They rushed the poor beasts like the orc berserkers they all revered. With wild abandon they attacked, drawing the beasts in three separate directions to more easily encircle them. The ease with which they slew the great beasts highlighted the power of overwhelming an enemy through numbers. In the case of Noah’s warriors, they weren't a collection of weaklings but a swarm of iron caste individuals at the minimum. As the last boar fell, Noah joined in the now-familiar shout of victory. In his previous visit to the essence-rich lands, he would never have dared to be so brazen as to declare his presence, but with his tribe, he felt no such compunctions. As they settled after their fight, Noah had the opportunity to scope out the new territory. The outcropping formed a fissure, some 20 feet wide and at least 50 yards long. At its lowest point, the walls of the fissure were 20 feet tall and gradually sloped to surface level on either end. Noah couldn’t help but smile at their fortune. They wouldn’t be able to build a village in the space provided but they could definitely make use of the fortifications as a temporary home.

  “Attention!” Noah yelled, gathering back his drooling warriors. “We have been blessed two-fold! We will be making this fissure our residence for the time being, so we need to get to work. Ten of you will prepare the food and fires, the rest are to clear every inch of snow from our own crack in the earth! Pile the excess snow along the outer ridges to extend the walls and lower our visibility.” He ordered, before setting about shoveling himself. The rest of the tribe eagerly obeyed his commands, proving to be industrious workers as they made quick work of their tasks. Before long the scent of roasted meat wafted through their chasm, causing heads to turn and make-shift shovels to drop. They feasted into the night, throwing caution to the wind as they satisfied their empty bellies.

  Noah woke with a start, briefly unsure of his whereabouts. He didn’t remember falling asleep but knew it was likely connected to the ache he felt in his gut. It was still dark, or as dark as this world got under the myriad stars of the multiverse. What woke me? He got a sudden chill as he noticed that everyone else was asleep. I forgot to post a watch. His heart hammered as he scanned the fissure for any sign of intruders. Something had woken him from his sleep, and it wasn’t the cacophony of snores that he had grown accustomed to over the last month. He climbed up one of the side walls to peek out at the outside world. Crap. As he peeked his head over the edge he immediately made eye contact with a beast only twenty yards away. It growled a deep bassy tone and lunged forward. Noah dropped from the wall without hesitation and ran to his hammer.

  “Monsters!” He screamed as he saw one head after another poke out over the chasm walls. They appeared to be over-large jackals with assorted System mutations alongside the ridiculously sharp teeth. His warriors sprung to their feet in an array of confusion and alertness.

  “On the walls! Ready your weapons! Watch your heads!” Noah shouted, hoping to inspire an organized response from the quickly waking orcs. They formed up in two walls, one facing either opening. While he didn’t doubt the jackals’ ability to survive the jump, he found it more likely that they would file in from either side. His hope and theory were soon proven to be true as the System-twisted hyenas poured through their fissure like flood waters. Noah gulped, feeling a sense of fear for the first time since the not-dragon. He bit it back and focused on the task at hand. He had to ensure the survival of his people.

  “Ro’Kar, Ta’Ku! You lead the defense on the east side, I will lead the west!” He shouted, motioning for Za’Kati and several others nearby to join him. “Charge!” He roared as he sprinted for the nearest beast. The tight quarters made it hard to swing their large weapons, so they focused primarily on overhead swings, functioning like a grinder, chomping down the jackals. As the orcs tired beside him, he ordered that they switch out with the fresh warriors that couldn’t fit on the front line. They continued to rotate out alongside the ever-present Noah as they wore down their enemy’s numbers. Battle cries continued to ring out from either side of the chasm as the squelch of iron on flesh filled the air. He heard the cry of warriors as the dogs slipped through their defenses, followed by the enraged shouts of nearby comrades. Un’Dal sat in the middle of their forces, healing the injured as they were hauled off the line. As the enemy forces began to dwindle, the fodder jackals were replaced by larger, more intelligent ones. Noah motioned for several of the orcs to step back, giving him a couple of others the needed space to fight all out.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The night turned to day at some point in their battle, and only the strongest of Jackals and orcs remained fighting. Their narrow passageway had provided the advantage they needed to ward off the foe’s superior numbers, allowing the tired or injured safe respite in the center of their forces. As he delivered the final beast on his side to its grave, he heard a victorious shout from the other end of the fissure.

  “Take that you dog swine!” Someone yelled. Noah chuckled at his words. Others took up the mantle and began shouting down their defeated foe.

  “There will be no next time for you!”

  “We stomped you half-asleep, dirty mutts!”

  “Who’s next?”

  “You call that a fight! My mother bites harder than you!” Noah roared in laughter alongside his battle-worn companions. Without prompting they set about clearing the carcasses and stoking the fires. Between the rapid influx of XP, the payload of food, and the thrill of victory, their spirits were high as they started their day.

  “No’Ah!” Ro’kar exclaimed, grinning as he slapped him on the back. “Now that was a fight! Guess how many times I leveled! Guess!” Noah grinned.

  “10 times?” He offered.

  “More!” Ro’Kar beamed.

  “20?” Noah questioned, eyebrows raised.

  “18, but close enough!” Ro’Kar bellowed with delight. Noah was taken aback by the sudden windfall that the fight brought them. While it only amounted to two levels for him, it would significantly increase the overall strength of the tribe. He congratulated Ro’Kar before making his way over to the healer.

  “Un’Dal how did we do?” He asked, hoping for good news.

  “Several grave injuries, Chief. No casualties though.” He said with a smile. Noah sighed in relief.

  “Can you heal them?” He asked. Un’Dal nodded.

  “Some will take time, but they will all make a full recovery. The extra stats will go a long way in increasing my output as well.” Un’Dal explained. Noah thanked him and made his rounds. Several jackals were being roasted whole on makeshift spits, and large piles of the creatures were being skinned and processed, with the meat being deposited in snow vaults. His people were like superpowered factory workers, the picture of industrial efficiency. Noah rubbed his groggy eyes and made his way over to Ta’Ku and Ro’Kar.

  “How did things go on your side?” He asked them, joining them at their fire.

  “It felt like if I failed everyone around me would die.” Ta’Ku stated in a flat tone, though Noah caught the hints of a smile beneath his grave facade. Ro’Kar grunted.

  “It was a slog! But we won with minimal victories. I’m thankful we found this hole to hide in.” Ro’Kar commented. Noah patted his back.

  “I’m glad I can count on you guys. That could have gone a lot worse.” Noah said.

  “We are warriors by blood, No’Ah, we are not afraid of battle. There’s no use in making yourself miserable now.” Ro’Kar countered.

  “It’s true. Even though I get more than my fill of battle around you, I began to long for a life-or-death struggle after all the time at the village.” Ta’Ku joined in. Noah raised an eyebrow in his direction.

  “What happened to your grim, carrying-the-weight-of-the-world attitude?” Noah replied. Ta’Ku snorted.

  “There’s a difference between fighting for your own life and fighting for the lives of those around you. Though I was mainly joking.” Ta’Ku explained. Noah nodded, realizing that Ta’Ku was being serious.

  “I think I know what you mean.” Noah responded. The three of them lapsed into silence as they stared into the fire. Ro’Kar eventually spoke up.

  “You will get used to it.” He said. “For all the responsibility that it is, you will also do them a lot of good by being their leader. It will be worth it.”

  How are you enjoying the leadership arc so far? Do you think Julie is doing okay? What about those imperials? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas, I may even include them in future chapters!

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