The Beginnings of a New "Waagh!"
To the Captain of Fort Iron that protects our nation from the Badlands,
I am Sargent Redhoof keeping watch on the Greenskins from Scout Base 024. Over the past two weeks, we have lost several pegasus scouts and now we have just found out why. A great Waagh has come together under a new Warboss by the name of Ironeye and-
Redhoof’s green eyes winced and narrowed in the dim light as the room around him shook as tiny bits and pieces of masonry clattered across his helmet and red horn, another crash that had come from the artillery engines of the most persistent enemy Equestria had ever faced since the Tartarus spawned windigos. The quill in his blue magical aura that was dancing across the page of the scroll briefly shivered in his grasp from the gradual loss of his nerves and making a few of the words not as neat as he might have liked. But, good horn writing was not as important here as getting this information on the scroll over to Equestria.
-I fear that unless Equestria musters its armies our great nation will fall. The size of this Waagh, while not as large as the great Green Tide over a millennia ago, is formidable and the largest that has come together in the past few hundred years. My estimate of the Orc forces besieging us is at least twenty-thousand strong, how we have missed such massive numbers of these beasts is beyond me, but Sisters above I dare to hold on to hope that we stand strong against it. If I had more time I would have given a detailed report, but I am pressed to warn you as fast as possible. The beasts are already nearly through the gate. By the time this message reaches you we will have fallen, but we will die fighting to the last pony.
May Celestia and Luna guide you and victory to Equestria,
Sargent Redhoof
Finally, the last words of the scroll were written and Redhoof quickly rolled it up with his magic, messily poured the wax, and stamped down the special insignia.
With a clatter, the chair he was sitting on was unceremoniously knocked over in his rush to get out of the room and the insignia of this forward scout base in the badlands was simply tossed onto the tabletop with as little care. With a shove of his shoulder the wooden door was thrown open and the mid-day light of the badlands briefly scorched his eyes.
This scout base was essentially a small castle built into the side of one of the many mountains and cliffs that surrounded the arid badland wastes that kept this blasted land from the rest of civilized society. The stone walls of this base were tall but short compared to the height of typical castle walls and were built in a hurry when it was first constructed. Someone may think this to be excessive for something as expendable as a forward scout base that should always be ready to evacuate…
But that creature had never faced Orcs before.
Enough of the Greenskins could tear through a wooden palisade like it wasn’t even there as their sheer size and bulk give them immense strength and endurance as well as making all but the largest of ponies look like teenage colts and fillies in size compared to them. A pony in a one on one fight with an orc would lose almost every time without help, barring the exceptional or well-trained fighters. In addition, the Orcs were beasts of pure violence that attacked everything, including themselves. Without proper defenses to deter all but the most suicidal and stupid of the Orcs, the ponies in this base would have been overrun long ago. Stone walls and heavily fortified static defenses were a simple necessity if you wanted to have a chance at life out here, though with the massive green army outside that chance was looking rather slim now.
Everyone escaping is a fool’s errand as well, the spellcasters, siege engines, and archers of the great war machine of the Orcs would tear through the bulky, slow-moving carriages that are needed to relocate the soldiers here. And they did not have that many in the first place.
Redhoof was the fifth commander of this outpost since it had been made and if the Greenskins have their way there is not going to be a sixth when this is all over. The sound of battle was louder as Redhoof stepped out of the tower and onto the battlements. The warcries of ponies that jabbed their spears down at any orc or goblin that tried to climb up with ladders, the whistling and boom of the rocks being flung at the outpost’s walls, the guttural screaming of “Waagh!” coming from the Greenskins, the crying and whimpering of the wounded or dying or just the ponies that couldn’t handle the fact that they might die today, all greeted Redhoof as he surveyed the situation. A stray arrow clattered into the stone wall over his head and shattered into pieces.
“Damned beasts!” one stallion screamed as he picked up a good-sized rock from a nearby pile with his hooves and flung it down over the side of the wall while his partner in combat shot a crossbow bolt at the oncoming horde. “Burn in Tartarus!”
Redhoof didn’t stay in his spot for long, he was already galloping across the battlements. His ears turned as a whistling noise echoed in the air, a quick glance to the side let him just see a large rock smashing into the top of the wall right in front of him. He lost his balance from the impact and tripped over the hole, just barely managing to catch himself on the edge. With strain, Redhoof pulled himself over the edge and collapsed on the ground. His body ached, but he knew that it was a superficial kind of injury at worst.
No matter, he needed to get to the top of the only other tower in this base. With a huff, Redhoof pulled himself together and defiantly stood on his four hooves, snatched the scroll once more, and dashed off. There wasn’t much distance left and he threw the door open, headed straight for the stairs, and flew up them so fast he could have been mistaken for a pegasus instead of a unicorn.
The top of the tower was open to the air and several guard ponies were firing crossbows, dropping stones, running around restocking supplies, switching off tired ponies for rested ones, or even just blasting magic at everything green. Redhoof found the pony he was looking for, Recruit Lightning Dust, as she was ferrying more crossbow bolts up from storage. He did not know much about her, but he knew that she used to be a candidate for the Wonderbolts, was saving up bits for some big idea of hers, and was the fastest pegasus in this garrison. She was a bit too brash for his liking and was hotheaded, but he didn’t need her for her personality and military life has given her some form of discipline over the year she has been stationed here.
“Recruit Lightning Dust!” Redhoof shouted, stopping her as she was about to fly back down.
In a flash, she was in front of him and gave a sloppy salute. She was breathing heavily and was obviously scared for her life so Redhoof could forgive the poor form. She licked her dry lips and said, “Sir! What do you need?”
The scroll in his magical grasp floated over to her, “Take this scroll and bring it straight to Captain Iron Bulwark the fifth in Fort Iron. You had to stop by it before entering this wasteland so I’m sure you know where it is?”
She took the scroll and placed it into a small bag on her armor. Her next salute was significantly more in proper form, “Yes sir! I’ll deliver it and come back as fast as possible!”
Redhoof shook his head, “No soldier.”
Lightning Dust backed up a pace, her eyes wide, “What? But sir!”
“No buts! This outpost will be finished by the time you reach the fort! Wasting your life is not something you need to do in the Sister’s army. Take that scroll and bring it to Captain Iron Bulwark, he has an enchanted bottle to send messages directly to Canterlot. He is now your new commander. You have seen the horde outside first-hoof and you are the fastest flyer here, now stop wasting time and go! We must keep Equestria safe!” Redhoof shouted out and stomped his hoof.
Lightning bit her lip but nodded, with a flourish her wings spread out as much as possible, and with a single flap she propelled her body upwards. Her slowly disappearing signature trail was the only indication she was even there and Redhoof watched as she flew through the sky. He swallowed and his breath hitched when she stumbled in the air as she desperately avoided the burning energy of an orcish spell falling from the sky and every other pegasus found themselves temporarily grounded from the disruptive magic of the orcs and its disgusting magical stain on the world and the magic surrounding it.
Redhoof let out a sigh of relief when she caught herself and continued, she must have left their range. Then the gate let out a loud crack.
“The Warboss is at the gate!” one soldier looking over the side screamed before an arrow took him in the throat and he fell over the side of the wall. More orcs and goblins had begun getting onto the walls and cutting down the guards as duels and swarming lone guard ponies started the next phase of the battle.
“Damn it!” Redhoof yelled as another great crack echoed throughout the base. He quickly rushed to the side of the tower he was standing on and screamed out to his soldiers, “Everypony to the inner sanctum! We’ll hold them off there! They will pay for every inch they took and we have a bucking huge debt in their name!”
The guards around him stomped and let out a warcry of their own at his declaration. The retreat to the inner sanctum of the base was not without cost, ponies dying as they valiantly tried to hold off the orcish army for as long as possible to get their comrades some more time. One pegasus was blasted with orcish magic and his head was melted, crashing into a cart next to Redhoof. The stallion didn’t have any time to mourn his comrade’s death as he was galloping across the yard.
A final crash at the gate flung the wood and metal apart, sending splinters and debris into the yard of the base. A hulking monstrosity of an orc shadowed the entrance as it stomped forward through the new opening on heavily armored legs. Mismatched armor pieces covered its body, leather, crude chain armor, metal, and fur were the dominant centerpieces covering its lower body besides the skulls of several large orcs dangling on ropes along its beltline. On its torso was more crude chain armor with a large band of iron covering its heart, lungs, and upper abdomen and the upper body was a heavy mass of tall and spiky pauldrons that would crush a pony under the weight of them.
The face of the warboss was covered by a large helmet with huge curved horns jutting out of the top, Redhoof could only see a single glowing red eye coming from the helmet and the underbite that all orcs had. One of the huge tusks coming from either side of the underbite was chipped and had a hole through the bottom with a ring of metal dangling through it. The other eye had been taken out, with an iron plate covering the hole and the helmet sporting a large downward gash over the iron eye that the orc had named himself over. Redhoof could only imagine what sort of beast could take the eye of an orc that big. A great savage double-headed war ax was tightly gripped in its spiky and thick gauntlet covered meaty grasp.
The orc raised its ax into the air and bellowed out a, “Waaagh!” The other greenskins followed his example and charged through the smashed-open gate. Redhoof knew that this base was lost now and he could only pray the Waagh would die against the wall of Fort Iron. What little resistance the retreat was giving was destroyed in an instant with the unstoppable charge, he needed to get inside fast.
Redhoof made his way inside the inner sanctum just as two guard ponies closed the door and began piling every heavy piece of furniture they could find behind it. Redhoof glanced down the hallway and past the recreation room to the second set of doors that led to the canteen and knew that if the warboss could smash through the gate of the base then the less durable wooden doors here would not last even half as long. “Alright stallions, what do we have in here?!” Redhoof shouted, trying to make himself heard overt he clatter and muttering of the remaining guard.
One stepped forward, “In terms of ammo sir, we only have whatever ponies have on them. And it ain’t much either. Many of the unicorns are running on fumes as well.”
“I have a barrel of black powder,” another guard chimed in. “Don’t know if it’s useful or not but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take it.”
Redhoof rubbed his chin until an idea came to mind and he grimaced, he pointed at the guards around him and ordered “Start setting up barricades with whatever you can find, set up a fuse on that barrel and be ready to throw it at the warboss on my command. I have a stupid idea.”
Guards quickly began putting his order to practice and a flurry of movement in the recreation room turned the place around. Furniture of various sized was overturned and quickly set into a makeshift wall, several spears poked out of the small openings and over the wall itself alongside the few guards that still had ammunition for their crossbows. A couple of guards were huddled around the barrel of black powder grim-faced and with a torch at the ready.
The doors that led back outside were smashed through in one stroke, the warboss from before casually stepping through the entrance with several heavily armored orcs following him. Redhoof himself stood in front of the barricade, trying to make himself look bigger and stronger than he actually was or felt. The beast of an orc made even him, a fully grown stallion that was above average in height, look like a puny foal in comparison.
“Well, well, well, look wot we got ere Boyz!” Warboss Ironeye shouted to his companions. “A puny pony try'n ta look like 'e's da biggest an toughest around dese parts.”
The orcs laughed and jeered at Redhoof.
Sucking in a breath Redhoof stepped forward and drew his sword from the sheathe strapped to his side and held it out in front of him in his magical grasp, “Warboss, I challenge you to a duel. If I win then my guards and I walk free ponies, if you win then you may subject us to whatever you wish.”
Ironeye put a large hand over his gut as he let out a bestial and guttural laugh, “Now dat iz 'da best zogg'n fing I have heard all day. A pony try'n ta act like an orc! I'z not gunna lose anyth'n by tak'n up yer challenge, zog I might even enjoy myself ere. When I kill ya I'z make sure ta put yer head on wun uv ma shoulda spikes for giv'n me such a laugh ya git.”
With a warcry Redhoof charged forward, the sword danced ahead of him and swiped at the face of the warboss. With barely any effort Ironeye’s ax slapped the sword away, sending it flying out of the magical grasp of Redhoof telekinesis and ending up stuck into one of the tables in the barricade. Ironeye took his ax in two hands and slammed it down at Redhoof, who just barely jumped out of the way. A shockwave of force was sent forward from the impact of the weapon against the ground, cracking the wall across from Ironeye.
“I can’t let that hit me or I’m done for, armor or not,” Redhoof thought to himself as his horn charged with magic. A beam of pure magical force shot out and hit the shoulder of the orc while he was busy trying to get his ax out of the floor. With a final wrench, the ax was freed and Ironeye stared down Redhoof who was grimacing when he realized that the orc didn’t even notice that he hit him with a beam of magic. With a click of his tongue he muttered, “Damned beasts are too tough.”
A sword was flung forward and clattered at his hooves, Redhoof wasted no time picking it up and dashed around to the side. He needed the orc to be faced away from the barricade and knew that the only way for the orc to attack him was in melee, if he could just make him turn sixty more degrees then they could end this Waagh before it could threaten his home.
But, he forgot that orcs can be rather unpredictable in battle. With a huff of annoyance at the running pony, Ironeye lifted his ax and simply flung it as hard as he could at Redhoof. The spinning ax dug into one of his forelegs and took it right off, Redhoof cried in pain as he tumbled down and crashed into the wall with a trail of blood smeared across the floor. His sword clattered away and Redhoof futilely grabbed at the bleeding stump with his other hoof.
Ironeye chuckled and stepped up in front of the dying pony as he picked up his ax and raised it over his head, “An' ere I thought ya would have been a gud fight. Guess I waz wrong.”
Redhoof glared up at the warboss and his horn glowed and fired a beam to the ground underneath the warboss, the beam split in two before it hit the floor and shot to the Warboss's feet. As they briefly glowed pink he shouted to his soldiers while a purple magical dome was formed over his prone body, “Now!”
A grunt of effort was heard from behind the barricade and a barrel with a large red “X” on it and a burning piece of cloth acting as a fuse was flung over the wall. Ironeye looked behind and saw the barrel coming straight for him, he tried to get out of the way but found that his feet were stuck to the floor.
“Oh zog it,” he said right as the barrel slammed down in front of him and exploded in a deafening burst. Even with his magical shield covering his body Redhoof still felt the explosion and it did nothing for the eardrum hurting noise.
Smoke covered the room and every creature inside of it coughed to try and clear their lungs.
“Iz ‘da boss dead?” one of the orcs asked as he couldn’t see through the black smoke that was beginning to clear up. Redhoof just laughed as his shield went down, without a proper leader the orcs should go into a massive civil war over who gets to lead now.
“Like zog I am!” screamed Ironeye and with a swing of his ax the cloud of smoke dispersed. Redhoof looked on in horror at the sight of the orc, who was busy pulling the last of himself out of the wall, be nearly unhurt. At most he was singed and a small part of his arms that weren’t covered in armor had burn marks on them. Ironeye glared down at Redhoof with a feral snarl once he was freed, lifted his ax high into the air, and promptly beheaded the pony with a cry of rage and a wet meaty smack.
Ironeye pointed his ax into the air and screamed, “Waaaaagh!”
The other orcs joined in on the cry and charged at the barricade. Bolts, both the mundane and the magical, flew out at the horde of greenskins. Ironeye grabbed one of the hindlegs of Redhoof and flung it over the barricade, knocking over a couple of guards in the process and making all of the ponies scream in rage and horror at the mistreatment. With the body out of the way he reached down once again and picked the head of Redhoof up in his hand. With a growl he raised it over his head and roared in victory as his army crushed the remaining guards, then he slammed the head down on one of his shoulder spikes as a grisly trophy and a reminder to not underestimate the ponies.
