The corrupted surged forward, their numbers swarming the last line of defense in the village square.
Marcus, Kael, and the remaining defenders fought desperately, but it was clear the barricades would not hold much longer.
The barriers, which were just carts and planks cobbled together, were little more than splintered wreckage.
Defenders swung their tools with every ounce of strength they had left, their movements growing slower as exhaustion set in. Kael was among them, his hands blistered from gripping his spear too tightly, his arms aching from the effort of holding back the tide.
"They're pushing through!" someone shouted with panic in their voice.
Marcus scanned the battlefield, his sharp eyes noting every weak point, every opening. "Pull back to the meeting hall!" he commanded. "Regroup there!"
The defenders began their retreat, but the corrupted were relentless. Their fragment modifications gave them an edge the villagers couldn't match.
Some leapt over barricades with ease, while others plowed through obstacles with brute force or special blasts of energy.
One particularly large attacker, its body bristling with jagged metallic and crystalline pieces, slammed into the center of the barricade, shattering it completely. The defenders scattered, scrambling to regroup.
Kael caught a glimpse of Marcus in the chaos, his father standing firm even as the line collapsed around him.
Amid the chaos, Marcus's thoughts were drawn to Lira. He knew she was inside the meeting hall with the other noncombatants, but he couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that had settled over him.
Lira had always been quick-witted and resourceful, but she was still just a girl. And in moments like these, when the world seemed to crumble around them, Marcus felt the full weight of his responsibility as a father.
"Kael!" Marcus shouted, catching his son's attention. "Get to the meeting hall. Protect your sister!"
Kael hesitated, torn between staying to fight and obeying his father's command. "But—"
"No arguments! Go!" Marcus barked, his voice cutting through the noise of battle.
Kael nodded, his expression grim, and turned toward the hall.
As Marcus watched his son run, a quiet resolve settled over him. He knew the odds they faced. He knew what needed to be done.
Marcus turned back to the fight, his grip tightening on the fragment-enhanced axe in his hands.
The weapon, though powerful, was showing signs of wearing and so early too. The fragment embedded in its head flickered erratically, its energy nearly spent.
The corrupted advanced in waves, their glowing eyes fixed on the remaining defenders. Marcus stepped into their path.
He swung the axe in a wide arc, the fragment's energy increasing the force of the strike. The first attacker crumpled under the blow, its muscle-only limbs splitting into two. Marcus didn't stop.
He spun around on his heels, using the momentum to strike another corrupted, his axe cleaving through its chest.
Every movement was planned, every strike powerful and targeting a certain area. Marcus's years as a soldier had honed his instincts, and now, those instincts kept him alive.
But the attackers were relentless. A smaller, faster corrupted darted toward him, its claws glinting in the firelight. Marcus ducked, the claws missing his head by inches, and drove the axe upward into its torso. The corrupted screeched and fell, but another took its place almost immediately.
Through the chaos, Marcus noticed a figure approaching—a corrupted unlike any he had faced before.
It was taller and more heavily corrupted than the others, its body was a blend of flesh and crystals. A glowing fragment was embedded on its torso, pulsing with an ominous red light.
The corrupted moved with precision as it closed the distance. Marcus braced himself, his heart pounding.
The creature lunged with an astonishing speed. Marcus raised his axe just in time to block its strike, the force of the impact nearly knocking him off his feet. Sparks flew as the corrupted's claws scraped against the fragment-enhanced weapon.
Marcus countered with a powerful swing, but the corrupted anticipated the move. It sidestepped, its movements unnervingly fluid, and struck again.
Marcus barely dodged, the claws slicing through the air where he had stood moments before.
The fight was brutal, each exchange pushing Marcus closer to his limit.
The corrupted's fragment enhancements gave it the advantage, but Marcus's experience and determination kept him in the fight.
The battle between Marcus and the corrupted reached a breaking point. Each strike, each block, carried his fate of whether he lives or dies.
Marcus's arms burned with exhaustion, his breaths coming in gasps, but he refused to yield.
The corrupted lunged again, its claws aiming for Marcus's chest. He sidestepped and brought his axe down in a powerful arc, the blade connecting with the creature's shoulder. The impact sent a jolt through Marcus's arms, but the corrupted barely flinched.
It retaliated with a swipe of its claws, catching Marcus across the side. Pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on.
"You won't take them," Marcus growled, his voice low and fierce.
The corrupted seemed to pause, its glowing eyes locking onto Marcus. Then it charged, its movements faster and more aggressive than before.
Marcus knew he couldn't win this fight, but he didn't need to. He just needed to buy enough time for Kael and Lira to escape.
As the corrupted lunged, Marcus shifted his grip on the axe and drove it into the ground, using the fragment's ability for the first time.
The fragment embedded in the weapon flared brightly, releasing a burst of energy that knocked the attacker back.
The corrupted stumbled, its movements briefly disoriented. Marcus seized the moment, throwing himself at the creature with every ounce of strength he had left.
The two collided, Marcus driving his shoulder into the corrupted's chest. The impact sent them both crashing to the ground, the corrupted's claws slashing wildly.
Marcus wrestled with the creature, his hands gripping its arms to keep the claws away from his throat.
He could feel the creatures strength in its limbs, the unnatural power that threatened to overwhelm him.
With a final, desperate surge of effort, Marcus forced the corrupted's arms aside and drove his axe into its core, its fragment. shattering, the fragment embedded in the weapon pulsed one last time, releasing a blinding surge of energy that consumed them both.
From the meeting hall, Lira watched in horror as the battle unfolded. She saw her father standing against the corrupted, his figure silhouetted by the flames that engulfed the village.
When the final burst of energy lit up the square, Lira screamed. She felt the impact as though it had struck her directly, her chest tightening with a pain that wasn't physical.
"Dad!" she cried, running toward him.
Kael grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "Lira, no! We have to stay here!"
Tears streamed down her face as she struggled against him. "He's out there! He—"
"He's doing this for us," Kael said, his voice cracking. "We can't... we can't let it be for nothing."
Lira collapsed to her knees, her body trembling. She buried her face in her hands, her sobs were muffled and uncontrollable.
Then suddenly the the corrupted began to leave, all so suddenly.
What were they her for? Had they accomplished it yet? Will they be coming back? These and more were the questions running through everyone's head but no one dared to asked aloud, they were feeling rather relieved.
The square was silent, the corrupted scrambled to get away as if having completed their task and the defenders scattered. In the center of the devastation lay the remains of Marcus's final stand and those who died in this attack.
It would seem that for Riverstone, the battle was over, but the cost was immeasurable.