A thick black haze slithered across the hills, curling around the ruins of long-abandoned farms. The air reeked of rot, and wherever the fog touched, the grass and trees seemed to wilt as if recoiling from it. The sand turned jet-black, and across it, within the darkness, shapes moved—hulking, jagged silhouettes that advanced with a terrible patience, like predators drawn to a scent only they could perceive.
Massive tentacles writhed, dragging across the darkened sands, carving through everything in their path. Enormous claws swayed, rising and falling in deliberate arcs, and above them, several grotesque abominations hovered, their gaze fixed on something far beyond the horizon… to the south.
… To the south, beyond the stretch of dying fields, a village waited.
Soren leaned against the stone parapet, the coarse edge pressing into his forearms. His eyes followed the hills where the plants seemed to be slowly wilting, not like someone curious—he watched the way a hunter studies the first twitch of a hidden prey. The village moved around him, preparing, murmuring instructions, but he hardly heard it. His focus was elsewhere, taut as the bowstring beneath his fingers.
He flexed his fingers once, testing the tension of his bow and letting the familiar weight settle into his hands. He exhaled, refusing to take his gaze away from the distant hills. Given the impending doom impending on his village, every shift of wind and every whisper of grass made him tense.
A female voice cut through the thoughtful silence, hoarse and with a teasing edge. "At ease now. You're gripping that bow like it owes you money."
Soren exhaled, adjusting his stance as he shifted his gaze to the woman now standing next to him. "I'd much rather be safe than sorry."
She chuckled slightly as she stepped closer, her eyes briefly scanning the distant hills before landing right back on him. "Safe, sure. But if you keep going, then you might just end up snapping it before it matters… Save your strength; you'll need it when it counts."
Her lips curved ever so slightly as she said those last words, just enough to hide the tension present on her face. The mild smile wasn't warm—it was something more of amusement.
The corner of Soren's mouth twitched as he leaned against the parapet once more. "I'm much more tougher than you think."
She shrugged. "Of course you are."
Then she turned around and faced the village. Her gaze shifted between the soldiers who were hastily getting ready to defend it, the number of children who were being gathered and sent into the underground bunkers, the parents who were waiting to have a few words with their children—perhaps their final one.
Her expression remained the same, but her eyes felt heavier at the sight of it all. Beyond all that she saw were people cheering the soldiers on, warriors who hastily joined the front to defend their against the impending doom, children who would be facing war for the first time and yet stood firm… Hope… they held onto it so tightly, as if that alone could see them through.
And then, as her gaze shifted to the base of the wall, an even bigger smile curled up her lips. "Hey boy, come here for a moment."
Soren lingered for a moment, gazing into the distance. He stood up straight and quickly walked to her, a strange expression on his face as he gazed at the scores of villagers currently being moved into the hastily prepared bunker and barricades.
The barricade was actually a line of infantrymen dressed in bronze armor and wielding spears and shields. They would be the village's second line of defense. Behind them, a wall was constructed where another squad of archers stood. Behind that wall lay the bunker, and the villagers were moving into it in lines through the single gate built into it.
But despite all these preparations, he still couldn't help but feel dreadful of what fate awaited them. That fear however, was suddenly chased away as his gaze landed on what lay at the foot of the outer fence.
They were siege weapons, six of them, and three were being brought up to the walls using lifts. Two cannons and the third, which looked very much like an oversized crossbow, built of polished wood.
The other three siege engines were moved to the eastern and western walls, where fewer artillery units stood guard. Since the enemy would be approaching from the north, their job was simple; to prevent them from flanking the village.
Soren smiled as the first cannon was brought up the wall. He looked at the woman next to him and asked. "Since when did we have all that?"
She grinned. "You should thank Captain Amger when this is all over."
She walked away after that, toward the soldiers who were checking on the canon. A conversation went on between them and her, but he was unable to hear any of it… He didn't need to hear, though, because now what doubt he had had only slightly dwindled.
The desire to win, the longing of victory, and the aspiration of survival… how distant it all felt.
He wished he would live through this, and he wished that they would too.
******
The world was painted lilac; vague hues of orange and purple outlined the horizon as the sun slowly descended to the west. Atop a reinforced concrete wall, a young man with raven black hair stood, his blue eyes reflecting the warm light of the sky as he peered into the distance. He held a bow, an arrow slowly being drawn against the string.
By his side stood a woman with lustrous blonde hair, seemingly in her twenties. Though her eyes were blue as well, they were lighter and looked warmer. She pierced the distant hills with a cold gaze and raised her bow.
Following her command, every archer on the wall did the same, their faces of grim resolve.
A thunderous roar echoed.
From the hills, a haze of darkness descended, the trees and plants immediately recoiling as they turned grey and then jet black. The view of the skies where they reached became dark and hollow, and the surrounding walls of the mountain range they passed seemed to be suddenly wrapped in the embrace of deep, seething shadows.
All Louisa could see was a vague outline of the hazy fog. The same couldn't be said for Soren, though. However, a second later, she suddenly glanced at him.
Her golden brown hair fluttered in the wind. "Do you hear that?"
He looked at her through the corner of his eyes. "Hear what?"
Louisa lingered for a moment and then hushed him, her whispering voice almost fleeting. "Listen…"
Soren frowned at her words, and then his face turned into a deep scowl. The wall trembled as a tremor ran through the ground, threatening to quake the entire world. Soren was finally able to make of a distant sound.
Boom!
A few seconds passed in tense silence, and it echoed once more…
Boom!
This time closer… making him shudder.Boom! Boom!
Under the gaze of twilight, the soldiers finally caught sight of the approaching haze. A deafening roar tore the approaching night apart, and the impending darkness suddenly broke apart, as if something had shattered it.
It moved.
Louisa barked as she sent an arrow forward. "Fire!"
An explosion rang from the side as the cannons blasted, sending wraths of fire forward. Enchanted missiles were placed into the ballista and sent flying at great speeds. A rain of arrows flew across the sky, descending upon the appalling sight. Screeches of pain echoed, and yet the fog continued to move forward. It slowly grew smaller as it tore apart, and a mass of it drowned out the sky.
Soren breathed heavily as he drew his next arrow, but this time he didn't send it flying immediately. An enchantress stepped forward, placing her hand on his shoulder, and next to him, the same was being done to Louisa.
Twilight was cast away, but the world was once again illuminated. Crimson flames trailed from the enchantress' palms onto Louisa's shoulder and then the bow and arrow she was firmly holding.
The arrow seemed to grow and another glowed by its side. This one was a streak of blue lightning, flickering as if it were alive. Soren steadied his fingers, and his voice rang. "I'm ready!"
She nodded and sent her arrow flying, and just as she did, he sent his flying as well. Her arrow crashed into the mass of shadowy abominations flying in the sky, a rage of crimson flowing out from the point of collision. It devoured the darkness, prompting the soldiers to lower their heads lest they become blinded.
They were smart to do so… Soren's lightning arrow connected with the sea of flames, and an explosion of lightning ensued, blue flashes rippling across crimson flares.
Bang!
A roar so loud that it dwarfed the one earlier thundered and for a brief moment, the world grew silent.