Volk’s eyes narrowed as the unsettling presence of the winged figures above continued to stir the unease in his chest. The faint, rhythmic sound of beating wings grew louder, drilling into his ears. His jaw clenched, and he turned abruptly toward his Horde.

“GET UP!” Volk’s voice roared through the night like a crashing thunderclap, reverberating off the trees. The sharpness of his tone shattered the stillness, cutting through the snores and groans of his slumbering warriors. “WAKE UP, YOU SLOTHFUL DOGS! GET TO YOUR FEET RIGHT NOW!”

Some stirred sluggishly, rolling over on the uneven ground, groaning as if swatting away an imagined fly. Others blinked groggily, their eyes barely open, uncomprehending. Volk’s patience, already thin, snapped further.

“I SAID WAKE UP!” His voice was raw with fury, loud enough to rattle the loose stones on the forest floor. He stomped forward, kicking at a nearby ogre who remained sprawled on the ground. “You think you can sleep through this? YOU THINK THIS IS THE TIME FOR DREAMING? DO YOU WANT TO DIE WHERE YOU LIE? GET UP! NOW!”

A few members of the Horde scrambled to their feet, their movements jerky and uncoordinated. Weapons clanged as they fumbled for their gear, still half-asleep and confused.

“MOVE!” Volk snarled, his crimson eyes flaring in the darkness. “THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THIS IS NOT A DREAM! THERE’S SOMETHING OUT THERE, CIRCLING ABOVE US! YOU’D BEST BE READY, OR YOU’LL BE THE FIRST TO FALL!”

Nearby, an orc yawned, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. Volk stalked over, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him upright. “DID YOU NOT HEAR ME, YOU LUMBERING FOOL? OR DO YOU NEED ME TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU? GET. UP. NOW!”

A commotion began to ripple through the camp. Some members of the Horde scrambled in panic, tripping over themselves as they rushed to grab their weapons and armor. Others moved more calmly, their faces stoic as they checked their gear with practiced efficiency.

Volk’s voice rose above the chaos, a relentless storm of commands. “YOU! GRAB YOUR SPEAR AND CHECK THE PERIMETER! YOU THERE, GET THE TORCHES LIT! I WANT LIGHT—BRIGHT ENOUGH TO BURN OUT THE STARS!”

A goblin scurried past, clutching a shield almost too large for its frame. Volk bellowed at him, his voice like the crack of a whip. “DON’T JUST RUN IN CIRCLES, YOU PATHETIC WHELP! TAKE YOUR POSITION! EVERYONE—FORM RANKS! I WANT DISCIPLINE, NOT THIS SLOPPY CHAOS!”

Despite his fury, some of the Horde remained oblivious, still curled up and snoring loudly. Volk’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he marched over to the worst offenders.

“YOU DARE TO SLEEP WHILE THE ENEMY CIRCLES ABOVE?!” he roared, kicking over a makeshift bedding pile. The ogre sleeping there jerked awake, his eyes wide with confusion. “I’LL TEAR YOUR DREAMS APART IF YOU DON’T STAND UP THIS INSTANT! MOVE, OR I’LL DRAG YOU TO YOUR FEET MYSELF!”

A goblin muttered something incoherent in its sleep, rolling over to face away from Volk. His patience snapped entirely. He grabbed a nearby helmet and hurled it at the offending goblin’s head. CLANG! The sound rang out, and the goblin shot upright with a yelp, clutching its skull.

“YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE?” Volk shouted, his voice seething with rage. “WAKE UP! WAKE UP, ALL OF YOU! I’LL NOT HAVE MY HORDE CAUGHT UNAWARES BECAUSE OF YOUR LAZINESS!”

Finally, the entire Horde began to stir. Some were still sluggish, rubbing their eyes as they staggered to their feet. Others, more alert, snapped into formation, their weapons gleaming in the flickering torchlight.

“DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME?” Volk continued, pacing through the camp like a raging storm. “OUT THERE, IN THE SKY, SOMETHING WATCHES US! SOMETHING HUNTS US! YOU THINK IT WILL WAIT FOR YOU TO ROLL OUT OF BED AND RUB THE SLEEP FROM YOUR EYES? YOU’D BEST BE READY, OR YOU’LL BE NOTHING MORE THAN A MEAL FOR WHATEVER’S OUT THERE!”

An orc, still dazed, dropped his shield as he scrambled to strap on his armor. Volk rounded on him immediately. “PICK THAT UP! NOW! IF YOU CAN’T HOLD YOUR WEAPON, YOU’RE BETTER OFF DIGGING YOUR OWN GRAVE!”

He turned to address the entire Horde, his voice booming over the din. “THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! BE READY, OR BE DEAD! I WON’T TOLERATE WEAKNESS, AND NEITHER WILL THE ENEMY!”

The Horde was finally beginning to organize, their movements more coordinated as they formed ranks and checked their weapons. But Volk wasn’t done. He continued to shout, his voice a relentless hammer driving nails into their ears.

“EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU WILL BE READY!” he bellowed. “IF I SEE ONE MORE OF YOU LAGGING BEHIND, YOU’LL ANSWER TO ME PERSONALLY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

A chorus of hurried affirmations rose from the Horde, their voices a mix of fear and determination.

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” Volk roared. “LOUDER!”

“YES, CHIEF!” they shouted, their voices echoing through the forest.

Satisfied but still bristling with tension, Volk stalked back to the center of the camp. His crimson eyes flicked to the sky, scanning for any sign of the figures that had been circling above. The wind howled through the trees, carrying with it the faint, ominous sound of wings.

He turned back to his Horde, his voice low but no less commanding. “Stay sharp. Stay alive. Whatever’s out there, we’ll face it together. But make no mistake—there’s no room for mistakes. Not tonight.”

Meanwhile, the formation was completed, and the Horde stood in uneasy silence, the atmosphere tense and charged as the wind picked up, rustling the leaves of the trees around them. The once comforting darkness of the night now felt oppressive, the flickering torchlight casting dancing shadows on the ground. Some warriors shifted uneasily on their feet, clutching their weapons tighter as a feeling of being watched crept over them like a predator stalking prey.

It was subtle at first—a flicker in the corner of a goblin’s vision, a darting shadow against the treetops. A low murmur began to ripple through the group. “Did you see that?” one goblin whispered, his voice trembling as his wide eyes scanned the canopy above.

An orc snarled, baring his teeth as he glared at the nervous goblin. “Quiet, runt! You’ll scare yourself to death before anything comes for you.” Yet, even as he spoke, his grip on his axe tightened, his eyes darting upward.

The torches seemed dimmer now, their light failing to reach the heights of the trees or the cloudy sky above. Something was wrong. The darkness was no longer still; it seemed alive, shifting and swirling like a living thing. And then they saw it—a fleeting shadow, moving too fast to pinpoint.

“There! Did you see that?” another goblin hissed, pointing upward with a shaking finger.

“Shut it!” an ogre growled, his deep voice carrying authority. But even he couldn’t hide the unease in his tone. His eyes, usually filled with confidence, flickered with uncertainty as he scanned the heavens.

More shadows appeared, darting between the treetops, blending into the inky blackness. They weren’t shapes the Horde could easily describe—winged figures, gliding silently through the night, their outlines blurring with the movement of the clouds.

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“They’re circling us,” a goblin whispered, barely audible over the sound of the wind.

The observation sent a ripple of fear through the group. Whispers turned to murmurs, and murmurs grew into a low rumble of unease. The Horde was a force to be reckoned with on the ground, but the skies were unfamiliar, unreachable. The thought of an enemy above, unseen and untouchable, set their nerves on edge.

“What are they waiting for?” an orc muttered, his voice a growl of frustration. He swung his axe experimentally, as though trying to dispel the feeling of helplessness.

“Could be scouts,” another warrior said, his tone grim. “Could be sizing us up.”

The shadows grew bolder, swooping lower now, their silhouettes just barely visible against the faint light of the clouds. A goblin yelped and ducked as one passed overhead, its wingspan wide and imposing.

“They’re watching us,” one goblin whimpered, clutching his spear so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “They’re hunting us.”

“Enough!” the ogre barked, his deep voice cutting through the growing panic. “Hold your ground! They’re just birds—nothing we can’t handle!”

Yet, even as he spoke, his eyes flicked nervously to the sky. The shadows above weren’t just birds. They were too coordinated, too purposeful in their movements. Whatever they were, they were waiting for something.

The Horde’s unity began to falter as the sense of vulnerability settled over them. The ground warriors were accustomed to combat against things they could see and strike. This… this was different. The enemy above moved in the shadows, unseen and unreachable, their presence a constant reminder of the Horde’s limitations.

“They’re testing us,” an older goblin murmured, his voice low and grim. “Waiting to see if we’ll break.”

But they wouldn’t break. Not with Volk among them. As the Horde shifted uneasily, their gazes drifted toward their leader. His crimson eyes burned in the dark, scanning the skies with an intensity that seemed to pierce the night itself. His presence was like an anchor, a reminder that even in the face of the unknown, they had a leader who would guide them through.

Still, the shadows continued to circle, their movements a silent mockery of the Horde’s helplessness. Every warrior’s eyes were on the skies now, weapons ready, hearts pounding.

Soon enough, a shadow from the sky slowly fluttered down.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep