Rising Shadows: The Fight for Freedom I

Chapter 28: The Shaman

In the next moment, blood sprayed forth as the taken-by-surprise orcs fell into utter chaos under the human cavalry's assault. Faced with the inability to mount an effective defense, the cavalry showed no mercy, fervently raising their swords and striking down again and again!

With sword in hand, body low, and eyes fixed ahead, Darn followed his comrades, charging forward. Behind him, several orcs clutched their severed necks, slowly collapsing onto the parched grass.

As a newly minted cavalryman with numerous esteemed mentors, Darn gained invaluable experience in this battle. Through countless skirmishes, he gradually grasped many martial techniques he had previously overlooked. The various skills imparted by the retired tenth-tier warrior, the old steward Antonello, began to coalesce within him during the fray.

As for the fierce aura displayed by his two bodyguard knights, Gurian and Marcel, over the brief span of a few days, Darn too began to embody that spirit.

Galloping past an orc, Darn's sharp sword once again swept across the orc's neck. Suddenly, his vision cleared significantly; he and his comrades had pierced through the orc ranks.

"Do not linger! Charge back! Charge back! We must annihilate them completely!" Lieutenant Gerald shouted, prompting the cavalry to spur their mounts into a swift circle before plunging back into the orc ranks.

Having initially surged forward, the once numerous orc forces had suffered heavy losses. As the remaining orcs regrouped, they formed several large clusters, and the cavalrymen of Gerald's unit turned their attention to one of these groups.

This particular group consisted of sixty orcs, approximately forty of whom formed a circular defensive formation, while a smaller circle lay at its center.

"Scatter them! Kill!" Utilizing the speed of their steeds, the cavalrymen charged without hesitation toward their target. As the heavily armored cavalrymen collided with the prepared orcs, countless orcs were sent soaring into the air.

However, in the next moment, the cavalrymen encountered their first organized counterattack. Seizing the opportunity created by their comrades' sacrifice, the orcs behind them brandished their weapons and struck fiercely at the cavalrymen, whose momentum had slightly waned.

The sounds of thuds echoed as cavalrymen were knocked from their mounts, accompanied by the anguished cries of horses and the pained wails of men!

Damn it! These orcs have injured so many of our brothers! Darn thought furiously, swinging his arm as his heavy sword sliced through the air, severing a thick wooden club tied with a heavy stone while plunging into an orc's chest.

Ha! Damn you! Go to hell! Having broken through the outer defenses, Darn glanced back at the orc, ensuring it was dead before turning his attention to a young orc surrounded by a dozen others.

That fellow looks peculiar! Hmm, what is he holding? A colorful little wooden stick? What can that thing do?

Darn did not immediately charge but instead observed with casual interest. However, before he could decide whether to join his comrades in eliminating the last of the orcs, the young orc suddenly brandished the wooden stick, which emitted a blinding flash of light.

What was that!? Danger!!!

Instinctively sensing a tremendous threat, Darn closed his eyes and swung his heavy sword forward, channeling nearly all his fighting spirit into the strike.

With a thunderous crack akin to a stormy sky, silence enveloped Darn's ears, accompanied by an indescribable, tantalizing aroma!

What just happened? What did that orc do!? Darn thought anxiously, abruptly opening his eyes, only to be met with a sight that left him dumbfounded. Despite having envisioned countless dire scenarios, the scene before him exceeded his mental limits!

A dozen darkened figures stood before the orc tribe, unmistakably the cavalrymen who had just charged into the orcs!

Yet these cavalrymen had been transformed into charred remains by an unknown force, their bodies reduced to a pile of blackened ash, with only their weapons remaining intact. The strange aroma wafting from the charred remains emanated from deep within!

Staring blankly at the lifeless forms of his comrades, Darn's mind went blank. However, when the surrounded orc raised the little wooden stick once more, Darn snapped back to reality.

That guy! That orc! He's a mage! No, he should be called a shaman, an orc shaman!

Instantly concluding this, Darn wasted no time and turned his horse to retreat. In another direction, he clearly saw a massive bolt of lightning shoot forth from the tip of the little wooden stick, enveloping another group of human cavalrymen.

This power is terrifying! This force is beyond our capacity to contend with! It took out so many in an instant! That orc shaman's abilities are too formidable!

As Darn's mind raced with the recent events, he retreated several dozen meters, his expression betraying his fear. He was not afraid of the orcs wielding hefty wooden clubs, nor of the wolf cavalrymen who had just appeared to aid the orcs. Rather, he feared the incomprehensible supernatural power.

Without a second thought, Darn charged toward the newly arrived wolf cavalrymen, even though they appeared to be in a frenzy, their ferocity doing little to quell his terror.

Die, die, die! Swinging his heavy sword, Darn launched an attack on the wolf cavalrymen. Under his frenzied assault, two of the wolf cavalrymen fell, their expressions one of shock.

After dispatching the two wolf cavalrymen, Darn went unnoticed by the remaining ones. The wolf cavalrymen seemed indifferent to their fallen comrades, merely racing past Darn toward the small group of orcs.

Huh, why aren't they continuing to fight me? Aren't orcs supposed to value honor and never retreat? Taking a breath, Darn pondered in astonishment. Then he saw one of the wolf cavalrymen dismount from his massive wolf, and the orc holding the peculiar wooden stick climbed onto it.

That guy, that orc, he's making a break for it! A sudden thought flashed through Darn's mind, and he immediately urged his mount to intercept the fleeing enemy. But as soon as he pulled the reins, he realized a harsh truth: he had no ability to stop that terrifying orc who had just killed dozens of cavalrymen with a mere gesture!

Anger, shame, and helplessness washed over him as he suddenly recognized his own vulnerability, feeling small and insignificant. This realization left Darn deeply disheartened, and the thought of dozens of his comrades perishing at the hands of the enemy while he could do nothing to avenge them tormented the young man.

Gripping his horse tightly, Darn widened his eyes, clutching his heavy sword, his face flushed as he helplessly watched the terrifying young orc mount the giant wolf, shielded by several wolf cavalrymen, charging toward the battlefield's edge. Meanwhile, the dismounted wolf cavalrymen and the dozen or so orcs raised their weapons, howling as they charged at the human cavalry.

Damn it! If it weren't for that peculiar fellow, these beasts would already be a pile of corpses! Raising his heavy sword, Darn swung down fiercely, toppling an orc charging at him, but he was forced to retreat as all nearby human cavalry distanced themselves from the suddenly frenzied orcs.

That orc is getting away! Damn it! Is there no one who can stop him? After retreating a short distance, Darn glared at the orc who had already reached the edge of the battlefield, his eyes burning with fury.