The stone walls of the station were worn and crumbling. Once a waypoint for trade and patrols, it had now become their isolated and desperate sanctuary.
Cold winds swept through the cracks in the broken windows, carrying with them the chill and unease of the forest. The night had deepened, and the faint firelight in the corner of the room cast flickering shadows on the walls.
Cain and Ze sat on wooden crates, poring over a map and discussing possible directions for reinforcements.
"The signal we sent out will be received by tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. If the central reconnaissance team happens to be nearby, they could arrive by noon the day after tomorrow," Ze said in a low voice, pressing his finger against a marked route.
"And if the signal isn't received?" Tario asked from the side, his voice low but unable to hide the anxiety within.
"Then we'll need to hold out for three days... or even longer," Cain said, looking at the others, his tone calm but resolute.
At that moment, Rodi emerged from the back of the station, holding a wiped cloth and a few pieces of dry rations. His eyes still carried a trace of unease, but he was no longer as agitated as the night before.
"I've calmed the children down. The village elder said he can hold on for a while longer, but the food will only last two days at most."
Aina walked over and gently draped a blanket over his shoulders. "You should rest too. We're all here to help you."
"I... thank you," Rodi said, bowing his head, his voice trembling. "If you hadn't come with me, I don't know what I would've done."
Tario patted him on the shoulder with a grin. "You're one of us. We won't let you face this alone."
The rest of the squad came over one by one, patting Rodi's shoulder, silently reassuring him not to feel too burdened.
"Everyone's exhausted today. Get some rest so we can face whatever comes tomorrow," Cain said to the group.
As the night grew deeper, Ze stood watch at the top of the station's lookout post.
He gazed into the distance, his sharp eyes like those of a hawk, listening intently for any disturbances carried by the wind.
Aina climbed up, handing him a flask of hot water. "You haven't slept all night?"
Ze nodded slightly, taking the flask, his gaze never leaving the horizon.
"You're always so calm... who are you, really?" Aina asked softly.
He was silent for a moment before replying in a quiet voice, "I'm just a soldier, like all of you."
His tone was steady, but Aina could sense something different. Unlike before, when he kept his distance from others, there was now a hint of "we" in his words.
Before dawn broke, the sound of heavy breathing and low growls echoed from deep within the forest. They were coming.
Cain immediately blew the whistle, and everyone rushed outside, quickly taking their positions according to the defensive arrangements they had prepared the night before.
The orcs' silhouettes emerged from the morning mist. They were tall, muscular, and imposing, carrying crude but deadly metal axes and claws. Leading them was a massive orc with twin horns and red markings. A bloodthirsty grin played on its lips, and its weapon was vastly different from those of its kin.
The claws in its hands seemed to carry a hint of technology. The dark metal glowed with a faint red light, and the powered core embedded within the weapon hummed ominously, as if nothing could withstand its strike.
The squad was stunned by the sight of the leader's weapon.
They had never seen such a destructive weapon on this land and didn't even recognize it as technology from Akaser.
While the group was still in shock, Ze's voice rang out, calm but tinged with anger. "Their numbers aren't large, but their impact is strong."
Cain nodded. "Use the traps and terrain. We need to buy time."
Tario and Aina quickly positioned the pits and smoke grenades they had prepared the night before, while Rodi and a few villagers lined up behind the stone wall with longbows.
The first wave of the attack came suddenly. Before anyone could react, an orc broke through a corner of the wall. Ze immediately lunged forward, his short blade slicing through the air and precisely stabbing into the orc's shoulder joint. The beast roared and swung its fist, but Ze stepped back, kicking it into a pit trap.
Despite their fierce resistance, Cain's small squad and the frail villagers couldn't hold back the orc squad's relentless assault for long.
"Southeast breach!" Tario shouted.
Before he could finish, an orc wielding an axe broke through the southeast barricade, charging toward the shelter where the children and elderly were hiding.
Cain quickly gave orders. "Split up! Aina, Rodi, with me—support the southeast!"
The three of them rushed to the breached area. Smoke grenades exploded, obscuring vision. The orcs lost their advantage of direction, and the squad used narrow passages to conduct guerrilla attacks, repeatedly luring the enemies into traps or rockfall zones.
The second wave of the assault was even fiercer.
The leading orc smashed a hole in the outer wall, and several enemies poured through the breach. Cain charged forward, his staff clashing against the orc's weapon with a resounding metallic clang.
Rodi gritted his teeth, holding the exit against an orc's axe. The impact left his arm numb. Aina swiftly drew her bow and fired a flaming arrow, igniting the orc's shoulder armor and forcing it back.
"We can't let them inside!" Tario shouted, leading a few villagers to topple a wooden rack to block the breach.
As the battle reached a stalemate, Ze suddenly appeared behind the enemy lines. From an abandoned granary, he threw a homemade flash grenade—
Boom!
A blinding white light erupted, momentarily blinding several orcs. The squad seized the opportunity to counterattack, driving the enemies back.
Realizing they couldn't take the station quickly, the orcs roared in frustration and retreated into the forest.
Outside the station, blood and debris littered the ground. Inside, everyone collapsed to the floor, their heavy breathing filling the air.
"We... we held them off," Rodi said softly, his face covered in dirt and sweat.
Cain took a deep breath and nodded. "But they'll come back. We need to prepare better."
During the battle, Cain had noticed something unsettling—the leading orc hadn't joined the assault. Instead, it stood in the rear, its dark eyes fixed on their movements, as if observing and analyzing.
Their weapons from the training camp were nearly useless against the orcs' thick hides, except for Ze's short blades. The only other effective attacks were Aina's flaming arrows, which seemed to instill fear and cause injury.
That night, they gathered around the campfire again. After the day's battle, a sense of despair began to creep into their eyes. One day had already pushed them to their limits, and they had no idea how much longer it would take for reinforcements to arrive.
"Stay strong!" Cain said firmly. "We're the only ones who can protect these villagers. Our only choice is to hold them off again."
Rodi, overwhelmed with emotion, began to speak, but the others quickly calmed him down.
"Ze! Tell us everything you know! None of our weapons can harm them except yours," Cain said, for the first time issuing a direct order to Ze.
Ze looked at Cain, then at the others, and took a deep breath. "My short blades were given to me by my father. They combine Akaser technology with the elemental power of Elamia. They're the only weapons capable of harming the orcs."
He pulled out the pair of short blades from his waist. Each blade was no longer than an arm, with an irregularly curved shape. The edges shimmered with a silvery-white glow, and upon closer inspection, the air around the blades seemed to ripple, forming a sharp, transparent field that looked capable of slicing anything cleanly in half.
The group stared at the weapons in awe.
"That's so cool!" Rodi exclaimed, his eyes wide, his earlier despair completely gone.
"Big brother! You're my big brother from now on! Make your little brother a weapon like that too!" Tario declared, his earlier sadness replaced by excitement.
Aina, though less outwardly enthusiastic than the boys, was equally intrigued, though her preference for bows remained. Her eyes, however, gleamed with curiosity and admiration.
Cain, who had long suspected something unusual, remained focused on the blades, his curiosity deepening.
Ze quickly interrupted their admiration. "For now, I'm the only one who can harm the orcs. We need to come up with a new plan."
"The leading orc!" Cain suddenly said.
The team looked at him in confusion.
Cain continued, "Take out the leader, and we can stop their attacks."
Everyone nodded in agreement. It was their only chance to protect the villagers behind them.
All night, Ze and Cain worked tirelessly by the campfire, drafting plans and analyzing tactics.
To protect everyone, the shadows of the two men stretched long by the firelight, becoming a source of comfort and security for those who slept.