First Light of a New Age

Chapter 76: Angry Orcs

"YES!"

A roar of cheers erupted as politicians and officers watched what happened through the choppy video stream from the Tempest Scions' actions. The grainy stream showed the Necromancer get shredded by the mines, and in an instant, the entire conference room rose to their feet, cheered wildly and applauded.

"Excellent work, Omega-191," the Communication Officer congratulated the team for a successful mission.

But Emperor Maximo's voice rang out, "Hold on," he said, raising a hand. "The mission isn't over. We still need to confirm whether the Necromancer's death affects the Undead army."

Silence fell over the room as eyes returned to the screens, feeling their hearts pounding as they waited, hoping that with the Necromancer destroyed, the dead would finally no longer rise up.

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Austronesian Empire, Imperial Majahapit, New Guinea, New Guinea Highlands, Ambush Site B

1st Year of God, Monday, 4th Week, Month of Abraham

Coughing through the lingering haze of gun smoke, Specialist Sergeant Riley pushed himself up from where he had shielded Tavish, who lay groaning on the forest floor. Without hesitation, Riley motioned for Mason to assist and treat Tavish, then turned and headed back into the clearing.

Dark red blood splattered across the ground, mingled with the remains of the Orcs they had just fought. Riley readied his weapon and scanned the area for the Necromancer's last known position. The robed figure, once cloaked in ominous robes, had been shredded beyond recognition by the claymore mines, only the upper half of the torso remained, with its female elvish face still lying there.

Riley grimaced and looked away from the face, recalling what had happened to Tavish when he stared too long at the creature. Steeling himself, he drew his sword and hacked it down with all his strength, severing the head cleanly from the body. He quickly reached into his Spatial Ring, retrieving a bag of kosher salt mixed with holy water, and liberally sprinkled the mixture over the torso and the decapitated head. The final touch was a flask of alcohol, which he poured onto the body parts before setting them on fire.

Salt and holy water, even from local churches, worked as powerful purifiers, dispelling dark energies, and were surprisingly working. The flames that followed would ensure there was no chance of reanimation.

"Squad Three, what's your status, over?" Riley asked as he watched the fire consume the Necromancer's remains.

[We've pushed them back for the time being, they are still confused about where our location is,] Price reported. [But we got a huge bunch of really angry Orcs here!]

"Roger. Extract yourselves and meet us at the designated rally point Alpha, copy?" Riley responded.

[Copy that. Bugging out now,] Price responded as he fired a few rounds before disappearing into the thick cover of gun smoke, using it to mask their retreat.

"Squads One and Two, head to rally point Alpha, now!" Riley barked into the comms. He took one last look around for anything useful left behind by the Necromancer, but apparently, the claymores had obliterated everything. "Move it, people!"

At that moment, the sound of a war horn echoed from the Orc camps.

"Detonate the rest of the mines at the other sites, keep them busy!" Riley commanded, supporting Tavish's limp body as he hauled him over his shoulder. The enhanced strength of his MK-I armor allowed him to carry Tavish and his gear with ease. With a quick glance around, he broke into a jog and disappeared into the undergrowth.