The energy in the Mission Hall shifted—urgency sharpening every movement as defenders hurried to their posts.
Positioning at the Wall :-
James listened intently as the officer reviewed placements. His name was called, and instead of joining the frontline fighters, he was assigned to the top of the city wall. A strategic choice—the elevated position would give him better sightlines and allow for precision attacks against incoming beasts.
A quartermaster approached, handing him a quiver packed with fresh arrows—each tip reinforced for durability.
"Use them wisely," the quartermaster murmured. "We don't know how long the waves will last."
James accepted the quiver, shifting its weight over his shoulder, then checked the tension in his bowstring. It had served him well before, and tonight, it would do so again.
As he climbed the stone steps to the top of the wall, the city unfolded beneath him—torches flickering in preparation, warriors securing defenses, anxious eyes scanning the horizon.
From his vantage point, he could see the treeline in the distance , barely visible in the moonlight. The attack hadn't started yet, but something about the darkened wilds beyond Westmere felt...restless.
Nearby, other archers took their positions, whispering among themselves, exchanging strategies. James silently notched an arrow, letting his breath steady as he focused.
The bell rang again—low and resonant.
Then came the first roar from the forest.
The sky was immediately shrouded in darkness.The tension crackled in the air, thick and suffocating, like the calm before a thunderstorm. James exhaled slowly, steadying himself, but even as he steadied his grip on his bow, his pulse quickened.
The torches along the wall flickered as if sensing the disturbance ahead. The forest, once an unmoving shadow, now felt alive—branches quivered, underbrush rustled, and then, beyond the treeline, eyes gleamed. Dozens. Hundreds.
A low, guttural growl reverberated through the ground, rattling the wooden crates beside him. The archers exchanged uneasy glances, hands tightening around bows, fingers brushing against quivers with impatient readiness.
Then there was a sudden movement
Dark shapes burst from the trees, a tide of snapping jaws and clawed limbs, barreling toward the walls with unnatural speed. The ground trembled beneath their stampede.
James inhaled sharply, raising his bow without any hesitation.
The first arrow loosed, slicing through the air, and the battle erupted.
The night exploded into chaos.
James loosed his first arrow, the sharp whistle slicing through the air before thunking into the chest of a monstrous hound mid-leap. It tumbled backward, crashing into the stampede behind it—but more kept coming. Too many.
The archers beside him fired in rapid succession, a relentless rain of arrows streaking toward the writhing mass below. Beasts shrieked in pain , some collapsing under the assault, others clawing over their fallen brethren with unnatural determination.
A deafening roar shook the very stones beneath James's feet. From the depths of the forest, something massive emerged—a towering beast, its hide gleaming like obsidian, eyes burning with eerie intelligence.
The commander below bellowed, "Focus fire on the large one!"
James didn't hesitate. He drew back his bowstring, aiming for the glowing weak point pulsing beneath its throat. His breath steadied, the world narrowed to this single moment—release.
The arrow streaked forward like lightning.
The impact sent the beast reeling, a furious, bone-rattling roar echoing through the battlefield. But it wasn't down. It turned its glowing gaze toward James, locking onto him specifically.
Its muscles coiled.
It was coming for him.
And he had only seconds to react.
The beast locked eyes on James, its muscles tensing, preparing to lunge. He stepped back instinctively, fingers tightening around his bowstring. From his elevated position on the wall, he could see its massive frame shifting, coiling like a spring ready to launch—until a thunderous voice from below shattered the moment.
"Archer! Keep your focus on the smaller ones! Leave this one to me!"
James flicked his gaze downward just as the veteran hunter barreled forward on the ground level, his massive axe gleaming under the torchlight. He wasted no time—his weapon swung in a brutal arc, the sheer force sending debris flying as it crashed against the creature's obsidian hide.
The beast reeled, its guttural roar shaking the very walls beneath James's feet. But the hunter didn't falter—he pressed forward, delivering strike after strike, forcing the beast to redirect its fury toward him.
James sucked in a breath, heart hammering, but he didn't hesitate. He pivoted, shifting his aim toward the swarm of smaller beasts clawing their way toward the barricades. He loosed an arrow—then another—each one finding its mark among the tide of snapping jaws and flashing claws.
Below, the hunter grinned, his stance unshaken. "Good! Keep them off my back!"
James didn't reply. He didn't need to.
The battle was only beginning.
The battlefield roared to life, a symphony of steel, snarls, and arrows slicing through the night. James barely had time to think—he simply moved, loosing arrows in rapid succession as the tide of beasts surged toward the walls.
Below, the veteran hunter fought like a force of nature, his colossal axe crashing down with bone-shattering force, carving a path through the chaos. The massive beast he faced snarled in fury, swiping at him with claws that could split stone, but the hunter evaded with practiced precision, always striking back harder.
James pivoted, catching sight of a monstrous shadow hound scaling the wall's edge—claws scraping, eyes burning with unnatural rage. He didn't hesitate.
Arrow. Release. Impact.
The creature howled, tumbling backward into the horde below. James exhaled sharply, but there was no time to celebrate. More were coming.
From the left flank, a squad of archers let loose a flaming volley, illuminating the battlefield in bursts of firelight.
The air on the battlefield was thick with the scent of steel and burning flesh. Arrows rained down, blades carved through bone and sinew, and yet—the creatures did not falter.
James loosed another arrow, striking a lunging beast squarely between the eyes. It crashed to the ground, its lifeless body trampled by the ones behind it. They didn't stop. Not even for a second.
He wondered why the beasts were acting like that.
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