Harth and Petra sat on the walls, sharing what little booze remained in the tavern, watching over the horizon from time to time as they did, awaiting for the inevitable.
Atop the tower, Gus and Hannah were, too, keeping watch.
They all jumped in surprise when the church bell began ringing
'The hells' that? Hannah, go check it out, sounds like trouble'
'And leave you alone, free to slack off? Fat chance, you go'
'I'm hurt, gods damn it!'
'Aw, poor little baby got grazed in the foot, need me to bring some candy as well?'
'Hey, it still hurts, I still ca- wait, what's that?'
'Don't try to change the subject'
'No, I'm serious; what the hells is that'
Hannah turned around to check whatever Gus was pointing at.
From the edge of the forest, dark masses emerged.
Humanoid in shape, they were as tall as a building, made of skulls and bones.
Bone giants.
Among them swarmed common skeletons, zombies and other creatures the two scouts couldn't recognize.
'Sound the alarm'
'I...'
'Sound that damn bell. Now, Gus!'
'You two all right up there?'
'Harth! We've got incoming from the South! Giants, looks like'
the alarm bell started ringing frantically, as the dwarf looked at Petra and then over the walls, observing the approaching horde
'Guess this is it, then'
'About time, we were almost out of booze'
The giants advanced, ignoring pitfalls and bear traps.
The defenders barely had time to man the walls, and they shot at the creatures, but there was no noticeable damage, no matter how many shots were fired.
Harth's arbalest managed to punch through the bones, shattering some, but if that did any damage remained doubtful.
'Keep shooting, one more volley!'
The dwarf encouraged between shots, but he could already see the monstrosities getting closer and closer.
Tall as they were, their heads were higher than the walls themselves.
The first one got to the tower, slowly raising its fist menacingly.
'Just die already, you-'
Was all Gus managed to say before the tower collapsed under the powerful blow.
Another one reached the gates, but instead of punching down the walls, it simply lowered his hands on the battlements. Smaller undead immediatly started climbing the creature, using it as a makeshift siege tower. Within seconds, the walls were overrun with undead.
'Retreat! Into the tavern!'
Petra and Harth were trying to rally the few survivors, but it was all for nothing:
they were the only ones who managed to survive the initial assault.
As they retreated further and further inside the tavern, they felled all they could.
In the end, they found themselves in the wine cellar, a wall behind their back, and undead all around. Both were badly hurt, barely hanging on for one last blaze of glory.
'Think they have decent beer in the afterlife?'
'If they don't, we'll brew it ourselves'
Janus could only stare, as the city descended further into chaos.
Alarms were ringing from all over the city, and all he could hear now were the cries of the last survivors.
There was no reason to issue orders, the command chain had been broken, and he had no more messengers to send, the ones he had had been slain just in the beginning of the assault.
He went into his study. Calmly. Slowly. Under a drawer there was a key. he took it, then examined. A small brass key like so many others, with no inscriptions or details.
Approaching a chest, just under the window, he examined its golden lining, before slotting in the key.
Inside were a mace and a shield, both detailed with gold and incisions.
The blue-ish hue of the metal twisted the light, reflecting a room that seemed colder, lifeless. Dead.
He donned his shield, grabbed the mace, and went downstairs.
As he opened his door, he was greeted with chaos, as the undead wearing friendly faces killed more and more.
He jumped into the fray, mace swinging wildly.
There goes Jonathan, with his signature cane. The mace made a mess of his face.
Noelle grabbed at his arm, threatening a bite. She had always been an hungry one. He bashed her with his shield, throwing the body away, now lifeless once more.
More familiar faces piled on him, grabbing, scratching, and slashing away, but he always prevailed.
The fight had lasted for minutes, now, but Janus could feel no fatigue. Even the increasing wounds on him weren't hurting. He had lost a finger and his left hand was a bloody mess, but the wedding ring was still there, and that's all he cared about.
His legs had bite marks, bruises and countless cuts, but they were still keeping him standing.
Around him, bodies were piling, as the monsters seemed to be felled with a single strike.
He smashed through Ghian, who had tried stabbing him with a pitchfork, before realizing there were no more monsters in striking range.
They had formed a ring around him, ten meters away. Behind a defensive line, Tim and Lisa both aimed their bows at him.
He couldn't do anything but laugh, discarding what remained of his shield on the ground.
From somewhere, bony hands attempted a slow clap.
'Bravo! I never expected you to take on these many! Alone, no less'
A figure emerged, still clapping; a skeleton shrouded in red robes
'You...'
'But I suppose you Ormans always were gifted in the art of war'
Janus couldn't suppress his anger anymore, charging forward towards the skeleton. He managed a single strike, hitting the monster right in the skull.
It barely tilted its head
'How rude, I was still talking'
To Janus's stupor, he found unable to move after the blow
'I suppose some things never change, though. After all yours is a family of barbarians with no manners'
'Don't... insult...'
'Still talking, are you? Let me solve that. Forever'
'Stop!'
Nicole's voice resounded across the plaza, as she emerged from the alleys she had been hiding in
'What a stroke of luck, thought I had to comb the city for you'
The monsters parted way, allowing the skeleton to fully see the young lady.
'Step away from my father'
'I don't think you're in a position to make demands, missy'
She aimed her bow at the skeleton, as her mind started willing the magical runes, activating the rituals and charging the bow with arcane power
'Hm, A powerful wapon, that one, but I think I've already demonstrated that it won't be enough'
'Step away from my father'
'Nicole! Forget about m-'
Waiving a hand, the skeleton forced Janus's mouth shut
'Shush you, we're having a conversation here'
'My father. At once'
'My, my, so bossy'
He took a few steps away from the man, who was now collapsing on his knees, finally able to move.
'Don't know what you're trying to achieve, but here I am, a few steps away'
'Now flee from this place and never return'
'And here I was, thinking you had a plan, or that you might be able to negotiate'
'We don't negotiate with monsters'
'I know that all too well. But I have a counter proposal'
As he said so, a black light beamed from the skeleton's hands, impacting on Janus.
Without a sound, he fell on the ground, lifeless.
'I told you a few steps wouldn-'
With a primal cry of rage, Nicole released.
Time seemed to stop, as the arrow flew towards its target, runes glistening in the dim light of a shrouded sun, as the liquids inside the arrowhead started boiling, their spell activated.
The arrow hit the skeleton in the chest, a perfect shot, shattering every single arcane veil of protection effortlessly. If the monster had a face, it would have been shocked.
As the arrowhead impacted, it burst into a devastating explosion, its light bright enough to blind, its fires hot enough to melt stone and metal alike. The power of the deflagration was enough to leave a smouldering crater where once the skeleton stood.
For a moment, time seemed still, as both sides struggled to understand what happened.
When the dust settled, all that remained of the skeleton were its feet, standing on a stone that was spared from the destruction.
The undead looked at eachother in what could only be described as stupor, then starting attacking all they had in front, friends and foe alike. In the distance, the bone giants disgregated into the very bones they were made of.
Nicole was out of breath on the ground, as two zombies approached hungrily, the bow's magick had used all energy she had.
In a hidden room inside the church, Tim had been waiting his doom, trying to make peace before his ultimate end, as the undead army searched the streets for survivors.
Then, suddently, they all stopped.
After, it was pure chaos, as the undead turned on eachother, attacking everything in sight.
Tim could do nothing but watch, as the monsters killed eachother, and it wouldn't be long until the area was clear.
"This has to be an illusion. I've gone mad and I'm seeing things"
He exited his hiding hole, still uncertain.
No skeleton rushed at him, no zombie tried to bite his arms. It was silent.
In the streets, only the bodies remained. He found Tim and Lisa, hugged in a corner of a stret, a sword piercing them both. It was clear they had fought to their last.
Like them, so many others.
Tim wandered aimlessly through the city, unable to process what had happened.
A sound made him jump
'Who's there?!'
Yofandel emerged from a dark alley, bloody and bruised, hammers in both hands.
'A survivor! Praised be the spirits'
'Yofandel! You scared me, I thought...'
'It's over now'
'Over?'
'The monster that assaulted us has perished, and with him his creations'
'But... This isn't a victory! All I held dear now lies in ruins'
'Such is war'
'What... What I'm supposed to do now? Why am I the only one allowed to live?!'
'Those are questions only you can answer, as I did so long before you. For the time being, You could accompany me on a journey. Maybe you'll find your answers there'
Tim could do nothing but blindly follow, still too shocked to think.
'Wh... where are we going?'
He asked, once he had calmed down
'Brega, where this whole mess started'