Middle-Earth: Kaen, Lord of Light

"Kill them!"

"Defend our homeland!"

"Protect our families!"

"Guard our town!"

Shouts of war and defiance thundered atop the walls of Azure Spring town.

Wave after wave of orcs surged like a tide, crawling up siege ladders like swarming ants, relentless and unyielding.

The defenders cried out until their throats went hoarse, hurling stones and firing arrows, desperately cutting down the orcs scrambling over the battlements.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning split the sky, and torrential rain poured down from the heavens.

At the rear of the horde, the orc chieftain stood tall and bellowed his next command.

"Trolls—advance! Smash the gate!"

"Raargh!"

Ten hulking stone trolls, each wielding massive iron clubs, roared like beasts and thundered toward the town gate.

"Loose the arrows!"

"Don't let those monsters get near the gate!"

"General Barton! We're out of arrows!"

"We're running low on stones too!"

The urgent cries of his men made Barton's face tighten with worry. He hadn't expected the situation to deteriorate this quickly.

Azure Spring was, at its core, just a small town of a little over two thousand people.

To muster even a thousand able-bodied men to defend the walls was already a herculean effort.

But stone, timber, arrows—these were precious and limited. Their meager supplies simply couldn't withstand prolonged attrition.

Taking a deep breath, Barton steadied himself. He would not despair.

He gave a firm order:

 "Send five hundred men to hold the gate at all costs. Do not let those monsters breach the walls!"

"Yes, sir!"

Responding with resolve, a group of soldiers broke away. In an instant, the defenders on the wall were reduced by half.

Among them, Caden—who had been blending into the ranks unnoticed—immediately took action, leading his two hundred men to reinforce the gate.

On the wall, he had kept his strength hidden. But once on the ground, he let out a powerful shout:

"Follow my command! Spears and shields up front! Form ranks!"

Of the five hundred, three hundred looked on, confused.

But as they saw the two hundred under Caden follow the order with practiced discipline, the rest, though still dazed, instinctively followed.

Before anyone realized it—

Caden had become the de facto commander of the five hundred.

Bang! Bang!

The gate of Azure Spring town was made of wood. Though reinforced with iron chains, it could not withstand the brutal assault of the stone trolls' clubs.

Before long, under repeated blows, the gate began to crack.

"Charge!"

With a thunderous roar, Caden surged forward, driving his spear through the cracks in the gate, stabbing viciously at the trolls beyond.

"Raaagh!"

A troll howled in pain, its ankle pierced. It dropped to one knee, exposing its head right in front of the shattered gate.

Caden seized the opportunity.

With a cry, he raised his long-handled battle axe and brought it down hard on the beast's skull.

Squelch!

The troll collapsed.

The morale of the defenders surged at the sight, and a roar of triumph echoed from the men.

But their celebration was short-lived.

The gate finally gave way with a thunderous crash, splintering under the force of the assault.

The massive trolls, though too large to pass through the narrow opening quickly, were soon followed by a stream of orcs who poured through like a flood.

Caden stood at the very front, a war-god incarnate, shouting, "Hold the line! Fight to the death!" He led the ragtag band of defenders into bloody melee.

His presence ignited the spirits of those around him. They fought by his side, killing without hesitation.

"Warg cavalry—charge the breach!"

"RAARGH!!"

The Wargs, restless beside the orc chieftain, could wait no longer. With bone-shaking howls, they stormed toward the gaping gate.

Meanwhile, on the wall, the absence of five hundred soldiers had begun to show.

Orcs started climbing over in growing numbers.

Barton and a group of men rushed to the breach, engaging the enemy in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

But without the advantage of height or supplies, the defenders were now at a clear disadvantage.

"WOOOO~"

Just then, from the wilderness beyond the battlefield, a sharp horn blared—a sound so loud and clear, even the downpour could not drown it out.

Thunderous hoofbeats rolled in, like distant thunder echoing across the land.

Both sides paused, drawn by the unfamiliar sound.

From the darkness beyond the walls, the noise drew closer.

And then—

Glowing like gold under the rain, mounted warriors emerged from the shadows, galloping forward with unstoppable force toward the orc horde.

"Elves of Rivendell!"

The orc chieftain turned pale, his eyes wide with dread. He had recognized them—the legendary elven cavalry of Rivendell.

"Defend! Defensive formation!" he roared.

The orcs scrambled to raise their spears, forming a makeshift palisade line.

But the elven commander at the front gave a swift order:

"Split! Flank them along the walls!"

At once, the cavalry split into two wings, sweeping around the orc's forward defenses and striking from the sides.

Some bore swords, others longbows.

Their assault cut through the orc formation like a blade, splitting their ranks along the town wall.

"WOOO~"

Before the orcs could recover, another horn rang out in the dark.

Startled, the orc chieftain turned once more—only to see a group of tall figures charging in from the flank.

They wore leather armor beneath pale green cloaks, and they wielded swords with deadly precision.

Behind them came two hundred well-armed elven spearmen.

And behind those—one hundred elven archers, their bows drawn, unleashing a deadly rain of arrows that reaped orcs by the dozens.

The orc chieftain blanched in disbelief.

"Dúnedain Rangers?! And elven infantry?!"

"Damn it! Why are they here?!"

On the wall, Barton stared, confused but hopeful. He didn't know why they had come—but he knew salvation had arrived.

He bellowed, "Elves! Rivendell's elves have come to aid us!"

"Kill them! Slay every last beast!"

The defenders roared back to life, reinvigorated by the arrival of reinforcements. They threw themselves into the fray with renewed fury.

"Hey, old friend—you look like you're in a bit of trouble!"

Caden, deep in the melee, heard a familiar voice cut through the chaos.

He cut down an orc before turning toward the gate.

The trolls were falling one by one, howling in pain. And stepping through the carnage came three familiar figures—

Lairon, Cathril, and Zakri—whom he had parted with just the night before.

A grin spread across Caden's bloodied face.

"By the stars—you couldn't have picked a better time to show up!"

Lairon grinned back. "It's not just us. Cathril and I brought thirty Dúnedain Rangers."

"Zakri arrived with two hundred Rivendell cavalry, two hundred elven spearmen, and one hundred elven archers."

"And leading them—Lord Elrond himself, along with the daughter of Azure Spring 's former lord, Lady Joanna."

As he spoke, they stepped aside.

Two riders emerged.

One was a tall, handsome elf clad in golden armor, exuding nobility and command.

The other was a woman in a soaked white gown. She looked disheveled, but her eyes were sharp with resolve.

Elrond surveyed the field and turned to Caden.

"You—brave warrior. Tell me—where is Gandalf?"

Caden gave a slight bow.

"Lord Kaen and Gandalf have led three hundred soldiers to the lord's castle. With them is Lord Brie, the younger son of the old lord."

At those words—

Joanna's face tensed with worry. "Lord Elrond, I'm grateful for your escort—but now, I must see how my brothers are faring!"

Without waiting for a response, she spurred her horse and galloped toward the castle.

Elrond's brow furrowed. Gandalf had mentioned in his message that a dark force had taken root in the castle.

He hesitated, then just as he opened his mouth to speak—

A wave of radiant white light burst from the direction Joanna had ridden.

The pulse washed over all of Azure Spring , scattering the storm clouds above.

"Gandalf!"

Elrond's expression changed instantly. He turned to Lairon.

"You're in command. I must see what's happened!"

With that, he rode off at once.

Everyone else stood frozen for a moment.

Lairon's gaze darkened. Watching Elrond disappear into the distance, he drew a deep breath.

Then he turned, voice steady.

"All units—counterattack with me!"

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