Golden Legion

As weeks dragged by, Neo remained imprisoned by the Orcs. The group was on the move again, this time heading towards the lands of another baron that they planned to invade. During this time, Neo watched and observed the Orcs, studying their habits and system. He noticed that the group lacked a mage, indicating that Orcs were mostly made up of knights rather than magic users. Additionally, Neo observed the Orcs' method of communication with their headquarters - they utilized a reptilian bird to deliver scrolls to Igor, the captain of the group. As days passed, Neo saw most of his fellow captives perish due to starvation or brutal treatment by the Orcs. However, he remained resilient and focused on learning all he could about his captors.

As the Orcs launched their attack on the baron's estate, Neo watched in horror as they stormed through the gates and slaughtered the guards. They seemed to have no mercy, killing anyone who stood in their way.

But then, he saw something on the horizon. A flag with a golden phoenix was approaching, and he recognized it as the emblem of the Golden Legion, the imperial army. He had heard stories of their bravery and skill in battle, and he felt a glimmer of hope.

The Orcs did not seem intimidated, however, and continued their rampage. But as the Golden Legion drew nearer, the Orcs realized they were outnumbered. A fierce battle ensued, with clanging swords and shouting warriors filling the air. Neo watched in awe as the Golden Legion fought with strength and strategy, taking down Orc after Orc.

Suddenly, a nearby Orc fell to the ground, dead. Neo saw that it was holding a sword, and without hesitation, he picked it up. He knew that he had to do something to help, to make up for his inaction all these weeks.

He joined the battle, feeling the weight of the sword in his hand. The Orcs were caught off guard by his sudden appearance, but they soon realized that he was not one of them. One of them attacked him ferociously.

Neo's muscles ached as he fought against the orc, his movements sluggish from weeks of starvation and forced labor. He struggled to parry the orc's blows, barely managing to keep his own sword from being knocked out of his hand.

The orc, on the other hand, seemed to be in peak condition. Its muscles bulged as it swung its heavy sword at Neo, each blow sending a shockwave through the ground. Neo managed to dodge the first few swings, but as the fight wore on, his movements became slower and more erratic.

The orc saw its chance and lunged forward, aiming to impale Neo on its sword. Neo managed to sidestep the attack, but not before the orc's blade grazed his chest. Blood dripped from the wound, but Neo didn't have time to tend to it. He had to keep fighting.

Neo swung his sword with all his might, hoping to land a decisive blow. But the orc was too quick, dodging his attack and countering with a swing of its own. The two swords clashed, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Neo felt his arms shaking as he struggled to hold off the orc's sword. He knew he couldn't keep up this pace much longer. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves.

The orc saw its chance and swung its sword with all its might. Neo's sword barely held up under the pressure, and he could feel his arms shaking as he tried to keep it from being knocked out of his hands.

But then, just as it seemed like all hope was lost, a soldier from the Celestial Legion, with shining golden armor came riding a majestic white horse. The soldier charged into the fray, driving his lance into the Orc's side and sending it reeling back.

The Orc, now injured and disoriented, turned its attention to the new threat. Neo seized the opportunity and swung his sword with all the strength he had left, striking the Orc's neck and severing its head from its body.

The battle raged on relentlessly, the clanging of swords and shields filling the air. As the Orcs began to retreat, they lashed out in a final attempt to inflict as much damage as possible. They killed everyone they could find, including the captives who had been held captive for weeks. Neo watched in horror as they mercilessly butchered the innocent, his heart heavy with grief and anger. He knew that the battle had been won, but at a tremendous cost. Too many had lost their lives, including his own family, friends, and fellow humans.

Despite the tragedy, the Golden Legion had emerged victorious. They had bravely fought off the Orcs and defended the baron's estate from certain destruction. The people were safe, but the cost of victory was high.

The injury on Neo's chest was severe. The orc's sword had sliced through his armor and left a deep gash on his chest. The wound was bleeding profusely, and Neo was in agony. The nurses looked at each other, unsure of what to do. They had seen many injuries in battle, but this one looked particularly bad.

One of the nurses was an old woman who had been a medic in the army for over thirty years. She looked at the wound and nodded, then motioned for the others to step back. She pulled out a small pouch from her pocket and poured out a yellowish powder onto the wound. Neo winced in pain as the powder touched his skin, but soon the pain subsided.

The old woman then took out a needle and thread, sterilized it with alcohol, and began to stitch the wound. Neo gritted his teeth as she worked, but he knew that it had to be done. Once the wound was stitched up, the nurses applied a healing ointment that smelled of herbs and magic. The ointment slowly worked its way into the wound, closing it up and stopping the bleeding.

Neo lay there for a few minutes, his chest rising and falling as he breathed heavily. He was weak and tired, but he knew that he had to keep fighting. The nurses gave him some water to drink and a piece of bread to eat, then they bandaged his chest and helped him up. Neo thanked them and made his way out of the tent.

As he stepped outside, he saw a soldier from the Golden Legion riding towards him on a horse. The soldier wore golden armor and carried a banner with a phoenix on it. Neo recognized the symbol of the Celestial Legion, the army of the Emperor himself. The soldier dismounted from his horse and walked towards Neo.

"Are you okay?" the soldier asked, concern etched on his face.

Neo nodded, grateful for the soldier's concern. "Yes, I'll be fine," he said, his voice weak.

The soldier looked at Neo's bandaged chest and nodded. "Good," he said. "We need more people like you who are brave and strong."

After the soldier left, Neo took a few deep breaths and tried to relax, but the pain in his chest made it difficult to find comfort. He looked down at the bandages covering the wound and felt grateful that the nurse had managed to stop the bleeding. The soldier's words of encouragement lingered in his mind, and he felt a sense of pride in himself for having fought alongside the Golden Legion.

As Neo stumbled towards a nearby tent, he could feel exhaustion taking hold of him. The adrenaline that had kept him going through the battle was beginning to wear off, and every step felt like a struggle. Finally, he reached an empty tent and lay down, closing his eyes.

The thoughts of his family flooded his mind once again, how they died because they were too weak to protect themselves. He had lost so much in such a short amount of time. The pain of the loss was still fresh, and he couldn't help but blame himself for not being strong enough to protect them. As a few tears fell down his cheeks he promised himself he was going to become so strong that no one would ever think of humans as weak, no one would take his loved ones from him again. Thinking and promising himself this he slowly fell asleep.