Reinforcements Arrive 2
When Will returned to Francroft City Fort he was not surprised to find, Crown Prince Lukas on a bridge fighting an orc. He remembered how his master used to discipline him when he failed to meet expectations.
"This shall teach him whom to listen to," Elder Thaddeus complained.
Orcs had a genetic disposition to dueling which was a strong aspect of their culture. Orc's social hierarchy was determined by fighting. The strongest orc was the self-appointed chief.
"How many is this?" Will yelled out to his disciple.
"This is the fourth," Crown Prince Lukas whined.
"Marquis von Ballard please ask Sage Ming to stop," begged an imperial servant.
Will glanced at his grinning master and replied, "If Elder Thaddeus didn't discipline him, I would have. How can discipline not listen to his martial grandmaster? Don't worry he's fine. Maybe he'll come to know the exhaustion I felt," Will said loud enough for the prince to hear him.
The prince killed 10 orcs before collapsing due to exhaustion. Elder Thaddeus easily killed the remaining orcs.
"Forgive me, Elder Thaddeus! I shall never disregard your advisement again!" the crown prince huffed.
He was burnt, bruised, and battered. Will couldn't tell whether Elder Thaddeus or the orcs injured the prince more.
The prince's servants rushed to his side. The royal priest healed him, and his servants fed him water and fruit.
"Pampered brat!" Elder Thaddeus spat.
"Consider it a term of endearment," Will said helping the prince up to his feet.
"If nothing else, the orcs see you as a capable leader," Hawkeye laughed as they walked back to the fort.
"Report," Prince Lukas said back inside this fort office.
"It's been three days since the battle. The recruits have arrived, and the Allied Army has begun its return march," reported Hawkeye, the Allied Intelligence Commander.
"And the enemy's movements?" asked the prince.
"Another 10,000 shall be here tomorrow, with more marching behind. By the time our army arrives, I'm afraid it shall be too late," said Hawkeye.
"Why?" Will asked curiously.
"While you were asleep, daily reinforces were sent to support the orc chieftain. By our calculations, the enemy outnumbers us by 4 to 1, even with the addition of the recruits," replied Marcus.
"Against those overwhelming odds, our defeat is imminent. Master Will, Sage Ming, what do you suggest?" Prince Lukas wisely asked.
"Good to see your brain works, boy! We stay and fight. I've won with worse odds," said Elder Thaddeus grinning.
Prince Lukas looked at his martial grandmaster in shock. A rational man would retreat to find a more advantageous battleground.
"Send word to the army to march arrive ahead of schedule and prepare the men for a defensive battle," Prince Roland said with a dark expression.
He had left Annapolis with great hope of victory. Winning several battles only strengthen his resolve that victory was in his grasp. Now his army was stalled in the middle of the Icer Kingdom. The likelihood of crossing the Dukedom of Kro border was no longer possible.
Two days later the Allied Army returned to the Francroft Fort fatigued. Instead of resting, the tired soldiers were immediately assigned a post.
"Look brother," Marcus said pointing to the lack of many familiar faces.
Most of the veteran soldiers were killed in Aite's attack. Now nervous replacements stood in their post trying to draw attention to their shaking and nail-biting.
"Your highness," a scout said rushing up to Prince Lukas.
The prince, his commanders, and his advisers could already guess the news.
"Speak!" the prince commanded.
"The orcs and goblins have started to advance. Your Highness, it's worse than we feared, the enemy was able to recoup their losses and numbers 60,000 strong once again," the scout reported.
"Advise?" the prince asked hurriedly.
"Call the retreat," Sage Einstein urged.
"Allied Infantry Commander von Vogel?" the prince asked when his general failed to speak.
"I shall follow your orders, your majesty," he replied.
"Sage Abulafia, what say you?" Crown Prince Lukas asked.
"Sage Einstein is correct, we should retreat," said the embarrassed sage.
"Where are the sovereign and nobles?" Prince Lukas asked.
"They boarded ships in the Francroft City harbor," General von Vogel explained.
"Weaklings!" Sage Ming said in disgust.
"Sage Ming your opinion?" Prince Lukas asked.
"Why ask me, you know my answer? Prepare for battle!" Elder Thaddeus laughed manically.
"Master, please advise me?" Crown Prince Lukas pleaded.
"Yes, I wonder what shall you advise," said a voice in his head.
"Will, that is Mother Tiamat," Nisha said excitedly.
"Mother Tiamat, have you decided to join the war?" Will replied.
"When did I stop? I've monitored the war from my realm. You've yet to request our aid. I contacted you because it appears you require assistance. Do you request reinforcements?" Mother Tiamat asked sincerely.
"Yes, Mother Tiamat, please come to our aid," Will asked.
"My children are on their way. I shall send you the bill later," she said cheekily.
"..."
Will face when white in rage. Dragons were just as greedy and money hungry as he. No doubt the old woman would demand a pile of gold.
"Who are you calling old?" Mother Tiamat said angrily.
Will forget dragons could read his thought.
"I apologize," Will said meekly.
"Next time, I'll pull your ear," she reprimanded.
Nisha rolled over on the floor in laughter, hearing Will be scolded like a deviant grandchild.
"Just wait, I'll get you for this," Will shot back to the laughing leopard.
"Master, what say you?" Lukas asked.
"Elder Thaddeus is right. But instead of defending the fort, call the army to arms. We shall attack the enemy forces head-on!" Will announced boldly.
"A bit dramatic," Nisha chuckled.
"That's suicidal!" shouted various commanders.
"Your highness, we must retreat!" urged his servants.
"Allied Infantry Commander, call to men to arms. We shall meet the enemy on the battlefield!" Prince Lukas declared.
"Your highness, I'm afraid I am unfit to lead this battle. I do not know the battle plan. Might, Sage Ming or Allied Quartermaster Commander von Ballard lead the army?" the general asked.
"What battle plan? The plans to just charge and kill more of them, then they kill us," Elder Thaddeus said.
"That's madness! What can 10,000 soldiers and a handful of mages do against a 60,000-strong orc army?" shouted the Allied Signal Commander.
"Massacre them," said Will, looking at the man like he was a fool.
"I shall command the army. I shall snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Here my decree, deserters shall be killed on sight and coward flogged, regardless of peerage or station," Crown Prince Lukas yelled for the entire fort to hear.
Everyone was surprised by the prince's bold proclamation. After hearing his order, the already tired troops lined up in formation outside the fort's wall and protection array.
"Stay in formation!" Lukas shouted trying not to sound frantic.
In truth even he was nervous. He wondered where his master and grandmaster's supreme confidence came from.
They had already proven their strength, but not even they could destroy an army this large without assistance.
Prince Lukas and the Allied Army watched as hundreds of orcs and goblins forded the river. As their enemies crossed over the eastern riverbank they charged.
"Archers and mages lose on my command," the Allied Infantry Commander ordered.
"Belay that order!" Will yelled.
"Belay that order, General von Vogel!" Crown Prince ordered.
"But your majesty the enemy shall be upon us in minutes," General von Vogel said in disbelief.
"We're here," Dracul said telepathically informed him.
"Get ready to charge! Calvary in front!" Will told his disciple.
"Be ready to charge, calvary to the front!" Prince Lukas ordered.
Just as he finished, a thunder of dragons led by Dracul appeared from high above the clouds. They quickly descended, lit the orc army ablaze, and easily destroyed their fort.
"Get ready to charge," Will told his disciple.
"We'll charge on my command!" the prince yelled to the army.
Watching the dragon destroying the orc army, the tired army felt their spirits renew and their morale soared.
The commanders who once expected their death was imminent wondered how things turned around so quickly.
They realized they were fools for expressing distrust in Sage Ming and Allied Quartermaster von Ballard.
Time and time again, those men protected the army. Yet, in their folly, they distracted them. Now they knew why their prince blindly trusted the man.
However, none were more surprised than Crown Prince Lukas. He finally understood Sage Ming's anger at not listening to him.
How he begged his master to accept him, yet he refused to listen to the grandmaster's advice. He wondered how far ahead his master and grandmaster planned this surprise assault.
He also wondered why they didn't tell him, was this a test? If so, did he pass?
Will looked at the ruined orc fort, burning corpses, and the scattered army. It was a one-sided victory.
"Congratulations on your victory disciple," said Will praised.
"Yes, praise is indeed in order. Well done grand disciple," Elder Thaddeus congratulated.
Hearing them praise his highness, the other commanders were quick to heap praise as well.
'Good, I must have passed,' thought Lukas.
"Goodbye, Will. Your victories would have brought joy to my father," Dracul said.
"Farewell friend," Will said nostalgically.
"Please remit 500,000 gold within the month," Dracul said flying off.
Will coughed up blood hearing the price.
"You greedy dragons! You're overcharging me, where's my first-time discount? For that price, why don't you heal my wound," Will complained.
"How rude, that's the family discount price," Dracul laughed before cutting off his telepathy.
"Sound the charge!" Will told his disciple.
"Charge!" the prince ordered.
"Do not let them get away!" General von Vogel commanded.
By evening the Allied Army pursued the dwindling orc army westward.
***
"I see that you are well," the Goatman Patriarch greeted Queen Shiva as her clan arrived at the Dwarven kingdom.
"Indeed, fortunes favor my clan," she responded.
"Ha-ha. I hope fortune favors us all." He spoke.
The implication is, he hopes as many demi-humans survived as possible.
"Then let us dispense with the greetings and blood called clan battle," the queen said leading her clan further down the mountain to where the battle raged.
The mountain trolls and demons were weakening the center. Without support, the center would break and the beastmen would be routed.
Queen Shiva motioned for her clan to charge and reinforce the center.
"Help subdue the trolls first!" Swift Tiger yelled.
The leopard clan fought alongside the Gorilla, Bear, and Tiger Clan chiefs to get rid of trolls.
The chief's cooperation managed to get kill troll after troll.
Seeing their chiefs might embolden the tribesmen to fight more aggressively.
The beastmen's ferocity and bloodlust were on full display.
The elves could barely contain their disgust at such grotesque brutality.
"Tsk, how troublesome rabid beasts can be. These mongrels don't know when they're beaten," Lord Bilal complained.
He was certain that his soldiers in the mine would be victorious, as well as the sneaky assassins he sent to kill the Dwarven kings.
"Ha-ha, just wait until my army victorious comes out of the Dwarven mine and crushes those beasts like a vise grip!"
However, instead of demons streaming out from the mine, came the Dwarves, Dow, and Wolf Clan.
"No! Damn it! How did they survive?" Lord Bilal cursed at the top of his breath.
With the new arrivals, the Elves, Dwarves, and Beastmen, reformed their line.
"Push forward! Clear the demons from the mountainside," Commanded Swift Tiger.
It didn't matter who spoke first, but they all agree with Swift Tiger and began pushing the demons backward down the mountain.
With the advantage of the upper ground and coordinated army, the demi-humans routed the demons from the mountain.
With the loss, the demons had to fall back 300 kilometers to their base at the bottom of the mountain range.
With their victory, the demi-humans unanimously agreed to push the demons from the Rhaziesian Empire's northern region.
That evening they celebrate with fighting, wrestling competitions, as well as, archery and weapons competitions.