The City of Nortis stood like an iron fortress guarding the only major passage from the Western part of the Duchy to the Eastern side.

Thick silver-gray walls protected it. Towers were positioned at regular intervals, armed with archers and ancient engines of war. Nortis was a blockade, a shield that prevented any hostile army from marching straight to the capital and the Main Ducal Estate.

And now this very city was under attack.

If Nortis fell, the roads would open like a wounded artery. The enemy could march without resistance, and the Duchy would be thrown into chaos. Eastern territory would crumble. Villages would burn. There would be no stopping the catastrophe.

A horn blasted from the highest tower.

Bhoooo!

Soldiers ran through the streets, putting on armor, grabbing weapons, rushing toward the fortress walls. The city bells rang wildly, shaking windows and rattling hearts.

At the gates, the first line of defenders arrived just in time to see the horror approaching.

A sea of zombies.

Thousands of them.

Their bodies were rotting, some missing limbs, some held together by dark spell chains. Their eyes were lifeless yet they moved with purpose. A thick, rotten smell rolled forward like a tide, making soldiers gag.

"Gates, reinforce the gates!" a captain shouted.

The zombies crashed into the main gate with a thunderous slam.

BOOOOM!

The wooden structure groaned and splintered. More undead piled behind, pushing forward as if they felt no pain or fear. Their fingers scraped against the walls, leaving marks of dried blood and flesh.

Archers fired from the battlements. Arrows rained down from above.

"Loose!"

Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!

Arrows pierced flesh, some lodging deep in skulls. Zombies fell, but for every one that dropped, five more dragged themselves over its body, pushing onward.

Ancient defensive war devices were rolled into place. Ballista bolts launched, spears thick enough to pierce three bodies at once. A mangonel hurled burning oil jars that exploded on impact.

BOOM!

Flames lit the battlefield. Zombies burned yet kept walking until they collapsed into piles of charred limbs. The smell of burning corpses mixed with smoke. It spread across the battlefield, choking the air.

The Dark Priest stood from a distant rock formation with a twisted staff in his hand. He lifted his arms.

"Forward," he said, voice echoing like thunder. "Tear down everything."

The zombies reacted instantly. Their movements sharpened. Arrows pierced them, yet they moved until their heads were destroyed or their bodies torn apart.

"What the fuck is this bullshit… they don't stop," a soldier muttered.

"It's not about stopping them for godsake rather how to kill those who are already dead."

Screams rose from the front of the walls. Some undead climbed over each other, forming piles of writhing bodies to reach the top. Their nails scratched at armored boots, trying to drag defenders down.

Spearmen thrust their weapons between the stones, pushing back climbing corpses.

"Hold the line! DO NOT LET THEM THROUGH!" an officer yelled.

Blood spilled down the stones. Soldiers grit their teeth. Many felt their hands shaking, not from fear of death, but from the nightmare they were forced to face. This was not a battle of humans. This was a siege by death itself.

The war grew more terrible as hours passed. The sun fell behind thick smoke, turning the sky into a cruel red.

… … …

Roen hurried through Nortis on horseback, the sound of hooves striking stone echoing sharp and fast. He reached the walls and climbed the staircase. When he finally looked down from the ramparts, he froze.

He stared at the land outside the walls and his heart dropped.

A vast ocean of corpses stretched far beyond the horizon.

He swallowed hard. His throat felt dry.

"Whaaat…" he whispered, voice cracking.

The soldiers nearby turned to him, waiting for orders, but Roen could not look away.

"Just what the hell…" he breathed out. His voice shook. "How… how did they gather so many zombies…"

He put a hand against the stone wall to steady himself. His stomach twisted.

"For Godsake… just what is this nightmare…"

One young soldier leaned over the edge, saw the endless horde, and vomited.

"Blerhh!"

The sound of retching mixed with screams and the endless groan of the undead.

Roen closed his eyes for a moment and gathered his breath. He forced the fear down. There was no time for weakness.

He turned to his troops.

"Listen to me!" Roen shouted. "We cannot let them breach Nortis. If this fortress falls, the entire Western State will collapse. We will hold on no matter what!"

His voice rang like steel, cutting through fear.

"Reinforce the gates again! Push back their advance. Send word to every squadron inside the city. If you have fire attributes, prepare fire attacks. We must burn these monsters!"

His officers nodded and ran to carry out the orders.

Roen kept watching, trying to plan their next move when suddenly his eyes widened. He felt a surge of heat coming from the sky.

He looked up sharply.

A huge fireball was trailing across the clouds, heading straight toward the city walls. It was being cast from somewhere behind the zombie ranks. The flames twisted in the air, spinning like a meteor falling from the heavens.

Roen's heartbeat jumped.

"NOWWWW!" he shouted.

The archers and mages activated defensive barriers. A thick golden shield formed above the walls just in time.

BOOOOOOOM!

The fireball exploded on impact, shaking the entire wall. Soldiers fell to their knees. Dust blew over the battlements. Some portions of the gate burst into flames.

The Dark Priest raised his staff again, and the army of undead roared as if answering a silent command.

Roen wiped the soot from his face and raised his sword.

"Everyone, prepare for another wave!"

He looked at the horde one last time. For the first time since he was a child, Roen felt something he had not felt in years.

Fear.

But he held his sword tighter.

"We hold Nortis," he said under his breath. "Even if we must fight until the last drop of blood."

He shouted strongly but as soon as he finished this,his back lit up as if a miniature sun had appeared out of nowhere..

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