“Archers, set fire to the base of the wall—now!
Spearmen, spread out! Guard every breach point—don’t let them climb!
Shield line, hold the center! Stay firm—don’t give an inch!
Second squad, cover the western side! I want eyes in every direction!”
Darnic passed the orders with a frightening accuracy. He knew the defenders were panicking, and the only thing that would calm them down would be his presence.
So he moved along the wall, barking orders with the force of a man who had seen too many battles to flinch.
“Water barrels to the north tower! If fire jumps, we lose the whole flank!
You—take that wounded man to the healers! Don’t let him bleed out on the steps!
Mages—use gusts! Push the flames forward, drive the Crawlers back!”
With his constant commands, the panicking defenders snapped to action. The chaos was bent into a tense rhythm. In that instant, Darnic’s voice cut through the confusion and affected every single defender.
“Archers—reload and aim for the joints! Take out their legs, slow them down!”
The sky lit up with another blast of fire as the flames spread across the wall’s base.
“KREEEEKKK!!!”
The Crawlers hissed louder, recoiling from the heat. Still, they pressed forward.
Darnic didn’t stop. He gritted his teeth and turned to the wall’s inner steps.
“Reinforcements to the southern side—now! We hold the line or we all fall!”
“KREEEEEKKKK!!!”
Crawlers hissed even louder. Though Darnic’s defenders’ spirit was back, the defense had once again gotten stronger, the panic had disappeared.
Things became difficult for the corrupted Crawlers. The flickering flames painted their twisted bodies in red and orange. Some recoiled, screeching, unable to get close.
But not all.
A few lunged through the heat and began to climb.
Their limbs moved in horrible rhythm—they had too many legs, they were too fast. They gripped stone and wood like insects, ignoring the burning pain. Black spit dripped from their mouths as they ascended.
“Spearmen! To the wall! Push them down!”
Again, Darnic ordered.
The defenders scrambled up the stairs to meet the monsters. Spears were jabbed through gaps in the wall. A thick-legged Crawler was stabbed clean through the head and collapsed backwards, its long body curling like a dying snake.
Another beast clawed its way to the top, its jaw bones clicking. A defender swung an axe, severing one limb, but the Crawler grabbed his leg and dragged him over the side.
“AAAGGGHHH—”
CRUNCH
The defender screamed, but his scream ended in a sickening crunch.
He was dead.
And this wasn’t over.
“KREEEEKKK!!”
More Crawlers climbed.
There were 18 of them in total.
“Keep them off the wall!”
Darnic shouted again.
Elda and two other mages sent a gust of wind across the wall, blowing the Crawlers back. The Fire Mages burned them the moment they got the chance. The flames burned brighter.
Within minutes, eight Crawlers were dead.
For a moment, just a moment, the Crawlers hesitated.
Yes, the defenders had gained the upper hand.
The panic began to ease.
But then,
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE
The earth shook.
“Archers! Save your arro—!!!”
Darnic, who was passing orders, suddenly froze as his eyes widened in horror.
This shaking… it wasn’t a good sign.
Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump
His heart pounded, his ears twitched as the heavy, slow rumbles echoed in his ears. His eyes looked around, searching for what he dreaded,
And then,
He saw them.
The Brutes.
Eleven of them stepped into view, half-hidden by the trees. Hulking masses of muscle and thick, gray flesh, glistening with blood. Each one was three times the size of a man, with backs hunched and arms dragging thick clubs of bone and broken stone. Their eyes glowed red, burning like coals in the fog.
A Brute slammed into a tree as it walked, more out of habit than rage. The thick trunk cracked, splintered and fell behind it.
The defenders stared at the sight in horror.
“Gods save us…”
One of them whispered.
“Do—”
“SCREEEEEECCCHHH!!!”
Before Darnic could speak, the sky itself roared.
From the clouds above, Sky Beasts fell.
Wings sliced through the air like blades. They weren’t graceful—they were fast, brutal, and too many. Their shapes twisted in the air, gliding low, claws ready. Their eyes were red too—every corrupted thing had the same glow.
A scream echoed as one Sky Beast dove straight into a lookout tower, its talons tearing through the wooden beams like paper. The tower snapped and collapsed in seconds, burying the archer posted there.
Another dove at the wall, snatching a soldier clean off it and dragging him into the sky. He kicked and shouted, then vanished into the clouds.
“Above! They’re coming from above!”
Someone screamed.
“AAAH! AAAAGGHH!!
AAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
Panic returned. This time, it spread faster than fire.
“Mages! Ground them! Shoot your spells, now!
Archers—shoot anything in the air! Don’t let them circle back!”
Darnic tried to take control.
The mages obeyed, firing magic toward the sky. Net-like threads of lightning and wind tried to catch the flying beasts. Some were pulled down, crashing into buildings or the ground below with bone-snapping force.
But most of the Sky Beasts dodged.
And as if all of this wasn’t enough,
The worst came.
From the shadows at the edge of the firelight, something slithered.
Something wrong.
Something that… shouldn’t exist.
Aberrants.
They crawled and stumbled forward, not like beasts, not like anything natural. Some walked upright, some dragged themselves with twisted arms. Their bodies shifted and pulsed—flesh that didn’t know what shape it wanted. Faces melted into jaws, hands into claws, limbs too long or too short. One had no mouth, only three eyes and a chest that opened like jaws. Another screeched from its stomach as it ran.
“They’re not supposed to look like that…”
A mage froze at the sight. He stumbled and fell on his butt, his body trembling at the sight.
The corrupted things, however, didn’t wait.
They all surged forward.
At the same time.
“All of them…”
Elda whispered from the wall, her voice cracking.
“They all came at once.”
Smoke and screams filled the air. Fire danced on the walls. The eastern gate shook as a Brute slammed into it. Another Crawler clawed at the barricade. Above, a Sky Beast circled for another dive. And in the shadows, Aberrants howled.
Darnic stood in the center of the chaos. This time, even he was overwhelmed.
According to the reports, there were about 50 Beasts, but this…
The number had clearly surpassed that.
Darnic gritted his teeth. His knuckles turned white around his sword’s grip.
“I-It’s over…”
His voice cracked.
Clang
His sword fell on the cold floor, its voice echoing throughout the battlefield.
Yes, the Shield of Greyvale had given up.
The instant the rest of the defenders realized that, despair they had never known took over them. Some even fell on their knees, giving up entirely.
Even the Town Head, who usually stood strong in such moments, froze when she saw Darnic give up hope like this.
“RROOOOAAAAARRRR!!!”
“KKKREEEEEEEKKKK!!!”
“SCREEEEEEEECCCHHH!!”
The monster tide got closer to the town, and just when they were about to stomp over the entire place,
“RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!”
Then—one final roar split the sky.
Not from the monsters.
This one was far deeper, far… Primordial.
A sound that shook one’s very soul.
Flap
From the clouds, a vast red shape descended.