Xenric gritted his teeth as he and Darion hoisted the barely conscious General Morgan between them. Blood dripped from the older man's wounds, staining the already ruined battlefield beneath them. The sounds of battle echoed from all sides, clashing steel, the howls of dying men, and the guttural roars of orcs filled the air with chaos.
They had barely taken ten steps before a deep, growling voice cut through the turmoil.
"Humans... pathetic."
Xenric's heart pounded as he turned to see three massive orcs blocking their path, each clad in crude yet sturdy armor, their jagged weapons dripping with fresh blood. Their leader, a towering brute with dark green skin and a massive battle-axe, cracked his neck as he sized them up.
"Drop the dead weight, and maybe we'll let you crawl away," he sneered.
Darion shifted his grip on Morgan and whispered urgently, "We don't have time for this."
Xenric scanned the area. They were in a narrow street surrounded by burning structures, their only escape route blocked by the orcs. The flickering light from the fires cast long, twisted shadows, making their foes look even more monstrous.
"We make time," Xenric muttered, adjusting his stance.
Before the orcs could react, he lunged forward, using all his remaining strength to drive his sword into the lead orc's side. The blade struck true, but the orc barely flinched before swinging his massive axe. Xenric barely ducked in time, the force of the swing slicing through the air where his head had been just moments before.
Darion, unable to fight effectively while carrying Morgan, kicked forward, striking another orc in the knee. The creature snarled but stumbled back just enough for Darion to maneuver the general into a safer position.
"We need to move!" Darion called out.
Xenric parried another blow but knew they couldn't hold their ground for long. He took a calculated risk and feinted an attack, drawing the lead orc's attention before swiftly spinning and slashing at its leg. The orc bellowed in pain, collapsing to one knee.
"Now!" Xenric yelled.
Darion grabbed a loose plank of wood from the burning rubble and swung it at the second orc's face, sending embers scattering as the makeshift weapon cracked against its skull. The stunned creature stumbled, giving Xenric just enough time to kick the injured leader aside and clear a path.
With no time to waste, the two sprinted forward, dragging Morgan between them as the remaining orcs recovered and bellowed in rage. Arrows whizzed past them, narrowly missing their heads as they weaved through the chaos of battle.
A large boulder, likely hurled by a catapult, crashed into a nearby building, sending debris flying. Xenric shielded his face as dust and splinters rained down upon them. The moment of hesitation cost them, the third orc was upon them in an instant, swinging a massive hammer.
Darion twisted at the last second, the weapon missing his ribs by mere inches. In retaliation, he threw a dagger from his belt, lodging it deep into the orc's shoulder. The beast roared but didn't fall.
Xenric let go of Morgan just long enough to deliver a final, precise thrust through the orc's throat. Blood sprayed as the creature gurgled and collapsed.
"We're almost there!" Darion gasped, barely able to support Morgan's weight any longer.
Through the smoke and carnage, Xenric spotted a narrow alley leading away from the battle. "There! Move!"
Summoning every last bit of strength, they stumbled through the passage, narrowly avoiding another wave of pursuing orcs. The moment they turned a sharp corner, the noises of battle became slightly muffled, and for a brief moment, the world around them felt eerily silent.
The cold night air burned in their lungs as Xenric and Darion pressed forward, half-carrying the wounded General Morgan between them. Their bodies ached, their muscles screamed, but they dared not stop, not when death lurked in every shadow, not when the kingdom crumbled behind them.
Just as they thought they had found a moment of respite, a deafening roar shattered the fragile silence. The ground trembled beneath them as an enormous orc, far larger than any they had encountered before, smashed through the rubble with terrifying force. Its jagged armor gleamed under the flickering fires of the battlefield, and in its massive hand, it wielded a greatsword thick with the blood of countless victims.
With a guttural snarl, the orc lunged.
Xenric barely had time to react as the monstrous blade came crashing down upon them. Instinct took over, he raised his sword in a desperate attempt to block the strike. Metal met metal with a resounding clang, but the force behind the orc's swing was overwhelming.
A sickening crack rang through the air.
Xenric's sword shattered.
The impact sent him staggering backward, a sharp sting searing through his shoulder. His vision blurred as he stumbled, and when he looked down, his breath hitched. Blood seeped from a deep wound, the flesh on his shoulder peeled thinly, exposing raw muscle beneath. The pain flared like fire licking at his skin, his body trembling from the sheer agony.
Darion's eyes widened in horror. "Xenric!"
The orc growled in triumph, raising its sword again for the killing blow. Xenric clenched his teeth, willing his body to move, but the pain threatened to drown him.
And then, from the heavens, destruction fell.
A massive rock, larger than a warhorse, plummeted from the sky with terrifying speed. It crashed into the orc, crushing it instantly in a cloud of dust and gore. The ground trembled as debris flew in every direction, the battlefield momentarily silenced by the sheer force of the impact.
Xenric and Darion stood frozen, their minds unable to process the impossible sight. Xenric, still reeling from his wound, forced himself to scan the area. A spellcaster? A catapult? No, there was nothing. No signs of siege weapons, no sorcerers chanting incantations. The rock had simply… fallen.
A cold shiver ran down Xenric's spine, but there was no time for questions.
"Come on," Darion urged, snapping out of his daze. He looped an arm around Xenric, supporting him as they once again moved forward, Morgan's unconscious form weighing them down.
With one final glance at the lifeless orc crushed beneath the boulder, Xenric tightened his grip. Whatever force had intervened, whatever mysteries lay hidden in the shadows of this war, they would have to wait.
For now, survival was all that mattered.
And so, with battered bodies and bleeding wounds, they fled into the night, the fires of war blazing behind them.