Section 47: The Rescue (Part I)

Leading the House battalion was a lone rider, his entire form pure white. His upper body was humanoid, every muscle sharply defined, sculpted as if carved from marble. Were it not for the bizarre horse-like lower half, the centaur chieftain Broca of the House tribe would be considered exceedingly handsome—so much so that he had bewitched countless human maidens. Yet, in truth, the number of females Broca truly captivated was few; the number he had mercilessly slain on another battlefield was far greater. Among humans, the females were often derogatorily referred to by the House tribe as “breeding stock.”

Broca and his kin felt no shame in this—they took pride in it, for their virility was something they loved to flaunt.

But it must be said, the terrifying stamina of the House tribe was dreadful not only in bed, where human women loathed and feared them, but also on the battlefield. As beings fused of man and horse, they were unmatched in agility among cavalry. Their robust physiques and superhuman endurance allowed them to gallop across the vast grasslands for a day and night without fatigue.

From a distance, a single rider surged ahead of the House battalion—it was none other than Broca, the centaur general and one of the seven orc generals. Behind him stretched a straight plume of dust, and beyond that, the other House cavalry.

Indira, using her flight speed advantage, initially drew Broca and his riders away. Yet she still resolved to return and rescue Sisley—the girl was innocent and had unwittingly fallen into this peril. If Sisley fell into the hands of the House tribe, the consequences would be dire. If they could hold out until nightfall, the centaurs, unlike the catfolk led by Kate, lacked good night vision, greatly increasing their chance of escape.

Indira’s plan was not without merit. Indeed, she had successfully diverted Broca. But when she tried to return after shaking off the House riders, she had to fly low to pinpoint the rock where Sisley was held, inevitably leaving a scent trail. Riding on Broca’s back was a member of the Dog tribe, famed for his keen nose and ability to detect distant foreign scents. Thus, the House lost track of Indira again, which was not surprising. Though the House could run swift, they were no match for the speed of the Smai tribe. Broca relied on endurance and the vastness of the grasslands. As long as the House riders relentlessly pursued Indira’s flight path without allowing her rest, and given the open plains without impassable mountains or rivers—only shallow streams they could ford—and with the oracle of Odin spreading word among scattered tribes to aid in capturing Indira, the orcs had a real chance to catch her before she could cross the Ktesibios Mountains. Moreover, the proud Smai female knight’s foolishness in refusing to abandon the human girl at the start had cost her more stamina by carrying the burden.

The Dog tribesman was the key to their accurate tracking. Though the House were not known for their cunning like Fort, Broca was intelligent enough to deduce that Indira had turned back to rescue the human girl.

From a great distance, Indira spotted Broca and his riders approaching. She had no choice but to fight desperately, launching a fierce aerial assault on the House squad guarding the rock. With reckless abandon, she scattered them and forcibly ascended with Sisley in her arms. Even then, she had not abandoned hope of saving her companion. Her desperate struggle began to wear down the House cavalry—they were formidable but not invincible. Indira was undoubtedly inferior to the seven orc generals but far stronger than their subordinates.

An arrow grazed Indira’s cheek, leaving a bloody streak on her pale, beautiful face. Despite the grave danger, she succeeded in breaking the House riders’ formation, forcing them into disarray and retreat. She did not pursue; her goal was to escape with Sisley.

Quickly returning to the rock, Indira lifted Sisley onto her back and spread her wings in a powerful leap skyward. This was their only slim chance. Even burdened, Indira was confident she could outpace the House riders. The only concern was how long her stamina would hold, whether she could fly beyond the House’s reach.

Yet Indira had overestimated herself. Just as she took off, with two to three hundred meters still between them and the rock, Broca snorted coldly and suddenly surged forward. His speed increased sharply, his presence roaring like thunderclaps. Over that short distance, Broca’s charge outpaced Indira’s flight by a wide margin.

Indira saw him rushing toward her in midair and was struck with horror. Both were moving at extreme speed, leaving no time to react. When Broca was ten meters from them, his four hooves struck the ground hard, propelling him tens of meters into the air. In mid-leap, he shook his metal spear and thrust it fiercely toward Indira and Sisley. He had abandoned hopes of capturing them alive. Even if Indira escaped now, he was confident of catching her in a prolonged pursuit. Better to kill them outright and bring them back—less trouble and more certain. This spear thrust, if it struck true, would pierce through Indira and the girl she carried.

Indira dared not allow it. Helpless, she grasped her longsword with both hands and brought it down hard against the spear’s tip.

A deafening clash echoed through the air. Broca was violently deflected and slammed back toward the ground. Yet as his hooves touched down, he sprang up again with incredible agility, racing toward the point where Indira and Sisley would fall.

The situation was far worse for Indira and Sisley. Broca’s strength was superior, and he charged with the force of his sprint, while Indira had to meet him midair. Though Broca was knocked to the ground, Indira felt a jolt like lightning surging through her body, a numbness spreading from her fingertips throughout her limbs. She could no longer maintain balance. The shock even affected Sisley on her back. The two were hurled westward by the tremendous impact of the spear’s counterstrike.

Broca sneezed with excitement. Once the Smai tribe woman landed, she was finished. On the ground, she was no match for him. Even if someone of equal strength faced him, they would be worn down by the House’s astonishing endurance unless clearly superior and able to turn it into a protracted battle. The House were unafraid of such warfare.

Broca swiftly arrived at the spot where Indira and Sisley landed. The two tumbled to the earth, hair disheveled, utterly battered. Indira barely managed to raise the broken half of her longsword, its blade cracked like fractured porcelain from Broca’s blow. Worse yet, she felt a similar “cracking” sensation spreading within herself.

“Heh heh, die now!” Broca leapt once more, this time without the previous explosive run-up. He jumped only a few meters high, spear tip pointed downward, driving it down with brutal force.