Recruits

Nkazi stood in the middle of the chaos. The sky was dominated by airborne monstrosities that could snatch you away in a second. The land was littered with determined and terrified guardians fighting for their lives. The noise was loud and hard to comprehend, but Nkazi was as calm as stagnant waters, analyzing everything around him.

The monstrosities were indeed terrifying, but they didn't hold a candle to the flaming red monster that had invaded his village. Watching, he began to notice a pattern in the flight and attack of the monsters. He slowly analyzed what was going on and noticed a few enforcers had fallen; recruits were holding up their shields, deflecting attacks from the winged monsters.

He grabbed a flintlock pistol from the ground, left by his fallen superior, abandoning his shield and sheathing his blade. It took him a little while to find bullets; he pried them off another dead enforcer and took his gun as well.

A few moments ago, Nkazi had saved a girl who was paralyzed by panic. She was lying in the corner, masked by darkness. He went to her and gave her a hot slap on the cheeks.

Slap!

Muke was surprised by the sudden attack. A moment ago, she was gripped by terror, but the pain brought her to reality for a second, and she hoped that it was all a dream. She knew that being a Guardian was dangerous, but she didn't think it would be dangerous for her. Muke had always been spoiled, and hardship was something she was not familiar with. Getting married was looking good right about now; no one wanted to be in this position facing death, not even the men.

Muke moved her attention to the man who just slapped her; she was a little bit upset at him.

"Get your shit together, Guardian, and help me take down these beasts."

For a moment, the man's words didn't register in Muke's head.

"Who is this man? He looks like a recruit. Why is he acting like my boss?" Muke was a little confused.

Nkazi handed her a flintlock.

"You will load the bullets for me and make sure the gun is ready to shoot. Stay with your back to the wall so that you can see the beasts coming should they attack and defend yourself."

At this point, Nkazi had collected three guns. He handed her two to load and aimed the loaded flintlock at the sky.

Bang!

One winged monster dropped to the ground.

"GUARDIANS TO ME!"

He shouted. He was not a commander, and he didn't know if it would work, but if they were to get out of this alive, he had to act and hope that the other recruits would respond. The other recruits were already in a bad position, being attacked on all sides. They were barely able to deflect the airborne attacks and were slowly being killed by the winged crocs. When they heard the shouts, they found hope that a commander was here, and they immediately went towards the voice.

Boy, were they disappointed. All the enforcers in their squads were dead. The problem with one-shot rifles was that they took time to load, which put the enforcers in bad positions, and they got taken out by the enemy after a few shots.

"Everyone, shields up and protect me while I aim and shoot at the beasts. If we're going to survive this, this may be the only way."

"Who the hell are you? You want us to protect you while we can barely protect ourselves? Are you insane?"

"You are not protecting me, but we are protecting each other. Attack and defense tactic."

"I don't take orders from y—"

Whoosh!

The nameless recruit was swept to the heavens by a winged beast.

The other recruits no longer played tough and did what Nkazi said. By that time, Muke had loaded two rifles and handed one to Nkazi and began loading the other.

Bang!

A croc fell from the sky. Since all the guardians were now all at this corner with their backs to the wall, the crocs began to attack there, but the recruits found that having their backs to this corner lessened their burden of defense since the creatures could only attack from one direction.

Bang!

Another croc fell from the sky. The tactic was working. Nkazi was excited, and Muke was no longer plagued by fear. The other recruits were more confident now as Nkazi continued to strike the sky, bringing down monstrosity after monstrosity. At times he would miss since the creatures were fast, so he decided to counterattack immediately after the creature bounced off the shields of his colleagues.

Bang!

Another monstrosity fell. After a while, the pressure lessened with fewer crocs approaching them, but they had run out of bullets and had to find another dead enforcer. After a while, the pressure started to rise again with more attacks and their dwindling ability to retaliate.

It was getting bad with recruits getting injured as the attacks began to overwhelm them. Panic started to rise once more. Nkazi had been quiet for a while now. He drew his sword.

"Nothing has changed, brothers and sisters. We will still attack. I will give two commands: close and open. When the crocs attack and I say close, you lift your shields, and as soon as the croc hits your shield, you open and stab with your sword. Understood?"

"Yes, captain!" The recruits said in unison. They had already accepted Nkazi as their captain. Without him, they would already be dead.

The crocs circled above, their leathery wings casting dark shadows over the beleaguered group. Nkazi stood at the ready, his eyes fixed on the sky, sword gleaming in the dim light. The recruits tightened their formation, shields raised, hearts pounding with anticipation.

"Close!" Nkazi shouted as a croc dived towards them, its jaws wide open.

The recruits lifted their shields in unison, bracing themselves for impact. The croc's body slammed into the shields with a force that rattled their bones, but they held firm.

"Open!" Nkazi commanded.

The recruits parted their shields just enough to thrust their swords through the gap. The croc roared in pain as blades pierced its flesh, and with a final, desperate thrash, it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

The battle continued, with Nkazi's commands guiding them through each wave of attacks. The recruits moved as one, their fear transforming into a steely resolve. Nkazi's strategy was working, but the crocs were relentless, their numbers seemingly endless.

Amid the chaos, Nkazi noticed a shift in the air. The crocs were retreating, circling higher and higher, as if waiting for something. Then he saw it—two massive winged figures emerging from the clouds, their scales glinting in the light. The Winged Crocodile Kings had arrived.

"Stay focused!" Nkazi yelled. "This isn't over yet."

The kings descended with terrifying grace, their presence looming over the battlefield like a dark omen. Luckily, they didn't pay the recruits any mind at first. The recruits tightened their formation once more, ready to face the new threat. Nkazi could feel the tension in the air, the weight of the moment pressing down on them. He knew there was no way they could take on the two kings; even one was too much for them to handle.

One of the kings let out a deafening roar, a shockwave that sent tremors through the ground. Nkazi steadied himself, gripping his sword tighter with determination. Crocodile king or not, he was going to fight until his last breath. The king's roar was more than just a battle cry; it was a signal. The lesser crocs responded, diving in unison toward the group.

"Close!" Nkazi shouted.

The recruits lifted their shields just in time to deflect the first wave of attacks. The impact was brutal, but they held their ground. Nkazi slashed at a croc that got too close, cutting it down with a swift strike.

"Open! Stab!"

The recruits followed his lead, thrusting their swords through the gaps in their shields. More crocs fell, but the pressure was immense. The lesser crocs attacked as if they didn't care for their lives. The wave seemed endless, and the recruits were slowly getting tired, with opportunities for attack becoming fewer and fewer.

Nkazi knew they needed a new plan. The flintlocks were out of bullets, and the swords, while effective, would not be enough to take down this wave. He scanned the battlefield, looking for anything they could use.

Then he saw it—a fallen enforcer's pack, half-buried under rubble. Nkazi sprinted towards it, ducking under a croc's swipe. He tore open the pack and found what he was looking for: bolts.

"Muke, get over here!" Nkazi called out.

Muke ran to his side, her eyes wide with fear and determination. Nkazi handed her the bolts and asked her to load them quickly.

The guardians were slowly being overwhelmed by numbers, and lives began to be lost again. Fear began to spread amongst the recruits. They were tired and couldn't hold on any longer.

Bang!

A thunderous sound of hope erupted behind them. Those who had decided to succumb to death felt their hope being restored. Maybe they would get to live after all. The recruits held their shields tighter and kept attacking when they could, as thunderous bangs continued to sound in assistance.

Bang!

The attacks began to slow down as more and more crocs fell victim to the relentless assault of the recruits.

With so much death of its kin, one of the crocodile kings moved its gaze to the spot of death where Nkazi and his comrades fought for their lives.

Nkazi noticed the gaze of this monstrosity and knew that they were done for. The recruits were on the edge already; they could no longer hold up their shields, let alone thrust their swords. They were now easy targets for this abomination.

Nkazi could see it clearly; this abomination descended slowly in their direction. All the recruits accepted their fate. They fought well, and they would go out in a blaze of glory, having fought and killed mountains of these monsters, but compared to the descending abomination, they had no chance.

The Crocodile King descended with speed, heading straight for them. They could now see it clearly. It was nothing like the other crocs; no one could exactly call it a croc anymore.

As death descended upon them, a crimson whip came from nowhere, wrapping around the tail of the abomination and pulling it down in another direction, saving the recruits as it slammed into the ground not far from them. From behind the beast, Nara appeared, her presence electrifying the battlefield.

Nara's eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, her whip crackling with energy. She stood tall and resolute, a beacon of hope amidst the chaos. The recruits, seeing her, felt a surge of renewed strength.

"High Guardian" Nkazi shouted, relief flooding his voice.

She nodded to him, her expression steely. "Hold the line. I'll handle this."

The Crocodile King roared in fury, its eyes burning with malice as it rose to its feet. Nara didn't flinch. She lashed her whip, the crack echoing like thunder, and struck the beast's eye, causing it to bellow in pain.

Nara and the beast faced each other. The eye Nara had struck began to heal in real time as she watched. Nara couldn't help but frown, this was the worst case scenario.

.