Journal of Miyara Kyosuke (38)

    As dawn broke, I was in the tunnel waiting for the attack that would surely come today.  I did not have to wait long.

    There was a reverberating growl from the orcs.  They formed a phalanx of ten, covered as a tortoise with shields.  They began marching across the bridge.
    Suddenly a bright light flared about halfway across the bridge, exploding violently.  Perhaps this was Carimera's doing.  Whatever it was, it did no good.
    This was followed by an eerie moaning.  It was not a human sound, but a low moan that lasted for about a second.  It seemed to be coming from in front of us.  It modulated into vibration, at which the walls began to crumble.  In a few seconds, the tower above us collapsed onto the abyss, while the portcullis itself and the walls around it collapsed too.  I hoped Miyara had managed to escape the tower as it fell.
    The white fairy's vision was about to come true.  The orcs started streaming in, howling in full orcish rage.  The formation had been forgotten at the smell of battle, just like any other barbarians in this land.
    I started Clown Fighting and engaged the orcs as they came down the tunnel at us.  The first one at me I dispatched readily while he pulled up laughing.  I noticed Goru fighting in the fairy fashion, rough and crude but fairly effective in a brutish way, while I struck the second.  Goru still fought his first while I engaged my third.   Goru killed one, but was hit in return.  A light swipe this time while seeming to slip, while Goru continued to fight his next opponent, connecting but being hit again before he killed his second.  I followed up the feint with a solid blow, but this one was strong of spirit and stayed on his feet through many blows, laughing heartily as he fought.  Goru swung his mighty maul delivering mighty blows, but he seemed unable to break their spirit of determination.
    Finally Goru's falls for his third kill, while I continued to fight mine.  Finally I struck the killing blow on my third too.  We both fought our fourth now, having stopped the momentum of the charge as the inrushing tide ran against the walls of our defensive stand.
    I struck hard and killed again, but Goru slipped in the blood and fell hard against the wall as his opponent descended on him in fury.  Fortunately his heavy armor protected him fairly well, and he staggered to his feet and returned the blows, crushing his head.
    Fifteen seconds into combat and we had dispatched eight between us,
    We continued our ways, striking at our opponents and holding our ground.  I dispatched another for my fifth, and Goru matched me again.  He was continued to take light damage, however, slowly but surely eating away at his ability to fight.  We continued still, Goru taking his sixth.  No-one stepped in to replace his because of the mass of bodies.  Mine went down too, earning us both a brief respite.
    I treated Goru's wounds while we had a break.  We readied ourselves for the next wave.