Chapter 184: Pressure

Chapter 184: Pressure

The younger Tigran remained low inside the roadside ditch while another burst of projectiles passed over him. Dirt sprayed across his shoulders as two more unfamiliar vehicles came around the southern bend and stopped behind the line of small soldiers.

Fresh soldiers jumped from the vehicles and immediately moved toward the roadside. Some replaced those already fighting near the damaged convoy, while others spread toward the trees and raised the same long weapons the Tigrans had encountered moments earlier.

The older Tigran crouched beside the younger soldier and watched the newcomers take position. More of the strange soldiers were reaching the battlefield before the Tigrans had finished dealing with the first group.

"We cannot stay here until another group arrives," the older Tigran said. "We break through the southern side now. Once we reach the forest beyond them, their weapons will be harder to use against us."

The younger soldier studied the road ahead. At least two lines of the unfamiliar soldiers stood between the ditch and the nearest trees, and several more were moving into position behind them.

"There are twice as many of them there now. If we rush straight through, every one of those weapons will be pointed at us."

"And there will be even more if we wait. Tell the archers to concentrate on the southern side, and we will force our way through one place instead of fighting along the entire road."

The order passed through the surviving Tigrans. Archers shifted behind the wagons and trees while the swordsmen gathered closer to the ditch.

The younger soldier drew nature energy through his body again. Warmth spread beneath his skin before forming a stronger layer around his arms, chest, and legs.

The wounds in his shoulder and side still hurt whenever he moved. Nature energy had reduced the damage caused by the strange projectiles, but it had not removed the injuries he had already suffered.

Several other Tigrans prepared in the same way. Faint traces of green appeared around their bodies and along the edges of their swords as they concentrated their energy.

The older soldier looked toward the archers.

"Three volleys. The moment the third leaves the bow, we run. Stay together once we reach them, because those small soldiers protect one another."

The younger Tigran adjusted his grip on his sword. "You keep looking directly at me when you give those instructions."

"You have already been hit several times because you keep trying to do things alone. I am trying to avoid carrying you back through the forest."

"You could simply admit that you are worried about me."

"I would rather charge those weapons myself."

The first arrows left the bows before the younger soldier could answer. They fell around the nearest enemy position and forced several of the small soldiers behind one of their vehicles.

The second volley followed immediately. When the third passed overhead, the Tigrans charged.

The younger soldier accelerated with the others.

Sharp cracks erupted from the enemy line.

One projectile struck the nature energy around his thigh and knocked his leg sideways. Another passed close to his face, while a third tore through the sleeve of his already wounded arm.

He changed direction before the soldier in front of him could follow with the long weapon. By the time the weapon turned, the younger Tigran had already crossed the remaining distance.

His sword came down with nature energy concentrated along its edge.

The blade cut through the front portion of the strange weapon and continued into the soldier’s chest. The younger Tigran pulled it free and moved past him before another enemy could attack from the side.

A second soldier fired from only several paces away.

Something struck the younger Tigran’s shoulder and forced him backward, but the layer of nature energy prevented it from driving deeply into his body. He recovered before the small soldier could use the weapon again and crossed the gap with two quick steps.

His sword entered beneath the soldier’s ribs.

To his left, two other Tigrans reached the enemy line.

One moved between a pair of the smaller soldiers before either could fully turn toward him. His first slash opened the throat of one man, while the second cut across the other’s chest.

Another Tigran was struck several times during his charge. Nature energy flashed across his torso with each impact, but he remained upright long enough to reach the soldiers who had attacked him.

Once the Tigrans entered sword range, the difference in physical ability became obvious.

The unfamiliar soldiers were smaller and weaker, and their long weapons became awkward once a Tigran was close enough to strike. A Tigran strengthened by nature energy could change direction faster, hit harder, and endure injuries that would have stopped an ordinary fighter.

The younger soldier ducked beneath one of the long weapons and slammed his shoulder into the soldier holding it. The smaller man fell backward, and the Tigran finished him with a downward slash before moving toward the next opponent.

Another Tigran rushed past him and cut through a weapon that had been raised to block his sword.

"These are the soldiers that surprised us?" the Tigran shouted while stepping over the broken weapon. "Once you get close, they cannot match us at all."

The older Tigran killed another small soldier who was retreating toward a vehicle.

"Stop celebrating and look south. We killed half the group in front of us, and more are already taking their places."

The younger soldier turned.

More of the unfamiliar troops had dismounted from the newly arrived vehicles. Some dragged wounded men away while fresh soldiers moved forward and raised their weapons.

The younger Tigran looked at the bodies scattered across the road. The Tigrans had cut through much of the first line, yet the number of enemies blocking the southern route seemed almost unchanged.

"They are replacing their dead before we can even open a path."

"That is why we are not staying to kill all of them," the older soldier replied. "We only need enough space to reach the trees."

Before they could continue, a different sound erupted from farther down the road.

The new weapon did not produce separate cracks like the others. Instead, a continuous roar swept across the road as projectiles tore through the brush beside the Tigrans.

The younger soldier threw himself behind a damaged wagon while branches snapped above him. The side of the wagon began breaking apart under repeated impacts, sending splinters across the ditch.

"What is that thing?"

The older Tigran dropped beside the rear wheel. "I do not know, but whatever it is, do not let it see you."

The younger soldier looked through a hole in the wagon.

Two of the smaller soldiers had positioned a heavier weapon behind the road embankment. One controlled it while another handled a long belt of metal pieces feeding into its side.

The weapon roared again.

A stream of projectiles swept across the edge of the forest.

A Tigran sprinting between two trees was caught in the attack. The first impacts struck the nature energy around his side and chest, causing the green layer to flare brightly.

He kept running.

The weapon did not stop.

More projectiles struck him before he reached the next tree. His nature energy weakened under the repeated impacts, and several shots finally penetrated deeply enough to make him stumble.

He collapsed before reaching cover.

The younger soldier stared toward the unfamiliar weapon.

"The smaller weapons hit once, then they need a moment before the next attack. That thing keeps striking until the protection breaks."

"Then the men operating it have to die."

An archer behind the convoy had already reached the same conclusion.

Two arrows flew toward the heavy weapon.

The first struck the dirt beside it. The second buried itself in the shoulder of the soldier handling the ammunition.

The man controlling the weapon immediately turned it toward the ridge.

The next burst tore through the archers’ cover. Several Tigrans were forced to leave their positions before the weapon could sweep across them again.

The younger soldier watched it turn toward the ridge.

"Keep its attention on the archers. I can reach it by moving between the wagons."

The older Tigran grabbed his wounded arm. "You have already been struck in the shoulder, side, and leg. You do not need that thing adding more holes to you."

"If it keeps firing, none of us reaches the southern trees."

"Then do not run straight at it."

"I am not planning to."

The younger soldier pointed toward the damaged wagons.

"I can use those for cover until the last one. Once I am close, that heavy weapon cannot turn fast enough to follow me."

The older Tigran studied the route and finally released his arm.

"If you stop to search through the supplies on the way, I am leaving you here."

The younger soldier smiled. "I am not planning to carry anything out this time."

"Good. Getting out alive is worth more than whatever is inside those wagons."

The archers fired again.

As the heavy weapon turned toward them, the younger soldier moved.

He sprinted behind the first wagon and crossed to the second before the operator noticed him. Another burst passed behind him and tore chunks from the wagon’s wooden side.

He reached the final vehicle and crouched behind its broken wheel.

The strange weapon was only a short distance away.

The operator finally saw him and swung the barrel toward the wagon.

The younger Tigran ran.

The first burst struck the road behind his feet.

The second caught him across the back and side.

Nature energy flared violently around his body. Several impacts lost most of their force against the protective layer, but others broke through enough to tear flesh and send pain across his ribs.

He nearly fell, but forced his legs to keep moving.

One of the smaller soldiers stepped between him and the heavy weapon.

The man’s long weapon cracked once.

Something struck the Tigran’s chest and slowed against the nature energy before penetrating shallowly. The younger soldier crossed the remaining distance before the man could attack again.

His sword cut through the long weapon and continued across the soldier’s neck.

The crew operating the heavier weapon tried to turn it toward him.

They were too slow.

The younger Tigran reached the operator first and drove his sword through his shoulder and chest. The wounded ammunition bearer reached toward another weapon on the ground, but the Tigran kicked him away from it and finished him before he could recover.

For the first time since the heavier weapon had started firing, that section of the road became quiet.

The younger soldier leaned one hand against the weapon’s mounting while struggling to catch his breath. Blood ran beneath his clothing from the wounds across his back and side.

Another Tigran reached him and looked at the dead crew.

"You actually reached them. I thought you were going to fall halfway across the road."

"So did I."

"You look like half the road hit you."

"That sounds closer to the truth."

The other Tigran started laughing, then pointed south.

"You may want to save your strength. They are bringing another one of those things."

The younger soldier followed his gesture.

A second heavy weapon was being unloaded from one of the newly arrived vehicles.

Fresh soldiers formed around it while others moved into the places left open by their dead.

The younger soldier’s expression changed immediately.

The older Tigran arrived moments later and looked toward the new weapon.

"We have killed enough of them to destroy two ogre patrols, and they still have more soldiers coming."

The younger Tigran wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "They are weak once we reach them."

"That does not help us if they keep attacking from a distance before we can get there."

"We already broke through one part of their line."

"And look at what it cost."

The younger soldier glanced toward the surviving fighters.

Several were wounded. One was being helped away from the road, while another had wrapped cloth tightly around a bleeding thigh.

Nature energy had allowed them to survive repeated hits, but every strike still caused damage. The more energy they used to protect themselves, the harder it became to maintain the same protection.

The newly deployed heavy weapon opened fire.

The Tigrans dropped behind the wagons and road embankment as another stream of projectiles swept across their previous positions.

The older soldier crouched beside the younger Tigran.

"We make one more push toward the southern trees. Everyone moves together this time. Once we break through, nobody turns around for supplies, weapons, or anything else left on the road."

The younger soldier glanced toward the damaged convoy. "I understand. If we open a path, we use it and leave."

"Exactly. Anything still on that road belongs to whoever survives long enough to claim it."

The younger soldier laughed despite the pain and tightened his grip on his sword.

The remaining Tigrans gathered behind the damaged wagons. Archers moved into positions where they could fire toward the heavy weapon while the swordsmen prepared for another rush.

The younger soldier pulled more nature energy through his body.

The response came slower this time.

The protective layer formed around him, but it was thinner than before. His wounds burned whenever he pushed more energy into his arms and legs.

He looked toward the enemy line.

Dead small soldiers lay near the road, beneath the trees, and beside the damaged vehicles. Fresh soldiers continued occupying those positions while others carried ammunition forward.

A Tigran beside him raised his sword.

"If we reach them again, they will fall."

The younger soldier watched another group climb from a vehicle.

"The problem is reaching every group before the next one arrives."

The older Tigran heard them.

"We are not trying to kill everyone on this road. We break the southern line and leave. Save your energy for that."

The archers began drawing their bows.

The heavy weapon fired another burst toward the ridge.

The younger soldier lowered himself and prepared to run when movement near one of the unfamiliar vehicles caught his attention.

A small soldier stepped away from the vehicle carrying a long tube over one shoulder.

The younger Tigran frowned.

"That is another new weapon."

The older soldier looked in the same direction. "I have not seen them use anything shaped like that."

The small soldier dropped to one knee.

Instead of pointing the tube at a single fighter, he aimed it toward the cluster of Tigrans waiting behind the damaged wagons.

The younger soldier saw the tube settle in their direction.

Every instinct told him to move.

"Get away from the wagons!"

Smoke and flame burst from the rear of the tube.

Something shot across the road so quickly that the younger Tigran barely saw it.

It struck the wagon beside them.

The explosion tore through the road in a burst of fire, shattered wood, dirt, and smoke.