Upon the freezing stone battlements, soldiers from all three villages stood in a long, grim line. The torches, lit to welcome their "guests," flickered in the wind, their light dancing off spear-tips and armor in a rhythmic shimmer. The men stood in heavy silence, every eye fixed on the pitch-black abyss of the forest ahead.

  In the middle of that suffocating quiet, a young soldier from Gonyis village gripped his spear so hard his knuckles turned white. His voice trembled as he stared into the shadows of the Onis woods.

  "Where did they come from? All these years... we’ve never even heard stories of monsters like these."

  Reef, who stood nearby inspecting his bowstrings, replied in a low, gravelly tone.

  "According to the ancient chronicles in the Great Library... they are not new. They are primordial beings, older than the records themselves. The scrolls say that when the gods forged this world, Omeshis, the Creator of Light, and his twin, Gasdargur, the Bringer of Darkness, created a balance to counter each other. To put it simply, they are like a herd of deer... when the herd grows too large, a predator like the lion will always appear."

  The young soldier let out a bitter, hollow laugh. "Heh! If there are too many deer, then **we—the lions—**just need to band together and tear them apart until nothing is left, right?"

  Reef remained still for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

  "No... you've got it all wrong. We aren't the lions. We are the deer."

  Suddenly, orange sparks flickered at the forest's edge. One became two, and in a heartbeat, those lights spread into a long, burning line, like a swarm of disturbed ants. A sea of orange fire surged toward the fort, accompanied by the thunderous beat of war drums and the haunting blare of beast-horn trumpets that shook the very heart of the citadel.

  An elder soldier shouted, trying to rally the men. "Hold fast! The messenger we sent must have reached Lord Darius by now. He will bring the vanguard to save us!"

  The Orc army halted in perfect, terrifying formation just outside bowshot range. They roared in unison, slamming their weapon shafts against the earth in a rhythmic thud that made the ground tremble. Then, as the Orcs parted their ranks, the last shred of human hope withered away.

  They dragged two cavalry messengers, bound by iron chains around their necks, to the front of the line. The messengers were kicked onto their faces. A massive Orc stepped forward, wielding a blunt iron hammer. With a sickening swing, it smashed the hammer into the first man's leg. The sound of snapping bone and the agonizing scream echoed across the battlefield. Then, the brute turned to the second man, crushing his arm into a pulp—a deliberate act of torture meant to shatter the spirits of those on the walls.

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  "You hell-born bastards!" Titania hissed, her teeth clenched in fury as she watched her soldiers being butchered before her eyes, powerless to stop it.

  "Aaaagh!" the dying messenger shrieked through the blood. He looked up at the wall with tear-filled eyes. "Lady Titania! Please... look after my son! Look after him!"

  "Do not fear! I will care for him as my own!" Titania shouted back, her voice echoing with resolve.

  The Orc captain grinned, savoring the final cries of hope. Likhi stepped to the edge of the battlement, the veins in his temples throbbing with rage. He roared down at the abyss:

  "I will send every last one of you into the pits to serve your master... Gasdargur! You mindless filth!"

  The Orc captain looked up, baring blood-red gums in a jagged sneer. "In that case... I shall send you back to serve your cowardly god, Omeshis, right now!" With those words, he brought the hammer down, ending the lives of both messengers instantly. He raised the bloodied hammer high, signaling the charge. The Orc horde surged forward like starving beasts!

  "Archers!" Titania commanded, her voice sharp as steel. Every man remained still, waiting with cold focus as the enemy drew near. "FIRE!!"

  Hundreds of arrows cut through the air like a shroud of death, thudding into the front ranks of the Orcs. But they kept coming, a tide of darkness that wouldn't break. Wooden ladders slammed against the stone walls. Likhi lunged forward, slaying the first Orc to crest the wall. He carved through their necks and kicked the ladders back again and over again.

  As the battle raged on, exhaustion began to claw at Likhi. The carnage before him flickered into memories of his father, Darius, and his brother, Lycan. This was what his father had faced for decades. He yearned to hear the horn of his father’s army, but for now, he had to fight. He had to keep Laina safe.

  Chaos erupted across the battlements. The clash of steel and the screams of the dying rose to the high towers, where Sera and her followers stood in the shadows, watching the carnage in absolute silence.

  Titania noticed something moving through the chaos. A massive Troll charged through the Orc ranks, heading straight for the main gate, swinging a stone club that cracked the earth.

  "Oscar! To the gate! Kill that beast!"

  Elara and her archers let loose a volley, but the arrows barely pierced its hide. "Rocks! Bring the stones!" Volunteer soldiers scrambled to hurl massive boulders down, slamming into the monster’s head and making it stagger.

  Oscar waited for more stones from the volunteers. "The rocks! Where are the rocks?! Why are you bringing wine barrels?!"

  "We couldn't get the stones in time! We’re grabbing whatever we can!" the volunteer shouted in a panic.

  "Oscar! Throw the barrels at it! I have a plan!" Elara screamed. Oscar didn't hesitate; he hurled the wine barrels at the Troll's head. The wood shattered, drenching the beast in high-proof alcohol. Elara drew her bowstring, touching the arrow-tip to a nearby torch until it blazed. "Go to hell..." She released the flaming arrow, and it streaked like a falling star, plunging into the Troll's wine-soaked chest.

  BOOM!!!!

  Flames erupted, engulfing the monster in an instant. It shrieked in agony before collapsing into a mountain of fire, blocking the main gate with its burning carcass. Amidst the cheers of the soldiers... Rin and Laina held each other’s hands tightly inside, praying for the dawn, unaware of the pair of eyes watching them from the tower in cold, calculated silence.