The Undead

Roaring, grunting and groveling noises are rising from the valley ahead of the wall as their resonating echoes in the mountains feel like coming from all directions. The disturbing noises were enough to drive any weak-hearted man to insanity.

"We are the bravest men among the whole mankind and this is the test of our courage. We are the knights who know no fear. We are the ones who know how to look death in the eye. We are burdened with a noble cause of protecting the last of humanity, and tonight is like any other. We shall send these creatures behind the devil's gate and how many times we'll have to do this, we shall do it with no fear. Our courage is of steel and we shall not falter and we will be the ones standing on top when the sun will rise." Leofwin addresses the knights before the battle. "I hate these long monologs."

Clouds disappeared slowly, and the full moon behind them appeared in its full glory. The sharp peaks of the hills are shining in its light as the stars from far and the undead horde is moving out of the shadows as the dark mist looming above them, and Air smelled like rotten flesh as the horde grew closer.

"No matter how many times we see them up close, it's still not enough. Fear will still rattle them to their bones. This is what we are up against." Leofwin says with an unpleasant look on his face as he saw discomfort and panic growing among his men. "On my command, knights with earth magic will dig a narrow path and use rock animation to direct these creatures straight towards the wall. Knights with spatial magic, ready their portals at all times and send these creatures back into the devil's gate." Leofwin commands the magic Knights as the horde grew closer and fear and panic among men grew higher. "Make the path." Leofwin's voice echoed and the knights with earth magic started transforming the ground in front of the wall in a cone-like shape, narrowing and descending as it grew close to the wall and started using rock animation, trapping the undead in the path they've created. "Keep the portal open and take turns and the knights, with wind and fire magic, hold and wait for my command," Leofwin speaks in a loud voice as the horde enters the path and started rolling down and disappearing into the portals. "That's perfect as always. I hope nothing goes wrong, and the night ends with no difficulty." Leofwin speaks as he took a deep breath.

Almost an hour has passed. "Those Knights who have exhausted their mana fall back and recover. Healer knights, heal their gate." Leofwin said.

"Captain, the horde is getting bigger, and it's way too much for a single portal to transfer that many undead at the same time. We'll have to use more portals to handle their growing number." A knight from the first formation shouted.

"Only one knight will handle a portal for now and the other will take its place in case of exhaustion," Leofwin commands. "Fire user ready you attack and burn the undead to ashes and wind user will blow their ashes into the portal before they get back up again and a blanket of fire covered the land in front of the wall. "That'll make the horde thinner for now". As he sighs in discomfort.

"It's almost midnight, and it feels like time is not moving at all," Leofwin says as he is looking towards the star lying flat on the tower. "First formation fallback and recover your mana. I'll hold them off. At least I'll kill some time this way." Leofwin orders his men as stood back up looking towards the horde.

"But captain you alone?" Giles asks as Leofwin was walking down the stairs. "Hi young man, it's you. What was your name again? Ah! Giles, son of Hamo, you have a lot to learn, but for now, help healers aid the knights." Leofwin replied with a smirk as he walked past him. "What was that expression about?" Giles thought.

Leofwin slammed his hand together, making a praying pose and kneeling his left knee and putting his both hands on the bricks beneath him then took a deep breath. Slowly, the ground shook and enormous boulders started rolling down from the hills on both sides of the wall and started forming a giant humanoid statue. "Here I go," Leofwin said, and he sat down with his eyes shut, and the giant statue started moving, pushing the horde down into the portal.

"Wow, that's amazing. I've read about the rock Golam creation but witnessing it up close is just amazing." Giles said while staring at the Golam with eyes wide open.

"It's not common for us to see the captain in action. The captain is in a league of its own. No Knight here with earth magic can create a Golem of that size, let alone control with that perfection." A knight said as he was being attended by a healer.

As Leofwin was sitting there controlling them, he felt something and stood back up. "All the knights who have recovered their mana, return to their positions," Leofwin said and jumped back at the tower and started looking in the opposite direction.

"Wait, what happened? Not all knights from front formation have gotten attended yet." The healer shouted, but Leofwin didn't respond like he didn't hear him. Knights started going back to their positions. "It's really strange, the way captain left, and he is looking at nothing." Knight started chattering.

"Wait, who are these people? Am I picking up the wrong vibrations? Why did so many people appear in a single place? There's no way that these are undead. Not a single undead has gotten past us and no signal fire has been light on the walls either." All these questions started popping into his mind. "Wait, now I can't sense anyone there. I don't think my mind is playing games with me. My senses have never been wrong." Leofwin thought and sat down on closing his eyes.

"Captain, things are getting a little dicey here. Hi you, young boy. Go to the captain and ask what's wrong. If this goes any longer, we might lose the first wall." A knight said.

"If all these grunting and groveling disappear." Said Leofwin as he jumps down from the tower and ran out of the castle and sat down on the ground.

"Wait, captain Leofwin. Where are you going." Giles shouts from behind as he followed his captain.

"That's right, focus and feel the earth. There, deep in the forest, they are. They are undead indeed, over five thousand. I don't know how they got there. If a spatial magic-user brought the undead there, then I would have sensed it, but I didn't sense any mana discharge. This is bad should I go, but I can't leave the wall unattended." Leofwin thinks as he stood back up and looks behind over his shoulder Giles runs towards him.

"Captain Leofwin, what happened. The situation on the wall is getting worst." Giles shouted from behind.

"Young man, I have a mission for you. Take one spatial knight, four earth knights, one fire knight, and one healer knight and go straight northeast and see what's happening. If there are undead, teleport them right here behind the walls. These are your order take the knights and don't waste any time." Leofwin ordered Giles. "But" Giles stuttered. "There's no time. Take the men and go now," Leofwin shouted and jumps back on the tower. "Listen, those who have recovered their mana go with this young knight. He is your team leader tonight, and you do as he says. Don't waste time. It's an urgent situation." Leofwin shouted in a thunderous voice. "May everything be okay." He thought. "Apology for the inconvenience. Those who are tired get back. I'll take the front line now." Leofwin says as he took a deep breath and sat down, controlling his Golam again while Giles left the castle with the night.