Rise of the Horde

They could smell the stench in the distance and it was difficult to figure out which one was the strongest, the acrid thick smoke rising from the trees in the forest that they set aflame or the foul stench of the slowly-decaying bodies of the dead beyond and within the walls of their camp.

The Ereians had managed to repel the latest assault by the Albernans and their allies yet again. Commander Nassor listened to the panicked screams of their enemies as the cavalry led by Viscount Redore chased them through the grassy fields down below.

The old commander had no qualms in giving back the grounds that they have gained after their crossing into the territory of the Albernans but with the river which served as the border between the two kingdoms just behind them now, he must no longer retreat or else their enemies would start swarming in to Ereia.

He must keep the war within the lands of the Albernans.

"Sir, all enemies have already fled the battlefield. Viscount Redore already returned into hiding after pursuing the fleeing enemy soldiers till their camp.  Commander Kontar also came back from the forest and is waiting for you at the Commander's Tent. And also, Commander Karim…" A soldier came to Commander Nassor and reported but he hesitated into continuing his report when it was about that drunkard paladin.

"And what of Commander Karim? He better not be complaining about booze again…" the old commander snorted in displeasure as he turned his gaze towards where the wounded were gathered and treated at.

He didn't know if he should be happy or pissed off at Commander Karim. Though he was a drunkard but him being able to heal the wounded and send them back to the frontline quick was an enormous boon for their army. The only problem that they have would be not being able to enjoy the taste of alcohol as the drunkard paladin would frequently raid their stocks after finishing his job.

"You guess it right sir. He is complaining that we need to replenish our supply of booze or he would run back to Ereian lands himself to be drunk." The soldier replied with a tone of helplessness in his voice. He himself was also helpless but he can't really complain since he would already been long dead four times if Commander Karim didn't treat his wounds. His bravery in battle and the willingness to sacrifice himself to save others caught the attention of the commanders which resulted in him being promoted to becoming an aid of the old commander.

Commander Nassor gave out one heavy sigh before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He turned around and went down from the walls while Garr followed behind him.

"Lord Kasto and the light cavalry that he brought him left yesterday morning and they would be back tonight or tomorrow." He muttered while walking towards the Commander's Tent.

"Send out a messenger to tell Viscount Redore and his troops to monitor the movements of our enemies closely. If I am not mistaken, they wouldn't be able to mount an attack anytime sooner with what remains of them but we just need to be careful less they launch a suicidal attack against us." He continued.

The morale of the Ereians remained at an all-time and it got boosted even more after their recent victory knowing that they almost eradicated the enemy army. Their total casualties weren't even half of their initial numbers so far and they are clearly the winners of the ongoing war despite being pushed back many times and they are just waiting for the right moment to directly march into the heartland of the Albernans.

*****

Two days after Badz, Siroh and those who went along with them joined the group of Khao'khen, they now finally spotted what remained of the expeditionary force sent by the prince towards the land of the orcs.  Unlike the group of Badz when they discovered them, the army led by Baron Masud had erected a proper camp complete with defenses and sentries all around.

"Should we go and challenge them now?" Sakh'arran asked their chief as they stared at the enemy camp in the distance. He too was also itching for some action after days of not doing anything but marching and keeping the warriors in line.

"No, this will be up to the Skallsers and Drakhars." Khao'khen replied after shaking his head.

"Tell the Skallsers and Drakhars to make themselves known to the enemy while keeping the rest in hiding in order to not scare our foes off. They must not know of our real numbers for a battle to breakout." He ordered as he turned around and headed to the rear of the army.

After receiving commands, the entirety of the Yohan First Horde headed a bit to the east while the Skallsers and Drakhars went out in the open with their needed supplies to show themselves.

As they have expected, the enemy sent out scouts to get a closer look at their possible foes. Riders who were lightly armed came and go as they tried to gather as much information about their enemies. Around two hundred of the Warg Cavalry accompanied the Drakhars and the Skallsers to provide some support but they won't be actively participating in the upcoming battle. The role that they were given was to drive off or keep the enemy cavalry in check while giving the spotlight to the infantries.

Inside the camp of the Ereians, Baron Masud quickly got out of his bed and put on his clothes before heading out of his tent leaving behind the still naked Evelyn. After she was sure that no one was around already, Evelyn got up from the bed and donned on a dress.

She peeked her head out of the tent to make sure that no one would be able to see or hear anything. After making sure that no one was around, she went back inside the tent and brought out a strange looking mirror.

Magical energies gathered towards the mirror, the image of Evelyn on the mirror rippled before it slowly changed into that of a garden.

"How are you doing, my dear Eve?" a man's voice came from the mirror that Evelyn was holding. Judging by the clothes of the person she was communicating with, it had to be some powerful figure as no common person would have runes engraved on his clothes.

Evelyn placed the mirror on the bed before kneeling down on the ground.

"Your highness, your humble servant asks for your forgiveness. I failed at the task that you have given me. The person that I am following was tasked by the prince of this small kingdom to head to unknown lands." She spoke with her head bowed.

"I am not in a rush, my dear Evelyn and my plans for that kingdom is but just a small thing. With the current situation that is happening there, it's better if you head back here as soon as you can. My brother seemed to have set his eyes upon that place and is already on the move." The man on the mirror spoke which was soon followed by the sound of him swallowing something.

"As you command, your highness." Evelyn replied then the image on the mirror rippled once again and changed back to how a mirror would normally work.