Chapter 37 - Attack

Dusk quickly melted away and made way for the serene blackness of the night. There was no moon that night. Heavy storm clouds completely eclipsed the moon, covering the heavens with the overbearing nature of a heavy blanket, blocking out any form of silvery light from trickling down to the earth.

Xzavier was more than grateful for the encompassing darkness. Xzavier didn't think of himself as a superstitious guy, but even he couldn't deny the fact that nature somehow seemed to be in alignment with his interest tonight.

It was almost impossible not to see the correlation between his mood and the mood that pervaded the atmosphere.

As he lay still on the cliff, with his eye firmly pressed on this scope, Xzavier watched the orcs' movements and noted their mannerisms and moods.

Clearly, they were unaware of the looming danger that was hovering over them like a natural disaster. How could they know. Xzavier watched the unmannered and uncivilized creatures.

Unencumbered by the overbearing blackness that had enveloped the valley like gloomy dark robes, Xzavier was able to see through with the help of his high tech night vision infra-red display on the scope of his sniper rifle.

This particular feature was one of the few things that made the sniper so dangerous. It had been calibrated into his rifle such that he could even see the heat signature of an enemy hiding behind a rock.

Xzavier watched keenly as the clueless orcs emerged from their caves and went about their routine of preparing for the night's hunt. Clearly, the ugly muscled creatures were still operating under the false assumption that the night belonged to them.

They had remained unchallenged for so long now that they saw no need to mount up sentries or guard posts. This was the height of their confidence.

The moment Xzavier had been waiting finally came. He observed closely and noticed that all the orcs had gathered together in one place. They seemed to have assembled together under their leader in anticipation of the night's hunt.

Unfortunately for the orcs, they had managed to provide the best possible scene for a sniper. They were all sitting ducks, waiting to be wasted by the sniper's bullets.

The night was dark, but it was going to be set aflame by Xzavier's wrath.

Xzavier squeezed and the first bullet tore through the air at a blinding speed, there was no wind, so the bullet stayed on its trajectory path.

In the blink of an eye, the unfortunate orc whose ill luck had brought him on the five millimeter, 3inched bullet, slumped to the ground with a look of absolute shock. Xzavier checked to see if there was any reaction, there was none.

Xzavier's strike wasn't random in anyway. Because the orcs were gathered together in a kind of assembly, he had chosen to begin with a very basic taking down the orcs who were behind.

As each bullet ruptured the skulls of the unsuspecting orcs, they dropped to their death with a look of surprise that permanently remained plastered on their faces even as corpses.

The bodies had started to pile up in a neat file. The fact that they were under attack completely eluded the orcs. Xzavier would have continued his killing spree uninterrupted if not for the leader who soon realized that they were under attack.

The leader of this tribe was significantly taller and bigger than the rest of the other regular orcs. So, even though he was at the fore front of the gathering, his height had given him an advantage.

From where he stood, he saw a pile of dead bodies arranged in an almost orderly order, starting from the back.

Immediately, he let out a terrible wail that prompted instant reactions in the cluster or orcs. It was a terrible shrill voice that sounded like a battle cry, an alarm, and a death dirge. In a series of terrible grunts and cries, the leader ordered that everyone hide.

The pandemonium that followed was epic. From the height he was, Xzavier could help but derive a perverse joy as he watched them scramble about to safety.

It wasn't like they was anywhere that was safe from Xzavier's Savage indignation. The orcs hadn't realized it yet, but they would soon realize just how much destruction awaited them at the hands of the assassin hidden in the cliff above the valley.

The signal that came from the leader hinted at the fact that they were under attack. And yet, as the orcs stampeded about aimlessly, they discovered to their absolute horror that could neither see nor hear the enemies.

This further confused, enraged and terrified the simple minded bland creatures.

As Xzavier watched them scramble about in the valley beneath him, he knew that he had lost his advantage as a sniper. If he continued to take them out in this fashion, it wouldn't take long before they discerned that they were under attack from a single source.

Orcs were the original gang members. The herd mentality they were stuck with made them believe that numbers was everything. No doubt, they would be emboldened if they were ever to discover that their enemy was one. And a band of emboldened orcs was bad news.

Xzavier's mind quickly adjusted to the new situation and immediately deduced the problem. This particular tribe of orcs still had their leader, and because of that, they would make sound judgments.

If they were to see their leader drop dead like an ordinary piece of meat, their reactions would be the exact opposite.

But Xzavier was far from worried, being the astute soldier, he had already devised clever contingencies to counter these irregularities.

Xzavier casually took out his RPG from where it had been stashed. The vast expanse of land was perfect for this rocket launcher.

In those precious moments, Adalia never took her eyes off Xzavier. She watched him prep his gear with a chilling calmness. There wasn't a trace of urgency in his movements.

Through the peep hole, Xzavier honed in on the direction of the cowering orcs. The souls of the orcs were waiting to be drawn.

Retribution was lurking around the corner like a serpent lying in wait for the rodent. The orcs thought the worst was already over, but unknown to them, they were about to be hit with a destruction so terrible and so incomprehensible, they wouldn't be able to stand it.

Adalia did not think that there was anything or anyone on earth who could make the orcs cower in fright. Xzavier finally squeezed the trigger and death descended on the orcs with silent inevitability.

Adalia gasped as the rocket flew out of the launcher towards the valley. Her eyes followed the trajectory of the rocket as it blazed through the sky like a shooting star.

Unlike the cold stealth of the bullet from Xzavier's sniper rifle, the rocket blazed forth brazenly with a terrifying swoosh accompanying it. Its incandescent glow raged audaciously. The poor orcs who were in hiding were taken unawares.

BOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!

The resounding boom of the explosion resonated through the entire valley, sending shock waves rippling through the nearby surrounding.

About a dozen orcs who had been hiding in a makeshift bunker was decimated to a million irreparable fragments by the wicked rocket. Bits and pieces of roasted flesh and bones flew about. In that moment, it was almost as if it was raining meat.

The explosion had triggered a kind of mini earthquake, adding to the list of things the orcs had to worry about.

Xzavier watched with satisfaction as the fruit of his plans brought forth more fruits.

The attack was purely destructive, and it came with an audacity that was both overwhelming and daring. The terrifying ball of raging orange flame illuminated the dark valley below. But the brief illumination was the only good thing that came with the explosion.

The deafening explosion and the accompanying blast triggered a destructive wave that quickly spiraled into an apocalypse like catastrophe. If the clueless orcs had underplayed the seriousness of the attack before, they were definitely awake now. To them, it seemed like the end of the world.

Those who hadn't been killed due to proximity remained frozen in shock.

Those who attempted to run were devoured whole by the insatiable hunger of the devouring fire that had been birthed from the explosion. It was a cacophony of screams, explosions, destruction and earthquakes. Terror was the order of the day. There wasn't a single orc in the valley who had been unscathed. Either they were dead, seriously injured, burned, crushed or simply terrified.