The wind carried the scent of ash.
General Rony slowed his horse.
Ahead of him, far across the open stretch of land the village of Grimfang stood…..or what remained of it.
Smoke rose into the sky in thick, dark waves. The once peaceful village was now covered in fire and ruin.
Broken roofs...
Collapsed homes...
Burning wood...
And something far worse movement…..
Rony's sharp eyes narrowed.
From this distance three, maybe four kilometers away he could still see them clearly.
Monsters...
Dozens of them....
Moving like a tide across the land.
Wolf creatures….Serpent beasts...Buffalo monsters...All mixed together.
All heading deeper into the village.
Rony's grip tightened on the reins.
"…We're late."
For a brief moment silence fell over the marching army behind him. The soldiers had seen it too.
Some froze, Some clenched their weapons. Some felt fear crawl into their hearts. Because what stood before them was not a battle. It was a massacre.
Rony's eyes hardened. Then he raised his hand.
"Everyone!"
His voice cut through the air like steel.
All heads turned toward him instantly.
"This is no longer a patrol mission."
He pointed toward the burning village.
"That is Grimfang!"
"Our people are there!"
His voice rose, filled with command and fury.
"The village has already been attacked!"
"Civilians are or may be still inside!"
The soldiers straightened
Their fear slowly turned into focus.
Rony drew his sword and raised it high.
"So listen carefully!"
His voice thundered across the field "We don't stop "
"We don't slow down "
"And we do not retreat!"
A pause
Then, "We move forward…..NOW!"
His blade pointed toward the village
"Double speed!"
"Run them down!"
"Kill every single beast you see!"
His eyes burned with intensity
"This is do or die!"
"For Grimfang!"
"For Wolfden!"
For a moment everything stood still
Then, "FOR WOLFDEN!!"
The soldiers roared. Fear turned into fire , Morale surged, Boots slammed against the ground. Horses charged forward. The entire unit burst into motion ,like a wave of steel rushing toward the flames.
And at the front General Rony led them.
Inside the Inn,
Silence…..Heavy….. Tense…..
The darkness of Aragorn's shadow barrier covered the inn from outside, creating a strange calm within.
But no one truly felt safe. Not after what they had seen. Not after what they had lost. Aragorn stood near the center of the hall.
Still...
Quiet…..
His eyes lowered slightly. His thoughts… far away…..
So many…
So many died…
He remembered the village when they first arrived.
Alive….
Warm…..
Full of voices…..
Smiles...
And now bodies lay outside. More than a hundred. Maybe more.
All gone...
His fists tightened slowly.
Could I have… done more?
If I had moved faster…
"If I had been stronger…"
"Aragorn "
A voice pulled him back. He turned slightly. Jessy stood beside him.
Her expression was calm, But her eyes held concern.
"What are you thinking?" she asked softly.
Aragorn exhaled
"…How do we protect them?"
He looked toward the upper floor, where the villagers had gathered.
"There are too many monsters outside."
"If I step out alone… I won't be able to handle all of them."
His voice lowered
"The village is already… gone."
He paused
"…When we first came here… it was full of life."
"And now…"
"…only a few remain."
Jessy stepped closer.She didn't interrupt. She listened. Then she reached out. Her hand gently touched his arm.
Firm....
Steady.....
"Aragorn," she said quietly, "don't carry everything alone."
He looked at her
"What happened… has already happened."
"There is nothing we can do to change it."
Her grip tightened slightly
"But look at them."
She nodded toward the stairs.
"They're still here."
"They're alive."
"And their eyes…"
"…are looking at you."
Aragorn's gaze shifted. He could feel it.
Hope.....
Fear.....
Trust....
All directed at him. Jessy stepped closer again.
"You are their hope, Aragorn."
Her voice softened
"If you start doubting yourself…"
"Then what will they hold on to?"
Silence filled the space between them.
Then she said something that made him pause.
"…And think about me."
Aragorn blinked slightly. Jessy held his gaze.
"Think about me, Aragorn "
"You saved me."
"And now… I'm here "
"With you."
"We're in this together."
Her voice was steady.
Honest….
"And to me…"
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"You're my hero."
For a moment time stopped.
Aragorn felt something shift inside him.
Something warm... Something… unfamiliar….
His hands moved without thinking.
He placed them on her shoulders.
Firm….
But gentle….....
His eyes locked onto hers
"I won't fail "
His voice was low. But filled with resolve.
"I won't fail you "
Then stronger, "I won't fail them."
"I will protect everyone here "
"No matter what it takes "
His grip tightened slightly
"Even if I have to…."
Before he could finish Jessy moved.
Her hand quickly covered his mouth.
"Don't "
Her voice was soft but firm
"Don't say that "
Her eyes trembled slightly
"Don't talk about dying "
Aragorn froze, Jessy slowly lowered her hand.
"We still have a long way to go."
Her voice softened again
"So…"
"Stay alive…..."
A quiet silence followed. But this time it wasn't heavy….It was steady…..
Aragorn gave a small nod,
"…Alright."
Outside ,the flames continued to burn.
The monsters waited. And from the distance an army was coming.
The next clash was about to begin.
The first thing General Rony saw was death. The road into Grimfang was no longer a road. It was a graveyard…..
Broken wagons lay scattered across the path, their wheels shattered, their wood split apart like dry bones. Supplies were thrown everywhere, vegetables crushed into the dirt, water buckets overturned, cloth torn and soaked in blood. And the bodies , Rony's grip tightened...
A horse lay on its side, half of its flesh torn away, ribs exposed. Flies already gathered.
Beside it a child.
Small…...
Still....
Half eaten....
Rony's breath stopped for a moment.
His eyes hardened. More bodies followed.
Men…..
Women...
Villagers who had tried to escape. None of them made it far.
"…Damn it."
The words slipped out under his breath.
His jaw clenched. If I had been faster…
If I had pushed harder… His eyes burned with anger. I could have saved them. His hand trembled slightly on the reins then tightened.
"No more delays," he muttered
And then he kicked his horse forward,
"Move!"
The army surged ahead. As they crossed deeper into the village the true horror revealed itself.
Monsters….
Everywhere....
Wolf beasts tearing into corpses.
Serpent creatures slithering across rooftops.
Buffalo monsters smashing through broken homes.
The village was no longer under attack.
It had already fallen.
Rony's eyes scanned everything then stopped. At the center of the destruction, the inn….
Still standing....
Covered in something unnatural. A dark fog...No…Not fog...
Shadows...…
Thick, shifting darkness wrapped around the entire building like a living wall.
"…What is that?" Rony whispered
But before he could think further a hiss cut through the air.
From the side a serpent beast lunged.
Rony reacted instantly. His sword flashed.
Slash!
The creature's head separated cleanly from its body
"Enemy contact!" a soldier shouted
"Engage!"
And just like that the battlefield erupted.
"Charge!"
Rony's voice thundered. The cavalry moved first. Fifty horsemen burst forward, spears lowered, shields raised.
They crashed into the outer line of monsters like a storm.
THUD!
A buffalo beast was pierced straight through the chest. A wolf monster was trampled beneath hooves.
Spears struck….
Blades flashed....
Blood sprayed.....
Behind them the foot soldiers rushed in. Swords and shields clashed against claws and fangs.
"Hold the line!"
"Don't let them regroup!"
Archers took position from behind
"Loose!"
Arrows rained into the horde.
Serpents fell...
Wolves staggered...
Buffalo beasts roared in pain…..
But the monsters did not retreat.
They pushed forward,
Wild...
Relentless...
Rony moved through them like a blade.
One strike a wolf split apart.
Second strike a serpent cut in half.
A buffalo charged toward him , he stepped forward. His sword met its axe…
CLANG!
The impact shook the ground.
Then with a twist he cut through its neck. The body collapsed.
"Push forward!" he shouted
"Clear the path to the center!"
The army roared in response
"For Wolfden!"
Steel met flesh. Battle cries echoed.
The tide had turned but the cost was still rising.
Inside the Inn
Aragorn's eyes snapped open. His senses expanded outward.
Then he felt it, "…They're here…."
Jessy turned, "What?"
Aragorn focused
"Multiple presences… strong ones."
"Organized "
He stepped forward slightly
"…The Kingdom of Wolfden."
A small pause
"About one hundred and fifty… maybe more."
"They're fighting the monsters outside."
For a moment
Silence...
Then hope exploded inside the room.
"The kingdom…!" one villager whispered
"They came…!"
The Chief's eyes widened
"They answered the bell…!"
Relief flooded his face
"We're saved… we're finally saved!"
Without wasting a second, he rushed toward the window.
Carefully , he looked outside.
And what he saw confirmed it.
Soldiers....
Armored in purple and silver.
Fighting.....
Pushing back the monsters.
Leading them a warrior on horseback.
Strong....
Fearless...
The Chief's face lit up.
"They came…" he whispered
"They really came…"
He turned around quickly…..Excitement in his voice,
"We're going to be saved—!"
CRASH!
The world shattered.The window exploded inward.
Wood splintered....
Glass scattered.....
A massive shadow burst into the room.
Before anyone could react it happened.
A gigantic serpent beast lunged forward. Its jaws wide open—
Faster than anyone could move.
The Chief froze...
For just a second….Too long...
"Grandpa… !" Kai shouted
But it was already over. The serpent's mouth closed.
And the Chief was gone. Swallowed whole.
Silence...
Absolute....
No one moved...
No one breathed....
The serpent's body coiled inside the hall its cold eyes scanning the survivors. Blood dripped from its jaws.
Kai's face turned pale.
"…No…"
A whisper...
Broken....
Jessy's grip tightened on her sword.
The villagers trembled.
Hope….
Shattered again.....
And in the center of it all Aragorn stood frozen.
His eyes wide…His fists shaking….
Then his voice broke through the silence…..
"NO!!"
A scream...
Raw.....
Filled with rage...
Filled with pain.....
And outside the battle continued....