Power To The Horde

"Was that supposed to be funny or something, old man?" he turned and looked at me sarcastically. "What I hid here is far more important to me than an archangel could ever be."

"Oh, really? Even at this moment? Have you already given up, old friend?" I was serious again.

"No, but this, thing, it is an artifact of great meaning to myself. And it holds great power, oh yes. And I cannot remember where exactly did I put it!" he shouted in anger. "Somewhere within this wall here, I am sure, but where is it?"

He took a few moments to cool down and think. He was standing in front of the cold wall, his arms crossed and his feet slightly spread, he was threatening the wall. After a few moments, he started the search again, and this time, the wall finally opened and revealed a very small room with a chest on its floor, and nothing else. Master Nawor hastily opened the old chest and retrieved a tiny pouch from it and then quickly hid it in his robes.

"We can go now, I have what I wanted." he stated solemnly.

"That is really nice, Master, but we have nowhere to go, the fort is surrounded by our enemies. There is nothing now except the last stand."

"Then let us stand for the last time. We have nothing better to do."

I had really hoped he wouldn't say that, I thought he was going to explain to me the great magical powers of this artifact and then he would save our skins. But it seemed that was not his intention and I suddenly felt like protesting:

"But what about your sacred artifact!? Didn't you say it was very powerful? Is there nothing you can do with it? Help us!"

"The artifact cannot save us. I simply wanted to have it with me when I die. We had no chances of escaping from the beginning, they are too many. " he replied with chilly resignation.

"But you said that we had slight chances! What was that about?"

"I lied."

The heavy castle gates my master enchanted long ago were now smashed open and the smell of burning reihac could be felt in the air. A battle was joined in the keep's courtyard, much to our advantage because this way the most of the horde could not yet get to us. We were holding fast in our hopeless stand with master Nawor on the top of the main building's external staircase. From his high position he rained fiery rage on our foes and the glee in his eyes was terrifying to behold. The majority of the attackers we were fending off were orcs in full battle gear, the undead seemed to be holding aside for now and the goblins were merely spectating. Although we were outnumbered so, the orcs were still not courageous enough to mount a true and savage onslaught in which they would surely overwhelm us, but lose some of their number as well.