East gate was under attack with only two mages defending it.
Bren and Hesk were of course a perfect pair against any foe but they also needed to rest and recuperate.
Perfect pair because their expertise went hand in hand. One could only conjure chains of ethereal energy and the other could only make sharp sword like weapons appear from thin air.
They could slaughter the unattuned but against the mage order they were still climbing.
That's why rest was needed.
Even in the war they had time to rest. But here, defending against the tide of these creatures wasn't that difficult but exhausting, definitely.
What was worse, their number only kept increasing.
A pair of creatures let out a loud scream and charged forward.
Bren, who was already at his limit by casting spells left and right— stepped up binding them with the chains of energy, strangling them to death.
Suddenly, he felt a pang in his head, almost knocking him unconscious.
Beside him, Hesk was standing his ground and anyone could tell that he was on the brink of collapse already.
He conjured the sharp weapons of ethereal energy and threw them towards the enemy soldiers one by one.
Some hit the target, killing the enemy but most of them just faded away with distance due to lack of mental energy required to maintain the essence.
The regular guards were helping too, but they were no mages, so they weren't much help.
Bren instructed a guard to go and quickly call for reinforcements. With their defences wavering, he feared the creatures might reach the barrier.
And there was no saying what would happen then. Since the barrier wasn't switched to complete lockdown.
Only then it would've kept the town completely unharmed. Right now it was sturdy, sure, but like a membrane which could be torn into tiny holes—enough for one or two of them to sneak inside.
Bren's exhaustion had already reached a point where if he somehow managed to remain alive, he surely wouldn't be able to recover from the severe backlash for months, at least.
Bren gritted his teeth hard, blood seeping through his nostrils but he did not dare to forget his responsibility.
He wasn't alone anymore. All his life he never knew what having family meant.
He and Hesk were both raised in an orphanage so they never got to know their parents. Well, it was a rather common thing for children to become orphans at an early age back in their city.
Well, what could one possibly expect from a place that knew nothing but war. It was an insignificant part of land, only a chess piece for sovereign nations.
The kings played their games while the kids like Bren and Hesk paid the price.
They both met each other at the orphanage, the common sense of loss brought them together and hence they became the inseparable pair of brothers.
Even though Hesk wasn't related to him by blood, Bren still cared for him. And Hesk did too.
They grew together, joined the army and got thrown into the pit of the war once again.
Only this time, they weren't some common timid boys.
They chose their fate and decided to follow this young leader called Valerius. And gods this was proven to be the best decision of their lives.
They say grief brings people together. Don't know about that but it was his sworn brother Hesk who brought Bren and the girl he liked together.
The best time of his life when an insignificant character began to become maybe …significant.
Together they fled that hellhole of a life and hid here. Life was going smoothly. Yes there were bumps on the way but as long as his family was safe Bren was happy.
However, sometimes he feared this happiness.
But, no matter how long he had to hold his position, he will.
His wife was pregnant and soon he was going to be a dad. Just thinking about it now, gave Bren a well needed push.
He continued to cast spells, heavy chains continued to fall on the ground.
Before him, Hesk spat a mouthful of blood. Bren immediately gave him a shoulder,
"Hang in there buddy. Lord Valerius would be showing up any second now."
He said so, biting back his own pain.
Hesk shook his head trying to remain conscious,
"I .. I'm okay..just a little …a little disoriented. That's all."
He tried to stand up but his legs gave up.
Bren did not lose hope, however.
He steeled his resolve supporting his brother like friend with one arm and continuously strangling the abominations with the other.
He had hoped Valerius would come to their aid. And he still hasn't abandoned that hope.
How could he?
Valerius saved him from that hell, these creatures could not be a big deal to him.
Absolutely not.
Bren could not betray the leader he had already put his hope in.
He had not given up on his dream of having a peaceful life with his family.
And he wasn't wrong.
Just like the ray of sunshine after a stormy night —a silhouette appeared before his sight.
A man with ashen blonde hair was hurrying towards them from the darkness.
'I still envy your looks dammit'
A faint smile slowly appeared on his lips.
As he saw Valerius at a distance, a sudden sense of relief washed over Bren. His body lost control as he allowed his mind to relax for just a second.
He fell on the ground beside Hesk with a gaze still following Valerius.
For some reason, Valerius' expressions turned grim as he tried to approach them much faster.
With the remaining ounce of strength as Bren turned he saw the cause of Valerius' disdain.
A creature, somewhat bigger than the average soldier of the army, aimed its huge pincer towards them.
Bren truly tried his best to make sure no harm came to Hesk but at last he failed.
The enormous pincer came down crushing their bones and leaving behind nothing but a pile of flesh.
Bren and Hesk died.
At least their deaths were swift.
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