Chapter 16 - 16

Before the first light, the First Xin Infantry Battalion formed their battle lines, standing shoulder to shoulder, but this time they were stretched in a longer horizontal line and only three orcs deep.

They marched as silently as possible, shrouded by the darkness of the early morning and the absence of the light giver, the sun. The moon quickly hid away behind the clouds, cooperating with their maneuver and making the surroundings darker than it already was.

The First Xin Infantry Battalion marched through the darkness, blessed with better vision in the dark than the pinkskins but lesser than the long-eared ones. They encircled the Galuk tribe.

The Galuks, with only a handful of warriors left, beaten and tired, their watchers dozed off. The Galuks were unaware of the fast approaching danger in the dark; they weren't prepared for any surprise attack. Armed with his shield and a crude looking almost two meter sword, Xiao Chen led a separate attack from the main force, moving earlier than the First Xin Infantry Battalion.

He, Sakh'arran, Galum'nor and the rest of the warg riders moved ahead of the First Xin Infantry Battalion main force to scout and disable the enemy defenses and lookouts.

Spreading his gaze around the Galuk tribe fringes, he saw no one standing guard except for the fast asleep two orcs leaning on one side of a raised platform made of soil. 'probably their watchtower', he thought.

Signalling the muscle head Galum'nor to keep silent and wait for orders, he handed his shield to Sakh'arran. Only armed with his sword, he crouched down as low as possible and crept near the enemy watchers. Carefully and silently, he crept up to them, making use of the darkness to make himself impossible to be seen.

He joined the two fast asleep enemy lookouts inside their simple watchtower, with a steady and accurate slash. Blood soon sprayed as Xiao Chen slit the unaware orc's neck. The thick and warm blood of his victim soon covered him and his weapon.

Xiao Chen guided the now dead enemy to the ground, preventing his collapse from making any unnecessary noise, but the gurgling sound of his struggle awakened his partner, who had a shocked face as he caught a glimpse of the blood-covered face of Xiao Chen.

"En....."

His shout was cut short as Xiao Chen covered his mouth with his blood covered hands and shoved his sword onto his victim's body. His sword went through the Galuk watcher's body, quickly pulling out the sword with his other hand still covering his second victim's mouth. Xiao Chen thrusted his sword again but this time, he stabbed through the enemy's heart. The Galuk orc soon loss any sign of struggle as light started to disperse from his eyes.

Pulling out the sword quickly and taking a look around to check for any further enemies. Xiao Chen cautiously observed the silent and dark surroundings. He could hear only the muffled and occasional sounds of snoring.

He soon gave the signal to his allies, and they tiptoed towards him. Sakh'arran and the other warg riders left behind their trusted wargs at the request of Xiao Chen, since they have to execute this operation in silence.

Xiao Chen's target were the Galuk shamans to prevent them from causing havoc with their powers once the main force arrives. In the middle of the tribe, tents bigger and more decorated than the others, those are their targets. According to his speculations, that can only be where the most prestigious of the tribe would stay at, the shamans and the chieftain.

Since there were five of such tents, Xiao Chen and his group should strike quickly. Making use of the shadows to hide their presence from the orcs going out of their tents to do some private matters. Xiao Chen and his group soon reached the first big tent.

Making a small gash on the tent with his sword, the gash just enough for him to peek through it and see what was inside.

Inside the tent, Xiao Chen saw many pots of different sizes, a figure of some strange-looking creatures, some made of clay, others of wood and an odd one which he can only think of as bronze because of its color.

To one side of the tent, there he saw an old orc, fast asleep and unaware of their presence. 'Maybe them invoking the lightning strikes took a toll on them' he thought. The shaman had his staff just beside him. He was comfortably laying in a bundle of straw topped with animal skin and furs.

Sakh'arran and the others were busy guarding the surroundings against any potential danger as Xiao Chen do his work. With his sword at the ready, he slowly approach the sleeping orc and with a quick swing he lopped the shaman's head off. The shaman's head, still with its eyes closed, rolled to the ground as his now headless body sprayed blood wildly, dyeing a part of the tent red.

Collecting the head, Xiao Chen then went out from where he had entered from. Moving to the closest big tent, he slit and made a gash on it again. They must be cautious not to alert the enemies or else they will be surrounded and killed.

This time, there were two shamans inside. They sat in the lotus position and mumbling soft, inaudible words. This time it won't be easy since there were two of them but they had to act fast, for sunrise is fast approaching.

Signalling Sakh'arran to go in with him, they slowly approached the meditating shamans. Xiao Chen stood in front of one of them while Sakh'arran stood behind the other. The shaman in-front of Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes as he grabbed his staff, making a rattling noise as the bones attached to it knocked against each other and the staff.

Xiao Chen didn't give him any chance and quickly swung his sword. The sword cut through the shaman's opened mouth, who was preparing a spell, his head now divided into two. Beginning from his upper jaw and upwards flew up while his lower jaw was still attached to his neck. Blood sprayed along with a gooey white colored substance. With that strike, Xiao Chen's target fell back quickly and, like an opened water pipe, it flooded the ground red.

Sakh'arran quickly reacted as soon as he saw Xiao Chen took a swing at the other shaman. He impaled the other shaman on the back of its head, his sword tip coming out from the shaman's mouth, silencing him for good. Retrieving his sword and with a quick and accurate swing, Sakh'arran beheaded the shaman.

"Three targets down and one more to go"

Xiao Chen muttered as they exit the tent. They then put together the heads of the shamans inside a hemp sack, still dripping blood and dyeing the brown hemp sack red.

Approaching the last big tent with his men, they could hear the sounds of conversation from inside. Their target was now awake and alert, unlike the previous ones. Carefully poking the hole with just his sword's tip, Xiao Chen made a small hole, barely enough for him to have a look inside.

What he saw inside the tent quickly surprised him, inside the tent were five orcs, the last shaman along with what seemed to be his apprentices as they are still too young and the last of them was big and burly, almost like Galum'nor in stature, 'should be the chieftain' he thought.

But what really surprised him was the one in the middle, bound by ropes to a thick wooden post, wearing a brown-colored robe and leather boots, through the dim light of the torches inside the tent, Xiao Chen saw the unique bronze skin of the bounded hostage.