Chapter 41: Ancient Weapon
In the heart of the forest, where the trees stood thick and silent, only the hooting of owls echoed through the night. Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly, and a patch of earth began to shift.
With a low grinding sound, a hidden tunnel creaked open.
A figure emerged, cloaked in dirt and urgency. He stepped aside and pulled another up behind him, then another. One by one, dozens then hundreds of people began to climb out of the hidden passage.
"Form a perimeter around this region. Be alert for any monsters lurking nearby!" an old man barked, his voice steady and commanding despite the chaos.
He was the mayor.
"Alia! Set up the barrier quickly, before night creatures catch our scent!"
A young woman nodded and raised her staff, chanting softly as a glowing bubble formed in the air, making a dome like shaped that cover all of people there.
All around, townspeople emerged, weary but alive. The injured were carried on stretchers, groaning softly as they were laid gently onto moss-covered ground.
"Be careful... he has broken ribs," said Sir Van, his voice calm but firm as he examined a wounded man being laid on a stretcher. The old healer had served the town for decades, and there wasn’t a soul who hadn’t been tended by his hands in this town.
After checking on the injured, Sir Van made his way up a small hill, where the mayor stood, staring out at the valley below.
The town was ablaze, red flames and black smoke climbed into the night sky, casting a hellish glow. Between the burning rooftops, shadowy figures of monsters moved like wraiths, stalking the streets they once called home.