'Then he would be the fifth one to suffer such a fate.' said the Commander dismissively. 'Every message that has been sent out to the forts in the north has been unanswered and there have been no reports coming from any of them.'
The news was grim and Gurgash couldn't find a silver lining. If they had really lost all the forts in the north then surely they were next. His trepidation bubbled over into fear now that evidence of an Elven resurgence had been found.
'If the Elves have mounted a counter assault, what has the Chief planned to do about it? Do we march out and meet them head on?'
'First we push trained scouts up to the north that won't be captured and slain as easily as simple messengers. Then we shall get a determination of their numbers and their composition.'
'We can send scouts north all right,' said Harg. 'Just don't expect to hear from them ever again.'
'What do you mean?' asked the Commander.
'We have seen first hand how stealthy an Elven warrior can be.' replied Harg. 'They'll be watching the roads and I'd be willing to bet their best men will be on it too.'
Ordinarily Harg's outburst would have cost him dearly, the Commander seemed too defeated to care. 'Orders are orders.' he said and turned away without further comment.
Gurgash looked to the north. He had seen one swarm of Elven warriors bearing down on the army of which he was a small part. In his mind's eye, he saw another, this one wilder and more coordinated. He saw the face of that damn boy that killed the Orc and he multiplied it many times in his mind. Until that moment, he had not imagined anything more ferocious than the onslaught he and his countrymen had so narrowly survived. Now he discovered his imagination was stronger than he had thought possible. If there was really an Elven force out there of that magnitude then they were doomed.
'What do we do if the Elves get here before our reinforcements do?' he asked, his voice quivering with obvious fear.
'Then we fight again' Harg answered stolidly. 'We keep fighting until either we're dead or they're dead. Simple as that really.'
His words didn't offer Gurgash any reassurance.
If more Elves swarmed down out of the north, he had no doubts about what they would do. As docile as they had seemed when they had been conquered, he knew exactly what the thought of freedom would make them do.
VIII
The pain and suffering and fear that emanated from their fighters could not be ignored as I laid waste to their forces. I had yet to learn the calm detachment I now possess, the realisation that there are no unique characters and all that these beings are is all they will remain: obstacles to be disposed of.
Gurgash was catching a brief nap in a makeshift hut when the Orcish horns rumbled, they were being called to attention for some task. Rousing himself, he found his cousin already outside and fully armed.
'What is it?' he asked Harg. 'Are we under attack already?'
'I don't think so, though I cannot say for certain,' replied Harg, 'The Commander just told us to get out here and be prepared. Sounds like trouble.'
'Sounds like another drill to me,' said Gurgash, though he didn't feel certain about that at all.
Orcs and Goblins hurried out to the open space between huts and palisade. They seemed too frenzied in activity to truly be preparing for yet another exercise. They all came fully armed too, this in itself was a rarity as usually it was acceptable to just show up.
Then the Commander arrived, that was when the reality of the situation hit them, this was no drill.
'I have received new orders from Chief Sarvacts,' said the Commander without preamble. 'He believes that the Orc known as Hurglug was murdered by the young Elven boy El-Vador out in the woods. While he has not chosen to take action prior to now, he feels after speaking to the boy that his guilt is obvious. We march on the settlement as soon as possible, our task is not an enviable one, we are to burn the entire place to the ground and leave no survivors. The Chief has informed me that whoever kills the murderer has his rations doubled for the rest of the year.'
He waited to see if any questions would come. When none did, he nodded. 'All right, then. Let's go.'
The whole garrison with the Commander leading the way marched on foot toward the settlement then, all bar a few to hold the camp.
Even before leaving the fortified encampment, Gurgash could hear the Elves shouting, they knew what was coming and were powerless to prevent it. One of them came out toward them, alone against their entire company, presumably to broker peace with them. Before he opened his mouth the Commander had signalled with his arm to one of the Goblin archers. The arrow took the man straight through his open mouth, he stared down at it briefly in confusion and slumped to his knees. The Commander ignored him as he walked past and on toward the settlement.
They met minimal resistance as they marched on, the few archers that took pot shots at them were soon silenced by their Goblin counterparts with no loss of life.
Harg pitched his voice over the marching feet. 'We're going to have to kill everyone in this settlement.' he said. 'They will fight desperately, show them no mercy.'
Gurgash nodded. He had never sacked a settlement before, part of him couldn't believe that it was happening after all this time.
When they reached the settlement it seemed deserted, were they all fleeing for their lives?
A roar came from a house as a group of Elves charged out at them. The archers weren't quick or accurate enough in these close quarters and the element of surprise cost them a number of men before their numbers overwhelmed the group. Gurgash had yet to see any armed conflict and for that he was grateful, how many more battle-ready Elves could the settlement possess?
An arrow from the next house up answered his question, its flight was accurate and it caught the throat of the Orc opposite him. He instinctively shied away only to be pushed further forward by the crush of infantry behind him all trying to close down the attacker before he could loose another shot.
The push cost them a few more lives as the hidden archers got a second volley of arrows away. Soon they were swarmed and silenced Orcs, the settlement was eerily still after that.
'So ends their resistance,' the Commander said. 'Stay alert men, search the houses in groups and expect a fight to the death.' His waving hand saw a number of Orcs peel off from the main group to search the houses. 'Remember, we show no mercy to any of them, their women and their children are combatants also. Do not hesitate to kill them, for they will surely try to do the same to you should you falter in your duty.'
Though he had been in a pitched battle before, it did not compare to the shrill screams he heard from inside the houses. Gurgash was paired with Harg and the Commander, with two Goblin archers providing them cover. They went from house to house with systematic efficiency, usually arriving after the conflict had ended, finding dead bodies scattered over the floors and beds in various states. Some had put up a fight with whatever implements they could find, others had died bedridden. A few others were cowered in corners now soaked in their own blood. Gurgash felt ill, he hadn't signed up for this.
Desperate had been an understatement on the part of the Commander. Never had Gurgash seen such flailing and screaming in the face of the inevitable. The terror washed over him and made him want to bolt and leave this cursed place behind. They came to the forester's house now, the house where this El-Vador lived with his father. Yet once they were inside they encountered no resistance at all, this being the last house of the settlement he had expected something else.
At a nod from his Commander, Harg ventured into the bedroom. He returned shaking his head, there was no sign of the boy.
'His father lies in the bed, there is no sign of the son.' Harg said. 'I left him alive, should you wish to speak to him Commander.'
His superior nodded. 'Good work soldier, you may join me in questioning this Elf, lest he be feigning bed sickness and wish to strike the next Orc that gets close enough.'
As soon as Gurgash entered the room he could tel
l that it was no act. The sickly scent of burning herbs did little to stifle the disease in the air. Here was a creature on the cusp of death, to kill it would be merciful.
'Where is your son?' the Commander asked simply. 'Tell us this and we shall spare you.'
'I'd sooner die.' replied the Elf, then burst into a fit of coughing.
Undeterred, the Commander asked once more. 'Where is the location of your boy, El-Vador?'
The Elf turned his head to stare at the Orc, the hatred caused Gurgash to reflexively take a step back. 'You will let me live if I tell you where my son is?' he asked.
'Yes.' The commander replied.
The Elf spat bloody phlegm in the Orc's face. 'I'd sooner die.' he repeated. 'You have no idea what you have set upon the world. He will find you and he will kill you all.' another spasm took him as he coughed once more before stilling entirely. This foreboding defiance had been his last act.
Gurgash's stared down at his feet, not wanting to see his Commander's expression as he wiped the red spittle from his face. It was then that he realised his armour had been coated in gore and blood.
'What now, Commander?' Harg asked.
'Sarvacts will be pleased that the settlement has been cleared, we shall set fire to it and bury our dead.' he answered. 'Then we must find the last survivor, this El-Vador.'
El-Vador walked out from the woods toward the settlement, hunting had been scarce but profitable. His father could make a good stew out of the brace of hares he'd shot. His body halted in the midst of that thought, the inborn alertness of one who lived close to nature warning him something ahead was amiss. The silence tugged at him, it was far too quiet by half.
Cautiously now he went forward once again, beginning to know in his heart what had happened.
He abandoned all pretence of stealth when he saw the first houses, their doors kicked in and bodies strewn in the streets in a huge pile. The air was thick with a metallic tang that sickened him to the very core. They had killed everyone, Sarvacts had killed everyone.
A Goblin archer spotted El-Vador, he held a large bucket and set it down before reaching for his bow. He was much too late, El-Vador's arrow sunk deep into his skull.
Approaching the pile of bodies in disbelief, he saw that the Goblin had been planning on dumping the bucket of foul smelling liquid over them and setting the pile alight.
Something snapped inside him, an overload of grief and anger and frustration bubbled over and all restraint vanished. He found himself howling now as he headed through the settlement, sending arrows with deadly accuracy into anything that moved. He had nothing to lose any more, he was driven by a hatred so pure and single-minded. He had but one task, one goal, one purpose left in this life for him to complete. All the Orcs must die, all of them.
Gurgash retched in the street, the blood was too much, he couldn't strip the settlement of its valuables like the others were doing.
'You look like death warmed up.' remarked Harg. 'Some of us are heading back to the fort, we're not needed for the burning. I've seen enough of them in my time, feel free to follow us.'
He gladly took them up on their offer, weakly falling in line with the rest of the group that were marching their way back south to the fort.
Harg had a large axe in his hands, he seemed to be testing the weight of it with a few experimental swings.
'What use are weapons now?' Gurgash asked.
'It may seem pointless to you but it's always a good idea to keep a blade handy.' he said. 'Besides, my last one broke in the assault, figured I'd get myself a new one before we left. Doesn't seem to burn either.'
'This was no assault.' Gurgash said, looking back at the settlement. 'This was a massacre and it was wrong.'
'Wrong?' asked Harg. 'Had they the strength these Elves wouldn't have bat an eyelid at doing what we have just done to them. Think of this El-Vador and the hatred he had in his eyes every time we saw him go into that forest.'
'We did take his land,' said Gurgash. 'He'll definitely try and avenge his people now if he wasn't going to before.'
'What can one boy do?' asked Harg with a dismissive shrug.
Before Gurgash could even begin to answer, a cry came from the soldiers they had left behind. A huge explosion of sound filled their ears and seemed to swell like approaching thunder.
'We're being attacked!' yelled someone, and then the storm fell upon the group.
The explosion sent them flying across the rough ground, their attackers had taken them entirely by surprise. Where had they been hiding? A blaze struck up nearby, the light and heat was greeted by Orcish screams.
'Stand your ground men, it's only...'
The Commander didn't have chance to finish his sentence, an arrow protruded from his chest. Gurgash watched from the ground as flames licked over his superior's skin and coated him in light. He let out a roar before another explosion blew him to pieces. What manner of weaponry was this?
More explosions came from all around him, Gurgash looked over to find Harg and found that he was lying next to him. He watched the frantic gesturing of his cousin's hand. Stay down. Well, he wasn't planning on trying to fight against whatever it was that was assaulting them.
From what little Gurgash saw, there was no resistance at all. Orcs simply fell where they stood to be wreathed in flames or were blown apart from the nearby explosions of their comrades.
Then it was over, the screams died off into the distance and became occasional rather than constant. Silence blanketed the battlefield, punctured by the sound of flames softly licking ineffectually at the smouldering grass of craters left from the assault.
'What do we do now?' asked Gurgash, completely overcome and panicked by what he had just witnessed.
'We go into the woods,' said Harg. 'At least then we'll be out of sight should they return, perhaps we can reach one of the farming communities and warn them.'
Slowly rising to their feet, Harg and Gurgash wordlessly observed the carnage that had been wrought upon the landscape. Great seething chunks of earth lay upturned by the explosions, charred body parts were scattered in seemingly random directions right up to the tree line.
Gurgash started retching again as his cousin dragged him into the woods.
Two Orcs stumbled out of the forest at the edge of Mugrab's fields. The farmer threw down his hoe and snatched up his pike. The intruders were in no condition to offer him a fight though, in fact they looked on the verge of collapse. All the same, he kept his pike handy, they may well be deserters.
'Who are you?' he asked sharply. 'What are you doing on my land?'
They did not answer him immediately. They both stood there in an apparent state of exhaustion, as if they had travelled many miles at great haste. At last, the younger one managed to find words, 'We were attacked by the Elves, they killed everyone.'
Mugrab felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. 'How many of them were there? Are they headed this way?'
'We don't know.' said the older one. 'They were headed for the fort south of here, no doubt they will start scouring the forest and the farms in time.'
'If you're going to save yourself, you'd better do it now, or you're doomed. It may well be too late already.' added the younger one.
Mugrab looked around his farm. He had always thought he'd stand here and die on his feet fighting invaders, now that he had been warned ahead of time that prospect seemed altogether pointless. He could always settle somewhere else if he fled now, while if he stayed with the land there would be no chance of survival. He noticed the columns of smoke rising from places he couldn't account for, that was confirmation enough for him. The Elves were burning the fort down and he needed to get out of here.
He nodded to the two Orcs. 'Thank you for the warning, there's a farm a little further south of here with a serviceable wagon, warn them of the danger and you'll get your way out.'
On the very edge of hearing came a scream of grief torn as if from a wounded animal facing death.
'T
hank you for the advice.' the older Orc said, his ears twitching at the sound of the scream. 'We'll be on our way south then, no doubt those who are left will regroup at the stronghold with the rest of Sarvacts' men.'
'Fare well with your journey,' said Mugrab. Above the uproar of the explosions, a bell began to ring, loudly and insistently. 'I may well see you there.'
'You mean you're not leaving?' asked Gurgash. 'You'll be killed for certain.'
Mugrab answered with a shrug. 'I can't just pack up and leave instantly, there are a few errands to attend to before I depart.'
The two Orcs began arguing about something but Mugrab was already in motion. He jogged back toward his farmhouse and made a mental note of the few possessions he could take.
One of the Orcs came over to them. 'Harg has gone south to the farm,' said the youngster. 'I'll be watching over you until we leave.'
Mugrab looked up at the young Orc in wonder. 'Are you so eager to die, lad? What difference does it make to you if I live or die?'
Before the Orc answered, a cry came from the forest, several Orcs came lumbering out of it toward the farm house. For a minute Mugrab wondered if they were not attacking in some state of madness, then he saw the fear in their eyes. One by one they fell, pierced by arrows that flew from the woods. Mugrab's gaze went there but he could see nothing. Finally the last Orc fell and silence washed over his resting place. Where was the Elven army that was supposed to burst through into the clearing?
Then he saw it, a solitary figure stepping out to inspect the dead Orcs. He squinted and shook his head in disbelief, there was no mistaking it for anything else. El-Vador had come to his farm once more.
IX
Life is cyclical, as are consequences. All things travel in circles to those who have experienced enough of life. I know there will come a time eventually when my actions will catch up with me.
El-Vador stared at the two Orcs as they froze beside the farmhouse. They had been expecting an invasion force, a massive army of Elves lusting for vengeance, they did not know there was only him.
El-Vador's Travels Page 9