Chapter 9 chapter eight

"Is everything ready?" Turalyon froze for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, sir." Lothar nodded and turned away, his brow furrowed, and for a split second Turalyon thought the look was his.Did he give a wrong answer?Or does Sir Lothar want more of the situation?Or is there anything else he needs to do or say? Stop, he warned himself.You're panicking again!clam down.You have done a good job.He's thinking about the upcoming fight not because you let him down. Trying to keep himself from thinking about it, Turalyon began to check his equipment again.The straps of his armor were fastened firmly, his shield hung securely from his arm, and his warhammer hung from his saddle.He was ready, as ready as he could be.

Looking around, he began to look at the people around him.Lothar was talking to Uther, and Turalyon was jealous of their composure.Although they looked a little impatient, in other respects, they seemed very calm.Are you getting more experience out of what you just learned?Khadgar was looking down on the plain, and he must have felt Turalyon's gaze, for he turned his head and gave him a weary smile. "Are you nervous?" the mage asked Turalyon smiled as hard as he could. "Very much," he admitted.He always felt a special sense of respect and caution in the presence of mages, but Khadgar was different, perhaps because they were about the same age, although the mage looked much older than him.Or maybe it was just because Khadgar didn't come across as condescending like other mages Turalyon had met.They had exchanged briefly after Archbishop Faol's introduction on the first day, and Turalyon found himself liking Khadgar.He also likes Lothar, but that is in awe of the general's experience and war skills.Khadgar may have been stronger personally, but somehow he was more approachable, and he and Turalyon became fast friends.He was the only one who could put Turalyon at ease even by telling him his fears.

"Don't worry about that," Khadgar suggested. "It's like that for everyone, it's just a matter of trying to get past that." "Are you nervous too?" The mage smiled. "It should be said to be panic." He revealed. "I've been like that every time I've been in a fight. That's what Lothar told me after an encounter too, you should panic. Because if a guy doesn't feel scared it just makes him careless and he knows when he gets hit gone." Turalyon nodded. "My teacher said the same thing." He shook his head. "It's one thing to say it, but quite another to believe it."

His friend patted him lightly on the shoulder. "You'll do fine," he assured. "When it all starts, you don't have time to think about it." Together they turned their heads and looked into the distance.The Hillsbrad region was named for the rolling hills behind which the Alliance armies had spread their defenses, facing the southern coast of Lordaeron and the Great Sea behind it.The Horde's ships approached even as they watched, huge, clumsy ships of dark metal and blackened wood, rowed not by sail but purely by hand.Lothar had considered attacking the tribes when they were spotted on the water, giving them no chance of finding a foothold.Proudmoore's fleet did the same. They destroyed many ships and sank thousands of orcs into the depths of the ocean. However, the Horde was too many. Ships have passed through the fleet.So when they landed, it was still an uphill battle.

"They're almost ashore," Aurelia reported.Her sharp elven eyes see farther than others.She turned to face Turalyon. "Better get your men ready for battle." Turalyon nodded, but did not speak.He had seen many women before, but this elven ranger made all the other women he had ever met seem weak and rude.She is very confident, very elegant, very cute, every time he sees her, he feels his mouth is dry, and he often finds himself shaking and sweating, like a horse that has just run a distance. Difficult road.From the look in her eyes and the way she smiled every time she spoke to him, Turalyon suspected she knew and enjoyed his discomfort.

At least for now, something can divert his attention.After signaling to the captains of his troops, Turalyon gave them the sign to move forward.These men quickly gave orders to the herald, who blew the horn.Soon, the entire Union army began to slowly but steadily walk down the hill and approach the coast. As they drew closer to their destination, Turalyon saw something more.He saw that the first batch of boats had landed, and many black figures gathered on one side, set foot on the beach full of rocks, and then moved towards the hill.Even here, he could see that these creatures were tall and tall, wearing thick breastplates, and carrying powerful equipment, running towards here very fast.They wield weapons, axes, hammers, swords and spears.And there are many of them.

"They have come to this land." Lothar shouted, raising his huge epee high, the golden runes on the blade shining brightly. "Charge! For Lordaeron!" He stepped on his spurs and ordered them to advance through the Alliance ranks, the golden lion stripes on his shield shining in the light. "Damn it!" Turalyon kicked his own steed hard to make it gallop quickly, chasing after his commander. As he moved, he took out his warhammer and threw his helmet on the ground .He saw the soldiers begin to advance like mad, and the others hurried after them, and he passed through them, between the two armies.But soon, the distance disappeared, and then he slammed into the heavily armed orcs. When he arrived, Lothar had already dispersed the leading troops, and the other orcs began to attack his horse. Closer, determined to drag the commander down and tear him to shreds.

"No!" Turalyon began to swing his weapon upon reaching it, and his hammer fell on the head of an orc. An orc came forward from the other side, giving him enough time to swing his hammer to attack the other. In the name of the Holy Light, they are too ugly!Lothar and Khadgar had described them but it was a far cry from seeing them in person, bright green skin and red eyes.And those fangs!He'd seen it on wild boars before, but he'd never seen anything like this that walked on two feet and carried weapons!They were strong, too, and when an orc's warhammer hit him, it nearly knocked his weapon flying.Fortunately, they seemed to rely more on strength and aggression than skill - he was able to draw his weapon back and spin it in a circle, hitting the orc's cheek hard with the hilt, stunning him in the There was enough time for Turalyon to deliver another proper strike.

Lothar took out the orcs on his side with a ferocious sword dance, and Turalyon steered his horse to the commander's side, and they fought back to back, hammer and epee keeping the attack.Uther was behind them, his mighty hammer hammering at the orcs left and right, a visible crimson light surrounding him and his weapon, causing the orcs to duck to protect their eyes.After seeing the bravery of the paladins, a burst of cheers sounded in the alliance army.Turalyon wasn't surprised at all.He trained next to Uther, knowing that the elder paladin's faith was unbelievably strong.Firm you can feel it easily.He wished he could be as dependable himself.

But now is not the time to think about it.More orc warships reached the beach, and thousands of orcs rushed out of them.Turalyon realized immediately that they would be overwhelmed if they stayed here. "Sir!" he called to Lothar. "We need to go back to other people." At first he thought the general hadn't heard him, but he nodded when Lothar knocked out another orc. "Uther!" he yelled, and the paladin turned his head. "Go back to the others!" Uther raised his warhammer in salute and then immediately turned his horse's head, making a passage through the Horde. Lothar was behind him, and Turalyon followed, trying hard Hammers and shields pin down the orcs to prevent them from being hit by weapons.An orc set his sights on him, and his hands gripped a huge axe, but he was killed by a sharp arrow through the throat.Turalyon looked around at his peril, and saw a slender figure emerging from behind the hill, saluting him with a longbow.He could just barely see the faint glint of her hair from here.

Many times, he thought they would die here, but he, Uther and Lothar all returned safely to the front line of the alliance.The Horde followed closely behind them. "Line up!" Lothar yelled. "Raise your spears, set up your shields, and attack!" The soldiers quickly obeyed the command—they were already ready, but they were scattered and did not form a unified force, which would not be enough to resist the huge number of tribes.Now, moving together, they expelled a solid wall of shields baring their spears, upon which the Horde slammed hard.Parts of the wall were repulsed, and the defenders there failed to hold back the orc charge, but many held out to the Horde's retreat, clutching at their wounds.Some fell and did not get up, but those behind quickly stepped over them to fill the gap. A second wave hit the shield wall, destroying more sections, but once again the Horde was hit hard.Turalyon signaled to the nearest squad leader, and he was pleased to see their swift response, with a second shield wall erected behind the first.They could build another one behind this wall, and if any wall would take the orcs down hard, they could just whittle down the Horde until they could confront these guys head-on. But the orcs were clearly not stupid.When their third charge was repulsed, they seemed to be waiting for something.Turalyon saw those things quickly.A group of figures in heavy cloaks appeared.They all hid their faces with turbans so that only their eyes could be seen, and each carried a strange flaming club.These guys rode heavy horses with burning eyes, charged forward, and rushed straight to the shield wall. When they approached, everyone raised their short sticks.Turalyon felt he heard countless strange humming sounds, and the soldiers in front of these guys fell straight down, clutching their heads as blood flowed from their mouths, noses, ears and ears. "In the name of the Holy Light!" Uther was standing next to Turalyon watching all this. "This is a demon! They use dark magic to attack us!" After speaking, he raised his warhammer high, and the head of the warhammer emitted a silver light like the moon. "Stand up quickly, soldiers!" he shouted. "The Holy Light will protect you." The light spread from the hammer, shining on the soldiers, bathing them in light. When the guys in cloaks raised their hands again, the soldiers, although a little flinched but no one fell.Then Uther rushed out, opening a gap in the shield wall big enough for Uther and the other paladins—Gavinrad was in there too, and Faol was delighted to let him join the order— through.Once again the Union soldiers cheered, encouraged by the paladin's surprising skill and strength.Turalyon felt very conflicted. As a paladin, he should be with them, but as Lothar's adjutant, he should stay here and watch these people. The paladins and the cloaked men fought, and neither side could gain the upper hand.Turalyon saw an unfamiliar invader grab Gavinrad's arm with one hand, and darkness began to radiate from where it was held.However, Gavinrad's holy halo became even brighter, dispelling the darkness.The person who attacked him retracted his hand to avoid the attack of the Paladin's hammer.Meanwhile, the orcs continued to attack the shield wall, and the hole that was torn was quickly filled by another soldier. Then, a movement caught Turalyon's attention, and he saw many new creatures approaching, much larger than the orcs.Ogre!These gigantic creatures went into battle, brandishing clubs like uprooted trees, and the whole shield wall crumbled, and the soldiers were routed by this mighty blow.The Horde pushed in through those gaps, sweeping up the Alliance soldiers inside. "Change strategy!" Turalyon yelled at his nearest herald, who he knew would use his horn to deliver the order. "Form the defense squad! Back to the hills and regroup!" The soldier nodded, then raised his horn, blowing one short blast, then another.After hearing the voice, the squad leaders began to shout orders to their own team, gathered their soldiers, and started to retreat while keeping the orcs at bay.The Horde tried to break through them but the Alliance soldiers stood close together, their weapons held steady, stabbing any orcs that came close.Each squad set up their shields too, building small shield walls around them.The orcs kept pounding the squads in sheer numbers, bumping into the warriors again and again until they fell.However, most of the Union soldiers were able to return successfully. Turalyon rode through the formation at the bottom of the hill, organizing them.He erected another shield wall that opened to let each squad back in as they retreated, and then closed when they did.The soldiers then fortified the wall, and then helped other teams to get through safely.Turalyon ordered the archers to hold back the orcs as best they could, fearing that any creature that might approach would overwhelm the defenders.They cost the orcs dearly, but the Horde still has ships docking, and more join the fray every minute. "We can't hold them back for long," Turalyon yelled at Khadgar, who had just done something to cause a strange orc to fall over the side of the boat.The orc wore robes instead of armor, and carried a staff instead of a sword, so Turalyon guessed it was a warlock, and they were the same price as mages. "We need to do something to keep them from getting close to this hill. If they pass through here, they can easily attack the capital directly to the north!" Khadgar nodded. "I'll do what I can," he promised.The young old wizard gathered himself, and the sky above them began to darken.Within a minute the otherwise clear sky was covered with ominous black clouds.The sudden storm centered on Khadgar, the mage's white hair flying.Lightning flashed across the sky, and a summoned spark danced at Khadgar's outstretched finger.Then there was a rumble, and a ball of lightning leaped forward, not from the sky but from Khadgar's hand, and the light tore through the darkness.It struck a group of orcs in front of the shield wall, and they were sent flying, burnt to pieces by the force.The second, and then the third, Turalyon turned this spell attack to his advantage.He reorganized his team, propped up the shield wall, and sent soldiers rushing up with tinder. They lit a fire on the way the tribe was advancing, creating a violent flame to prevent the tribe from advancing westward.This also reduces the risk of them encircling the Alliance army, making it easier for them to hold off the attack. That didn't slow the Horde down to take note though.Masses of orcs rushed forward, trying to extinguish the flames, but elf archers shot them down as they approached the flames.One orc fell into the flames, and the flames consumed him, causing the others to fall back again. Still, the ogres were a problem, and one of them staggered through the flames, not slowing down even though his legs were burning.Turalyon sent an entire battle party against him, also targeting him with crossbows, but the ogre still knocked out many fighters before falling, and then other ogres appeared behind them . "Target them!" Turalyon said to Khadgar. "Deal with those ogres!" Khadgar looked in his direction, and Turalyon noticed that his friend looked exhausted. "I can try." The mage agreed. "It's very... laborious to summon lightning, though." Moments later, a ball of lightning burst from his finger, hitting the lead ogre, killing him instantly, but before his huge charred body collapsed Khadgar shook his head. "That's all I can do," he warned. Turalyon hoped that would be enough.The other ogres hesitated, even their little brains could understand the danger, and it gave his men time to aim more bows and crossbows at them.The shield wall still held out, but once again the Horde mustered, and before long they could easily overwhelm the defenders, their numbers dwindling only slightly.Uther and the other paladins hadn't returned, and Turalyon could only hope they were keeping the robed guys at bay. He was still wondering what to do when Lothar appeared behind him. "Get your cavalry ready!" roared the general. "Blow the charge!" charge?rush in there?Turalyon stared at his commander, then shrugged.Yeah, why not?Their defense can't last forever.He signaled to the herald, who blew a loud trumpet.Then the warriors on horseback began to line up, with Lothar riding at the forefront, and Turalyon joining him behind the commander.The shield wall opened a passage for them, so they rushed into the front of the tribe, quickly tore through the tribe and passed to the rear, Lothar made a gesture, everyone reined in and turned back, and the archers covered it with all their strength at this time .Then, they charged again. When they were ready for the third charge, there was a drumbeat from somewhere in the Horde - and the orcs began to fall back. "We did it!" Turalyon yelled. "They are retreating!" Lothar nodded but didn't turn around. They watched the orcs turn and run for a distance, reorganized the formation, and then these guys started moving again, at a faster speed - to the right of the alliance army . "They are heading east." Lothar said softly.He did not decide to pursue them. "To the Hinterlands.' "Should we follow them?" Turalyon asked.His blood still boiled from those few charges, and he wanted to run after the orcs and kill them all. "We have to run and chase." But the general shook his head. "No." he corrected. "We held them back, but they didn't run from us, they surrounded us." He turned to face Turalyon, smiling, a grim, weary smile. "Obviously," he said. "What does this mean?" "But we should follow them lest they find another shelter," Turalyon asked. "Isn't it?" "We should," Lothar agreed. "Just look behind you." Turalyon turned around, and immediately understood what the old warrior meant.Their troops were reeling from the end of the battle, and he saw warriors dozing where they had stood, either from fresh wounds or simply from fatigue.The battle lasted for more than an hour, and although he hadn't felt it just now, Turalyon found himself aching all over when it was over.In addition, many of their weapons were destroyed, their bows and crossbows were basically used up, and almost all the firewood and tinder of the troops were used up. "We need to replenish," Turalyon said loudly. "We can't go after them now." "Yes." Lothar turned his horse to the front of the troops. "However, we also tested the strength of their troops, and our people also saw that they can resist the Horde. This is very good. And we kept them out of the capital, which is also very good." He smiled and looked at Turalyon, and finally nodded. "You did a good job." He said softly before reining in his horse and walking towards the command tent placed behind the troops. Turalyon watched him go.This simple compliment made him proud.Then, suddenly sober, he spun his own horse around and followed his commander.Khadgar was right, he didn't have time to think about that right now.