Shane Porteous - The Battle of Ebulon - A Shared Anthology

After the weather the next thing they noticed was that they were in a market area. For a moment Wonder Horse wondered if anyone was selling apples, but was quickly reminded by Wonder Wolf that they were here to fight if needed. But what were they here to fight?

The question was answered when a large creature was seen approaching. As it came closer they noticed that besides being large, it was well muscled, had green skin, red eyes, mustard yellow armor, and was carrying large and sharp looking weapons in each hand.

“It’s an Orc!” Sampson exclaimed gleefully.

Immediately, the heroes got ready to fight. DWW quickly set up a medical area using her magic, where she would be if anyone needed her. To make it blend in with the other structures she saw in the area, she made it out of stone.

Chihuahua growled a warning at the approaching Orc, but as he did so he backed up. Black Cat unsheathed her claws and waited for it in the hunters crouch as if awaiting prey. Next to her, Cosmo did the same. Wonder Wolf mounted Wonder Horse and prepared to signal him into action. Grizzly Girl changed into her Grizzly Bear form, Trixie and Asantra changed into wolves, Star Power prepared his star, Miles and Screetche awaited their humans signals, Spy Girl drew a sword from her utility belt, and Sampson just stood coolly waiting for the enemy to arrive.

As the Orc got nearer, Black Cat began commanding her team, “Wonder Wolf and Wonder Horse, you two are the most indestructible of the team. You will lead the battle from the ground. Fly if you need to. I will lead an air attack with Chihuahua. Asantra you will be in charge of orders for your team! The rest of you, follow me and Chihuahua!”

Considering her team was just her and Sampson, Trillman was going to help DWW, and Sampson was not about to let himself be ordered around, knowing this Asantra simply said, “Sampson, fight!”

“I can do that!” Sampson said eagerly. He was impatient for the fight to begin. Although she wouldn’t admit it, Asantra was also impatient for the fight to start.

Black Cat observed the Orc as it moved towards them. Being a superhero she wasn’t about to lead her team into a fight until the enemy threatened them first. To her surprise the Orc walked right past the heroes and into the marketplace, where it immediately began smashing things.

“I don’t think we were supposed to let it past us!” Spy Girl said.

Although not attacking her team, it was threatening innocent people. For this reason Black Cat said, “Team, attack! Don’t let it do any more damage!”

Sampson used his magic to make his hands flame. He began creating a large fireball.

Black Cat, took to the sky and aimed her attacks at the Orcs head. The rest of her aerial comrades did the same. The more grounded members of her team went for the Orcs heels. Together Black Cat and her team managed to surprise the Orc with their strength. It had not expected them to be much of a threat. The Orc aimed some strikes at the members of Heroes United with its weapons, but they were able to stay behind him, which made it harder for him to hit and easier for the heroes to dodge the attacks at themselves. Together Heroes United, and Asantra, managed to get the Orc on the run. Not paying attention the Orc ran towards Sampson, who looked up just in time, from creating his fireball, for the Orc to run right into him. To his surprise and delight the Orc caught fire and began to burn.

When the Orc was dead, Sampson looked at it proudly. “I just killed my first Orc,” He bragged. Sampson caught a look from DWW as he said this. “What?” He asked defensively, “He ran into me! Besides magic can’t be used to kill anyone directly, only hurt them. What I was doing wouldn’t have killed him if he hadn’t been dumb enough to run into my fireball.” This was true, magic only worked to kill if the killing was indirect or unintentional.

DWW didn’t answer him. Although she didn’t like killing, this wasn’t her problem with Sampson, it was his attitude to killing that bugged her. It was hard for her to believe that she had ever liked this guy and had been friends with him. Rather than argue with him, DWW looked away.

“So, that’s it? We won?” Spy Girl asked.

“It can’t be,” Asantra replied.

“Why not?” Grizzly Girl asked.

“First, that battle was too short,” Asantra said, “And second…” Asantra noticed something in the distance. The rest of the heroes looked at what Asantra saw. More Orcs were on their way. “Orcs never come alone,” Asantra finished.

“Everyone get ready!” Black Cat called, “And this time, let’s keep them away from the market! On my signal we attack!”

The approaching Orcs looked much like the lone Orc that had attacked the group. Only the color of their skin and armor varied. All of the Orcs were large, repulsive looking, carried large and sharp looking weapons, and were wearing very aggressive expressions.

The heroes looked upon the Orc army with equally aggressive expressions. Sampson’s expression was just a little different than the rest. His was aggression like the rest, only it was mixed with excited anticipation.

When she felt the army was close enough, Black Cat launched herself into battle signaling with her tail for the other heroes to follow. Not far into it Black Cat realized that the heroes appeared to be fighting a losing battle, at least with the way they were fighting. Every hero had gone after a different Orc, and most were barely making progress against the army. There were too many Orcs attacking at once. The heroes would need to come up with a strategy to greatly reduce the enemies numbers.

“Spy Girl!” Black Cat called out, “Do you have any gadgets that could attack multiple enemies at once to at least give us some fighting room!”

“I think so!” Spy Girl called back after defeating her Orc. Spy Girl stopped fighting Orcs for the moment to look in her small, but mysteriously deeply pocketed utility belt. As she did another Orc began approaching from behind her. Chihuahua, who happened to get thrown in Spy Girl’s direction by the Orc he had been fighting, noticed this.

Regaining control of his flight ability, Chihuahua flew a circle around the Orc, distracting him for a few seconds. Spy Girl began pulling something long and green out of her belt and began doing something to. To Chihuahua who only saw quick glimpses, as he flew around the Orc, it looked as if she was unwrapping or peeling whatever it was.

Another Orc appeared while Chihuahua was busy with the first and raised his ax like weapon, which may have been an ax, Chihuahua wasn’t sure. Just before the weapon hit Spy Girl, Chihuahua rushed towards it and grabbed the handle in his jaws. Because Chihuahua had super strength, among his other abilities, upon having a hold on the Orcs weapon, the little dog was able to hold on tightly and pull the Orc in a different direction by twisting around in the air, though what he really wanted to do was get the weapon away from the enemy. As he was struggling to do this, the other Orc attacked Chihuahua.

With an extra strong twist, using all his strength and his full body to achieve his goal, Chihuahua finally twisted the weapon free from the Orcs hand. Chihuahua then turned, or rather, straightened himself out just in time to avoid having his head removed by the weapon of the second Orc. Instead of losing his head, the Orcs weapon landed a clean hit and cut right through Chihuahua’s long tail.

Fighting a yelp that would make him lose his grip on his confiscated weapon, the now angry little dog swung the weapon at both Orcs, who at this time were standing very close together. The Orcs were lined up just right and Chihuahua put just enough force in his swing to remove something very important to both of them.