This is my entry into the Finish The Story Contest hosted by @bananafish
Well, I guess this is my first writing contest, go easy on me... Please leave me feedback in the comments (how else am I supposed to get better?). I liked this story I started typing and ended up with over 900 words, so I had to trim it down...
The Battle of Bloodneck Valley
by @dirge
Shog, called the Bonecrusher by his people, knew they’d lost when human horns roared across the battlefield. The Imperiate had come after all, to aid their elven allies of the Alish’tae Republic. Shog’s people, orcs of the Galak Tribe, so named after the mountain upon which they’d once lived, fought hard and well. But they fought alone.
Orcs no allies. Not even their Gods, the Old Ones, cared anymore.
As the morning sun crept above the clouds, illuminating the blood soaked fields, the Imperiate horsemen charged out from the forest. Muk’nola, matriarch of the Galaks, sounded her war horn, signalling the retreat. But it would be too late, Shog knew. Those horsemen would slaughter them as they fled. Their children, next.
An elf, empowered by the sense of looming victory, stormed forward from their line, straight towards Shog. He parried the elf’s longsword then heaved his mighty hammer, Breaker of Worlds, in a perfect arc. It smashed upon the elf’s helmeted skull, and he proved his namesake for the countless time. The elf’s head exploded in bone and carnage.
“Back!” he heard. “Fall back!” In disarray, the others around him fled towards Bloodneck Valley, where they’d encamped. Their position fell. Shog screamed to maintain the line but knew the day was lost. His people fled. He had no choice but to follow.
He reached the camp, already nearly moving again, fleeing up the valley to the highlands. Shog, exhausted, reached Zee-zee, his daughter, and Gheelah, his love. Gheelah had already packed their yurt and few remaining possessions.
“Flee!” he shouted to her.
“And you?” Gheelah asked.
“I stay to hold them back.”
In typical orcish fashion, their utter devotion, love and mutual respect expressed itself only in their shared gaze, never in public, spoken word. He gripped her hand. He told Zee-zee to be strong. Gheelah nodded. Then the doy galloped away with the rest of the fleeing, broken host.
Muk-nola, matriarch, rallied the remaining Galak warriors. They reformed to a single line. Bloodneck Valley was narrow. Rocky. Layered with crimson colored clay. The land elevated as it led to the Highlands, their only advantage.
Maybe at the height of the tribe’s strength, before the humans had come with their purges and stolen their land, before the elves had arrived to ‘cleanse the world of evil’, maybe they would have been strong enough. But Shog saw they had a few hundred left. A few hundred to hold a line against an entire battalion of Imperiate horsemen and Alish’tae swordsmen, the latter no doubt already being reinforced.
The ‘Fair Folk’ would aim to eradicate the Galak now, as they fled.
Shog marched up to Muk-nola. She hailed him. “Yog-Sothoth burns in us,” she said.
“Yog-Sothoth hasn’t given a shit about us since Galak Mountain ceased its fire,” Shog replied.
Imperiate horns loomed. The sun flared, blinding Shog for a moment. Another disadvantage. The ground rumbled with the cavalry charge.
“Either way. I’ll crush his soul in hell. Right after I’m done with these Fair Folk.”
Entry Begins here:
Let Us Finish This
Shog knew the narrow valley was their only advantage. It allowed only 20 horses abreast, but even with that, it was hopeless. All he could do was buy Gheelah and Zee-zee a little time at the cost of his life. He felt the rage welling up within him, and the familiar weight of the Breaker of Worlds in his hands, it was a good day to die.
Shog stepped up, a full head and shoulders taller than most orcs, an advantage in battles. The first line of Imperiate horsemen were bearing down on them. There pikes lowered preparing to rip them to shreds, the taste of victory already on their lips.
A slight step to the left and Shog spun. Swinging his mighty hammer into the horse’s head, the horse screamed as its legs crumpled. The rider in his heavy armor tumbled to the ground. Shog barely gave him a glance as Tre-knok pierced his spine as he struggled to get up. Shog parried a wild halberd swing from another rider. Then slammed his shoulder into the rider and horse, knocking them off balance. With a scream of fury, he swung the Breaker of Worlds at the rider. Landing a blow with the sickening sound of his skull being crushed.
Then it was over, what was left of the first wave turned to regroup, as the second wave made ready for their approach. Shog glanced at the carnage around him, men and orc everywhere dead and dying. Muk’nola stood with her war horn broken in her hand, shouting orders, reforming the ranks. There would be no retreat, this will be the last stand of the Galak Tribe.
A glance back at the approaching enemy, an orc was walking straight at the Imperiate lines. It looks like Bardok, What the hell is that crazy old man doing? Shog yelled and began to run.
Muttering under his breath, “This stupid fool is going to get us both killed.”
Shog yelled again, but Bardok kept walking. Shog grabbed Bardok’s shoulder and turned to face him. He just stared, a crazy gleam in his eyes, repeating, “Yog-Sothoth burns in us” over and over.
“Come on you fool,” Shog screamed.
Looking up at the approaching horsemen, sunlight glinting off their armor. They would never make it back to the line before they were on top of them. Yet as he stared at the galloping horses the air between them started to shimmer. A shadow began to form. A shadow that absorbed the light around it, and as it grew, it began to coalesce into a massive orc.
“It cannot be,” Shog muttered, “It cannot be!”
The shadow, 3 times his height, became solid. Glowing a faint red, then with a single swing of its massive hammer, sent horses and men flying across the valley. It turned to face Shog, flames blazing from its eyes. The giant reached out and touched Shog, who stared in silence. A burning fire welled up within him, filling him with a power he had never known.
The ground shuttered as it spoke, “It burns in us.” With a smile, he turned to the battle and growled, “We are not in hell yet. Let us finish this…”
Thank You for reading, I would very much appreciate any comments and feedback!!!
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