Chapter 31 - 31

After their much earned three days rest, the Yohan First Battalion assembled in the training grounds refreshed and excited. The flush looks on their faces says it all, they have been enhancing their physiques for many weeks and they were already raring to experience real combat.

Line infront of them were the new equipments brought by Kul'tha and his men, the logistics unit. Xor'tharr then signalled his men, the battle band, who are in charge with relaying commands, signalling the army as well as waking them up early in the morning.

The Yohan Warriors hated the members of the battle band during the early days of their hell like training, mostly the Galuks who weren't accustomed to waking up so early in the morning. Specifically the one they hate the most would be the ones sounding the reveille or wake up call that tells them to get their asses up and prepare for training.

It was common for the once in charge of the wake up call to hastily scamper away after sounding the reveille since the angry orcs disturbed from their slumber would be after them quickly. There were times that the unlucky ones got roughen up by the pissed off warriors which is why the battle band members sounding the wake up call would always run away after rousing the sleeping orcs awake, their were even times that they would hastily run away as soon as they saw a warrior angrily staring at them and not bothering to finish the reveille.

The Black Tortoise group and Vermillion Bird group were given the three fourth of a meter long stabbing sword and the large rectangular shield while the Azure Dragon group and White Tiger group were armed with the shorter eight feet long pure iron spear and the same large shield.

In the past three days, Xiao Chen had taught the main group commaders the drills to be done to train his men. The new battle line formation, strategy, maneuvers, tactics and way of fighting.

*****

The phalanx sure was sturdy, strong and effective but it had the glaring weakness of its weak flanks and very slow mobility. It can also be easily dismantled by enemies that broke through the wall of the spears from within like the ogres who had a tougher skin and higher vitality.

The main reason that Xiao Chen ordered the spears to be shorter and to be made purely of iron was that during the encounter with the ogres, he witnessed how the ogres snapped the shafts of the sarissa-like spears with ease with their hands after penetrating their bodies.

The longer spears can't withstand the suicidal charge of the ogres unlike the orcs since they are more resilient and heavier.

Armed with the larger shields, the group commaders then taught their men on how to fight with their new equipment. Unlike the round shields that they previously used which had a vertical handle the large rectangle curved shield had a horizontal handle.

The horizontal handle allowed its wielder to easily hold it with their left hand stretch downwards.

The basic form of fighting stance was then demonstrated by the main group commanders. The torso half down, the knees slightly bended, left leg infront and the knee facing inward, shield infront where the top end lays on the left shoulder covering the entire body with its size till the shin.

"You come forward!"

Sakh'arran pointed at Maghazz who had a questioning look on his face but he adhered to the command nonetheless. Tossing a long wooden staff towards Maghazz, Sakh'arran then ordered him to try to strike his legs with it.

The unlucky Maghazz became the training partner of Sakh'arran, he thrusted the wooden spear attempting to strike Sakh'arran's exposed left foot with it. Sakh'arran then suddenly leaned forward crouching down and dropping the shield to the ground deflecting Maghazz's attack.

"Again!"

Sakh'arran commanded, Maghazz can't understand what was going on but he still thrusted the staff towards Sakh'arran's left leg which Sakh'arran responded by leaning backward and raising his left leg avoiding the strike then leaned forward and dropped down the larger and heavier shield upon the wooden staff. Sakh'arran's counter surprised Maghazz and made him let go of the staff.

"Now come closer!"

Sakh'arran bellowed and only ordered Maghazz to stop when he was at an arms length away from him.

"Now I'll show you how to attack with the shield"

With quick movements, Sakh'arran strike Maghazz's exposed legs with the bottom of his shield lightly then withdrew, Maghazz just stared at him unable to respond at all then suddenly he saw the bottom part of the shield coming towards his face, jerking his head backwards in an attempt to avoid or mitigate the sudden attack with his eyes full of nervousness. Just a few inches more and he would be seeing stars again but luckily for him Sakh'arran stopped his attack when his shield was about to touch Maghazz's face.

"That's for the shield, now with the sword"

Sakh'arran shouted then picked up a wooden practiced sword, in the new basic fighting stance, the sword was well hidden behind the large shield. Sakh'arran then leaned forward, the sword coming from above the shield in an overhand strike stabbing towards Maghazz, then going back to the initial stance, the next strike then came from right of the shield in an underhand strike. Sakh'arran demonstrated the available attacking styles when equipped with the large shields.

Maghazz just stood their like a log, unable to react nor moved when Sakh'arran demonstrated the stabbing attacks. Maghazz thought that he would be in pain again just like when he fought the chief, sure the sword use was made of wood but it could still deal a lot of pain when it hits.

"That's how you fight with these shields, any questions"

Sakh'arran asked the spectating soldiers with a loud and dignified voice. Panning his gaze left to right then back, Sakh'arran nodded then ordered them to get into lines and get themselves equipped with the new gears.

Shaking his head after noticing the spacing out Maghazz, Sakh'arran moved towards him with quick steps. Moving to Maghazz's left and leaning forward to the spacing out warrior's left ear

"Get yourself together and don't be a disgrace!"

Sakh'arran yelled at close range which made Maghazz quickly jerk his body in surprise, glancing left and right, he saw the look of ridicule of his peers, the knitted brows and angry stare of Sakh'arran.

Filled with nervousness, he quickly fled away from Sakh'arran and joined the line to get his new gear with unsteady and clumsy steps. Sakh'arran sighed and shook his head and moved towards his fellow group commanders.

"Easy with the greenhorn, he is still young and inexperience"

Gur'kan advised as he was the one in charge appointed by the chief in checking the background, information and history of each soldier, he hated this responsibility at first but then did it diligently.

His additional responsibility enabled him to know the warriors in his command more closely and have a closer relation much like normal friends with them and not a commander to a subordinate.

He knew Maghazz was just still a young adult only at fifteen years of age and still not knowledgeable enough like the others specially when it comes to keeping his composure.

"I guess your right, but what can I do but to be strict and ruthless with them, greenhorn or veteran. Since it seems that the chief is planning something big, bigger than we can imagine."

Sakh'arran responded, his voice had a tint of pity on it, his gaze staring at the excited warriors. He followed the chieftain since he is bound by his father's words and honor, and in hopes that the might and prestige of his Arkhan clan be restored.

Betrayal and backstabbing, it was non-existent among the orcs. It was the greatest sin for orcs to betray those who trusted them and backstab those that lended them a hand. A real warrior must stay true to his words at all times.

Breaking this tradition would surely earn an orc a sure trip to Gehenna, the land of suffering, torture and humiliation after their death. Xiao Chen knew of this which is why he can be at ease if it is the orcs but other creatures, specially humans, their is no hell way that he will easily trust their words.

* An orc warrior must stay true to his words

* An orc warrior must not know of betrayal

* An orc warrior doesn't shame the gods

* An orc warrior doesn't forsake faith

* An orc warrior pays back any favors or vengeance

* An orc warrior must respect and obey traditions

* An orc warrior must not bow to the demons

* An orc warrior's honor must not be desecrated

* An orc warrior must be tough and strong

* An orc warrior must seek the truth

This was the Code of Life of an orc warrior handed down from the ancestors of the orcs who first roamed these lands after escaping the destruction of their old world.