Tommy took the chance to catch his breath, scrambling backward a few steps on hands and feet until his back hit the earthen wall behind him. Only then did he have the leisure to look up toward the military fort, now shrouded in smoke and flames.
The fort was likewise filled with earth-shaking cries of battle and billowing black smoke. Several of the Saurons' old Cannons were bombarding its stone walls relentlessly, sending chips of rock flying everywhere. Clearly, Captain Roderick's side was under immense pressure as well—so much so that they had no time to spare for this forward position.
Just as Tommy's nerves settled somewhat, and he thought he had just survived the most perilous moment of the battle—
"Kill them all—!!"
"The barbarians are retreating!"
"We won!"
Without warning, the position erupted in thunderous cheers like a mountain tsunami, filled with wild delight, exhaustion, and the relief of survivors who had escaped catastrophe! The roar swept across the entire forward position like a wildfire racing over the plains!
Tommy struggled to his feet, squeezed up to the breastwork, and looked outside.
The sight before him was horrific, yet it also lifted a massive weight from his heart. On the slope some twenty or thirty paces before the breastwork lay bodies piled layer upon layer, scattered in every direction, each twisted into a different posture. Blue Carnford military uniforms and white Sauron armor lay interwoven and tangled together, nearly carpeting the ground.
Blood had dyed great swathes of earth a dark red, and small pools of blood had even formed in many low-lying places. Shattered banners, broken weapons, and scattered arrows could be seen everywhere, painting a vision straight out of hell.
Farther away, on that Official road heaped with corpses, only several hundred panicked figures remained. They