In the high tower of the castle, Commander Lucian stood on the balcony overlooking the burning city gate. No words had yet reached him, his cold, icy stare fixed on the dark smoke rising in the distance.
Suddenly the door burst open. A servant, drenched in sweat and shaking with panic, rushed in. He hurried to the commander and fell to one knee.
"Commander!" He gasped for air before continuing. "A soldier… informed me that the goblins are breaching the walls and trying to enter the city!"
Lucian turned slowly, his expression hardening, eyes narrowing like a lion staring down prey.
"Say that again," he said in a low, calm tone though the tension in his eyes can be seen.
The servant trembled and lowered his gaze. "The goblins are attacking, my lord! The soldiers are barely holding the line they need reinforcements!"
At those words, Lucian snapped to action. "Sound the drums of war! Evacuate the townsfolk to safety and bring me Jay and Saturn!"
"Yes, my lord at once!" the servant rushed out of the room as if his life depended on that single command.
Lucian crossed the chamber with purpose. He opened the weapons chest and began arming himself, strapping on armor with the efficiency of a man long accustomed to war. His jaw clenched as he seized his sword.
Meanwhile, the castle courtyard thundered with the boots of assembling soldiers. Hundreds stood ready, armor gleaming in the torchlight, weapons in hand, faces set with grim resolve.
Before long, the great doors of the castle groaned open and from the torchlit shadows emerged Commander Lucian draped in black steel. His boots struck the stone stairway with deliberate weight, each step echoing across the courtyard like the slow tolling of a war drum.
Below, the soldiers stood in formation ranks of hardened men and women, their armor reflecting wavering firelight. Not a word passed between them. Only the sounds of blades unsheathing, bows being strung, and the distant clamor of a city under siege.
At the front of the line stood two captains, their presence commanding respect even among veterans.
Jay the Sharp-Eye, towered with his bow already in hand. The feathers of his arrows bristled over his shoulder like a restless wind waiting to be released. Beside him stood Saturn the broad. His battle axe rested across his shoulder as if it weighed nothing.
Lucian stepped off the final stair and halted. For a moment, he surveyed the courtyard and the flames rising beyond the walls. Then his gaze fixed on his captains.
"Jay," he said, his voice slicing through the silence like steel drawn from its sheath, "get more archers on the castle walls. Kill as many as you can—stop the goblins from pushing farther in."
Jay gave a bow. "I'll make sure they fall before most of them reach the gates, my lord."
Lucian's eyes shifted to Saturn. "You and I take the vanguard. We meet them head-on."
Saturn grinned the kind of grin that promised violence. "As you wish, my lord. They'll hear their bones crack before they see dawn! Hahaha!"
Lucian stepped forward, raising his voice for all to hear, firm and unyielding.
"Remember this! The walls may burn, but the heart of this city does not fall! We hold the line and we do NOT retreat!"
A fierce cheer erupted from the soldiers, roaring into the night as they readied themselves for battle.
A counterattack was about to begin….