Chapter 24

Dismounting from her mount quickly, High Priestess Luna jump towards Commander Eru and embracing him as tight as she can.

"I can't go on without you, I'll accompany you to death if I must but never shall I abandon you"

She said, tears running down quickly from her eyes, her sobbing, her unstable emotions, gone were the strong, steady and brave guises of her. The only thing left was her real self, the real Luna, not the high and mighty Hight Priestess of the Light but a young woman, who needs to be comforted like any other.

"It's alright.... don't cry.... you look ugly when you cry.... I'm still here, well and alive and continue to protect you from any harm.... I kept my promise..."

Commander Eru said, his voice was as soft as it could be, he was also overwhelmed with emotions but he must remain steadfast as the man and prove that he isn't just a guy with a good-looking face.

The two were being lovey-dovey in front of the surviving knights, who weren't a big problem because they are under the Vow of Silence, never speak about anything they hear, see, or smell even feel about the Holy Priestess or the Goddesses of Light will smite then for breaking the vow.

The real problem would be the presence of hundreds of orcs, armed and ready for battle just waiting for a command to be given.

"Ehem...ehem..."

Xiao Chen cleared his throat loudly as he tried to get the attention of the lovey-dovey couple who are publicly displaying their affection for each other. Finally, the two notice the situation and their cheeks turned beet red from embarrassment, especially the High Priestess Luna who refused to show her face and continued to hide in Commander Eru's chest.

"I hate to disturb your affectionate reunion, but we still need to clear the battlefield and treat the wounded"

Xiao Chen said while pointing at the scattered bodies of the fallen and those who are still moaning in pain, bleeding and waiting for someone to rescue them from the jaws of death or for death to embrace them.

Commander Eru had an awkward look on his face on top of his embarrassment as he clumsily tried to free himself from the tight embrace of the High Priestess Luna who still refuse to show her face, which was still rosy because of what just happened.

*****

A few hours later, the rest of Xiao Chen's horde finally arrived at the scene of battle and brought with them the much-needed medicinal supplies to treat the wounded. The injured knights were wary of the orcs trying to help them up but their wariness soon faded as they watch their commander and the high priestess conversing with who seemed to be the leader of these orcs.

"You have our gratitude, orc chief"

Commander Eru said, bowing down his body almost ninety-degrees to show how much he was thankful for. The High Priestess Luna shed her haughty pretense and just like any other normal woman, thank the orc commander by also bowing down towards him and ignoring the teachings of the church that a high priestess only bows down to the goddess and no one else.

*****

After receiving the gratitude of the couple, Xiao Chen and his army went on their ways, back home. Along with them were the Galuk tribe members who will bolster the population of the tribe.

The previous encounter with the ogres showed Xiao Chen a weakness of the phalanx formation that wasn't supposed to be a weakness. More resilient enemies, like the ogres could break through the wall of spears and decimate his soldiers within the formation nullifying the advantage of the closely packed spears.

The long spears were also snapped into two by the ogres with the stronger momentum of their charge and more tough skins. A soldier with no spear in a phalanx formation is like a tiger without its fangs and claws.

Xiao Chen's brain gears started to spin again as he was busy trying to remember the ancient warfare of his past world. Discipline and unity, he had already taught his men these things, what he needed is a more effective system of combat that could adapt to any circumstances.

"Chief, you seemed to be in deep thoughts"

Sakh'arran nudge his warg Blackwind beside the absentminded chieftain as he noticed, the chief's serious face, his brows knitting together, and his eyes staring far off in the distance. The chief was physically present but his mind is somewhere else.

"Uh... nothing much...I am just thinking of a better way... a more efficient way for us to engage enemies in the battlefield...the fight with the ogres showed me something that must be addressed"

Xiao Chen said after hearing Sakh'arran's worried voice and Blackwind staring at him from time to time, like she was anticipating something.

*****

After a few more days added to their marching schedule, the First Xin Infantry Battalion finally reached the walled village.

The Galuks stared at the strange sight, a high wooden wall which could only be seen among the settlement of the pinkskins, a field of green like the farmlands of the humans but this farmland was different.

The crops were planted within a box shaped land. There were many box-shaped lands, maybe a hundred or even more, the land was flooded with water turning the soil into mud.

"The chief calls them rice fields...it will supply us with a new type of food which he calls rice"

One of the orcs near the Galuks who were marveling at the strange and odd sight before them. Orcs being farmers, that was unusual since orcs were known to be almost always in a battlefield, they are always on the move. Fighting and battling as warriors that they should be, orcs never procure their own food, most of their supplies were plundered from their poor victims or hunted from the wild creatures that roam the land.

Meat was the most common food that orcs consume, the rest like fruits and vegetables were rarely eaten by them. The number of wild creatures that roamed the land were dwindling fast, their numbers no longer enough to sustain the need of the war-loving race. Tribal wars were often triggered by the dispute over hunting grounds, tribes come and go as the years go on.

The harsh reality of the Orcish lands was that the stronger ones shall survive while the weak will cease to exist. Along with the bite of the demon's curse, the population of orcs are quickly going down. The pinkskins need not to interfere anymore and sooner or later, the orc race will collapse on its own, by their own hands.

Sure, they are feared by many, especially when they amass in great hordes and go on plundering. Simple settlements will be easily razed by them, the human settlements with no towering walls to keep them out were often their victims. Orcs tried raiding walled human settlements before but it was futile, with no real leadership and plans, they fail more often than they succeed which force the orcs to ignore almost every walled human settlement.

Looking at the rice fields that Xiao Chen had taught Rakh'ash'tha to make, he smiled and amazed by the old witch doctor's ability to learn and his curiousness to learn new things.

Rakh'ash'tha stumbled upon Xiao Chen's plans of making the rice fields and was intrigued and interested in it, especially what rice would taste like and orcs can finally have a steady food supply and won't depend on their luck during hunts anymore.