Rise of the Horde

"He...he...he..." Commander Nassor giggled as he sprinted forward unarmed towards the scared soldiers who took a few steps back until they can no longer retreat as those behind them prevented them from doing so. He crouched down on all fours and crawled forward and the malicious grin that crept up to his lips was ever present as he moved slowly forward, much like how the desert spiders and arachnids do.

The old commander crept his limbs forward, taking a few seconds of pauses as he moved. With each step forward that he took, the soldiers that were his comrades took a step forward. This situation continued for a few seconds until the one that saved Commander Nassor yanked him back away from the scared soldiers.

Commander Ishaq stared with both confusion and panicked at his mentor. "No...no...no... You are better than this... You are the best that I have known..." he muttered as his horse\'s galloped changed into a trot as he approached his mentor, who was tussling around with the one who saved him from committing his suicidal attempt.

"Encircle the fiend! Weapons at the ready!" the commander of the Ereian Royal Army bellowed loud commands, as he still didn\'t give up on his attempt to kill the old commander. Rapid, heavy footsteps echoed as dust and sand were kicked up in the air. The pride of Ereia was quick to form a circle around Commander Nassor and the one restraining him. The long oblong shields were planted to the ground, and they pointed the spearheads that gleamed with danger at the uncontrolled commander.

"Barika! What is the meaning of this. How dare you do this to our mentor!?" Commander Ishaq growled towards his peer, who he trained with during their younger years. They were both from the same generation who suffered together and survived through the intense trainings that they were subjected to. The two were also like brothers, but they had opposite feelings towards their mentor. Commander Ishaq felt admiration and respect towards his mentor, but Barika held no respect for the old man who taught them everything but only hatred and anger.

"It is Commander Barika to you. You might be the assigned personal warrior of His Highness, but I am the leader of the Ereian Royal Army. You should show respect even if you do not want to. Even if you do not respect me as your brother, you must still salute my rank and address me as such. Don\'t call me by my name! You don\'t have the right to do so. I have long forgotten that you were once a brother to me after everything that you have done and forgotten." Commander Barika\'s face was scrunched up in anger, his brows knitted together, his eyes blazing with fury, and he was gritting his teeth while holding himself back.

"Men! Prepare to subdue the fiend! Kill him if you must!" Commander Barika shouted his commands. Commander Ishaq\'s face turned sour as he heard his once brother\'s order. "You can\'t do this! He is still a commander of the kingdom!" he bellowed with such ferocity that the advancing Ereian Royal Army paused for a few seconds before continuing on executing what they were ordered to.

"Fools! Don\'t approach or it will be your end." Commander Karim bellowed as he held the old commander in place with all his strength. A dark red magic circle emerged around them and the two of them were in the center of the magic circle. Blood red haze was oozing out from the magic circle and small sparks danced around inside it like slithering snakes. The Ereian Royal Army slowly advance in unison, unaware of the danger that they were headed towards.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!" the synchronous sound of their march reverberated through the silent desert as the regular and peasant soldiers watch the spectacle that was ongoing in silence. Like a slow beat of drum, their heavy footsteps sounded while their shields were in front of them at the ready to deflect any sudden attacks.

It only took them a few moments before the first column of the Ereian Royal Army that encircled the two commanders, step on the outer edges of the magic circle. The dim glow of the runes on the sand grew intense as those who had their feet inside the magic circle bursted into pieces like something tore them apart from the inside out. Blood and flesh flew everywhere as the first line of Ereia\'s best bursted to pieces. It didn\'t take long for the second line to also have their feet inside the magic circle and they suffered the same fate.

"Fools! I told you not to approach! Are you all deaf!" Commander Karim glanced towards the advancing Ereian Royal Army who were marching forward towards their death. His voice was filled with exhaustion, anger, and annoyance. "You better tell your soldiers to stand down or you won\'t have an army to command later!" he bellowed as he stared daggers at the commander of the foolish soldiers, who were supposed to be the best of the kingdom.

Commander Karim\'s hand shone with a golden light as he held the growling old commander in place who was thrashing around to try and escape his hold. The golden light that started from the hands of the fat commander spread outward and started to cover his entire body. It was like he was bathing in golden light, which protected him from the little sparks that were present within the magic circle that danced around seeking their next victim.

"Pesky Paladin! Get your filthy hands off me!" Command Nassor growled in a very strange voice, like there were multiple people speaking at the same time. A red miasma started to envelope his body as he wrestled himself away from the grip of the paladin restraining him.

"A paladin! He was a paladin! That ale addict ball of flesh was a paladin! Faerush and his priests must have been mad to give holy power to him." Baron Masud exclaimed, as he can\'t quite believe what he was witnessing. Paladins were very rare in the kingdom, who were trained to be both a priest who could combat demons with the holy powers that were bestowed upon them but are also trained as warriors. They were a hybrid of a priest and a warrior.

"I thought the way of the paladin was lost a hundred years ago. I can\'t believe what I am seeing. There is still a paladin in the kingdom." Baron Husani gawked as he observed the current event.

"With the power bestowed upon me. By the name of Faerush, the God of the Endless Sand and God of Ereia begone demon and return to where you have come from. Free this man from your grasp or else I\'ll erase you from existence." Commander Karim muttered as two balls of golden light started emerging from his hands that glowed with a very intense light which blinded all those who looked at it.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Commander Nassor\'s scream of pain filled the place as the paladin brought his hands closer to his head. "Curse you! I curse you and your f*ck*ng god!" Commander Nassor shouted as the paladin\'s hands were on his forehead and chest right where his heart was at. The intense golden light obscured the vision of those around and prevented them from knowing what exactly transpired inside the blinding golden light.

"Hoooo! I think I need some training. It\'s been a long time since I last used this ability." Commander Karim sighed as he sat beside the unconscious old commander who was now freed from the grasp of the demon that tried to take over his body. Sweat covered his forehead, and he was panting heavily. Him using his paladin powers after a very long time of not using them sapped him of almost all his energy. "Phew! That was intense!" he exclaimed as he got up on his feet and stared at the faces of those around him who had a look of disbelief. The only one who was smiling was His Highness, after knowing that the gigantic ball of meat was not just a normal warrior but a paladin.

Commander Karim scratched the back of his head in awkwardness, as he can\'t take all the attention that was focused on him. He felt a little shy about it as he saw the look of admiration in the eyes of the soldiers towards him. He smiled awkwardly, but soon he jolted in alarm, as he felt an ominous feeling.. "Prepare for battle! The monsters are upon us! He shouted with all his strength as he crouched down and picked up the old commander and carried him on his shoulders like a sack of grains.