LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 22: The Frontier
The night earlier in a far away place…
The night is silent. The gentle, quiet breeze of the wind slowly moves about across the walls and into the houses behind it. The rattling of open windows reverberates around, giving off an eerie vibe to the surroundings. Shadows move about around the streets as clanking sounds from the marching soldiers echo.
Soldiers and guards with swords in their waste, whilst the lightly armored with bows and arrows. There were also peculiar people, as there were ones with a staff and a robe with them. A stark contrast between those soldiers with full armor and swords, and those of the lightly armored with bows and arrows. The mysterious of all was the robed individuals.
Fire, a source of light, was spread all around the walls, into the streets, and into the houses; it was placed in a pot, in a torch, a campfire, or anywhere where the fire does not destroy.
On the insides, individuals and families were kneeling with their hands clasped upwards. They seemed to be muttering a prayer, a prayer to their god, but what was happening? Why all the soldiers and the guards? Well, taking one look at the sky would resolve the problem.
It was currently the Twilight Of The Red Moon. The crimson illumination of the moon, struck fear into the hearts of the place's residents. The strengthened ghouls roamed about; they were intelligent indeed they were, and when night came, they seemed to become even stronger than they were in the say.
The ghouls were strong, yes, but they were also intelligent and able to conduct coordinated maneuvers. They lust for blood and flesh, but they do not need sustenance; they are dead and alive at the same time. They decay, but only at a limit, but they seem to live forever.
Unfortunately, it was already lost in history as when they appeared, the only things they remembered were they were on the retreat; with each year, each century, the space that they are able to live in shrinks further and further.
Fear was the only thing they could do and achieve, not because they were cowards, but because there was no choice. A bite from the ghouls and sometimes a scratch could lead to infection and eventually death. Unfortunately, even death does not let you rest, as they rise as one of them, adding on to their numbers that could number into thousands, millions, billions, maybe even in the trillions or more, but they can't find the precise number.
After all, who would be able to find it? When they were shrinking already, it was a desperate war for survival. Myriad of races banded together, there were also some who chose to be by themselves.
Unfortunately, even in their war of survival, others chose to take advantage of others, and so the process repeated; not only did they fight the army of ghouls, but they also fought among themselves. They live in fear, and living in peace is not even an option. Either you kill the dead or the living.
An individual, a soldier donning fully plated armor. The night was cold, but he was soaked in sweat. His eyes are filled with fear as he rests his hands on his swords. He glanced into the abyss, a void devoid of life and light, but suddenly his eyes twitched.
"W-What?" His voice trembled with fear; he was sure that he saw some movements. Unsure about it, he decided to move closer to the wall; other people noticed him moving closer to the wall. Suddenly, they were struck by fear, by what they saw.
"R-recruit, you are new here. Do not move closer to the wall; it is very dangerous there." A man with pointed ears and leather armor on his body approached the young soldier.
The recruit heard him and was about to turn back when suddenly, a hand came out of the darkness and pulled the young soldier on his foot. He felt a tug on his feet and looked over; he saw a horrifying sight; the others saw it too, but he was not able to break out.
A ghoul pulled him, and he was thrown below the wall.
"Ahh!!!" His scream of horror reverberated through the surrounding area; by this time, everyone who had seen it was now soaked in sweat. While those who had just heard it were anxious.
Unfortunately, for all of them,, a shadow suddenly leaped at the front of the wall. They were shocked, but when it landed, they saw a ghoul. They had been training for this for months; now they could finally bring about their hatred.
Their expectation was crushed when the ghoul attacked its first victim. It did not immediately bite, but attacked with strength. With nails at the front, it stabbed the one with the leather armor. The hands sunken into the body, and the ghoul brought it out; it was a beating heart.
The man with pointy ears stared in shock as his heart was brought out. Even before he could react, he died. His body fell lifelessly, which brought the other people back into reality. They draw their swords and cocked their bows.
The ghoul looked elated as it chewed on the heart it took. The first man to challenge came out; he swung his sword, but the ghoul dodged it with ease; a bow was drawn and fired, but it also dodged it with ease.
Unfortunately for the ghoul, a man in a robe came forward, and the winds became enraged. The ghoul was confused; it did not know what was happening. It trusted its instincts and dodged the robed man-summoned blades of wind. Which tragically missed.
Fortunately, another saw the opportunity. As the ghoul was distracted, they silently moved forward and, with a dagger, stabbed the head of the ghoul. The ghoul fell lifelessly to the ground and everybody sighed in relief.
Unfortunately, it was not the end of it, as just as the ghoul died, multiple shadows leaped through the abyss, with the ground suddenly trembling, and a scream of horrifying magnitude echoed from the frontier.