Gankers and the zerg - a collection of very short stories

[Jacer]

Hi,

inspired from the "RvR and the zerg" thread I begun writing a couple of very short stories, which are supposed to shed another light on the issue. I hope you enjoy them.

Here we go ...

The Skullsmasha

The army was on the move. Herman looked tired over the three dozen soldiers which were moving silently along the way. Soldiers, he thought doubtfully. Three weeks ago, most of them were farmers and crafters. Now, they were moving toward the Orc Fortress of Gna'Zam, which threatened the streets in the outer regions of the Empire.
To make things worse, the infamous Orc band around Gnazz Skullsmasha was rumored to roam the region. The cruel acts of this orcish shaman were told in the streets of the Empire. It was told that they once killed an entire army, that their belts are filled with the skulls of their fallen enemies, and that they eat the men they killed.
Herman's thoughts were interrupted by a snarl from the bushes beside the road. As he looked up, he saw five orcs beside the street, yelling an awfully loud "WAAAAAAAAAAAAHRG" as they charge towards the column of Imperial soldiers. Herman froze for a split second, shocked by the sight of the huge orcs, wielding gigantic weapons, charging fearlessly towards his comrades. He dropped his backpack, drew his sword and put his shield to his front.
The orcs clashed into the column like a brick into glass. Two men died almost instantly, but ten more threw themselves on the orcs. Herman started to move, but trippled over a lot of roots growing around his feet, trying to immobilise him. He panically started cutting the roots, but they kept growing, gripping his legs.
The orcs were wading in a sea of bodies. The Imperial soldiers did their best to stand their ground, but were always flanked by the orcs, who attacked them one after the other. No man stood before them for more than a couple of seconds. The swords of the humen did find their way past the orcish armor, but did not do much damage to the battlescarred hides of the orcish fighters, and what wounds were done closed themselves quickly.
Herman managed to struggle himself free, and saw a small orc, his belt filled with small heads, standing on the edge of the road. The orc was chanting encantations, moving his hands which glowed with magical power. That had to be Gnazz Skullsmasha. Herman ran towards the orc, yelling at the top of his lungs "Kill the Skullsmasha!". When the orc saw him coming, he turned to run, but Herman was on top of him before he could make his escape. Herman smashed his shield on the orc's head, causing him to tripple and fall. Herman swung his sword again and again on the orc, but his strong armor and thick hide protected him very well.
Another orc came out of the wood, in his left hand a huge shield, and stepped between Herman and the Skullsmasha. Howling out loud, Herman tried to force his way past the new foe, but to no avail.
The orcs which were rolling up the column returned to protect their leader. Herman felt the mighty hammer connect with his back and went to the ground, his vision fading. Before darkness engulfed him, he saw that the Imperial force had managed to turn the tide of the battle. The Skullsmasha laid in a sea of blood just a couple of meters from him, and the huge orcs were overwhelmed.
They were victorious, was Herman's last thought. This army was not beaten by the Skullsmasha.

[Jacer]

Turning the tide ...

Reinhart was dodging beneath the embattlements of Burg Manstein. The orcs had sieged the Burg for full three days, and their catapults have done serious damage to the walls. The wall would not withstand for long anymore, and there were three orcs for every defender out there. Nobody knew if the messenger they dispatched two days ago reached its destination, and even then, it was very unlikely that the reinforcements would be there in time.
Reinhart snapped off another arrow from his bow, just as the wall gave in and crumbled. He could hear the cries of the unlucky men who got caught by the falling stones. The orcs rallied, and a wild howling began among their ranks. Reinhart knew they would storm the Burg soon, and not much later, he would be dead. The howling grew louder, and the attack began in full force. The orcs ran towards the breach, and Reinhart stood up and readied his bow, just as a light, pure white light, started to shine in the woods behind the orc army. A handful of elves, clad in pure white armor, emerged from the woods and ran towards the back of the orc army, going at an unbelievable speed. Reinhard was so astonished by the sight of the elves that he forgot he was standing in full vision of the orcs; he just stood and stared. He had heard stories of the Aes Dana, but he had never believed them to be true. Now they were proven. As the elves reached the orcs at the catapult, their glowing white swords cut them down so fast that the motion itself could not be seen. The elves, which could not be more than four or five, moved so easily through the orcs that one could easily mistake it as being a dance.
This was not gone unnoticed by the orcs, and many of them turned toward the new threat. While they attacked the elves, Reinhart noticed two figures standing near the edge of the woods, casting elven magic to protect their allies.
He heard a yell from the officer in the castle grounds. The defenders stormed through the breach towards the orc army, which had their backs turned toward them now. They cut the orcish army like wheat, and soon the human and the elves met in the middle of the battlefield. Burg Manstein was saved.