"FIRE!" Arthos yelled.
On command, Wain fired a large fireball at the south-western barricade. As part of the defense preparations, a large barricade composed of dry old logs, branches, and leaves was placed parallel to the southern wall. It extended for a considerable distance away from the village. Like a giant tinder-box, the barricade erupted in a massive flame. The heat was so intense, it could be felt across the field and through the palisade wall.
The flame-barricade forced the orcs into a box trapped between the mud in the north and the firewall on the south…their only option was to focus all their attacks at one spot. They charged straight toward the western wall.
"Catapults!" Arthos yelled.
The dozen catapults fired giant boulders, combustible, and spiked projectiles. The orcs having been boxed in a tight and compact area were easy targets. The ground trembled as the catapults rained down on them soaking the ground red.
"Keep firing! Space the timing! Don't let the orcs rest!" Arthos yelled.
"Archers! Fire!" He yelled.
Their momentum broken and their ranks thrown into disarray, the first wave of orcs scattered trying to hide from the avalanche of arrows and projectiles. Some tried to retreat…and were cut down by their commanders. Mayhem soon followed as orcs turned against orcs in a bloody carnage of arrows, axes, swords, clubs and catapults.
"How many do you think that was?" Kristan asked.
"I think 2,000 give or take a few hundred," Neva answered.
"No time to rest, here comes the second wave!" Princess Elencia exclaimed.
The second wave of orcs was slower than the first given the number of dead bodies littered on the battlefield. Any remaining survivors from the first wave were trampled to death as the second wave of orcs moved chaotically through the debris field desperately trying to avoid the onslaught of projectiles.
"Wain! Now!"
During the first wave, Wain started preparing an enormous fireball similar to the fire-ballon technique used during the Night Stalker dungeon raid. The ball expanded until it was larger than a hot air ballon…larger and larger it expanded causing the orcs to stop their advance. Their grunts and growls grew quiet while they watched in horror at the giant fireball looming overhead.
"BIG BANG FLASH!" Wain yelled as he hurled the massive fireball down.
Dry grass, wood chips, left over branches and leaves had been thrown in advance into the field. The combustibles combined with the thousands of dead orcs ignited like gasoline. The massive eruption felt like a bomb being detonated. The palisade walls and the village trembled violently as if struck by an earthquake.
"WATER!" Arthos yelled.
On command, the villagers stationed on the wall poured buckets of water on the palisade wall in a desperate attempt to keep their defensive wall from catching on fire due to the intense heat from the Big Bang Flash. The second wave of orcs was decimated by the attack. The few that managed to survive scrambled to flee the fire but were cut down by the third wave.
"Now it's roughly 5,000 orcs dead." Neva commented casually.
"I don't think we have enough tricks for another four waves," Kristan added solemnly. The battle had gone as planned so far, but the number disadvantage was dauting.
"Here comes the third wave." Princess Elencia said unfazed.
The third wave was larger and more agile than the previous two. It moved in sync quickly through the field like a swarm of ants. There were too many to stop with arrows, javalins, and catapults. Hundreds of orcs managed to get fifty yards away from the palisade wall, the proximity encouraged the orcs to accelerate their pace. However, the roaring and growling wave of orcs soon discovered another defensive surprise.
The Trench.
Hundreds plummeted to their death as they step on what appeared to be solid earth only to discover a massive pit filled with spikes below. The first few hundred orcs fell to their deaths without realizing the danger. The next thousand orcs were in a fever-like-frenzy, the momentum of which was impossible to stop. The orcs at the front desperately tried to stop as soon as they saw the trench, however, the orcs behind them pushed them forward in a mad stampede…rushing to their deaths.
The pit soon filled up with thousands of dead orcs, forming a body-bridge on which the survivors could run across. The orc chief realizing the village was out of tricks, commanded the fourth wave to attack immediately.
"Time for plan B." Arthos commanded.
"Plan B? Are you sure? We can still hold them a bit longer." Wain commented.
"If we need to execute plan C, we need the orcs to focus their attention in one spot." Arthos said calmly. Plan C was the fail-safe…one that had been discussed and agreed to during the war meeting.
"Open the wall." Princess Elencia commanded to the villagers below.
The villagers proceeded to remove a section of the palisade wall, creating an entrance or gap in the wall. The orcs saw this as a sign of surrender and roared even louder, as they rushed toward the gap. Tunnel-vision soon set in causing the orcs to ignore the rest of the palisade wall.
"My turn to shine." Kristan said with a smile.
[PROVOCATION skill used by Kristan]
[Provocation skill taunts enemies into targeting player while also reducing their speed by 25% for 1 minute]
[CRUSADE skill used by Kristan]
[Crusade skill is an upgrade to Anchor. It increases shield mastery by 50% and reflects all damage back to attacker by 60% for 1 minute]
Like crazed bees magnetically drawn to succulent nectar, the orcs fell under the mesmerizing effects of Kristan's provocation skill. Thousands attempted to attack through the small opening in the wall, creating a bottleneck-mass composed of arms, legs, and bodies. She planted her feet deep into the ground and held in place while simultaneously redirecting the orc attack damage back to them.
[BREAKER skill activated by Kristan]
[Breaker skill decreases targets attack and defense by 50% for 10 seconds]
The archers and villagers unleashed a tempest or arrows and spears at the orcs all conveniently huddled together in one place. As the bodies (dead, semi-dead, and alive) started to pile up, a new danger arose…the orcs now had an artificial mountain on which they could leap over the palisade wall. Having predicted this, Arthos gave the order to his trusted companion.
"Wain! Now!"
[LIGHTNING BOLT skill used by Wain]
[Lightning Bolt increases attack and resistance penetration by 200% for one attack]
A bright and intense light erupted from behind Kristan, carefully aimed at the orc pile. It swept the mountain away like a pile of leaves. The living orcs got back on their feet and resumed their frenzied attack only to repeat the same outcome. It quickly became a vicious and deadly cycle with Kristan taunting and holding the gap in the wall, the archers defeating the clustered orcs, and Wain clearing away the rubble.
The same cycle was performed four times until the last of the orcs was slain. Thus, ending the fourth wave.
In the distance, the orc chief smiled.
The prey that fights back always tastes the best.
This would be one tasty victory.