Rise of the Horde

After making sure that they are no longer being pursued by their enemies, the Verakhs took one last detour before heading towards their camp. Their exhausted faces speak of all the trouble that they went through. Running around while under the scorching heat and out in the open was not their style. They prefer to trek within the shadows unseen while taking out their targets but the previous encounter was nothing short of suicide for them as they aren't geared up for massive engagements unless they are with the rest of the horde to deal against their enemies.

"Finally!"

Bakrah heaved a sigh of relief as he slumped down against a rock in their camp as he closed his eyes to take some much-needed rest. His entire body was aching especially his thighs after everything that they went through. They are used to traveling great distances but not out in the open and being chased by enemies.

Kroth glanced around their camp and saw the weary faces of the trolls who are pacing around their camp and a look of trouble on their faces. There were fewer of them moving around than usual and after inquiring about what happened, he finally learned that they were ambushed by the creatures of the sand while they were on their way to launch an attack against the Ereians.

"Where's the chief?"

Kroth asked the troll that was out on a patrol and learned of what happened. Their chieftain went all out and needed much rest. He stared at the central tent being surrounded by trolls who are on guard and their faces filled with worry. Standing as how they were trained to do, he headed for the tent to see for himself their chief and give a report about their previous encounter.

He was about to lift the flaps of the tent when he suddenly came face to face with one of those who he fears. The always serious eyes of the female orc who had a reputation of being cold to almost everyone except for the chosen few that are up to her liking. The Verakhs suffered a lot in her hands when they questioned her qualifications during their training to assist them. Aside from the enormous Galumnor who paid them no heed in their suffering and just forced them to the limit of their physical abilities.

Draeghanna once pummeled many during her short stay with the Verakhs and it was one of the most ridiculous events that they ever encountered and witnessed. She fought more than ten Verakhs on her own and brought them to their knees which was a feat that they thought was only possible when they are against their chieftain.

Many were not convinced with her prowess and challenged her to a fight and many experienced her beatings, first hand. It also didn't help that when she went away after giving them a harsh lesson, she returned and she brought with her a reinforcement which was the ever silent Aroshanna being followed by her now tamed cook, Grogus.

For weeks before they were formally done with their training, the Verakhs became the punching bag of the two female orcs who enjoyed every grunt and moan of pain of those who questioned their battle prowess. That's when all the Verakhs considered the two to be more of a demon than Galumnor, just a rank lower than their own chieftain who also beat all of them into the ground when testing their capabilities in battle. Many of the Verakhs wished for time to go faster since it seemed to have slowed down a lot when the female orcs joined them in their training.

Kroth saluted towards Draeghanna out of both fear and respect. "Are you here to report?" Draeghanna questioned coldly with a raised eyebrow towards Kroth to which the captain just nodded in reply.

"The chieftain needs some proper rest and he still hasn't regained his consciousness. I'll call for you when he is properly rested." Draeghanna turned around after speaking and went back inside the tent to take care of their chieftain and left behind Kroth who wanted to say something but was cut off by her. Kroth turned around and headed back to where the other Verakhs were at and get himself some rest.

*****

Back in the Fortress of Vir, the army of Ereians who joined Adhalia were thinning out in numbers as the days go on in their training. Many gave up less than a day into the hell-like training that they were subjected to and even the other orcs who seemed to be from another group who were with them during their training also got weeded out. Orcs and humans alike were excited before their suffering began. They all thought that it was a breeze and they would soon join in the front lines of the anticipated engagement with their abusive excommanders, bathing in blood and glory of all those that they slain but reality gave them a harsh slap in the face.

Among the entire population of the Skallser Tribe, barely three thousand of them remained who were willing to see the end of the hardship that they were subjected to. They were treading on thin ice daily and are almost out of their wits since their pain and suffering increased with each day that passes.

The number of the Ereians who were still surviving from the hands of Sakharran number only a thousand as the others gave in from the struggle. They endured pain, gave sweat, sometimes even drew blood, and came near to the end of their temperaments.

Sakharran watched both the humans and orcs who were exhausted from their suffering and dragged their bodies back to their camps to clean themselves up and wash away the dirt and grime that covers their bodies. He can't help but shake his head after seeing some of them headed not to their assigned tents but out of the camp, they have given up.

With only not even two months of training, their chieftain ordered them to raise the difficulty of the training by many levels and the result was what he was seeing now. Out of all those who joined, not even half of them now remained. Moving his gaze to his side, he saw the disappointed expression of Adhalia as she watched a quarter of her surviving kin give up.

"Chieftain's orders... I can't do anything about it. He said that he will rather have a hundred warriors by his side who are fully committed to the battle and he can trust with his life than have thousands of them with him who will bail out at the slightest disadvantage." Sakharran explained.

"I know." Adhalia was quick to reply as she continued to watch her remaining warriors. Those who gave up will either help with the transportation of supplies or aid in the daily life of the camp.