Rise of the Horde

288 Chapter 28Everyone’s ears were filled with mournful screams of the wounded and the battle cries of the still active participant in the battle. Both attackers and defenders were giving the battle everything that they’ve got, it was either you die or I’ll die situation all over the gate.

Waves of enemies garbed in varying sorts of armors flooded inside the grounds of the Irthakash Hold and the soldiers of Baron Masud were blocking the path inside without budging but their numbers were slowly dwindling and the tide of enemies that they face seemed to have no end. They were lucky that there was just a single point where their foes could go through to reach them or else with their numbers alone, they would’ve have long been overrun.

The archers on the walls of the castle did their very best to shoot at any foe that would come into their sight as multiple arrows would fly towards an unsuspecting victim and would have his fate sealed before he could even figure out what killed him. Those who have awakened battle energies and able to utilized it in battle had a unfair advantage against those who doesn’t mean that normal attacks won’t kill them, anyone foolish enough to face multiple arrows head on without the protection of his battle energy would certainly die, what more if it was an ambush where the victim had no time to make use of his battle energy to defend himself against the surprise attacks.

Away from the battle, Commander Lastam was still as relax as ever since he didn’t care about how many of the new bloods would survive. As long as his main force is still intact or sustained little to no casualties at all, he would be glad about it.

It was not a good situation for the soldiers defending the Irthakash Hold as there were easily four times the number of soldiers than them and they weren’t flawless as not to have sustained any casualties on their side. “Captain! Where are you!?” one of the sergeants shouted in panic as his side of the defensive line was slowly crumbling and he was loosing too many of his soldiers. Captain Kertakk made his way towards his panicking sergeant and drove all the enemies that was near him away. Without the explanation of his sergeant, he already figured out the situation. “Move! I will handle this side… You take care of the other side…” a hand shoved Captain Kertakk out of the way. The captain was about to explode as he was treated like a nobody by someone but when he caught a glimpse of the person, he swallowed all the insults that he was about to spout, “Yes my lord…” he bowed then dragged his sergeant along with him to help their soldiers on the other flank.

Baron Masud and his personal guards filled the void that was created by their foes and repelled the assault of their foes which successfully demolish the morale of their enemies who thought that they would finally be able to breakthrough the tough defense of the castle. The baron wielded two hammers with spiked heads which easily shattered the skulls of his victims, he knew that his current state won’t last long and he had to make the most out of it.

The baron and his remaining personal guards retreated back inside the castle for some time which resulted in their defensive line weakening and almost allowed their foes to make a breakthrough. A few moments ago, inside the castle at a hidden room, the baron unlocked a hidden compartment and grabbed a small box inside the concealed partition. This was a treasure which was handed down to him by his grandfather in his deathbed and he could still recall his words during that time, “When you are cornered and death is certain, drink this liquid. It will give you almost unparalleled powers…”

He stared at the concoction that was sealed in the tiny yet finely decorated bottle which was shaped like a roaring dragon. The consequence of drinking the potion was just as precious as its effects were, the one who will consume it would be gain incomparable strength in battle for a limited time. Breaking the seal of the bottle, Baron Masud drank all of its contents in one gulp with no hesitation as he already knew that he won’t escape death in this battle and even if he survives, his life would no longer be the same because of the illness that he was afflicted with. The taste of the liquid was a bit sweet and cooling to his throat, he thought that was all there is to it until he felt heat from all over his body like his blood were boiling.

The personal guards of the baron was tasked to maintain the supply of battle energy on the statues that were outside the room in order for its passage to remain open and there were fourteen of such statues. They did as they were told and waited for their lord to be done with whatever he has to do inside that mysterious room which required almost all of them just to gain access to it. Baron Masud’s gaze gravitated towards a pair of menacing hammers that was before the portrait of their founding ancestor, the very first of the Soaring Hawk, he knew of those hammers as he had tried wielding them when his father brought him to this room but he can’t even make them budge even with all his strength. His father laughed at his futile attempt to move them stating that no one is able to wield those hammers except for the one who it was crafted for.

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Curious if his newfound power would be able to allow him to wield such mighty weapons, he reached for the smaller one which had hooked edge on its other end and a smaller head than the other one. He lifted it up with both hands as he knew of how heavy it was but to his surprise, he easily raised it. His confidence raised, he tried holding it with but just one hand and he succeeded which made him smile from ear to ear.

Equipped with the two hammers, the baron exited the room with a very different aura than when he entered it. His power surging all over the place and his personal guards felt like they were looking at a wild beast that was ready to pounce on them if they caught its attention, “Lets go!” their lord’s clear voice cleared their minds as their hallucination of looking at a beast faded. Unbeknownst to the baron and those with him, his body returned to how it was before he was inflicted with the strange illness. Baron Masud didn’t pay to much attention to his body as he knew that his time in this world was running out after ingesting the concoction, if he would just try to take a look under the bandages that covered his body, he would be surprise to see what lies underneath it.

*****

Baron Masud was having the best time of his life in battle; his every swing of his new weapons would easily take out an enemy. Like an enraged beast, he cleared of enemies in his way as if they were flies and none of their current enemies could stop him with his new power.

His rampage reached till the outside of the castle’s gates, leaving behind him a road of death and blood. About nine of his personal guards followed after him as they protected his rear while the others aided the soldiers under the command of Captain Kertakk who was in shock after witnessing the carnage caused by their lord. Not only the captain but all those who witnessed the baron in this battle were in disbelief that a single person would be able to do such a thing. “Hahaha! Anyone else! Is there anyone else!” the baron mocked their foes after dispatching the last group that dared to fight him head on. He was laughing like crazy as he enjoyed the feeling of being unstoppable, friend and foes feared his new power as no one wanted to come within the range of his weapon.

Baron Masud stared at their foes with bloodthirsty eyes, “CHARGE!!!” he yelled then sprinted towards them while brandishing his weapons, he didn’t care if his soldiers would follow his lead or not as he was only focused on killing as many enemies as he can while he still can. The baron rushed into the formation of their enemies and started smashing away like crazy. His powerful swings would explode heads, torsos, limbs and anything that his weapons would come in contact with after the force generated by his swings was transferred from his weapon and onto whatever his weapons would hit.

The hounds who were waiting for the new bloods to suppress the defenders were surprise to see them rushing away from the castle instead of rushing in and right behind them was a single person who was swinging around his weapons and shattering the bodies of anyone he caught up with. With his newly gained strength, the baron almost singlehandedly crushed the opposition as he sent them running away. His breathing was ragged but he had a satisfied smile on his lips, his blood dripping weapon and armor bathed in blood made him looked like a demon that just crawled his way out from the deepest pits of the underworld. The baron stood there in his place like a statue, his aura surging like wildly.