《Stranded In Drowned World》


 1.1 The Fall

    The sound of tower bells echoed through the city as more of them began banging to warn the citizens. People were running toward the mountain, away from the city¡¯s port. From the sea to the mountain there were four walls and the guards slowly closed the gates after people entered the next ring of the city.


    The city guards moved through the streets, seeking any lost people who would be directed toward the mountain where the shelter lay. To the confused people, they shouted, ¡°Tide! The tides are coming!¡±


    A man in dark blue robes stood up on the box so everyone would see him. ¡°Gods are punishing us!¡± He shouted as he took off the cloak, revealing a bald head with eyes painted with white dye on his tanned head. ¡°Do not fear as this is judgment from the seas! Those who accept the punishment will be welcomed in heaven as they understand their sins!¡±


    People were in a rush and panic but a few people stopped for a moment or took a look at the man. There was no time for them to listen to the talk of a madman while their lives were at stake.


    The guard in a red uniform and blue coat grabbed the man and forcefully brought him down to the ground. ¡°The world was drowned for a reason!¡± Shouted the madman as he was pressed to the ground by the guard.


    ¡°Shut it!¡± Shouted the guard as he used the butt of his musket to knock out the man. Once the man was unconscious he grabbed his black tricorn hat that fell to the ground when he subdued the madman.


    The guard dragged the man to the side and continued controlling the rushed and confused crowd. On the side of the mountain, there were five gates and guards moved the citizens into the shelters inside. One of the gates was being closed as the shelter was full. On the outside, they looked the same but inside they were different. The shelter that was closed was reserved for the richest as they paid quite a sum to build those shelters and they paid for a spot inside.


    Even though the cataclysm was coming their shelter was built like it was a royal banquet and they met there to feast while people in other shelters were trembling in fear, hoping that the tide wouldn¡¯t reach them.


    Soldiers in dark and gold uniforms lined up on the walls with their muskets aimed at the shore. Dark metal helmets on their heads reflected the last red light from the distant sun.


    The more to the side of the walls between the soldiers stood people in leather armor with metal plates. Each one of them had a musket but of a different build. The only thing they shared with each other was a mark painted on part of their armor. Crossed muskets painted with orange paint.


    Under the wall behind the gates other soldiers and hired guns stood there, waiting for the possible breach. Between them stood people with silver armor and teal cloaks. They on the other hand didn¡¯t have guns like the soldiers or hired guns. Each one of them had a different weapon but for close combat like swords and spears. On their teal capes was a symbol of the orange sun rising from the horizon.


    Before the sun could even set a fog rose from the water and a cold breeze brushed their face with the salty smell of the sea. The officers signaled the soldiers and all of them aimed their muskets at the water. Once it got darker the foam by the shore glowed in blue light and a strong stench of dead fish was moved by the wind. The water began to boil and the first creature appeared from it.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    It looked like a human covered in barnacles but its body was partially rotten with visible bones, the clothes were torn or the barnacles grew over them. As its head stuck out of the water the first bullet was fired. A man with a musket that had an optical attached to it announced to his fellow hired guns ¡°That¡¯s one credit for me.¡±


    The water began to boil in more places and more of the creatures covered in barnacles appeared. Some of them had a swordfish skull instead of their hands.


    At first, only the hired guns set fire to the sea creatures but when more of them appeared the officers gave the command ¡°Fire!¡± and rows of soldiers pulled the triggers killing hundred monsters with a salvo of missiles the stench of smoke from the muskets moved toward the city, carried by the wind from the sea mixing two horrible stenches into one.


    By the officer stood a young man also wearing a soldier¡¯s uniform but he didn¡¯t wear a helmet and had a flintlock by his belt. His duty was to deliver messages from the officers if necessary.


    ¡°Seems like a usual tide. Barnacles and that¡¯s all. Getting mercenaries and Order Of Tomorrow seems like a stretch.¡± Stated a young man.


    ¡°It may seem like that but there was an omen. Ten times more foam than usual was gathered within a week. This is just the first wave. Something big is coming¡­¡± Answered the officer as he searched for unusual creatures.


    Between the barnacles appeared a new creature¡ªa massive dark blue turtle with empty eyes. It was as tall as three men and the muskets had no effect on it.


    ¡°Prepare the cannons!¡± Ordered an officer and to his side of the wall appeared four cannons. ¡°Fire!¡± On his signal, all four cannons shot at the turtle leaving a dead shell with holes inside, splattering blue liquid around the stone ground of the port.


    More turtles appeared forcing the cannoneers to reload the cannons constantly. Many dead shells were left on the ground, making the barnacles walk over them.


    Suddenly the water erupted near the port like a gazer and a loud roar accompanied it. The fifteen-foot-tall creature emerged from the sea, looking like a shark with a bit of a humanoid shape and a turtle shell on its back like armor. A few ribs stuck out from the front of the shell. In its hand, it held an anchor that had a chain attached to it.


    The creature let out another roar that showed his teeth which were more of them compared to a normal shark, as if it had three lines of them one in front of another.


    ¡°Anchor has emerged!¡± Shouted one soldier as he observed the monster with terror in his eyes.


    Before the officer could even give a command one cannon shot at the monster with an anchor. The steel ball hit it in the chest only forcing it to take one step back. The beast got angered and began running.


    The officer grabbed the soldier who fired at the monster by the collar and screamed at him ¡°You fool! Aim for its head!¡±


    As the monster was running it picked up an empty shell and threw it at the wall, destroying the cannon that shot it. The young man helped the officer stand back up after falling to the ground.


    Once the officer looked up and saw another flying shell but this time it wasn¡¯t empty. Barnacles were inside them and two of them fell out, hitting the tower and dying.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Shouted one of the soldiers who was standing behind the wall, warning everyone about the falling shell.


    The people scattered around to avoid the falling shells. The barnacles began walking out of the shell, forcing the soldiers and hired guns to set first fire in the city.


    ¡°Looks like they are slowly breaching through the wall.¡± A young woman in silver armor stated. Her blond braid fell against the teal cape. To her belt, she had attached one short sword and a dagger both of them with teal wrappings on their handles.


    She was grabbed gently by the shoulder, forcing her silver eyes to turn toward the person. It was a man in silver armor and a teal cape like hers. He was a head taller than her with wide shoulders making him look even bigger than he already is. His hair was slightly darker than his tanned skin with a beard stretching from one side to another. His hair was cut short, barely stretching half his forehead.


    ¡°Let us see tomorrow¡¯s sun.¡± Said the man as he got closer to the woman.


    The woman pressed her forehead against his and both of them closed their eyes. ¡°Let us see tomorrow¡¯s sun. My love¡­¡± She whispered back and grabbed the man¡¯s cheek for a second before letting him go.

 1.2 The Fall

    The young woman took out her weapons once she heard the falling rubble, looking back she saw part of the wall slowly collapsing, soldiers falling and getting crushed by the stone bricks.


    The tanned man stepped forward from the group of silver-armored warriors. ¡°Order Of Tomorrow! When the sun isn¡¯t in the sky to protect the people of this world it is our duty to protect the people from the Tides! Let us see tomorrow¡¯s sun!¡± The man spoke as the leader of their group and took out his long sword which slowly got enveloped in flames and the warriors stomped one foot against the ground and pressed their hands against their chest.


    All of them took out their weapons and awaited the monsters that were behind the unstable wall. The cannons were still firing but there were only a few of them. Some of the monsters were able to climb up the wall and slow down the firing.


    An anchor fell to the other side of the wall, something was pulling the chain attached to it and with one sharp move the wall had been breached and the barnacles began pouring into the city. The muskets weren¡¯t able to keep up with the numbers and some of the soldiers were forced to take out their sabers.


    At that moment the Order Of Tomorrow began its charge, swords, spears, and hammers alike were swung to kill those monsters. The barnacles weren¡¯t strong but they were many. A single soldier was able to fend off two barnacles but with so many of them, they were outnumbered and brutally killed. Those who ended up facing the ones with swordfish¡¯s skull instead of their hands met the swiftest end. While the ones with normal hands scratched and tore the flesh, leaving the soldiers in agony.


    ¡°Help! Help me!¡± Shouted the soldier as he was pinned against the wall with eight barnacles reaching for his flesh.


    With a whistle of the wind, all of their heads were cut off, blue blood squirted out of their bodies as they fell prone to the ground. Once the soldier opened his eyes he saw a young woman in silver armor, hand extended to help him stand back up.


    ¡°Tha- Thank you¡­¡± Said the soldier as she helped him stand up, his whole body was shaking and cold sweat was shining on his neck.


    ¡°Fall back to the second wall. We¡¯re going to slow down. Go!¡± Said the woman as she rushed the man.


    The soldier took his musket and ran away toward the group of musketeers. The woman looked around for other soldiers in need as it was her biggest priority, to save people. The gust of wind picked up the speed around her feet and she dashed forward with unbelievable speed, cutting down more of those monsters on her path.


    A massive hand with claws went through the gap in the wall and pulled, making the gap wider and revealing the shark¡¯s head hidden behind the wall. It disappeared for a moment only to destroy the bricks and send them flying into the city. Many didn¡¯t expect an attack like that and got killed by the flying rubble.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± Shouted the man with a flaming longsword as he ran toward the gap in the wall, swiftly cutting down or burning the barnacles on his path.


    The monster grabbed the anchor by the chain and spun it above its head, preparing an attack that would destroy buildings on its path and kill many soldiers.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± The leader of the group grabbed rubble from the ground and threw it at the creature while whispering ¡°Gate, open.¡± The rocks flew like they were thrown with a catapult and once they hit the shark-like creature they exploded. The anchor fell down but the creature looked unscathed.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your opponent!¡± The man shouted as he pointed the flaming sword upward and with both hands on the handle he placed it near his chest.


    The monster hit the ground with both of its hands, making the barnacles around it stumble and fall to the ground. Then he let out a roar that shook the bones of the soldiers but the leader of Order Of Tomorrow held strong and didn¡¯t budge.


    The man only watched as the monster rose an anchor and let it fall at him, he only spread his legs wider and prepared for a block. As the anchor hit the sword the ground cracked but he held strong.


    ¡°Gate, open. Eruption!¡± As the man shouted that the flames from his sword exploded and repelled the anchor upward. The monster was holding the weapon as it flew above its head and behind it, making the creature fall to the ground.


    As it tried to stand back up the man jumped on its chest and plunged his sword into the monster¡¯s throat. The massive hand was moving to grab him but he was the first to make a move and shouted ¡°Erupt!¡± the flames that were inside the monster exploded and destroyed its whole head.


    At the last wall stood a general with a black and gold uniform and coat in the same colors. On his chest, he had three medals that were given to him after his successful defenses of other strong tides. He observed the battle through a telescope and saw the Anchor¡¯s defeat.


    ¡°It was a good call to pay for the service of Order Of Tomorrow. The squad captain easily defeated an anchor. Even if more of them arrive I know he can handle them.¡± Said the general out loud.


    He stood near the tower where other officers did their work and documented what they saw on the battlefield. One of the officers stood in the doorway to the tower and heard the general.


    He was an older man who had a few grey hairs on his head. ¡°That man can handle strong opponents but there is another outstanding member.¡± The officer approached the general and lifted his telescope so he could look through it and directed his view toward the main street. ¡°The squad vice-captain is butchering the barnacles. She has already killed more than a hundred of them.¡± The officer explained as the general observed the woman with a sword and a dagger dash through a group of monsters and cutting them all up with swift and fast moves of the blades.


    ¡°Brilliant. But they won¡¯t be able to fight forever.¡± Said the general as he stopped looking through the telescope, a bit of worry slipping onto his face.


    A messenger ran up to the general, he was breathing heavily as he had to sprint but he had enough strength to salute to the general. ¡°Sir. The first wall has fallen. All the survivors retreated to the second wall.¡± Reported the young messenger with a bit of blood on his arm.


    The general thought for a moment about his next moves. ¡°Go see a medic.¡± He patted the messenger on the shoulder and moved to the outskirts of the wall. ¡°Prepare the catapults! Aim behind the first wall! Signal for retreat to the second wall!¡± The general shouted and the soldiers placed rocks on the catapults and poured dark oil on them.


    The bell began to ring with a repeated rhythm of two fast rings and one after a short delay. The soldiers heard the signal and fell back to the second wall. ¡°To the second wall! The catapults are being fired! Fall back!¡± The soldiers informed the rest of the people as they ran.


    The man in silver armor with a flaming sword was fighting near the war, the woman with a sword and a dagger heard the soldier¡¯s orders but before obeying them she looked out for him. She ran up straight to him in the blink of an eye, this time not wasting time to attack the monsters.


    ¡°Taizen! We have to fall back! Orders from the top.¡± She said as she stood behind the man, all the monsters were focused on him but he managed them without any problem.


    ¡°Got it. See you by the wall, Navia.¡± Taizen said as his sword went through barnacle¡¯s chest and set it on fire.


    She only nodded at his answer but there were worries on her face. Navia knew very well that Taizen could take care of himself on the battlefield but the warning from Beronian¡¯s general about the strength of this Tide made her anxious. She took one last look at Taizen who was slowly backing as he killed the upcoming barnacles and in a blink, she disappeared.

 1.3 The Fall

    The last ring of the bell was much longer and that was the last signal. ¡°Fire!¡± Shouted the general. Before catapulting the rocks they lit the oil on fire and then the levers were pulled. The fire rocks flew above the city, many of them flew behind the wall, crushing the emerging monsters and setting the ground on fire to slow them down. One projectile hit the remaining tower of the first wall making it collapse toward the city.


    Navia saw as the tower began to fall and she could see where it was about to land, right in the place where Taizen was standing. ¡°Taizen! Look out!¡± She shouted as she ran toward him but the tower fell faster than she ran. Navia froze in place once the tower hit the ground, a cloud of dust was pushed toward the second wall, partially obscuring the vision.


    She saw a shadow running toward her. ¡°Taizen¡­ Are you okay?¡± Navia asked, looking at her comrade slowly moving toward her. Once they got close she saw something off about the silhouette. It wasn¡¯t Taizen, it was a barnacle with a swordfish¡¯s skull. It raised its arm and swung it at Navia who had her guard down, thinking it was someone else.


    As she was about to raise her weapons to try and block the attack the barnacle stopped moving as its head was cut off. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Answered Taizen, standing behind the monster¡¯s corpse, he pushed it to the side and turned Navia around. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving before they fire another round.¡±


    They were walking away toward the wall that was only visible above the cloud of dust. They knew they were close to the wall and could slowly see other soldiers by the wall. Taizen noticed that the soldiers raised their muskets and aimed them toward them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot!¡± He shouted and waved his arm so they would know that he was not a monster.


    Even though he warned the soldiers they fired toward them but the bullets flew above them. He heard that they hit something close but before he could even turn around he was pushed away and he heard a blade cutting through armor and flesh.


    He could only see the silhouette of a seven-foot creature made of a human skeleton with a piranha¡¯s head and some source of light in front of its face. It held something like a spear with a very long blade that had gashes. He could hear a liquid dripping down to the ground and see a body on the spear above the monster¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t have to see the face of that person to know who it was.


    ¡°Navia!!!¡± He shouted out with all the air he had in his lungs, tears slowly appearing in his eyes. As if on command the creature swung its weapon to the side and threw the dead body into the wall of a nearby building. With that swing, it pushed the cloud away and revealed itself.


    It was mainly built out of bones with few muscle fibers left, visible between the bones. Algae hung from its body and the sea water was still dripping from it. It was a tall creature with thin limbs except for the head which was almost wider than its body, the skull of an anglerfish with the bulb of light left, hanging from the muscle fibers attached to the skull. Its weapon was a long harpoon with gashes in the blade to tear the flesh of its opponent. The way it stood it looked like it was going to collapse at any second, with two legs barely standing straight and the rest of the body kept straight only because they were attached to the hips.


    The soldiers froze in place at the sight of this horrifying creature and how effortlessly it killed the woman from Order Of Tomorrow which was known for having strong warriors. They all saw how strong she was but the image of strength was burned and replaced by this monster.


    The smell of iron in the air brought Taizen back, he stood back up but his legs were shaking, and the tears fell down to the stone path. His legs were shaking because of guilt, not fear. He tightened the grip on his sword and raised it to his chest.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± He shouted as his sword was once again enveloped in flames. He ran to the monster that was much taller than him. Taizen swung his sword before he could even reach the creature but he wasn¡¯t aiming for it but the ground under it. ¡°Gate, OPEN!¡± The rubble flew at the monster and exploded on the impact with its body.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The smoke from the explosion obscured the vision but Taizen knew that the creature survived this attack. He took a wide swing with his longsword in the direction where the monster previously stood. His blade stopped as it hit something with a loud clunk but once the smoke fell down he saw that his attack was stopped. The monster tilted its body to the other side and blocked the sword with its harpoon.


    ¡°Gate, open. Erupt!¡± Shouted Taizen and the flames on his sword exploded pushing his sword back. He used that momentum for the swing from the other side but his sword was blocked once again, the creature didn¡¯t budge from the explosion its head only turned a bit as it watched Taizen¡¯s movement.


    The warrior wanted to try another approach of attack but as he raised his sword to strike he saw the blade of a harpoon close to his face. In a second he flew between the soldiers and hit the wall, making a crack in the place he hit.


    The soldiers watched as Taizen hit the ground and then a scream cut the silence, turning around they saw the creature dashing from one soldier to another cutting them down. The first man lost his head, the second both of his arms, and then his head was bitten off.


    ¡°Fire! Fire at it!¡± The soldier desperately shouted before his scream was cut short by a harpoon. Two halves of his body slammed to the ground and the rest began to panic. Some soldiers shot at the monster while others ran away in fear.


    The officer on the second wall had light blue skin and his pupils were of a red color. He noticed that the creature was much stronger than anything he had seen. ¡°Cannons! Fire the cannons!¡± The officer shouted in panic as he feared that after those soldiers he would be next. Once they brought the cannons he moved closer to a tower where he could run and escape to the third wall.


    The soldiers rushed to load the cannons and two of them fired without waiting for the rest. With the explosive sound, the monster stopped chasing the soldiers and looked toward the source of the sound. With one swift move, it cut one steel ball into two pieces that hit the ground behind it and it grabbed the second ball. Hearing more shouts from the wall ¡°Faster! Faster!¡±, ¡°Where¡¯s the fire!¡± the creature turned its head toward those screams and threw the ball with a creaking sound of its bones.


    The cannon that was hit flew off the wall, destroying merlons and the side of the wall as it fell. The soldiers that operated the cannons were lucky enough to only get hit by the small bits of stones. At least they thought before the creature jumped onto the wall, squatting on the edge of the wall. It watched how the soldiers reacted to his appearance. Most of them, in fear, began running away except for one man who aimed his musket at the creature.


    That was the moment when the monster jumped toward him and cut him from his shoulder to the hip on the opposite side. It then butchered the rest of the soldiers that were on this part of the wall making the blood of the humans flow down the walls to both sides.


    The blue-skinned officer ran out of the tower into the city. Huffing as he ran down the stairs but once he saw blood on the ground it was as if he had even more energy to run. He could see the straight line toward the third wall where he could hide among soldiers as they shot down that monstrous skeleton. For a second he saw in the middle of the path and then his vision went dark.


    The monster stood behind him with its harpoon to the ground and the officer''s body fell to both sides as he was cut in half. Behind it, pools of blood were gathering under the walls. The wind spread the smell of iron toward the other walls mixing it with two other smells of smoke and dead fish.


    The officer on the third wall wore a bone mask over his face that was painted with red dye that made a pattern of lines with two visibly painted eyes. He observed the monster from afar and held his hand up, the soldiers on the wall waiting for his order to fire.


    The monster turned around toward the gate of the second wall and swung its harpoon three times, cutting down the gate and making a path for the other monsters. As it was about to move toward the third wall it stopped, someone shouted from behind ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡±


    Standing on the broken gate was Taizen, his whole armor and face covered in blood that flowed down the walls. There was a cut in the stomach of his armor but he wasn¡¯t injured. His long sword had a dent near the guard.


    ¡°I am the guard of the people, I am the one who will defend them so they will see tomorrow¡¯s sun. I¡¯ll be the sun for the people when the night comes¡­ Because I¡¯m the warrior of THE ORDER OF TOMORROW!¡± Chanted Taizen as small cracks appeared on his body, between them a red light came out, and the blood on his body began to boil and vapor.


    ¡°So that is the Lava Blooded Taizen.¡± The masked officer whispered as he saw the warrior¡¯s change, but his tone carried no impression, it was simply a statement.

 1.4 The Fall

    ¡°Gate, open¡­¡± The longsword got enveloped in flames once again but this time their color was more red than last time, more intense. ¡°Gate, open. Flaming armor.¡± Intense red flames appeared on parts of his armor and made him brighter, a light that was visible from behind the third and fourth walls. Some soldiers even thought that the sun was rising and the night was coming to an end.


    The monster simply observed as more and more fire appeared on Taizen¡¯s body and armor. It tilted its upper body to the side with a cracking sound of the bones scratching against each other.


    ¡°Erupt!¡± Shouted Taizen and the flames on his legs exploded, pushing him forward as if he was shot from the cannon. When he was in the air he swung his longsword and aimed it at the monster¡¯s neck.


    Even at that speed, the creature stopped the attack by its face with a harpoon but this time without any command the flames on Taizen¡¯s longsword exploded in the creature¡¯s face. It didn¡¯t damage it but the arm with a harpoon was pushed down. As he was falling he made a shorter swing from the top that scratched the monster¡¯s chest and as it touched the ribcage another explosion occurred. Its upper body moved backward and the legs needed to follow so it wouldn¡¯t fall. The algae on its body burned to the crisp.


    After a few steps, it touched the wall of the nearby building and stabilized itself. At the same time, Taizen shouted ¡°Gate, OPEN!¡± and he threw chunks of the pavement at the creature. It couldn¡¯t react in time and the rubble exploded as it hit the monster and the building, making the wall collapse and the rest of the house fell on the creature, burying it under the rubble.


    Taizen jumped forward onto the remaining of the house and shouted ¡°ERUPT-¡± as he fell with his sword ready to thrust the ground where the monster was buried. He didn¡¯t finish his chant and didn¡¯t bury his longsword in the rubble because a hand made of bones grabbed him by the throat. The monster climbed up from the ruins and held Taizen high above the ground. He waved his legs and used both of his hands to free himself from the creature¡¯s grasp.


    The monster moved Taizen behind it and with a full swing of its arm it threw the man into the building on the other side of the street. Taizen flew and destroyed the walls of the buildings, going through two houses and landing on the street behind them.


    Hearing the crackling sound of bones he quickly stood up to see the monster running through the buildings, through the holes he made when he was thrown by it.


    The creature moved with inhumane speed and had its harpoon ready for a thrust that would go through Taizen¡¯s chest. He looked around for his sword to defend himself but it was nowhere near him. With a quick decision, he shouted: ¡°Erupt!¡± The flames on his legs exploded and pushed him toward the running creature.


    The monster pushed the harpoon forward to impale the flying man on it but in the air Taizen once again shouted ¡°Erupt¡± and the flames on his chest exploded lightly, pushing him a bit down toward the ground. Flying he was able to take a close look at the rusted harpoon.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He fell to the ground on the street he used to be before and recovered quickly to continue his run for his longsword. The skeleton creature didn¡¯t run through the buildings but jumped on them from the street and threw the harpoon at the running man.


    Taizen jumped forward for his longsword to get it into his possession as fast as he could to continue the fight with the monster. The harpoon hit the ground with a whistling sound that was much louder than the sound of cutting flesh.


    The warrior was able to reach his longsword but lost his foot which was left behind the harpoon. He didn¡¯t feel much pain because of the adrenaline but he saw how much he was bleeding. He ignited his sword and clenched his teeth as he placed the hot sword on his wound. Burning his own flesh to seal it.


    The creature jumped off the roof to take its weapon back but it didn¡¯t attack. It rapidly tilted its head to the sides as Taizen screamed as he was sealing his wound. The monster answered with its own high-pitched scream that made everyone¡¯s ears tremble. It was as if a woman had her skin torn off with the shrieking sound added to it.


    ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± Whispered Taizen with slight annoyance as he stood back up, using his sword as a walking stick so as not to fall.


    To his question, the monster only tilted his head to the side. Taizen let out a snort of disgust but hidden underneath it was a command ¡°Erupt.¡± The explosion shot him toward the monster and he thrust the tip of his sword toward its head. The bone-made creature raised its harpoon to block the attack but it was too late. The sword went into the eye hole in the skull and once it touched the skull inside he shouted ¡°ERUPT!¡±


    The monster tried to grab him but before it could even lay a finger on him the flames inside its head exploded. Taizen wasn¡¯t concerned about his safety, he aimed to kill. The explosion was so strong that it repelled him toward the remains of the buildings.


    The bone-made creature stood in place as cracks spread around its eye hole and part of it began falling down, leaving an uneven hole in its head. His whole body was screaming in pain but he did his job, it was worth it. At least he thought.


    The monster¡¯s head moved down and took a look at bits of its own body, this time it screamed even louder, the windows of the buildings began to break, people felt as if something was unpleasantly scratching their brains and their ears were about to pop.


    ¡°Not enough for you¡­¡± Said Taizen as he barely stood, placing his weight on his sword that was cracked in many places and could break at any moment but he wasn¡¯t done yet, for the people he was ready to continue the fight.


    After the monster stopped screaming he heard something else. The barnacles and turtles were coming through the gap in the second wall and there were thousands of them coming. The bells began ringing to signal another bombardment.


    ¡°Let those people see tomorrow¡¯s sun¡­¡± Taizen whispered and he stuck his sword into the rubble. ¡°Erupt!¡± He shouted and as the flames began exploding he quickly said ¡°Gate, open.¡±


    All the rubble under him was pushed by the explosion and flew in every direction, once it hit the ground the remains of the house began exploding, destroying part of the city as well as killing the incoming monsters.


    He forfeited his life but took many enemies with him. Taizen would be remembered in the whole world if anyone would survive this Tide.

 2.1 Resurrection

    Thick fog enveloped the city, obscuring the vision and hiding most of the buildings behind it, leaving only the tips of the towers and higher buildings visible from afar. The wind was light and gentle but it wasn¡¯t strong enough to push the fog away or even remove the stench of rotten flesh.


    A loud footsteps broke the silence as two people entered the city through a fallen gate. A young woman in a dark dress and dark veil over her face, her blond hair fell on her back reaching shoulder-blade.


    In front of her stood an old man, smaller than her. He looked even smaller because of his hump which made him curl forward like a shrimp. Long beard spread from his chin that almost touched the ground. Grey hair came out of his nose and ears, barely any on his head. He had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. All he had was a faded yellow robe and a grey rope around his neck which the woman behind him held like he was on a leash.


    They were unbothered by the smell of death and many greenish skeletons all around the gate and the path forward, all that was left from the monsters named barnacles.


    The woman took a good look around, spotting a few rotting corpses of the fallen soldiers. Holes in their chests or missing arms, marks left by the monsters. Some of them had their uniform ripped to shreds and had scratches so deep that their bones and organs were visible. Only her mouth was visible under the veil but she didn¡¯t seem bothered by the gore all around her.


    She began walking forward, walking over the skeletons and crushing the frail bones of the monsters as she stepped on them, not minding what was in front of her. Her focus was elsewhere, looking around, especially at the corpses with metal armor on them. The old man quickly followed her so as to not get choked by the rope by falling behind. He also seemed calm and unbothered by the corpses.


    All the buildings near the wall were destroyed or heavily damaged with roofs collapsed or the walls with holes in them. Closer to the second wall only the windows were broken and a few doors were busted. She took a look inside one of the buildings. Near the entrance, there was the corpse of a rotting man, a citizen judging by his simple clothing. Grey shirt and sweatpants. A few feet behind him were three corpses, one of a woman in a light dress and two children under her arms.


    ¡°Poor souls. Didn¡¯t react in time and had to stay here, in a frail fortress they called home.¡± Stated the woman with no sympathy in her tone. She simply observed and stated the facts.


    She then stopped walking and took a look at the wall of a building that had dry blood over it, tracking it down there was a corpse, a woman with a gaping hole in her chest. The woman pointed the finger at her and the old man quickly turned his head toward her, surprised by her choice.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a man that stood his ground against Drowned? Wouldn¡¯t he be a better choice?¡± The old man asked as he looked with his empty eyes behind the second wall where all that remained was rubble.


    Without an answer she pulled the rope and brought the old man closer, she then grabbed his head and brought it closer to the corpse of the woman.


    ¡°I choose her.¡± She answered with a slight anger in her tone, pressing her fingers a bit harder against the man¡¯s head.


    The old man let out a sigh, showing his few remaining yellow teeth. He raised his thin arm with skin barely hanging onto it and many dark spots on his pale white skin and placed his hand on the corpse¡¯s head. He then closed his eyes and chanted something silently. The woman observed him as he did that, tightening the grip on the rope and ready to punish him if his answer didn¡¯t please her.


    ¡°I will be able to finish the job¡­¡± The man opened his eyes for a moment and looked at the woman¡¯s face, waiting to see her expression.


    ¡°Good¡­¡± The woman smiled lightly for the first time.


    ¡°But it will take some time before she reaches her strength because I don¡¯t have enough energy-¡± The old man slowly answered and suddenly the woman pulled the rope, choking him a bit before letting him go. The man fell to his knees and rubbed his throat.


    ¡°You need to have enough energy to strand them in the world.¡± The woman whispered threateningly to his ear.


    ¡°You better pray they don¡¯t find the truth about¡­¡± The old man whispered hoarsely, with hostility in his words but the woman ignored his threat and waited for him to continue his job.


    The old man grunted but did as was told. He placed one hand on the head and the other on the stomach, slightly beneath the hole in her chest. As he began to chant the wound slowly sealed itself, her skin began to turn normal and her flesh rebuilt. The empty and dead eyes had glow in them once again and her chest began to move up and down.


    He then suddenly fell prone to the ground, the woman let go of the rope for a moment and walked toward the center of the road. She picked up the sword and a dagger that lay there. While the dagger looked well enough to be used the sword was in a much worse state. With dents and cracks all around it that could break it after one hit.


    ¡°How poetic. You¡¯ll wake up as frail as this sword¡­¡± The woman whispered as she placed the sword in front of the woman. ¡°And will start from zero with a simple dagger.¡± She then placed the dagger next to the frail sword.


    The woman walked up to unconscious but breathing Navia and whispered to her ear in an unknown language that almost sounded impossible for a human to say as if she was saying that while being under the water.


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me¡­ Navia.¡± She whispered before walking away, dragging the old man by the rope and disappearing in the thick fog that enveloped the fallen city.

 2.2 Resurrection

    Her breaths were heavy but she felt as if not much air was taken with each inhale. Trying to lift her eyelids felt as if they were frozen together by ice. She didn¡¯t feel any pain but her hand instinctively went toward her chest, looking for a hole in her body. There was one in the armor but no wound on her skin.


    Once she opened her eyes it felt as if it was just a second between her getting stabbed in the chest and laying on the ground. There was nothing in between. Looking around she came to the conclusion that a lot happened between those two moments.


    The last time she saw this street and wall they were intact but now the gates of the wall were cut down into pieces. The street was empty with soldiers standing by the wall but now she saw corpses and limbs rotting around her. The fog didn¡¯t let her see what was behind the fallen gates.


    Her mind was hazy and she slowly recollected her memory. ¡°My name is Navia Silckthron¡­¡± She whispered, using her hands to lift herself from the ground, barely feeling her legs. Unable to fully raise her leg she dragged it along the ground. She heard the sound of metal scratching the stone and felt something touch her leg. Looking down she saw a sword in a bad state that could break at any moment.


    Picking up the sword she remembered another thing ¡°I am a warrior¡­¡± As she looked at the dagger a brighter color flickered behind it. The corpse of a warrior lay with his back toward her, a teal cape with a sun on it was somehow visible between the dirt stains. ¡°I am a warrior¡­ of The Order Of Tomorrow. And I''m the vice-captain of a squad¡­¡±


    With another step forward she turned her gaze toward the sea. ¡°We came here to help the people¡­ To fight the Tide¡­ We¡­¡± Looking toward the fallen gate and the mountains that were hidden behind the fog there was something, a feeling she needed to remember. Walking toward it she suddenly stopped and looked at the ground beneath her. A dried bloodstain ¡°My blood¡­ I was walking behind someone¡­ Taizen! My husband! I tried to save him! Where is he?¡± With a realization came desperation, she looked in each direction stopping to look at the people with armor and teal capes. With each look, she remembered their names ¡°Albert, Leopold, Rosa, Connor¡­¡± Not seeing Taizen¡¯s face brought a bit of calm to her mind but she knew there were more of them, more fallen brothers and sisters from the order.


    A rubble fell off the roof making Navia flinch and take out her weapons and point them toward the direction of the sound. She forgot that she was on the place of the battlefield, even if the fight was over there might be monsters left or looters that came here for the spoils of the fallen people. ¡°Need to stay vigilant¡­ And¡­ I need to look for the survivors¡­ If there are any¡­¡± She whispered with resolution but it faded as she looked around, seeing the corpses and dark bones left by the monsters.


    She moved forward, her sword in front and knife near her chest, ready for any surprise attack that may fall at her. Once she got through the wall the fog was much clearer and only stuck near the ground making the whole area between the second and third walls visible. What used to be a living city was now rubble, not a single home or building left standing.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Near the walls, there were many skeletons but nothing in between except for rubble. From all the walls she had seen the third had the biggest gap but it looked more like it was cut than smashed.


    ¡°There are no survivors in the city¡­ Certainly, no one survived. Maybe the shelters were untouched.¡± She whispered with a bit of hope, looking at the mountain peaks that were visible behind the walls.


    Even though the space was much clearer her eyes rapidly moved around looking for any sign of danger. Navia¡¯s eyes never looked down under her feet which made her almost fall. Looking down for the object that made her stumble her eyes began to water, and disbelief appeared on her face. Losing all her strength she dropped to her knees along with her weapons she hit the hard surface of the pavement.


    Right in front of her was a corpse that she recognized, even by a few remaining bits of skin left on his face. The tears ran down her face like a waterfall, her jaw was shaking as she tried to say something, barely coming out of her mouth. ¡°Taizen¡­ Taizen¡­¡± He grabbed him behind the neck with her trembling hands and lifted his head and upper body, or at least what was left of it.


    His face was missing much of his skin and hair, his whole body was covered in dirt and burns. He had sharp stones and splinters sticking out all over him. There was nothing left below his ribcage and a few ribs were sticking out from his rotten flesh. His right arm was blown off leaving only a cracked bone sticking out of his shoulder and the left arm was in shambles.


    ¡°Taizen!¡± She screamed with pain and sorrow, she hugged the remains of her beloved disregarding a terrible stench of rot. That wasn¡¯t on her mind right now, there was no room for disgust. It was the last time she would ever hug her husband. She mourned over Taizen even when her eyes went dry.


    ¡°I have a mission to fulfill¡­ You¡¯d want that too¡­ There might be survivors who need my help right now¡­ Right, Taizen?¡± Said Navia as she slowly placed her husband¡¯s remains on the ground but she wasn¡¯t done yet, she couldn¡¯t leave him like that.


    She gathered all the bits of stones she could find and covered Tazien with them. She took two planks that were somehow intact and using her hilt of the sword like a hammer she stuck them together with a rusted nail.


    Crossing her hands and lifting her head to the sky she whispered ¡°May we watch the same sunrise each morning¡­ At least that way I¡¯ll feel like you¡¯re still next to me¡­¡±


    She finished her prayers and laid down her hands but she wasn¡¯t able to leave, she had to look for the survivors, even if the chances were low. That is her duty as a member of the Order Of Tomorrow but right now she is a wife left alone in this world.


    ¡°What if¡­¡± An idea of suicide crossed her mind but she stopped that thought. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not just a wife¡­ I am a mother and my child is waiting for me¡­¡± She picked up her weapons and moved forward, trying her best not to look back, not to bring that pain again. She took a deep breath and hid that feeling deep inside for the time being. Right now she needs to be calm and vigilant.

 2.3 Resurrection

    Her sharp eyes moved toward the third wall and the fog that mysteriously remained there. When she was about to move past the wall she heard a creak. ¡°Barnacle¡­¡± Whispered Navia as she hid behind the wall, she peeked out to look for the monster but the fog was too dense to spot it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything¡­ Except for¡­ Roofs.¡± Once she looked up she could see the higher parts of the buildings. ¡°I can avoid the monsters by sneaking on the roofs. It should be easy with Wind Step¡­¡± Navia looked for the power inside her, the same power that let her move fast and swiftly on the battlefield but she couldn¡¯t find that power inside her, like it was gone or rather it wasn¡¯t part of her. Worries slid to her face and she began to stress. ¡°I can¡¯t open any of my gates. Like they are hidden somewhere in the fog and I can¡¯t find them¡­ I can¡¯t fight without them. Better to avoid any unwanted encounters.¡±


    Navia took a deep breath and dashed forward toward the building. She heard a creak near her, and turning toward it she saw a silhouette of a monster right beside her. Her body burned like a furnace as she saw the monster but she moved forward, stepping away from it she felt a cold of uncertainty. She had to move forward without looking back but she had to check if the monster saw her, if it was chasing after her.


    The monster stopped in place and didn¡¯t move. Navia stopped moving forward, not understanding why the monster stopped, she didn¡¯t want to risk making herself more visible to the barnacle or risking being chased by the remaining monster that lurked in the city.


    Sudden movement of the barnacle made her flinch and reach for her blade, it only twitched at first. Its head began to turn toward her, making her heart race, her ears were pounding as blood ran through them.


    ¡°Shit.¡± She cursed in her mind but didn¡¯t move, she waited for the monster to move first and respond accordingly but she never fought them without her powers, her gates. That was the other reason for her hesitation ¡°Will I survive?¡±


    While she was lost in thoughts the barnacle took a step forward with its head still turned toward her direction. It moved without purpose, away from her, and without turning its head around.


    Once the tension fell she felt light, almost as if her Wind Step came back. Taking one last look she moved forward and a building appeared in front of her. The entrance door was slightly jutting out from the building and was surrounded by a stone frame that Navia could easily grab and rest her foot on. Lifting herself up she saw another part of the building to use for climbing. Metal cylinder embodied in the wall to stick the flag in it. With each step higher she was able to spot another object behind the fog that she could use to climb up.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The rooftops of the buildings looked like a small archipelago with a mist above the water. At the other side of the district, she saw a last wall that defended the city. Seeing it intact gave her hope that there are survivors and her companions'' deaths weren¡¯t in vain.


    Navia thought that moving on the rooftops would be safer and easier than moving through the thick fog but once she was on top she saw how wide the distances between some buildings were. Standing on the edge the gap seemed even bigger, especially without her power that would let her move faster and be pushed by the gust of wind.


    ¡°You can do this¡­ You can do this.¡± She encouraged herself by repeating those words but she moved once she imagined Taizen saying that to her, his trust in the voice that she still remembered.


    She stood on the other side of the roof to have a greater run-up. While she was running her focus was on the roof tiles to not break them and make her fall to the ground where the monsters lurk. Once she saw the edge she panicked as she thought ¡°I won¡¯t make it¡­¡± Her heart began to race but it was too late to stop, she had to jump. Using all her force from her legs she jumped and flew above the river of fog. She had her eyes closed, thinking she would fall down to the street but she felt the air from above, she was still moving upward. Navia landed on the roof on the other side of the street and stopped two feet away from the edge.


    ¡°Was I that strong? I could easily jump further with Wind Step but I did that with my own legs¡­¡± She thought as she tried to figure out what had happened to her, it hadn¡¯t crossed her mind earlier as she had vertigo and tried to remember what had happened. Then her focus was on finding the survivors but ¡°How did I survive? Did I even survive¡­¡±


    Navia had many questions but no one to answer them for her. She had to look for them later as they could wait compared to the survivors on the other side of the wall.


    She jumped from one roof to another roof but each time she landed she felt weird, like that strength isn¡¯t hers or at least her body wasn¡¯t used to it. As if she used a hundred percent of her strength without exhausting herself in the process.


    Once she landed on the wall she ran up to the other side to check how many survivors were there or if they evacuated the citizens. Approaching the edge of the wall she looked down expecting people or no one but her hopes were far from the truth. The whole ground from the walls to the mountains was covered by barnacles. A whole army of monsters was standing still, awaiting the command of those cursed gods. Looking down she noticed that the walls were untouched as well as the gates that were simply wide open.


    ¡°Those damn cultists¡­ They must have opened the gates for those monsters.¡± She whispered, gritting her teeth in anger as those people did the opposite of what her order was doing.


    Counting how many of them there were she saw a last glimpse of hope. The gate to one of the shelters wasn¡¯t broken. If there are any survivors that would be the only place. The last gate on the right side of the mountain.


    ¡°How do I get to the shelter¡­ Without those monsters entering it with me¡­¡± Navia tried to think of a plan and fate brought her an idea. To her side were cannons that were still intact with ammunition right beside them. ¡°Navia¡­ You¡¯re one crazy lady.¡± She whispered with a smirk of pride on her face.

 3.1 Those Who Remain

    The army of barnacles was spread through the whole district almost to the mountain except for the stairs leading up to the vaults and the platform by the shelters. They stood there without moving an inch as if they were dead but Navia knew that even one sound could trigger the whole army to move.


    She slowly pushed the cannons to the other side of the wall and aimed them each in a different direction, one for each corner of the district and one for the center. The remaining cannons were aimed in random directions where larger groups of monsters were close to each other.


    Even though the buildings were intact she wasn¡¯t going to avoid any destruction, one cannonball would even hit the tower of a building to collapse on the rest of the monsters.


    ¡°Not like they will live in those houses anymore.¡± Thought Navia as she looked toward the breached shelter for the rich citizens who paid their way into the luxurious vault while others had to wait for the Tide to be wiped in a cramped dark room.


    From one tower of the wall to another there were eight cannons, each one loaded and ready to fire. Navia leaned her back against the tower¡¯s wall and took a deep breath, concentrating and thinking of her next moves. Once she opened her eyes she lit the torch by sliding it against the wall. As she ran to the other side she lit the matches of the cannons, once she got to the other side the first cannonball flew to the corner of the district, killing dozens of barnacles and attracting their attention toward the wall. Second, after a second more cannons shot toward the district killing more than fifty monsters. Many of those creatures began to move toward the wall and they cramped up into groups barely leaving any space in between them.


    A cannonball ran through the center of the group, parts of their bodies flying into the air, blue liquid splattering around the street. But that didn¡¯t stop them, those monsters were incapable of fear. Another ball of steel flew through the wall that was a base for the tower, and the bits of the ruble fell on the creatures but they ignored the threat and moved forward, not noticing the tower that was about to crush them. Even though around two hundred of them were killed it was merely one-eighth of the whole army.


    ¡°I¡¯m here you sons of a bitches!¡± Shouted Navia as she hit the wall with the side of his dagger to attract the monster¡¯s attention toward her. She then jumped onto the roof of the building, which had a thick fog covering the streets. They couldn¡¯t see her as well she couldn¡¯t see them but they all could hear each other. She continued striking her dagger against a solid surface and shouted so the monsters would move toward her. Once she heard a large amount of them around the building she moved on to another one, further away from the mountain.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Come here my flock of sheep!¡± Shouted Navia, almost laughing at what she was saying and glad that her plan works. She thought of coming back to the fourth wall to attract those monsters who were in the back of the crowd so none of them would back away toward the mountain.


    She jumped onto the second building away from the fourth wall and struck the dagger against the roof tiles. One of them slid off the building and fell into the street without Navia noticing. She heard more creaking from barnacles around her and they became louder.


    ¡°Time to move you a bit closer to the center.¡± Whispered Navia as she jumped onto another building away from the wall and repeated making loud sounds to attract the monsters.


    A sudden noise of creaking wood made her turn toward the sound, she looked down but she couldn¡¯t see anything through the fog. ¡°They must have broken a barrel or something.¡± She thought, unaware of what was broken by the monsters.


    Hearing more of them around her she began moving onto another roof. Building up her speed by running from the end of the roof she jumped but as she flew she felt a cold touch against her ankle. Her speed rapidly slowed down and she didn¡¯t fly as high as she previously did. For a brief moment, she felt heavy.


    Anxiety took her over as she saw how low she was compared to the roof she was aiming for. Quickly noticing through the thick fog a windowsill she grabbed it and felt a pain in her arm as her body jolted down. She let out a moan of pain but it was masked by a loud thud. Even through the rush of thoughts and rapid heartbeat, she was able to hear the creaking of the barnacles. Even though she was by the window of the second floor she was able to spot the head of a barnacle and it was getting closer.


    ¡°They are climbing the buildings¡­¡± Pure shock was visible on her face, she couldn¡¯t predict that.


    Navia quickly lifted her left hand to grab the windowsill before her right arm muscle could tear out of strain. She lifted herself to the window but was unable to reach something to get to the roof.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my luck on the other side.¡± Navia grabbed her knife and with the hilt of her dagger, she broke the window and opened it to enter the building. Inside was a bed with a blanket unrolled, left in a rush after the bells warned the citizens about the upcoming tide. Taking one step forward she kicked something forward. Looking down she saw a toy of a knight made of wood. Sorrow slipped into her mind and face, knowing that those poor people were dead.


    A creaking sound woke her up from the daze and she quickly ran to the doors and opened them with a force, almost throwing the door off its hinges. She wasn¡¯t expecting any of the monsters here but one of them hit the wall as she pushed the door open. Another one stood in the middle of the corridor and twisted its head with one fast move. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Navia took out a dagger and a sword. The barnacle smashed against the wall, moved the door, revealing its head covered in barnacles and distorted with a chin almost connected to Adam¡¯s apple on the throat. As it opened its mouth to attack a dagger went through its head.


    The second barnacle dashed toward Navia, as she pulled out the dagger the monster''s body fell, and closed the door behind her. She then plunged her sword forward between the hands of the monster that was going to tear her flesh to shreds. The sword thrust into barnacle¡¯s head but instead of going through it the blade shattered and left bits of it inside the creature¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t a swift move and once the sword broke her right arm jolted as she pressed forward a blade that couldn¡¯t cleanly go through the monster¡¯s flesh.


    Her right arm was aching constantly as if it was going to fall off her body. She grabbed her arm and rubbed it, hoping it could ease the pain but it was as if she couldn¡¯t reach the source of the pain.


    In the middle of the corridor on the left wall, there was a staircase leading to lower floors, and at the end of the hallway, there was a door to another room. A pale hand grabbed the edge of the wall by the staircase, Navia noticed the limb and began running forward, pressing her left hand against her right arm.


    When she ran past the staircase the barnacle tried to grab her but she was out of its reach, taking a glimpse at the attacker she saw ten more of those monsters climbing up the stairs.


    Her hand reached for the door handle and she pulled it down, but nothing happened. She pulled again but the results were the same. Turning her head around to check where the monsters are she saw two of them already moving toward her from the staircase.


    Navia quickly took a few steps back and ran into the door, hitting it with her shoulder. The monsters were halfway toward her and the doors weren¡¯t open yet. This time she took more steps toward the monster, leaving a length of two arms between them. Picking up the speed she broke down the door and entered the room.


    Hearing a loud thud behind her made her panic, one of the monsters fell over and was reaching for her foot. Without taking in her surroundings she found a window and sprinted toward it. There was no time to stop and open the window, she had to go through it. Picking up her guard to block her face she jumped into the window, breaking the glass and spreading it through the street. Once Navia felt the outside wind she opened her eyes, the roof of a lower building right in front of her.


    Without much time to react, she braced herself and hit the hard surface of the roof, rolling on the stone tiles. Opening her eyes she saw a lake of fog under her as she was on the edge of the building, close to falling down into the army of monsters. Looking back at the house she jumped off, Navia saw the two barnacles that were pursuing her, fall through the window and down into the street.


    Her face was stinging as a few shards of the glass cut her skin when she broke the window. Ignoring the wounds she moved back to the fourth wall to check if she got all the monsters out of the district.


    Hearing all the creaking noises as she moved toward the wall Navia knew that she got most of them in the district enveloped in thick fog. Looking down the wall there were zero monsters. She got all of them and had a safe passage to the shelters.


    Navia jumped off the wall and landed on the street of the last district. Before going forward she approached the open gates and listened for the sounds of monsters since she couldn¡¯t see them through the fog. After a long moment of silence, she was sure that most of them were far away from the gate.


    Looking around the last district she got a close look at the damage she had done with the cannon fire. Between those fresh dead bodies of the monsters were only a few corpses of the Berionian¡¯s soldiers.


    ¡°There should be more bodies¡­ Maybe they were able to escape with some of the citizens¡­¡± Thought Navia as she carefully moved through the street in case any monster was hiding somewhere.


    Approaching the stairs that would lead her to the shelters she noticed that there were no marks on the stone bricks. Like no monster placed its foot on those stairs. Not even a hole left by a missed shot from the musket. A simple question was repeated in Navia¡¯s mind ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Did the monster stop their attack? Or the soldiers were able to defend the city but had to evacuate the people, thus leaving the last gates open? Then why was one shelter closed?¡± Those thoughts ran through Navia¡¯s head as she peacefully moved up the stairs.


    Looking at the open gates there was no sign of struggle, no corpses of fallen soldiers or killed monsters. As if this place was abandoned except for one place that remained closed, or at least it seemed like it was. Once Navia approached the shelter¡¯s gate she noticed a small gap between them, they were slightly open.


    She pushed against the gates and there was no resistance. Nothing placed to block the open gate. Slowly opening the gates she looked for bodies or signs of monsters but it was empty.


    ¡°Was my assumption correct? Did they all escape?¡± Thought Navia as the place was empty and undamaged. Yet it didn¡¯t look abandoned as she saw a torch lighting the wall down the stairs. ¡°Maybe they left that torch lit¡­ or maybe someone is still there¡­¡± Navia descended the stairs and as she got closer to the bottom she could hear steps. Many steps but no creaking sounds, making lower her guard.


    At the end of the stairs, there was a massive hall stretching for a mile, with a high ceiling that was as high as a two-story house. Tens of tents were placed all around the hall with lit torches standing by them. The only source of light in this room is made of rough stone for the poor citizens of the city. A few people were walking toward the biggest tent which was the size of an actual building as it reached the ceiling of the hall.


    The giant tent stood out the most in the hall as it was the most lit place and the most colorful out of them all. The tents were simple gray in color while this one was made of many colored fabrics. Blue and green at the sides, purple and pink at the entrance to the tent, and red and yellow as the roof. From afar, it looked like one tent was connected to two smaller ones. The ones to the sides were circular shapes while the one in the center was more square-like.


    At the sight of this tent only one word came to Navia¡¯s mind ¡°Is that a circus?¡±