CHAPTER 235: CHAPTER 234: CHAINS ON TITANS

Behind them, the line threatened to buckle. Dozens of Dire Bears clashed against the combined force of hobgoblin warriors and kobold berserkers. Claws tore through shields, armor buckled under brute strength, and screams of the wounded mixed with the roar of war.

Karnark’s booming voice cut through the din. "Shields up! Hold the line!" His blade carved into a bear’s flank as he barked orders, rallying the soldiers around him.

Kaeldron fought near him, his halberd whirling in wide sweeps that kept their section from collapsing. "Don’t give them an inch!" he bellowed, striking down to pin a bear long enough for the others to regroup.

But even with their effort, the soldiers were strained to the breaking point. Bloodied, battered, they dug in, buying every second they could.

The line bent, screams rising as shields splintered, but then Ragza’s voice thundered above it all.

"Defend! That’s our duty now! Buy time for our Lord, hold until he comes!"

The command cut through the chaos like a spark in dry grass. Wearied soldiers straightened, their fear burning into stubborn resolve. Shields slammed tighter together, spears angled lower, and guttural cries of defiance rolled across the line.

A bear smashed into them, shaking the ground, but the shield wall bent without breaking. Even bloodied and bruised, they planted their feet, clinging to Ragza’s words. They weren’t aiming to win. They only had to endure.

On the other side, the battle against the common bears raged with less desperation. The elite kobolds and hobgoblins pressed forward in disciplined strikes, while the lizardmen took the brunt of the front line. Their scales and raw strength turned them into living bulwarks.

A young lizardman warrior barked a laugh as he shoved his spear deep into a bear’s shoulder. "These beasts are strong, but they fall all the same!"

"Don’t get cocky!" a hobgoblin snapped, hacking down another bear with a brutal swing. "Stay tight, push together!"

Against the thirty-one common bears, the hundred soldiers and forty lizardmen carved their advantage steadily. Blood splashed across the churned earth, claws scraped against shields, but the enemy faltered, one after another.

The soldiers were gaining ground. But at the heart of the field, where the Dire Bears fought, it was still a storm holding its breath.

.....

Lumberling turned, spear dragging against the ground as he rejoined the battle.

Blood clung to his weapon’s tip, dripping steadily, but his eyes were calm. The limbless Behemoths behind him groaned in pain, their massive frames twitching helplessly on the dirt. He hadn’t ended them, but they were no longer a threat.

"Hold your lines!" Lumberling barked as he surged forward. His eyes locked on the thirteen elite warriors struggling against the Dire Bears on the brink of collapse. Not anymore. He would be at their side.

The balance shifted the moment he joined.

One Dire Bear lunged at him, maw wide. Lumberling sidestepped, spear flashing like lightning. The beast howled as the weapon pierced its side. With a twist, he slammed the shaft down, pinning it to the earth.

"Push them back!" Lumberling shouted, wrenching his weapon free and spinning to meet another. His allies rallied, strength returning to their arms as they pressed forward.

The bears, sensing the tide turning, fought harder, eyes wild. Their claws raked through armor, their fangs snapped at anything that moved. They were cornered, and as the saying went, cornered beasts were the most dangerous.

Two warriors screamed as they were thrown aside by a Dire Bear’s furious charge. Lumberling intercepted, his spear colliding with the Bear’s claw in a crack of force.

Lumberling exhaled, chest rising and falling, then turned. His gaze locked on the struggling sub-captains.

Tor and Shen were barely holding on, armor torn, blades heavy in their hands as the Gorehide Bear pressed them down with unrelenting force. Not far from them, Zel and Zephar staggered, one limping, the other with blood running down his arm, both barely alive against their towering opponent.

"Damn it, Shen, I can’t hold much longer!" Tor gritted out, his shield trembling under the weight of the beast’s strike.

"Stand firm!" Shen barked back, though his own arms shook as he parried a claw that nearly tore him in two.

Lumberling’s eyes narrowed. He surged forward like a storm.

The Gorehide’s claw came down toward Tor and Shen, only for a spear to pierce through its forearm mid-swing. The beast howled, jerking back, but Lumberling was already moving, twisting his weapon free and slamming the butt into its jaw.

"On your feet!" Lumberling barked, stepping between his subordinates and the towering beast. "If you can breathe, you can still fight!"

Tor gritted his teeth, dragging himself upright, while Shen straightened, eyes blazing with renewed fire.

The second Gorehide roared, lunging at Zel and Zephar. Lumberling turned with a sharp motion, lightning crackling faintly along his spear. He dashed forward, thrusting straight through the beast’s shoulder. The force sent it sprawling back, claws tearing trenches in the dirt as it struggled to rise.

Zel coughed, staggering to one knee. "M-My Lord..."

"Save your breath," Lumberling cut him off, hauling him up with one hand. "I didn’t come here to carry corpses."

Zephar wiped the blood from his eyes and tightened his grip on his sword. "We’ll... stand. We’ll fight."

"Good." Lumberling spun his spear and pointed at the injured beasts. "Then fight beside me. Together, we end them."

The four sub-captains regrouped at his back, battered but alive, their morale surging. With their Lord leading the charge, the Gorehide Bears’ dominance began to crack.

Across the field, Grokk stood over the broken form of his own foe, the Gorehide Bear unable to rise again. His chest heaved, but his eyes gleamed with savage triumph. Without pause, he mounted his boar and charged toward Trask and Kelgroth, who were locked in brutal combat with another Gorehide Bear.

"Make way!" Grokk bellowed, his axe coming down in a heavy arc. The blow bit deep into the beast’s flank, earning a roar of pain.

Kelgroth grinned through gritted teeth. "About time you joined us!"

Trask slammed his shield forward, forcing the Gorehide back. "Press it now! Don’t let it recover!"

With Grokk’s raw power added to their steady assault, the beast faltered, blood matting its thick fur.

One by one, the balance shifted. The Gorehides that had seemed unshakable minutes ago now reeled under coordinated strikes.

And with each fallen beast, the tide of battle began to turn.

Hours felt like minutes, minutes like heartbeats, as the battle raged. Finally, the last roars of defiance began to fade.

When it was over, the ground was littered with blood and bodies. Chains rattled as the surviving beasts thrashed, refusing to die quietly. Soldiers shouted as they tightened bindings, blood spraying anew as claws raked even in defeat.

By the time silence settled, they had captured two Alpha Bears, four Gorehide Bears, six Dire Bears out of fourteen, and seventeen common bears. The rest lay dead, their hulking forms sprawled across the battlefield.

It had been chaos. Keeping the bears alive had been harder than killing them. They bit, clawed, and thrashed even when chained. But in the end, the effort was worth it. Their gains were substantial.

Lumberling wiped his spear clean, breathing heavy but steady. He glanced at the surviving warriors, many bloodied but still standing.

"We won," he said softly, almost to himself. Then, raising his voice so all could hear, "You all endured well. You survived the battle, good work."

The soldiers straightened, pride flickering in their tired eyes.

Behind him, the captured bears snarled weakly in their bindings, reminders of both the danger and the triumph of that day.