Wild orcs.

"WHUMANS" boomed the wild orc chief.

His face twisted into a grotesque smile and his eyes fixed squarely on me.

Clink-clank

The dull, hushed sounds of a chain being pulled echoed in my ears.

The wild orc chief was pulling back his axe, a weapon so heavy it created a dent in the ground when it fell after I parried it.

It was linked to a chain that was tied to his waist.

"WHUMANS. COME. TO DIE" He asked, one handedly pointing the axe at us.

I didn't want it to come to this.

"Feuges. Are you okay?" I asked the man standing behind me.

"Y-yes boss. Just shaken a bit" he said.

"well then, I suppose the other two are with you?" I asked him while maintaining the staring contest with the wild orc chief.

"aye boss"

"we're here too" replied Rase and Killian.

"good. Hope you know there's no easy way out of this right?"

"well er, isn't that why you brought the three of us along" Killian said grabbing the hilt of his sword.

"So that we can fight if it comes to it" added Rase.

"that's how it is boss. We're ready" Feuges walked in front of me. His pair of blades pulled from their sheath.

'now that's the spirit but'

GROINK. GROINK. GROINK. GROINK. GROINK GROINK. GROINK.

We are outnumbered two to one.

"listen up men. While the goal is not to take them down here. Take down at least a pig or two"

"Yes boss"

"Aye"

"That was the plan boss"

"PIG. WHUMANS. CALL. ORCS. PIG" the wild orc chief's smile contorted into a frown and I felt a wave of intense killing intent.

"KILLLLLL" he roared and leaped towards us. His huge frame casting a shadow on us.

"Move" I instructed the men and jumped back.

BOOM.

The axe cut into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

I readied my rapier and steeled my breath. There was an intense killing intent locked on me.

An axe came flying out of the cloud of dust towards me and I instantly put strength in my legs and pushed off the ground running so low that the axe missed and flew past me while I advanced for the wild orc chief.

I closed the distance and slashed at him but I sensed danger behind me and jumped up.

The axe came flying back into his hand and he grabbed.

"I see" the monster was skilled and smart. It utilized the chain tied to the axe to fight both in close quarters and long range.

Downward slash, I struck at the monster from above as gravity brought me down.

Clank.

It blocked.

We are both warriors. In that case, I will fight skill with skill.

It pushed my rapier back and slashed diagonally for my torso.

I parried it and it hit the ground, cutting out a huge chunk of it.

BOOM!

I utilized that opening to instantly thrust for it's heart.

There wasn't enough time for the wild orc chief to defend. It couldn't block or evade my attack and I could see it in its eyes.

The rapier cut through the air, advancing for the heart when,

Clank.

Sparks flew and I felt resistance. Something had stopped the blade's advance and in that moment of confusion the wild orc chief's face contorted into a sly smile and his beefy hand slapped me away.

I blocked with my free hand and lessened the power of the blow as I was pushed back.

"Boss" Killian, closest to me called out, concerned. He was barely holding his own against two wild orcs.

"I'm okay. Just getting warmed up" I flashed him a smile.

Rase and Feuges seemed to be occupied with their own battle too and I took that moment to observe the battlefield.

The wild orcs were strong, stronger than I would have liked and they outnumbered us but even still my men were fighting. They were obviously struggling but fighting nonetheless.

If I can take care of their chief, maybe even inflict a grave wound on him that would demoralize the wild orcs and buy us time to escape.

"WHUMAN IS WOMAN" The wild orc chief said to me and licked his lips.

"BE MINE. I LET YOU LIVE" He added and flashed me his grotesque smile.

"hah" I sighed and calmed my nerves. Getting too worked up could work against me.

'the blade met resistance' I noted, analyzing what just happened.

That can only mean…

I looked at the wild orc chief. Observing his person and I saw it.

"a protective talisman" as I thought.

'this just went from bad to worse'

A wild orc chief with a protective talisman could only mean that they have a shaman. A wild orc shaman.

Now everything made sense.

A shaman is to monster what a wizard is to humans except shamans do not exercise the same restraints as a wizard does and often dabble in magic of the darkest and blackest realms. They're very powerful and dangerous.

This made me realize that this group of wild orcs were not the total population of wild orcs in the forest. Presumably, this was a hunting group. Which means that there should be a wild orc village somewhere in the forest.

Gulp. I swallowed saliva. A group of monstrous wild orcs led by a chief and shaman were going to attack our village.

This information had to reach our people if there's to be any chance of survival for Whitehold.

I raised up my rapier once more. A protective talisman works by absorbing the impact force done to the target and so the only ways to take care of that is to use magic or a force stronger than the talisman can absorb.

Normally I'd go with the latter but that would be difficult seeing as the wild orc chief wouldn't just be standing still.

So I'd go for option three. The talisman protects the target but what protects the talisman. That is the weakness of a talisman. It needs it wearer to protect it so it can protect it's wearer.

The orc chief was still grinning at me, thinking I'd given up on this fight but I kicked off the ground, running at the monster.

His expression changed instantly and he met my speed with his axe but I was faster. My blade cut downward, slicing at the air down to the talisman but he shifted his body and the blade missed by a hairs breath.

I breathed out but didn't let up. Slashing for the talisman again to which he parried.

Clank.

I slashed and cut, swinging my blade masterfully in a flurry of sword dance, evading and parrying his counters as we kicked up a cloud of dust.

Clank, clank, clank, clank…

Eventually, I cut the talisman into two, destroying it and shattering the protective barrier around him.

"EIK" he squealed audibly which I ignored and aimed my rapier at his heart.

The air parted for my blade, my full power behind its thrust as I jabbed. Hah!

The wild orc chief's eyes went wide with fear but he jumped back. Barely evading the stab of the rapier.

It punctured his skin, tearing into the flesh and drawing blood.

"so even oversized pigs bleed red?" I noticed and swung the blood off my rapier.

"GROAAR" He roared furiously.

"WHUMAN. MUGAR FEAR. NO. WHUMAN MUGAR HAVE" He screamed and attacked. Not letting the dust cloud to dissipate.

His axe flew past me, sinking into the ground with a deafening boom as his huge mass towered over me in no time at all.

He kicked at me which I ducked and dodged as a gust of wind blew past me.

I tried to jump back defensively but he backhanded me, sending me back a few steps.

"Argh"

And then followed up with an axe slash which I sidestepped and watched it cut out a huge chunk of the ground I was standing on.

He instantly appeared before me, bringing his hand down on my head. I blocked with my raised hand and sank to my knees but not before aiming my knee at his foot and landing it on it.

"GROOAR" He screamed in pain and kicked me away with his other leg, sending me rolling.

I killed the momentum and came to a stop, immediately ready to block the next attack but it didn't come.

That was when I looked up and saw him standing there. A sickening sound coming from him.

'What's wrong with him'

I couldn't quite understand this strange behavior until I saw it.

It was stuck out like a sword pointed at it's enemy.

'the bloody pig'

"has an erection"

Violation.

I was revolted. I felt defiled. My skin felt icky, as if smeared with dirt.

In all my years and battles never have I been dishonored like this before.

"I am going to butcher every last one of you pigs and feed you to dogs"

Inner breathing [Cocytus]

My perception became clear, like the world had come to a crawl as power surged in my body.

Inner breathing is a battle technique employed by knights and warriors to boost their strength in battle.

Vhoom.

I closed the distance between us in a instant.

"Die" As fury burned within me, I aimed for the erection but it's axe got in the way and I cut off the head from the handle.

Clung.

It sank heavily in the ground.

"A thousand dead pigs will not be enough to wash away this shame. I will make you wish for death pig" slash.

Everything was clear in my focus.

It tried to block my rapier with its hand.

'bad idea'

"KAAAAAAAAAA" A grating noise erupted and it's hand fell down.

Thud!

The monster's enraged eyes met mine and fear flashed in its eyes.

"Don't be afraid pig. I have terror to show you"

I swung the rapier in the air and the force blew away the dust cloud revealing the battleground.

Rase and Feuges had the orcs they were fighting lying bloody on the ground while Killian had already dispatched one orc and was fighting another.

I held my breath and took a stance, ready to blow a hole in the pig in front of me.

But as soon as I unleased the attack capable of bringing down even an ogre, a barrier magically enveloped the wild orc chief.

My instincts went off like crazy and I jumped back to my men. We stood defensively facing the same direction.

"Boss this doesn't feel good" said Killian.

"yeah, something is coming"

"something bad" added Feuges and Rase.

"Stay on guard" I instructed.

A fog appeared out of nowhere and through it, a pair of red arrested me and strength began to leave my body.

"Orc shaman" an orc, with blood red eyes appeared within the fog, as if he materialized out of it.

He was huge, a head taller even than the orc chief. Topless, only accessorized by crystal chains on his neck and bones around his waist. He was wearing a brown skirt that dragged on the ground and in his hand was a red staff.

"Humans" his eyes swept over us like insignificant bugs and settled on the now one handed orc chief.

"Mugar, you allowed these things to humiliate you like this. I am greatly disappointed with you" he spoke fluently in the human tongue, admonishing the wild orc chief like one does a child.

'he's the true leader of the wild orcs' I realized.

My legs lost their strength and I wobbled down to my knees.

"boss"

"what's wrong?"

"are you okay" the men asked.

This wasn't normal. The shaman must have done something to me.

'a curse' probably to drain my strength.

Inner breathing, [Boost].

A temporary solution. [Boost] will enhance my strength, stamina and speed temporarily.

Strength began to fill up in my body again but even that was slowly leaving me.

"I'm okay. I know we're only a scouting team but that thing can't be ignored" I pointed with my eyes to the orc shaman.

It's presence alone sent the five remaining wild orcs squirming and looking away. They were terrified.

'He's powerful' his magic force was greater than Dad's.

"I will take care of him so take care of me" I said and turned to Feuges. He was the only one here who was with me in the king's army.

"boss" his eyes went wide but kept silent.

"What. Is something happening?" Killian asked looking from me to Feuges who bit his lips.

I inhaled.

Inner breathing [boost] +[cocytus]

The world sharpened and locked into focus.

It felt like everything was freezing around me and it came to a crawl.

What I was doing was layering breathing techniques on each other. A feat that could kill me in so many ways. My lungs could burst from the overload or and with my heart or my brain could short out from an overdose of oxygen in the blood stream. Suffice to say, it was a dangerous technique but one that I was exceptional in.

I took a stance and faced the shaman.

"My name is Gwen Famaul. Knight of Whitehold" I announced.

"Hm, a human custom. Very well. Carry my name with you to your next life, Baldur." he said and faced me.

"Die"

[7th howl]

I unleashed the technique, seven thrusts of my rapier, faster and powerful enough that they appeared as one blast that tore through the air and earth, leaving gusts in its wake.

The technique blew through the shaman's barrier, hitting him directly and cleaving through the earth.

"So you're not a worm but still a bug" the shaman's voice echoed in my ears.

He was standing in the same spot, blood flowing down his left eye.

Strength left me in that moment and I let myself go, falling to the ground. This was the price for layering on breathing techniques. I was out.

But a shadow fell on me and a hand grabbed me by the head.

"You have potential" it was the shaman.

'he's fast'

"but this is your end"

His staff struck me in the belly, following up with a blow to head as I hit into the ground.

Boom.

My breath shortened out and hot searing pain burned through my body. I blacked out and came to immediately.

His foot was coming down on my head.

'I can't move' so this is the end.

"Boss" Feuges voice reached my ears and someone grabbed me before the foot landed.

"We've got you boss" Rase.

The trees sped by or was it us who sped by, I couldn't think straight.

All I remember is that it appeared as if Feuges and Killian were fighting the shaman as we got further and further away.

"STOP" I woke to a start, faces looking down at me in concern.

"Gwen darling" A familiar voice called me.

"Andros" I recognized.

"what. The shaman. Feuges. Killian" I uttered, my train of thoughts scattered.

"It's okay, honey. You're okay" he grabbed me by the hand and said to me looking into my eyes.

"You're here. In the village. You're home"

_

Rase

The boss is strong. Everybody in the village knew that but seeing her strength was something else.

She was in the king's army, a knight of the realm and retired to pursue love. I'm sure people were disappointed with her decision because she was really talented but she didn't seem to regret it at all.

The boss. Gwen. She hates it when we call her boss but even still we call her that. No one in the village has been able to best her yet, the chief included. We'd all grown up together but some of us stayed, more like couldn't leave but she left and made a name for herself despite being only 25 years old. She was impressive and I am proud to follow her. Even in the face disaster when he beloved son Albeom was unconscious, she still defended the village. Venturing into the forest and coming face to face with the wild orcs.

Things would have been okay except a shaman showed up.

That was when I knew we were in danger.

The monster was powerful. And I would have cowered in its presence had it not be for the boss.

In fact, the only reason we could stand was because we were standing behind her. She was our strength.

"My name is Gwen Famaul. Knight of Whitehold" she declared to the monster and I felt courage flow into me.

She attacked and we thought for sure this was it but our hopes were dashed and we had to do something.

Gwen was going to die. Feuges quickly issued us orders. They'd engage the shaman while I rescue the boss and run away.

It didn't take a genius to know that they were sacrificing themselves so that I could escape with the boss. But it was the only way.

And so we executed the plan and I just kept running until I reached the village. The boss bloody in my hands.

"The wild orcs are coming"