“Can I come this time Sycro?” Marcus asked while walking towards his jet black armor that his father left him when he died fighting off a horde of orcs who had attacked the city.

The Horde: Chapter 1
Adam Wayne| 2/4/08 | Student Fiction

As the door swung open, it seemed as if Marcus had just appeared in the room with his straight black hair following his every move. He paused for a moment to catch his breath before revealing the horrible news to his older brother Sycro.

“Orcs….in….the Forest.” Marcus slowly said while taking in a breath of air and slowly exhaling it out his nose.

“Orcs? Are you serious?” Sycro questioned standing up from his chair at the word “Orc.”

“Yes, they came in from the south and have been following the border of the mountains to the forest….I think they’re going for Astrius,” answered Marcus while walking towards the fire place to warm his hands.

“Well, then I must be off before they destroy the town I’m supposed to protect.”

“Can I come this time Sycro?” Marcus asked while walking towards his jet black armor that his father left him when he died fighting off a horde of orcs who had attacked the city.

“No,” Sycro spit back while taking his deep red broad sword from the tub of poison that had been sitting for 3 ½ days to allow the poison to seep into the blade.

“Why? I’ve been doing as you told me; I practice every day,” Marcus replied as his hair fell in front of his eyes.

“As long as you do as I say and follow me,” Sycro remarked feeling sorry for yelling at his brother.

“Ok, then you lead and I’ll follow,” Marcus replied, while putting on the armor and strapping his twin blades to his back, which were followed by his quiver and he held his bow in his hand, which had been frozen from the winter air.

As they left the house, the cold, bitter winter air blew the hair from Marcus’ face, revealing his dead blue eye, which no matter how many times you looked at them they seemed to bore a hole through your soul. These soul borers rested in his pale face that seemed to always have the same dead expression and this is because he watched his dad get mutilated by orcs; orcs show no mercy and if it wasn’t for Sycro, Marcus probably would have been killed along side his dad. Ever since that day Marcus has never been the same; all he thinks about is getting his revenge on The Horde.

“Now listen to me Marcus, no matter what happens, we will have to fight them off. If I die you keep fighting, got that?” Sycro remarked while they lay face down in the winter’s cold soft snow.

“Ok, I’ll do every thing in my power, if you die, to keep the city from being destroyed,” Marcus replied as his head sank into his shoulders like a sword slips into its sheath.

“That is what I want to hear,” Sycro said as he turned his head to smile to let Marcus know that he didn’t intend on dying by a mere orc.

“You know that it is fairly cold down here,” Marcus remarked while he shivered.

“Yes it is cold, but that is because we are in the snow, and by the way don’t talk too loud, they will hear you,” Sycro whispered as he looked up and over the ridge. “They are coming”

“Ok, I’m ready,” Marcus remarked anxiously.

“Marcus, just letting you know this won’t be easy,” Sycro replied as he pointed towards the ridge. “Here they are.”

“Alright. I’ll be careful,” Marcus laughed at his words.

“Let’s go,” Sycro replied.

They both jumped up and sprinted to the ridge hoping to get the element of surprise, but to their surprise, the orcs were already set for battle. Marcus notched an arrow into his bow string, and let the arrow fly at the orc in front of Sycro. In an instant, the orc fell down dead with the arrow in his head. Sycro blocked an orc on his left, pushing the orc’s sword into the air, allowing him to come down and meet the orc’s shoulder. The orc collapsed in a blink of an eye. Marcus let a set of four arrows loose, and every one of them met a different mark. Sycro brought his sword back and threw it like a javelin. Sycro’s sword met an orc’s heart. An orc came at Marcus from the left, jumping off a rock hoping to hit Marcus with his dull blade, but he was too slow. He was dead before he hit the ground. The last orc came at Sycro with unbelievable speed. Sycro went to dodge left, but was met by an orc fist. Sycro was lying on the snow, unable to see, but he noticed a blur. Marcus came over, and helped his brother up.

“Thanks Marcus,” He replied as he wiped the snow off his back.

“No problem. It was the least I could do,” Marcus replied with a smile across his face.

“Hey Marcus, that is the first time I’ve seen you smile since dad died,” Sycro replied.

“Yes, I’m just happy,” Marcus replied.

On that day, one month ago, Marcus wasn’t just happy, he was thrilled, for on that day just one piece of his vengeance for The Horde was destroyed. From that day on Marcus was happier. He smiled every so often, and practiced more and more every day. Sometimes he would be out practicing days at a time.

As for Sycro, he went to the town miles away to gather their money for the orc heads and weapons, at the end of their sales, they had enough for food for the next three months. When Sycro got back from the town, Marcus was dressed in his armor and ready for battle.

“Bro put the money down and get ready,” Marcus turned to tell Sycro.

“Why?” Sycro questioned as he walked up to his tub of poison to pick up his sword.

“Orcs in the highlands,” Marcus replied as he walked out the door.

“Alright, let’s get moving,” Sycro remarked when he strapped his blade to his side.

They started out towards the highlands and roughly 2 hours later they caught sight of the band of orcs.

“They’re next to the mountain, it’s their camp,” Marcus remarked as he notched an arrow into its position on his bow string. “Let’s go.”

“Ready?”

“I'm always ready to kill orcs.”

As they moved closer and closer, Marcus noticed one of the orcs.

“Bro, that is the same orc that killed our dad,” Marcus whispered.