Dread Guard

Chapter 8

A/N: If you didn't read the authors note which was last chapter I can't blame you... I normally skip them too. But sorry for not updating. And this is also unedited. I'll probably edit after I finish the whole book (so never).

"Can we take a quick break?" Panted Fraser. "I am wasted on this cross country. Dwarves are better at sprints- we are very dangerous over short distances, you know." (A/N if you didn't get that it was an obscure lord of the rings quote lol) They had been running all morning in an attempt to reach safety before they were attacked again. They had been extremely lucky to survive the previous fights, and Genji knew their luck would soon be exhausted. He hates depending on luck. If you have to depend on luck, then your planning has been poor. (A/N sorry but that was another obscure Alex rider russian roulette quote 🤨) Genji stopped after seeing Fraser's face completely pink, his beard soaked with sweat. He sighed. "Ok, stop here. We'll take five minutes." Fraser sat down heavily on a log. "I wouldn't sit on that log-" Genji started before Fraser fell through the top of the rotten log, ants swarming over him as he panicked. "- if I were you," Genji finished, Emma rolling around on the floor in laughter. Even Fraser was chuckling. Genji offered him a hand up, only for Fraser to fall back on his butt - he was too short to reach Genji's hand. Tears if laughter ran down Emma's face at this. Genji shivered. He glanced around, but he saw nothing but pine tree trunks and the pinecones that now littered the forest floor. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was going horribly wrong.

"Guys. I think we should move. Now." Genji said. Fraser got up with a grunt. "Already? It's only been 4 minutes..." But Genji was already running, Emma on his heels. Fraser sighed and followed. Genji and Emma's footsteps were almost silent, accustomed to running through the woods. Fraser's footsteps seemed like stomping to them, snapping branches and crackling pinecones. Genji grimaced at the sounds. It would make it harder for him to hear if anyone approached. It didn't help that Fraser was huffing and puffing even they hadn't even run for over 10 minutes after taking a break. He bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Genji and Emma stopped. "Sorry," Fraser panted. Genji shot him a glare and the ground started to shake. "Uh, I didn't make you that angry, did I?" He said, having regained his breath.
"Run!" Genji helped over the thundering of hooves. The ground rumbled as a horde of orcs charged towards them, mounted on huge boar. Vicious tusks sprouted from their snouts, their fur coarse and hide extremely thick. He had seen many a spear or arrow simply bounce off the fierce beasts.

The orcs mounted on the hogs each held huge stone axes and hammers. They all had long, black, greasy hair either knotted or in dreadlocks. "Why?" Genji shouted at the chieftain, the biggest one with curly tusks "You left us alone before, letting the humans do your work. Why engage now?"
"You killed one of ours!" He growled back, the orc's deep and terrible voice booming.
" I had no choice! It was him or me!" Genji shouted back, but the mounted orcs were already thundering towards them. There were about 12 orcs in total, 6 mounted and 6 on foot. Emma's face drew back in a snarl as she let an arrow fly at a mounted orc. It found its mark, hitting it in the chest blood ran down the front of the orc, but he snapped the shaft and continued like nothing happened. Just as the rider at the front of the offensive V formation raised his add to behead Emma, his hog's head was gone in a flash and he tumbled into the floor, his own axe embedding itself in his chest. Emma paled, realising how close she had been to death. As another orc sped towards Genji, hammer raised flatten his head, Genji leapt onto the orc's boar and sliced the handle in half, the heavy block on the end clattering to the floor and tripping his hog. Miraculously, the orc managed to stay on his feet and diced towards Genji tackling him to the ground. He attempted to drive his tusks into Genji's shoulder but Genji slipped out from under him and decapitated him as the orc tried to get up. Genji prepared to duel his next enemy when all the wind was knocked out of him and he was on the floor. His back exploded in pain and he gasped. There was a long gash on his black, the skin of ripped off completely. Looking up, the beady eyes of a hog stared back at him. It charged at him again, but Genji rolled and it charged past him, running into a tree with so much force that it was knocked the tree down.

Genji glanced around, hoping for help, but Emma was frantically fighting off two orcs with an elven falx that Genji had never seen before. He looked over at Fraser, hoping for some helpful musket fire, but he was losing a fight against a mounted orc and two on foot. He had a nasty gash on his side. Genji was on his own. The boar turned around, still dazed from charging into the huge pine. It charged again. Genji struggled to get up, but at the last second he lay as still as flat as possible and he was safe inbetween the hog's legs,it's tusks lightly grazing his pecs. He drew his sword and managed to get to his knees. A second before the boar made contact with him, Genji stepped to the side and slashed at it, but his sword didn't even scratch the tough hide. He jumped on top of the animal and rode it rodeo style while it bucked, trying to throw him off. Genji held onto its tough bristles, his hands becoming red and raw. The boar finally sounds slumped, exhausted and Genji fell to the floor. It was a battle tower who could get to their feet first, and as it got up Genji plunged his sword into its eye. He fell back as it thrashed around, accidentally goring an orc to death and knocking down another in the process. It lay still. Genji got up, smiling in triumph, before he felt his legs give out. He remained standing. That's weird, he thought, but his mind seemed to be sluggish he looked down and saw the tip of a spear sticking out of his chest. Blood dropped from the tip. He wondered why he didn't fell any pain. Just cold. Numb.

;) Hope you liked it :)