68 Unexpected Results
Soon, just as Yun predicted, Gao Mao's squads began to win more often than not, but the vast majority of them continued to work more as individuals than as a group towards their goal. They were winning battles through sheer strength instead of successful tactical choices. Some of them even won despite encountering multiple traps within the quarry, a testament to the strength of one or two of their members.
Slowly the competition drew close to a close, and Yun's scorecards reflected the information she'd shared with Wuying, Gao Mao didn't know how to teach his squads to work as a team. As a Lieutenant he'd been insubordinate and failed to properly instruct his men. The only good points he'd earned were for multiple successful defenses of his camp. He had only failed one defense, and this was a joint attack by two of the other corps, creating an opening for a small invasion group to break in.
After nearly a year had passed since their first meeting at the tor the competition drew near to a close. Everyone was excited, knowing that only two more battles remained, but they still continued to raid each other's bases, taking turns to break the boredom of defending camp. Each of the different camps had raucous groups meeting at lunch hours to share stories of their attacks on the other bases or their battles in the quarry.
After a year straight of military life a number of the disciples had begun to enjoy the camaraderie and atmosphere of successful campaigns and battles, and the tavern-like gatherings. The group spaces in the camps had become incredible gathering places where laughter and joking were the predominant sounds.
Crack. . .
A simple sound, loud too, but in the midday with the breeze in the trees and the sound of laughter from the camp nobody heard it.
Rustle. . .
Again, unheard.
Finally a few cracks sounded out at once and someone noticed at the border of the camp and was preparing to silently alert others nearby.
Thwip!
Suddenly the guard who was about to alert others sat down and leaned back as if nothing was happening.
Tssssss. . .
A little puff of fire lit up a reptilian face in the shadows of the woods, than another, and another.
Dozens of dark reptile faces began to light up one by one in the forest, then go dark again.
Thwip!
Thwip!
Thwip!
Three more guards sat down in their chairs like nothing happened, then the first one stepped out of the tree line, followed quickly by a dozen more. Then another six behind them, different colored and wielding long spears.
"Enemy attack!"
Someone had spotted them as they leapt over the earthworks, taking a long arching jump over the body of the guard that was oozing blood from a wound in the head.
"Volvaka attack! Form up and defend!"
As another three squadron leaders shouted out orders to their squads about the enemy the Lieutenant of this camp finally exited his tent rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake, then rubbing them again as if he was seeing things before finally opening his eyes wide and dashing back in the tent to get his equipment.
Gao Mao!
He madly put on his gear before rushing back out the tent and beginning to bark orders at the squads, but his orders were completely in conflict with the orders they had already given their members. As he began to try and force his concept of what needed to happen on his men they became disordered and began to bump into each other while trying to fulfill his commands.
Blood splashed high in the sky as multiple fighters heads rolled off their shoulders.
Gao Mao's eyes were so wide that they could crack at any moment.
Finally, some intrepid Squad Leaders managed to get their members in order and began to ignore the Lieutenant's disruptive commands, they managed to fend off three Fire-Eaters and two of the spear wielders without losing anyone while other squads began to take their lead and join them, but Gao Mao was frozen in place, furious at being ignored and shocked at the scene before him.
Slash!
A flaming claw came for his neck, but he managed to draw his small clubs up in time to block it and be sent sliding back a dozen meters, while the Volvaka that had made the attack turned and swiped at another fighter, taking his head.
Chaos!
Bloodshed!
Small groups had begun to work together with those around them, realizing that it was their only chance to survive. These were real Volvaka! They couldn't take them on alone!
The battle raged for over ten minutes before anyone else could arrive at the camp. Over half of the fighters present had already died in the first five minutes, most of them due to the orders Gao Mao had tried to issue as he rushed out of his tent.
Finally, after 15 minutes of intense fighting they had begun to reach an impasse. The groups were now cohesive enough that they could keep the Volvaka fighters at bay, but were not in a position to strike back and cause any harm. At this moment Yun and Long Wuying arrived together.
Wuying drew his short sword and stabbed it into the base of a Volvaka's skull as he leapt from a nearby shadow like a ghost, instantly killing it, but losing his blade as the corpse twisted and wrenched it from his grasp.
Yun's Argent Spears danced through the camp as she calmly walked forward, slaying five Volvaka in quick succession before they reacted and attacked the energy constructs. Knowing that she couldn't deal with a full strength strike from an adult warrior she withdrew the spears to her side before charging into battle.
Within less than a minute Yun and Long Wuying had killed a third of the enemy in the camp, freeing up a large fighting force that began to surround the nearest opponents to slay them and free more warriors as quickly as possible. First one died, then the group split and attacked two, those two died and they split again, attacking four. Soon those four died as well, leaving five left. Between Wuying and Yun three of them were occupied, so the forces assaulted the other two together.
Smash!
One of the larger Fire-Eaters smashed his tail into the ground hard, creating a dust cloud that expanded to nearly a dozen meters. As the dust rolled over them all everyone stopped fighting and took a defensive position, making sure they weren't being ambushed in the dark.
Rustle!
Crack!
Smash!
Sounds could be heard from the forest as the remaining five Volvaka fled from the battle. The entire camp, after looking around nervously, finally collapsed to the ground sweating.
"Too scary!" Simpered one of the fighters who had been wounded by a spear, luckily surviving.
Yun looked around with fire in her eyes before she finally spotted Gao Mao trying to stand near the command tent, spitting up blood.
"Wuying, arrest him." She said with an icy calm voice. Long Wuying leapt into action and took a strong rope from his spatial storage and tied Gao Mao's arms up behind his back.
"Everyone that's still alive, come to the command tent. This Yun wants answers, now!"
The steel in her voice woke everyone from their daze and made some of them shake in fear. They weren't sure what would happen next.
