his colleagues. No one cared what day it was, what week, month or the season. All they cared about was defeating this horde, or stalling it from reaching the Teniim Kingdoms. For the Orcs it may turn into a war to preserve the remaining parts of Kashmanol that breathed free air. Toros did not want to know the true intentions of these invaders as it was obvious to many. They wanted to conquer these lands. That much was clear to the Orcs of Kashmanol, and the Elves of Teniim.
Toros puffed on the weed mixture with his gaze transfixed on the battle in the distance. In his head he prayed to the Goddess of Good Fortune the Orcs would be granted a victory. It appeared to be a one sided battle since the Orcs outnumbered the twelve thousand invaders. His attention on the battle was ripped away by a full brigade of nine thousand Orcs charged past him like a stampede. Their intentions were to crush, scare and route the nine thousand invaders hugging the woods. Armed with Axes, Maces, war-hammers, Spears, Halberds, Long Cleavers, Curved Blades, swords, various Clubs, and long bows which they stopped to notch. Although many had a bow just a few hundred loosed an arrow into the enemy ranks who were just now stirring. Toros sat him with his eyes widened at a clever move on the Orcs. A volley of arrows devastated the enemy leaving them shocked and scatter brained. One large brigade of Orcs raced down the hill to kill the rest of the enemy at the woods. They had to spread out to avoid flanking maneuvers as they rushed into the campsites. Ill prepared to face the oncoming brigade of Orcs the same sized force of invaders fell like flies. Not a single invader stood a chance against the well armored, and armed Orcs who did not see what Toros saw. At the last second the enemy had a surprise up their sleeves despite the massacre at the woods.
From the woods, brush, and tall grass a force of 39, 207 invaders and more emerged. Those who watched scrambled for their bows, and guns. Every Orc at the woods threw themselves at the revealed enemy. Having an enemy force three times larger than their own the Orcs banded together in groups. Toros notched an arrow and loosed it in a volley of nearly two thousand arrows. Arrows showered the enemies wrapping around the Orcs on their left flank. He loosed another arrow alongside others who sent it to both flanking groups of invaders. It halted the enemy from flanking the Orcs. Many invaders could barely hold their own against these Kashmanol Orcs filling the defenders with hopes of victory. Forced to hold out in smaller groups caused casualties to mount among the Orcs who butchered the invading force of various humanoids and monsters. Toros and other bowmen loosed another volley into the woods and areas around the engagement. He could make out outlandish looking invaders with multiple arms, extra limbs, two or three heads, four legs, strange shaped heads, furry bodies, tall statures, stout bodies, long arms, big mouths, and wings. Two thousand more arrows were loosed into the woods and the field behind the battle. To Toros it seemed like a waste until he saw smaller groups propping up in the tall grass. Rather than putting pressure on the Orcs they backed away in retreat. He watched a hundred of them fall from the arrows that could reach them.
At the scene of the battle the Orcs began their retreat while fighting to the death. Bodies mounted at their feet as they moved back to the main force. For hours they fought ferociously to get out taking with them most of the enemy force. By mid dusk the larger Orc army in the distance had won their battle long before Coalition saw victory for the day. For the Orc Brigade barely three thousand made it out with their lives. Among the fifty thousand enemies that attacked them just two thousand six hundred fled from the battlefield. Toros' Commander sent them over to retrieve more survivors and the wounded. Orc Coalition War Chief Zarfu Ironfists ordered units of skirmishers to patrol the area and kill any straggling enemies. Going through the aftermath introduced the elves to more strange races and monsters that made up this invading horde. Some reptile looking races, mammal like beasts, horned monsters covered in hair, winged monsters, Octopus looking creatures, and strange uniformed figures with tentacles for arms. Sorting through the carnage Toros and his fellow Elves finished off some three thousand six hundred fort seven enemies. Among the carnage they managed to find one thousand three hundred thirty five Orcs still alive and wounded. No one left the wounded to die as it grew dark. On stretchers, steeds, mounts, and shields they carried the wounded to camp.
Toros was chosen to keep watch for the night shift with a score of others to warn the camps. All night his main focus was staying awake while keeping an eye out for enemy movements. Drinking his hot beverage of coffee that had to be grounded right there Toros glanced over at the large camp of Orcs to the south who appeared alert. Whenever he looked at the enemy's side of the land not a single light or fire was even lit. Speculations about this enemy being nocturnal or simply covert in their invasion rose up. His fellow Elites had a short debate over that despite the minimal knowledge of this newly discovered enemy. None of them doubted the enemy were hiding somewhere. At every corner, and every hour they expected the enemy to attack. What they did not expect, but should have were more Orcs returning to the front. A single Orc runner rushed up to report that a force of fifty-nine thousand seven hundred fifty nine. She raced back to her own forces in the hopes that he would inform his commander. Toros got up to inform his own commander who thanked him for the information. When he exited the Commander's tent he saw the fifty thousand Orcs setting up their own camps a few hundred feet away.
For the rest of the night he kept watch witnessing the first lights of dawn creep up. The elf also saw an entire corps of enemies heading towards them. It was right as every elf and Orc awoke as one of his fellow watchers sounded a horn to wake the entire encampment. Witnessing another fifty nine thousand and more invaders come in to attack them in the morning Toros notched the first arrow of the morning. He and several thousand others loosed arrows while the rest prepared to defend their positions, and skirmishers throw javelins into the enemy ranks. All the gunners moved into formation along with the melee units while archers loosed volleys of arrows. He loosed a third arrow when he spotted more Kashmanol defenders coming in from the south with another enemy force in pursuit. From this distance it was hard to tell the exact numbers and he had a battle to fight. His ears rank right after loosing a fourth arrow into the enemy. All of their gunners fired on the enemy laying waste to thousands more enemies. Orcs then hurled large rocks and stones at the enemy right after a fifth volley. Skirmishers raced around them in circles throwing spears and what looked like harpoons in volleys. As he notched a sixth arrow he saw a much larger force heading towards them. Such a massive force had not been seen here in a century.
Blasts from the guns drew his attention back to the advancing corps, which was now being attacked by the large force that arrive the previous night. That caught the advancing enemy off guard who were showered with arrows, rocks, stones, javelins, and musket balls. It was during the eighth volley the advancing enemy began to pull back in retreat. Arrows and bullets still went after them. As they got to the woods and large patches of brush large mouthed monster appeared in between foliage. One thing the defenders did not think possible were large monsters with gaping mouths eating the retreating enemy. Multiple retreating enemies appeared betrayed by this. Out of the thousands of retreating invaders three hundred sixty eight killed many of those large mouthed monsters. He counted more than one hundred forty six of those large mouthed monsters who ate just about anything with a pulse.
Toros notched his fifteenth arrow when he saw the few hundred invaders kill those beasts and rush northward. He lowered his bow watching them break away from the main force. Others noticed this as well when they raised white flags. It was difficult for them to avoid shooting them. During the most recent attack those three hundred sixty who broke away were the enemy. Both Commanders of the Coalition ordered for them to cease loosing arrows, and firing bullets. Toros looked over at the newly arrivals who beat back another force who lost well over ninety six percent of their forces. Corpses, weapons, limbs, and shields lay in heaps parallel with the fifty-nine thousand Orcs who returned. Past the larger force he spotted the Orcs and Goblins joining forces with the fourteen thousand Orcs who destroyed the pursuing enemy forces. He wondered how many more invaders were left, and how large their forces were now. Considering their losses, and the forces who retreated and scattered warriors who stood their ground he estimated at least one hundred thousand. His gaze kept going for the three hundred sixty warriors who broke away from the invaders. Toros watched them raced towards some hills. As they approached the hills five large flying craft appeared in the skies. Everyone stopped what they were doing to witness craft from the stars land and pick up their former enemies. Toros watched one cat looking humanoid who appeared to be the leader. Whoever they were they turned to face them and waved. It appeared to have been planned and they must have been mistaken for someone else.
Another day passed with another victory and a delay in the invader's conquest of Kashmanol. Each camp was full of talk about those flying craft. Long after the morning meals the talk about those flying objects grew into a distraction from their main mission. Teniim Elves marched out with an expedition to check on the events in Kashmanol. For the Orcs of Kashmanol and their Goblin brother in arms it was to hold here and ware out the enemy invaders. To them it was obvious this invasion force had a limited number of warriors and fighters brought to this world. Around lunch time More Orcs and Goblins that pulled back then retreated came out of hiding. Approximately one thousand two hundred ninety six joined their forces. Behind them came stragglers numbering two thousand five hundred who were the last forces to make it out of the front lines. Everyone else who fought were either dead or captured by the enemy. Whether those captured defenders would remain prisoners, executed or turned into slaves they did not know. With the stragglers and the battalion of Orcs and Goblins came word of a larger invasion force of some three hundred thousand. Seeing there was no point to running away the battalion and stragglers joined the last defenders.
All through the night more stragglers came to reinforce the line. Just as more stragglers emerged at the camps so did hundreds of thousands of camp fires in the dark night. Now with just over one hundred thousand to defend their lines the Coalition prepared for tomorrow's battle. Tomorrow came as a clear day revealing a force of three hundred three thousand five hundred thirty two ready to march. Behind them was a larger force of one million one hundred twenty four thousand two hundred eighteen in reserve. Stragglers kept coming in waves even into the morning strengthening the defenders. Archers, bowmen, gunners, musketeers, skirmishers, spear-men, swords men, berserk-warriors, raiders, elites, scouts, warriors, recruits, servants, minions, and healers formed ranks. At the command of their leaders every archer, and bowman let loose a volley of what must have been twenty thousand arrows into the ranks of the on coming invader. Right after that volley came a second volley to soften the number of enemies they had to engage. He heard the musketeer and rifle leaders bark out the words "fire" at those in their units. Thousands of muskets, rifles and guns discharged bullets, and projectiles into the ranks of the advancing horde of invaders. A third volley of arrows rained down on the enemy before melee units marched up to defend the archers and gunners. Behind the forward defenders Toros and other archers loosed arrows into the back lines while the two forces clashed. He knew it would not be long before he had to join in the fray. Although this enemy force outnumbered them the clash did not last as long as they expected.
Another one hundred thousand invaders joined the reduced three hundred thousand currently engaged in a one sided fight. Knowing the ferocity of Orcs the invaders' numbers did not do much damage. Toros could tell the corpses of their own colleagues being displayed did not help the invader. One hundred thousand against three hundred thousand and more made a great tale of heroism. Toros and other elves loosed the rest of their arrows as the first wave of the day was soundly defeated. Most of their casualties were smaller Goblins, the wounded who still stood, and those who took on more than they should have. Armed with a weapon and almost out of ammunition the defenders plunged into the next one hundred thousand invaders. What they did not expect were more invaders from the reserves to rush in to flank and surround them. The Coalition of Orcs, Goblins, and Elves braced themselves to be surrounded entirely by this invading horde.
To their astonishment the invaders did not make a full circle around them. Much of the landscape and hills they positioned themselves on had circlets of stones, old cesspits, and old ruins flanking the hills. The areas around the flanks had been littered with caltrops, knives, long nails, bent nails, arrowheads, spearheads, broken blades, pieces of metal, screws, and broken animal bones. Hundreds stepped on them and must have felt pain as they fell to the ground. Those who marched behind them either trampled them or killed them suffered the same fate before the rest avoided going that way. Determined to flank them the invaders' commanders pushed a hundred thousand lesser creatures who looked like bird humanoids with long beaks. Each one was forced to walk over dead comrades and into the sharp objects. They all fell on the laid out traps getting trampled by their own and those who pushed them. Orcs did their worst to the enemy which caused fear among the invader's ranks. With their forces made up of mostly Orcs victory was certain inside his mind and heart. Goblins rushed to the back and returned with more arrows and ammunition they had stored for such occasions. Some even slipped through enemy lines to steal arrows. Only a few returned.
His female Orc companion slew hundreds of invaders who tried piercing her with spears. Her armor protected her from every slash and spear thrust. As the enemy kept pouring their casualties mounted at the feet of the defenders who started to grow tired as the day dragged on. It was not long when the rest of the reserves marched forward to end this costly battle. Orcs, Elves and Goblins fought side by side hoping to give this enemy a costly victory that would end in defeat at the hands of the next army behind them. Taking as many enemies as they could the coalition enraged the invader to adopt another tactic or strategy. Scores of them jumped the Orcs at once in the hopes they could stab them everywhere or wrestle them to the ground. It sort of worked however the coalition warriors killed most of those assailants. Because of this tactic Orcs started to fall on the battle field. Toros found himself loosing more arrows into the ranks and those who tried ganging up on individual Orcs. No one could tell how many Orcs were killed this way. For the invader it only worked in the short term. Killing the Orcs who fought as individuals did not fall so easily forcing that tactic to be thrown away. Much larger members of the invaders that appeared more like Ogres, horned furry demons, Reptilian looking monster warriors, Octopus looking humanoids with gaping mouths and tentacles for limbs, and multi-armed warriors. Others held the appearance of mutated animals that stood erect. Wherever these monstrosities came from they had seen enough warfare to kill well enough.
More Orcs began to fall slowly while the enemy fell like flies. Despite their sizes the larger foes fell to arrows and musket shot and a thrust through the neck. Many of them took down plenty of Orcs to chorale the rest to fight on and press against the defenders. Combatants fell to the ground adding more to the carnage, and building up heaps of bodies all over the battle field. While most of the larger invaders died Orcs numbers began plummeting. He stared into the eyes of one humanoid invader that looked more like a bear. Beside that one were more like it in the thousands. They stood watching the battle nearly surrounding the defending Elves and their Orc allies. Toros expected these ferocious looking grizzly warriors to join the fray. Whatever their true species name was they allowed no more invaders to pass them. No more than forty-thousand o defenders remained with heaps of enemy bodies at their feet. He spotted more beast or animal humanoids with the appearances of lions, and jungle cats watching the enemy. They allowed the defending coalition to finish off whoever was between them and the defenders. Once the fighting halted the defenders prepared for the animal like warriors who surprised them. A force of thirty thousand and counting walked away showing disinterest in this invasion. One of them shouted it was not their fight. Mutants who tried to stop them were killed instantly adding more to the carnage.
Both sides waited for the animal warriors to march away before they resumed the fighting. Toros could tell the invaders still had seven hundred thousand in their horde. He focused on killed the larger ones alongside those who managed to find arrows. Thanks to the build up of corpses the invaders found it difficult reaching the defenders without stumbling on the fallen. Deaths were even caused by slipping on blood or tripping over bodies and landing on a sharp weapon. Standing on the hill covered with bodies and blood made their defense easier. Orcs on their left started to show signs of battle exhaustion. Some attempted to pull back to a better position, but were forced back by their leaders. The day ended with another success in delaying the invaders from conquering the rest of Kashmanol. As one body the horde of invaders marched back to camp. At night the Orcs set up traps, and obstacles to prevent any attempts to flank them. Moving towards the Teniim Elves the rest of the Orcs and Goblins bolstered the defensive positions on the hill. At least thirty six thousand defenders remained.
The next day was going to be their last stand unless reinforcements came or more of those invaders broke away. On that very morning they saw six hundred thousand march towards them showing they sent forces after the ones who broke away. Just from looking at those beast like warriors who looked like cats, lions, tigers, and bears the invaders already lost one hundred thousand more. All the remaining Orcs formed a defensive circlet around the Elves who fought alongside them. Shields, spears, pikes, halberds, stakes, spikes in the ground, swords stuck in the earth, and axes formed a barrier of defense. The first barrier were the heaps of corpses that made a wall. Toros prepared for another long day of battle as he ate up his breakfast. He took a good look at the horde of various creatures, mutants, humanoids, and monsters that made up the invading army. Among this mixture of invaders he caught sight of Dark Elves, Elves, and Orcs blind folded. It made him feel uneasy about this army they fought. Were they slaves to the horde of invaders or a special unit who did not look upon the enemy until they entered the battle?
He could not ponder over this question long as the enemy showed an eagerness to kill them. Full of blind rage the invaders charged as one wave. Pushing, shoving, and trampling over each other the invaders clambered over the corpses adding more in the process. As they came to the traps and barriers of spears, and obstacles those who were in front became cannon fodder. Regardless of the losses to the barriers and traps the invaders pushed their way up to the defenders. Thousands more were trampled or killed when they fell or cut a limb on a weapon. Toros saw one pig face looking invader get his skull smashed after cutting his hand on a spear. Others had their heads shoved into spears to form a walkway bridge made from flesh. When they got to the shields arrows, and bullets pelted them. Orcs at the front began their last fight to the death. Some thirty thousand Orcs held firm behind the shields as the enemy filled the gaps with their bodies. Toros kept his eyes on the blindfolded Elves and Orcs who were herded like cattle. On this right flank he heard the sounds of shooting. A force of six thousand six hundred ninety armed infantrymen wearing armor that was leathery and covered head to toe began firing into the invader's ranks. Using volley fire these new combatants pressed their advance to the defenders. Thirty thousand invaders broke off to deal with them.
Most of their own Orcs fell in the fight to the death. Just a few thousand still held their ground as the enemy pulled back allowing four thousand of their own Elf and Orc warriors to march up. When the blindfolds were removed the Orcs and the Elves the invaders brought from some other world saw the defenders. Toros saw rage in their eyes and on their expressions. One by one three thousand two hundred thirteen Elf Warriors, and Eight hundred forty four Orcs turned against the invader. A single Female Dark Elf in shackles, outlandish armor with a red stripe running down approached them. She explained the gunners are rebels trying to free them and they plus the Orkai pledged not to fight their own kind even if they are from another world. Her name was Inedre Ilrenere, she was sent by her fellow slave warriors to stay put while the rest attacked their former masters. All Kashmanol Orcs who remained joined them in the plunge. Inedre directed Toros to watch for the rebels who fought to make it to them. All day they watched the invaders clash with their former slaves rebels, and Kashmanol's Orcs. By mid afternoon just sixty-five rebels armed with rifles reached them. Once again their defending numbers dwindled. Although their numbers dwindled the defenders and their new allies took a staggering number of enemies with them.
Thanks to the enraged Elf Warriors, and Orcs from other worlds the enemy was pushed back. The Kashmanol Orcs who joined them did not return to their side. Most of them were killed while the rest were captured. Only the Teniim Elves remained with a few thousand Dark Elves left and a handful of rebels to defend this position. Toros looked up at the sky wondering where his former lover was. If only she can witness my work here in Kashmanol. Toros prayed she was not with those immature women who manipulated her and that cowardly Bard.
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