Gate: Thus the Reich Empire Fought There, Revised

Chapter 9: Life At Alnus

"Honestly, these guys are getting annoying." Itami sighed.

Reaching out with his left hand, he and Forest unleashed a series of spike roots through the grassy fields past dozens of fleeing men, women, and children. The magical plants tore into a swarm of orcs and little gray goblins in hot pursuit of their prey. Greasy brown blood gushed from their impaled bodies and soaked the ground below, causing those behind them to slip.

Itami and Forest flew a few miles from Alnus Hill. They heard word of yet another approaching caravan of settlers under attack from mountain orcs and raced to their aid. Orc and goblin archers snarled with bloodlust in their eyes as they drew back arrows to ravage the fleeing people.

"Get down there!" Pina shrieked.

"Easy, we have them." Itami said.

The Princess sat behind him with one arm wrapped around his waist and the other wielding a sword. Pina no longer wore her old cuirass but rather a suit of gothic armor fitted and tailored to her. Her face contorted into gaunt terror when the orc archers shot their volley. Itami shot up a series of roots to intercept them but soon found it unnecessary. Purple gravity magic pulled the arrows down inches from their bows, and soon, the archers themselves hit the ground, unable to get up.

"Is this it?" Suzaka groaned.

"Hopefully." Itami said.

He turned his roots onto the archers, tearing through them alongside a horde of crossbow bolts shot from across the field. Down below, the men, women, and children raced past openings made by a hundred or so Reich pikemen and halberdiers. Once safely past them, a few priests and nuns tended to the wounded. Human-sized orcs now ran after them with axes and curved blades. Unlike the smaller orcs, these bigger creatures wore mail or cuirasses and carried shields.

Many impaled themselves on the pikes or battled the halberdiers. Itami's heart raced when he saw a child trip, and one of the tall orcs pounced. He readied a root but then eased when one of the halberdiers broke off and blocked the orc's sword. Itami's heart raced a little as they exchanged two blows with the monster before cleaving its head off with his polearm. Without breaking stride, the soldier picked up the boy and ran back to safety. Itami breathed a deep sigh of relief with Forest and performed a holy sign in thanks for the child's safety.

"Damn uruks." Pina snarled.

"Uruks, ahh, that's what they are then. Well, it seems our infantry have them handled. Why don't we help Bruno and the others." Forest howled at Itami's command and flew closer to the ground.

There over a dozen knights on equoferri and sergeants/hoblars on horses battled a squadron of orcs and uruks riding wargs, demonic wolf-like creatures. Pina let out a 'hmph' as she drew her sword and waited for Forest to get them close enough.

"I ought to be on one of those equoferri or at least a horse." She grumbled.

"Ja, so that you can flee again." Itami chuckled and reached back to pinch her puffed-up cheeks. "Be grateful that Frederick let you and the others even join us."

Itami gestured to Herr Azrael, who impaled an uruk with his lance. Panache rode in the saddle behind him, stabbing the warg in its snarling mouth. Beefeater likewise sat with another knight, Herr Elias, and lopped an orc rider's head off while Elias impaled the warg. Bruno led another few knights from behind and cut off the wargs' escape, cutting them down with brutal efficiency.

At last, Forest flew just above the melee and snatched a warg in her jaws. The monster shrieked and flailed about before a sharp crunch ended its miserable existence. Itami and Pina both hacked at uruks riders with their swords, drenching them in brown blood.