Chapter 173 - Last Ditch Effort
With a bang, the stone floor fragmented and flew everywhere. Sharog although weak was still able to dodge the giant's slow punch.
The close proximity also helped her notice something. It provided an adequate explanation as to why she could still muster the strength to dodge.
Not all of the runes on the giant orc's skin glowed. Those that did, glowed faintly. It was as if they were not receiving a constant or sufficient mana supply.
"Get back! It's too strong" Sharog yelled towards her allies who were already in the midst of charging forward or tossing their weapons.
"Hahaha, they think they can challenge the champions of our tribe. Those are the chosen ones of God!" The fanatics on the other side made fun of the orcs who had just begun their bitter struggle.
Sharog ignored the jeers and sneers. They never even entered her ears as she hurriedly stood up to try and dodge another sharp fist.
A crunching sound. Sharog heard a crunching sound.
"Ah!" She consequently screamed. The bones in her arm were seemingly shattered. Not only that, her back was in extreme pain after being tossed aside like a ragdoll from the force of the punch. The cobble walls did not make for a soft crash.
"Ch- chief!" Nag screamed in shock. He rocked his simple mind trying to search for an answer, for a way to help. It hurt him in more ways than one to see the young and beautiful Sharog being so brutally thrown aside. But it also hurt to find himself as nothing but a mere bystander.
Nag was not very smart. That had long since been established. He also didn't have magnificent skills. Simple-minded. Nag was simple. Like his name which only held three letters. Like his skills, like his loyalty, his thoughts. He was simple.
The imposing and lumbering orc did not let Sharog be after simply grazing her. No, for some reason it found her to be most excellent. Was he perhaps captivated by her looks? No one would be able to tell. What Nag could see however was how it walked towards Sharog's position still holding a foolish grin.
Nag grabbed a crude orc iron axe. One of the allies had probably dropped their scavenged weapon. Nag took a step forward. A shred of rationality seemed to have found its way into his body as he suddenly faltered.
But… Nag then began to run towards Sharog and the giant who was just about ready to grab hold of Sharog. A simple person did not know fear.
Was that true? Most certainly not. Most importantly, it depended on what it meant to be simple. Naive? Innocent? Modest, credulous, stupid?
Nag was not naive. Innocent? That could be argued. Modest, he was certainly of humble origins. Credulous wasn't necessarily there... So… stupid?
"Aaaaaah!!!" Nag cried loudly making the orc turn its ugly head towards him. The large tusks, the foolish grin, they were more imposing than one would think. But Nag still thrust forward. His strides becoming even more fervent and energetic.
He picked up speed even after briefly noticing Sharog's glance that seemed to plea him otherwise.
Nag held the axe well above his shoulders as he ran. The giant orc frowned its brows as it caught sight of the axe's sharp gleam. Nag was trying to harm it! Sharog was suddenly less important.
Nag jumped forward with his piled-up momentum. It could be said to be stupid to throw oneself into danger. Of course, it could also be bravery. Or... were they equivalent?
The orc swept its arm horizontally. It was only more or less double the size of a normal orc but that was still significant reach.
"Urgh…!" Nag was hit by the log-like arm. His overhead swing had left him exposed. Coupled with the exaggerated jump he was an easy target. Although his body was heftier than Sharog's, he had received direct.
Just like the previous flies, he was sent darting towards a cobble wall. The wall obviously didn't break his fall, if anything it broke his spine as he shot into another room.
"HA, HA. HA" The lumbering orc laughed dumbly. Its intelligence must have suffered a heavy blow at some point.
"""Hahaha!""" The sacred tribesmen laughed alongside it. Some laughed with delirium and others laughed with contempt.
The 'champion' as the tribesmen had named him turned towards the other Sanctuary orcs. They had all stayed back in response to Sharog's words but none had run away. They were only glaring at the oaf.
"F*ck this sh*it! Let's get 'em!" One of the orcs suddenly yelled with anger. It had been pissed off by the way the orc seemed to disregard them. It was simply unacceptable.
The other orcs didn't think badly of that plan. They released short battle cries and ran forward with bloodshot eyes.
"RAWR!!!" The orc responded with a roar of its own. It threw a kick at the incoming orcs sending some catapulting upwards. Others grabbed onto its legs and began biting at it.
The orc tried to remove the rabid creatures off its body. It kept grabbing at them while trying to crush their arms or whole torso.
"Have this!" One who still had an axe went over to the giant's leg and chopped at it like it would chop a tall tree. Of course, it made sure not to hit the other orcs who were piled up by its feet or knees biting at it.
"Argh!" The orc whose mental capacity was contested and whose runes were incomplete did not like that. As soon as it felt the sharp axe dig into its skin It punched down on the skull of the offender cracking it almost instantly.
The other orcs only became more angered and bit down harder. Those with axes also started chopping but their efforts seemed to be in vain.
"Rawr!" The orc roared once more after finally peeling off one of the leeches that bit down on its leg. It winded up its arm and tossed the orc out of the building with immense strength.
Some of the onlookers felt their lives flash right by them as the orc was sent rocketing out right next to them.
As more and more of the orcs were being killed without mercy, Sharog could only watch. She started to regret using so much power right off the bat.
Realistically, her plan was rather sound. She intended to open up a pathway for their escape. There was no way to foresee another of those giant orcs to appear precisely after that.
"Urgh…" Sharog groaned as she attempted to peel herself off the wall she ended up stuck in. She wanted to make motions and chants to at least try and delay the inevitable.
"...I didn't get to make up for it" Sharog knew it in her heart that escape was nearly impossible. Still, she had hoped that it was perhaps possible to clinch a miracle.
Sharog began a pained chant. Her shaky and weak voice did not play too large a factor on the wind elements' ability to understand her.
"Aaargh...!" Another orc was sent flying, this time deeper into the building.
The large orc continued to writhe and struggle. It twisted and turned its body taking an orc with each step and turn.
Suddenly, while it had its body facing Sharog and it peeled off an orc, a blade of wind flew at its throat.
Blood splattered onto the ground as its throat had been cleanly hit.
"G- Gurgh…" The tall orc's runes had made it so most of the damage had been mitigated but those runes were also incomplete.
"Aaargh! AAAARGH!" It then began to throw a tantrum. It glared at Sharog with bloodshot eyes. The bite and scratch marks all over its body left red bloody spots. The gashes from the axes and its sliced throat painted an ugly picture.
The orc skipped in a single step directly in front of Sharog. Its face contorted with anger, it clenched a fist and swung down towards Sharog.
A deja vu. It felt like only moments ago she had been in such a situation. The main 'difference being the circumstances. Her body refused to listen, it couldn't move.
"Rawr!" The orc snarled as its fist whizzed down towards Sharog. She closed her eyes waiting for her demise. The light in her surroundings vanished.
A fierce bang resounded. The ground shook from the energy being transferred into it.
Sharog could no longer see and the only thing she could feel was the pain of her injuries.
…
But she could still hear.
"You bit-" Sharog heard the giant's words being cut off. She also heard a loud thud. The area was also filled with silence.
Light suddenly returned. The pitch dark faded. No, to be specific the dome that protected her came undone.
The torchlight and the moonlight that came in from the thatched roof helped her easily spot her savior, Ed. Sharog was exhilarated. At least until confusion finally settled in,
"E-Ed?!" Sharog stuttered in surprise.
"Yeah" Ed replied solemnly. He could see that Sharog had suffered significant injuries. He sent a glare down the corridor and into the outside.
There, a party of sorts seemed to have been hosted as the sacred tribe's warriors were united in cheering and jeering.. Of course, none uttered a single word anymore.