Chapter 173 - 173

On the wide grounds just right beside the command center, Xiao Chen was overseeing the training of the Skalsser orcs. First up was to try to break them as quickly as possible. He was making them suffer harsher punishments with every mistake that they commit, much harder than what the Rakshas and the Verakhs experienced.

"Back to zero!" he shouted as he saw one of them not performing at the center of their cluster. He could hear angry grumbles and curses directed at him, but they did nothing else except just to comply.

Xiao Chen was making them do the simplest form of exercise, which was jumping jacks but four by five hundred in cadence. None must be too early or too late or else they'll be back to zero once again.

"Third row! Fourth column! You are too early to swing your arms! Back to zero!" he shouted again and the sound of suppressed grumblings echoed once again, but he could hear it all too well.

"One. Two... Three... One... One... Two... Three... Two... One... Two... Three... Three... One... Two... Three... Four... One... Two......"

The Skalsser orcs shouted as they performed, they were shouting their frustrations out as a way of retaliation in hopes that they could somehow cause discomfort to the devil upon the walls who was watching them.

"Baaaaaaacccckkkkk! To zero! Still don't let your anger show!" the devil upon the walls shouted once again with a voice full of authority and so loud that even the slumber I kobolds were aroused from their sleep and forced them to relocate where they're sleeping just so that they can avoid the ensuing noise and have their sleep be not disturbed.

Near the edge of the walls, Gur'kan was happily giggling as he watched the Skalssers who had annoyed and angry expressions on their faces as they performed. He was swinging his legs freely as he sat at the edge of the walls while he watch.

Turning to his left, he saw Aro'shanna near the stairs that lead up the walls as she munches on the snacks cooked by the little Grogus who have been running back and forth from the quarters of Aro'shanna and to where she was at many times. The chimney of Aro'shanna's quarters was busy emitting smoke, which means that the kitchen was fired up and the little Goblin was cooking, still. He doesn't know for how many hours did the chimney continued to emit smoke but it hasn't stopped spewing out smoke ever since Grogus entered the quarters of the voracious female orc.

Going around the Skalssers was Arkagarr as he nudge anyone who isn't performing properly with the long stick that he had on his hands. He would whack some of them from time to time and the stinging pain cause by the stick would make those around his target to flinch in pain as his strikes would cause a painful and solid sound. The Skalsser orcs can't complain and they don't have the courage to challenge Arkagarr, as they already have witnessed his prowess in battle during their last engagement when they were still enemies.

"Endure! Endure it! If you want to become stronger! You must endure!" Ikrah shouted as he wiped away the sweat that was flooding his face and wiped his eyes clean of sweat, which was giving him some discomfort and making his vision a little blurry. He was trying to motivate his clansmen to endure more, as he can understand that in order for them to become stronger like their friends, they must endure all the sufferings that is being hurled at them by the one atop the walls.

He had heard from Gur'kan that almost the entire members of the Yohan First Horde, Ikarush, were trained by the one they call Khao'khen, who is their chieftain. And some even luckier ones were trained by him only. The skinny War Chief had many stories that he had told him when they were on their way to the fortress from their tribe and many of them were about the feats of their chieftain, Khao'khen.

"I'll become stronger... Stronger and better... I will become just like you..." Ikrah whispered softly to himself as he raised his head and stared at Xiao Chen, who had a displeased look on his face. Their most dreaded phrase sounded once again, "Back to zero!".

Pelko to Ikrah's left just smiled and shook his head after he heard the whispers of his son. He had no qualms with his son idolizing someone else beside him and he himself felt that he was no match in a fight against the one who was making them suffer right now. He was panting heavily already, his muscles sore and his body covered in sweat. His old bones can no longer perform as well as they had during his younger years, where he could take part in a battle for many days and could still not feel his exhaustion. He doesn't know if that was because of his thirst for battle and the thrill kicking in, or he is just now old.

"Argh..."

A Skalsser orc grunted in pain as his butt was whacked by Arkagarr who was behind him. The pain lasted for a few moments and he thought it would go away, but it didn't. The stinging pain continued as he was once again whacked by the long stick.

"Jump up when performing. Don't just flail your arms... Perform it well or else..." Arkagarr muttered as he crossed his arms in front of his chest with the stick tightly grasped in his right hand.

"Back to zero!" Xiao Chen once again shouted as he heard the sound of Arkagarr hitting someone, which would mean someone wasn't performing well. He was sure that the count of jumping jacks performed by the Skalsser orcs was well beyond three thousand already, with how many times he had them start back from zero.

It was a test of will on how long they could endure and it was also a test of discipline on how well they would perform. Xiao Chen was testing where their bottom line lays so that he could properly address them. He had to know their capabilities for him to be able to utilize them properly during battles. Their deployments and their places in their battle-lines. He had to make plans and prepare everything.

The Rakshas of the Second Warband were posted near the walls as they surrounded the Skalsser orcs who were suffering under the hands of their chieftain while the Yurakks of the Fight and Seventh Warbands were on patrols in alternating shifts.

*****

Half a day's march to the east from the Fortress of Vir, almost the entire force of the Yohan First Horde, Ikarush was on the way to meet their possible friends. The Golden Wolf was proudly leading the way and right behind him was the First Warband, who was in charge of its security.

"Do you think you can convince them?" Draegh'ana asked as she glanced back behind her. The two of them were riding atop Ulfrus who was slowly moving forward and keeping with the pace of the march. "I-I-I don't know... I am not sure if they support my family..." Adhalia replied as she lowered her head with a face full of worry and nervousness.

"You can do it... I believe in you. I trust you..." Draegh'ana smiled at her, then turned towards the front as she watched the back of Sakh'arran, who was in front of them atop his steed, Blackwind.

*****

After four days of continuous march, Adhalia and those who were with her arrived near the what should be the camp of the Ereian army. A squad of Verakhs emerged from the shadows and reported their observations as they have been tasked to watch the humans.

"Aside from building their shelters and gathering food and water, they haven't done anything else except for eradicating a group of trolls that kept on pestering them during the nights." the squad leader of the Verakhs who was in charge of shadowing the kin of Adhalia.

"Shelters and food? Did they erect a wall around their camp?" Sakh'arran asked as he was thinking of a possibility that they were a forward army that was sent ahead of their main force.

"A wall? I don't think they did Druu'ghar Vaddash. There is only a fence surrounding their entire camp which could be easily jumped over by our wargs and knocked down with full ramming from one of us." the squad leader replied as he turned to one of his squad members who had some bandages around his shoulders.

"Let me guess, he rammed through the fence. That's why you found out that it wasn't sturdy enough, right?" Adhalia asked as he pointed a finger at the bandaged orc to which the squad leader just nodded his head in reply, as he had a helpless smile on his face.

"Did they have wagons of supplies following them or supplies that just arrived?" Sakh'arran continued to ask questions.

"During the last few days that we have been tailing and observing them, they never received any kind of supply except for the ones that they gathered themselves from the surroundings. And thanks to this guy here." the squad leader approached his bandaged member and patted him on the unbandaged shoulder. "We saw them destroying some of their weapons to create tools for building their homes and even hammering their spearheads into longer but thinner pieces of metal to be used as nails in building their shelters." the squad leader continued.

"Hmmmm... I can't really figure them out. They can't be deserters since their numbers are well over five thousand basing on your earlier reports and they can't be a forward army sent ahead since they don't have any form of supply chain... Adhalia what do you think?" Sakh'arran muttered as she turned towards the only human among them.

"I also don't know till I speak with them." she answered quickly. She was really hoping hard that they would be friends and not enemies or else it won't end well for his fellow Ereians. She already witnessed what the orcs who were with her can do in battle and she was sure that the Ereian army that built a crude camp won't be able to stand their ground against them.

"Alright then, you can go ahead and try to speak with them." Sakh'arran nodded his head, then turned his head to the Verakhs. "All squads, move with her and keep her safe. If she will be in danger, pull her out quickly. And us..." he glanced around his companions. "We will rest but be ready to act at a moment's notice." he continued.

Draegh'ana whispered some words to Ulfrus who licked her hands with its rough tongue before moving forward with Adhalia on its back. Ulfrus was walking dramatically forward slowly as it tried to make itself look more intimidating.. Rocks and soil were being absorbed into its body as it was changing its appearance.