The claws twist. His body convulses, then goes limp.
"Marshal!" voices scream from the wall. A dozen soldiers break formation, rushing forward—only to be torn down as the commander wrenches Renlor's corpse free and hurls it into the mud.
The body hits the ground with a hollow thud. His halberd lands beside him, its runes guttering out like dying stars.
Silence follows for a heartbeat. Then despair ripples through the defenders like poison.
The commander lifts its head to the storming sky and roars, a sound that drowns even the thunder.
"One of your pillars has fallen! Humans crumbles!"
Soldiers flinch, their grips faltering, their formation wavering.
On the wall, a captain grips his blade until his knuckles turn white. His voice cracks as he shouts above the panic.
"Hold the line! Don't let his death be in vain! Fight, damn you—fight!"
The cries of the captain cut through the chaos, but no matter what he shouts, the hearts of Watervale's warriors are already breaking.
