Arc XI Chapter 14

    XI

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    Arc XI Chapter 14

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    The enemy advanced. The army of snakes was in sight in all its might. The once distant metallic rumble of armours and weapons grew louder, and louder. What once felt like a distant threat, had now become a grim reality, a grim reality they were now sharply reminded of. The banners of the snake clan fluttered in the wind. The ground quaked beneath the weight of their slithering march.

    “...” His subordinate officer gulped, his face etched with a mixture of fear and doubt, before a furtive glance met him. “General ...”

    “NOT YET, soldier! NOT YET!” The red panda general rallied his courage, unwilling to let mere fear dictate the course of the battle. It was here now that they had to stand their ground and fight. The time had come for everyone to protect their clan, their families, and all else they held dear. “Not yet! Hold your positions!!! Wait!!!”

    ...

    “Wait!”

    ...

    “Wait!”

    ...

    “Wait!”

    ...

    “NOW!!!” The red panda general shouted from the depths of his lungs, loud enough for everyone surrounding to hear. “Everyone!!! Retreat!!! Retreat up the mountain pass! Now!!!”

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    ...

    ...

    The officer did his best to maintain a calm fac?ade. Something was not right, but it was better not to think about it too much. “Courage, sssoldier. We are all proud warriorsss. We are sssnakesss. Fear will not cloud our judgement ...”

    “GRRHGRRGRGHRGHRGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHRRH!!!”

    An earthshattering cacophony of calamity echoed through the entire valley like a lightning splitting heaven apart. The whole mountain trembled, shuddered deep down to its very core, as if the mountain itself awakened from its eternal slumber only to rise. A chorus of crashing, splintering, and grinding rock erupted from behind. A massive rockslide crashed downwards at the foot of the mountain, destroying anything in its path in a maelstrom of dust and debris. The masses of unmoveable rock and stone blocked the beginning of the valley and their only exit.

    “Captain, what ... What is going on here?” Confusion was written across the soldier''s face.

    “...” The snake officer paled in an instant, immediately realising the full implications of what has transpired. The pass was blocked. Their only escape route was completely cut off. They were now ... They were now all trapped. The entire army was trapped. “...”

    “WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” A roaring war cry filled the air.

    The snake officer turned his head and he was greeted by the sight of a charging enemy. The alliance forces were charging down the mountain pass, meeting them head on with full force.

    “Dammit!” the snake captain hissed. “BATTLE FORMATION!!! FORM RANKS ...”

    A stray arrow cut him short, shooting right past his head into the ground. Archers. A volley of arrows rained down upon from the cliffs above, piercing armours and scales alike. Red pandas, hedgehogs, otters, beavers, rabbits, squirrels, weasels, tanuki, they all stood together drawing their small bows. And it was not just arrows. Javelins, rocks, boulders, wooden logs followed in an endless hail of projectiles, all hurled down upon them from above without relent.

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    “... ... ...” The snake general stared the settling dust cloud, his blood boiling, his tongue hissing. “I have underessstimated the enemy. It wasss a trap. It wasss a trap all along. We played right into their handsss. They lured usss in and ssstruck. ”

    The emissary spoke first. “What ssshall we do now then, General?”

    The general gritted his teeth in fustration. “Nothing. The army isss lossst. The battle isss lossst. All that remainsss for usss now isss to retreat ...”

    “Nyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!!! For catnip and nekohood! For the Empress, BANZAI!!!”

    “Nyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!!!” A roaring nya resounded across the plain.

    The general froze. This sound ... From the tree line emerged an army of fierce warrior cats clad in armour and with swords in their paws , their numbers uncountable. The cats covered the ground with feline speed, their armoured paws trampling down the earth. They charged right towards them.

    This was the end ...

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