319 Chapter 31Without any further difficulties the rams made its way to the walls and the gate of the Ereian camp that faced the Drakhars while the Ereian defense were trying their best to neutralize the rams that started their onslaught upon their walls and gate. Arrows, stones, spears, swords and any other heavy objects began raining down upon the rams but they were easily negated by the metal shields of the Yurakks which surrounded the rams in all its sides which in turn thoroughly hid the identity of the ones who were operating it.
“Use flame! Set them ablaze!” the officers of the Ereians began screaming command to their soldiers in panic as they knew to themselves that with the size and probable power behind the enormous rams, their walls and gate wouldn’t last long against their onslaught. The Drakhars remained at a safe distance as they watched their orc allies trying to make a hole upon their enemies’ defenses but all of them prepared to charge at their foes at a moment’s notice if their foes would try to attempt a raid upon their engines to put the rams out of commission which would in turn spell more hardship for them in winning against their foes.
Khao’khen remained along with the Drakhars and with him was a ward which he just felt like bringing along with him and a few more of the Drakhars held some wards in their hands just in case someone among their foes would try to spy upon their battleline to gain some information about them.
It didn’t take long for the enemy gate to buckle upon the rampage of the ram that was set upon it, the wooden gate creaked and showed signs of breaking part after less than an hour of pummeling by enormous rams while the section of the walls of the enemy camp were also close to breaking.
“Rally on me! Shield and spears! Prepare to meet the enemy head-on!” the remaining commanders of the Ereian army quickly assembled their battleline right behind the walls and gate after realizing that their efforts to destroy the enemy siege engines was futile. Only the Ereian archers were left along the walls in an attempt to thin out the number of the enemy soldiers that would surely charge towards their camp when a breakthrough shows up upon their camp.
Whatever warrior remained in the Ereian camp was called to battle even those who were wounded and the servants who were just supposed to tend to the needs of those who they served. Holding for a weapon for the first time in their life, many of the servants trembled upon the thought of going up against enemies who won’t shy away from blood and wouldn’t show mercy upon those who would stand against them.
It took less than half an hour for the gate to fully buckle upon the might of the juggernaut rams and a few moments later, the walls too began collapsing and there were multiple breaches along the defense of the Ereian camp.
“Charge!”
“Take them down!”
.....
The Drakhars shouted their battlecries as their battleline began converging upon the breach created by their orcish allies who remained still inside the siege engines after doing their assigned task by the chieftain.
“Stand your ground! Strike them down!”
The commanders of the Ereians tried to bolster the morale of their troops to let them have a better chance of repelling their foes but as soon as the first line of Drakhars made their way inside their camp, the rear of the Ereians was quick to crumble as they began to withdraw from the battle with no intent of giving even the slightest resistance against their foes.
Realizing that their rear line abandoned them, the middle of the Ereian battleline also began to withdraw but they were still hesitant about doing so as their commanders positioned themselves at the rear after seeing most of their soldier fleeing away from the fight and they slaughtered a few who attempted to escape with their own hands.
“Cowards will not be spared! Fight for your right to live!” the commanders echoed out to their soldiers as they threatened them. Having death waiting for you from behind then at front, the Ereians were forced to make create a path for them to retreat and their chosen path was to the rear towards their commanders since they would have an easier time against them rather than against their foes who continued flooding in inside their camp and began the slaughter of their allies who were at the frontline of the battle.
Chaos broke out inside the Ereian camp but the Drakhars didn’t have it easy as the frontline of their foes put up a good fight and the enemy archers on the walls were still yet to be neutralized and were striking their rears as they engaged against the enemy infantry. Realizing that the enemy archers were more of a threat to them in the current situation, some of the Drakhars broke away from their allies and started assaulting the walls to take out the enemy archers who began fortifying the stair towards the walls with anything that they can find.
The battle didn’t last for too long and the Ereians began a full route with the hardheaded commanders still trying their best to rally their troops to be trampled by their own soldiers as they retreat while the smarter ones withdrew alongside their fleeing warriors. Less than half of the Ereians managed to escape but there was still a lot of them who were trapped inside their camped after the Drakhars realized that their foes lose the will to fight back and were more focused on retreating, they rushed towards the exits of the enemy camp and prevented more of their foes from successfully escaping from their grasp.
With many of the Drakhars divided among the different exit routes of the enemy camp, their frontline thinned out a lot which the remaining Ereians thought to be a chance for them to make a breakthrough from the very front but the four juggernauts that rendered the defenses of their camp barreled in through the breaches of the walls and the gate.
“Rush them! Take them out while they are still to establish their formation!” someone screamed among the rushing Ereians but as soon as they got close enough, instead of their expected foes, they were met with the grinning faces of the orcs who quickly took down most of the ones who went ahead of the others with a swift chokeslam as they stood where they are in a threatening manner.
Some Ereians kneeled down because of the hopelessness of the situation as they just didn’t have to deal with a powerful human army but also against bloodthirsty orcs who were known to not shy away from any bloodshed as they enjoyed killing. “We’re doomed…” someone among the Ereians groaned as he let go of the sword that he tightly held before in his hand and the wooden shield that he wielded to protect himself before felt so heavy in his hand.
The clash concluded with the Drakhars and the orcs attaining an overwhelming victory against their foes while the Ereians lost more than half of their remaining numbers alongside with their camp and their remaining supplies. Casualties among the Drakhars was expected but it was at an acceptable range especially with them storming a stronghold of their foes and most of them were cause by the Ereian archers.
*****
“Stop running away! You cowards!” Ounephes shouted towards the bandits who raided their supply lines a few hours ago. They did manage to track them down quickly but after their first clash where he began showering them with powerful spells one after another, they began kiting them around the endless grain of sands and would show up once in a while to harass them with missile weapons but were no longer interested in engaging in melee fights after knowing that there was a powerful mage among their foes who will make a quick work of their numbers if they stayed in one place for far too long which would allow the enemy mage to rain death upon them with his magic.
The bandits began laughing among themselves after seeing that raging face of the enemy mage whose spells failed to reach their intended target time and time again as they would ride away to safety every single time that they will see a spell headed for them. “Only a fool would listen to you!” the leader of the bandits mocked Ounephes as he ordered for his underlings to begin their harassment onto their pursuers once more with arrows and slingshots.
Ounephes grinded his teeth in anger as he created a barrier of magic around himself to negate the attack of their enemies but his soldiers were not as lucky as him as they had to endure the shower of missiles without the aid of magic. “Freakin’ cowards…” Ounephes mumbled in anger. “Sir, Look!” One of his soldiers pointed towards the direction where their camp was and they saw a thick cloud of smoke rising towards the night sky and unmistakably raging fire in the distance.