The Same Cloth

The first sound was not a roar.

It was silence.

The forest had gone completely still.

Leo stood atop the western watchtower, staring toward the northern mountains. The evening wind had died, leaving the valley unnaturally quiet.

Beside him, Catherine stood perfectly still.

Celine rested one hand against the curve of her stomach.

Marcus climbed the stairs behind them.

"Everyone's in position."

Leo nodded.

"The town?"

"Evacuating the outer farms."

"The Vale families?"

"Inside the walls."

"The hunters?"

"Waiting for your signal."

Leo looked toward the mountains.

"Then we're ready."

Catherine shook her head.

"No."

Everyone turned toward her.

She looked frightened.

"We aren't."

A distant rumble rolled through the valley.

Then another.

The ground trembled.

Catherine's face went pale.

"They're coming."

The first beasts appeared less than ten minutes later.

A pack of wolves burst from the northern forest.

They weren't ordinary wolves.

They were enormous.

Their bodies were covered in thick, dark fur, and their eyes glowed with unnatural light.

Behind them came deer.

Hundreds of them.

Then boars.

Then creatures the hunters had never seen before.

The first wave spilled from the forest like a living river.

The guards raised their weapons.

Marcus shouted:

"Hold!"

The beasts continued running.

They weren't attacking.

They were fleeing.

That was what frightened everyone.

They weren't coming toward the Aster territory because they wanted to.

They were running from something.

Leo raised his hand.

"Don't attack unless they turn on us!"

The guards hesitated.

Then the first monster reached the wall.

It slammed into the barrier.

The magical shield flashed.

The creature bounced backward.

It scrambled to its feet and continued running.

Another struck.

Then another.

The wall began shaking.

"Reinforce the barrier!"

Seraphine shouted from below.

Mages rushed forward.

The protective runes activated.

The wall glowed.

Still, the creatures kept coming.

Then the first hostile beast attacked.

A massive reptilian creature broke from the stampede and charged the gate.

"Now!"

Leo's voice echoed across the walls.

Archers fired.

Spells erupted.

The creature fell.

But another took its place.

Then another.

The beast wave had begun.

For the next hour, the Aster Clan fought continuously.

Hunters moved along the walls.

Warriors guarded the gates.

Mages reinforced barriers.

Farmers who had learned basic combat techniques helped carry supplies.

Even some of the newly arrived Vale warriors joined the defense.

Leo moved wherever he was needed.

A burst of lightning struck a massive beast approaching the eastern wall.

It collapsed.

Leo immediately turned toward another.

Fire erupted from his hands.

The creature staggered.

He followed with a blast of plasma.

It fell.

"Next!"

Marcus stood several yards away, fighting beside him.

The older man swung his weapon into the skull of a charging monster.

"How many are there?"

Leo looked toward the forest.

"I don't know."

Marcus laughed bitterly.

"Wonderful."

Celine wanted to help.

She had barely taken three steps toward the fighting before Leo stopped her.

"No."

"I'm not helpless."

"I know."

"Then let me fight."

"You are carrying our child."

"I can still use my powers."

Leo looked at her.

"From behind the wall."

Celine frowned.

"I hate this."

"I know."

She sighed.

Then raised her hand.

Space twisted.

A creature approaching the eastern gate suddenly found the distance between itself and the wall increasing.

It ran.

And ran.

And seemed to get nowhere.

The hunters finished it easily.

Celine smiled faintly.

"See?"

Leo nodded.

"That works."

"Good."

"Stay there."

Celine rolled her eyes.

Catherine was fighting differently.

She stood in the middle of the courtyard with Edran.

Her eyes remained closed.

She didn't need them.

"Three coming from the west."

Edran turned.

"How many?"

"Three."

A moment later, three beasts appeared.

Edran smiled.

"You were right."

Catherine frowned.

"Obviously."

"You're becoming arrogant."

"I'm learning from Tomas."

From across the compound, Tomas shouted:

"I HEARD THAT!"

Catherine laughed.

Then her expression suddenly changed.

Edran noticed.

"What?"

She turned toward the north.

"Something changed."

"What?"

"The future."

She swallowed.

"The beast wave just got worse."

The next wave was larger.

Much larger.

The forest seemed to erupt.

Trees snapped.

Creatures poured from between the trunks.

Some were small.

Some enormous.

Some looked like animals.

Others were things that seemed impossible.

The hunters fought desperately.

The walls shook.

The barriers flickered.

A beast slammed into the northern gate.

Another climbed the wall.

Guards fought it with spears.

One warrior fell.

Another pulled him back.

"Medic!"

The cry echoed.

The healers rushed forward.

The battle continued.

The town had become part of the defense.

Edmund Hawthorne stood beside the town guards.

His age didn't stop him from fighting.

His sword flashed as he helped protect a group of civilians.

"Keep the children behind the second line!"

"Yes, Elder!"

The title still felt strange to him.

But tonight he understood exactly what it meant.

He was responsible for these people.

Not merely because he was mayor.

Because he was family now.

The Vale refugees fought as well.

Some were ashamed.

Others were terrified.

But they fought.

One of the older Vale elders stood beside Marcus.

"I never thought I'd be defending an Aster wall."

Marcus smiled.

"Neither did I."

The elder looked toward the battlefield.

"Thank you for letting us stay."

Marcus nodded.

"Survive first."

"We can talk afterward."

Hours passed.

The moon rose.

Then disappeared behind clouds.

The battle continued.

Leo's body burned with exhaustion.

His hands trembled.

His breathing became heavy.

But every time he looked toward the walls, he saw people depending on him.

His family.

His clan.

The town.

Even former members of the Vale Clan.

He couldn't stop.

Then Tomas appeared beside him.

"You need to rest."

Leo shook his head.

"No."

"Leo."

"I'm fine."

Tomas grabbed his shoulder.

"You're not."

Leo looked at him.

Tomas's expression softened.

"You don't have to carry everyone alone."

Leo glanced toward the walls.

"I'm the patriarch."

"Exactly."

Tomas pointed toward the battlefield.

"That means you have to know when to let others carry you."

Leo hesitated.

Then nodded.

"Five minutes."

Tomas smiled.

"Good."

Celine watched from the wall.

She could feel Leo's exhaustion.

She closed her eyes.

Her spatial senses spread outward.

Then she felt something.

A vibration.

A distortion.

Something enormous.

Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach.

The baby kicked.

Hard.

Celine's eyes widened.

"Catherine."

Her sister turned.

"What?"

Celine whispered:

"Do you feel that?"

Catherine became still.

Then her face changed.

"Yes."

Edran turned toward them.

"What?"

Catherine looked north.

"The beast wave isn't the problem."

Leo heard her.

"What?"

Catherine pointed toward the mountains.

"They're running from something."

A tremendous roar shook the valley.

Every creature stopped.

For one heartbeat, the entire battlefield became silent.

Then every beast turned south.

Toward the Aster territory.

Catherine whispered:

"It's coming."

The roar came again.

This time, the mountains shook.

Trees fell in the distance.

A flock of birds erupted from the forest.

The remaining beasts began surging forward.

The Aster defenders prepared themselves.

Leo climbed the wall.

Celine stood beside him.

Catherine joined them.

Marcus looked toward the horizon.

"What is that?"

Catherine answered quietly.

"The thing I've been seeing."

Another roar.

Closer.

The ground trembled.

Leo tightened his grip on his weapon.

"Then we finish this."

Catherine shook her head.

"No."

Leo looked at her.

She turned toward him.

"We haven't even started."

Far beyond the northern forest, something enormous moved between the mountains.

And behind it came the greatest beast wave the valley had ever seen.

The Aster Clan had survived the first assault.

But dawn had not yet arrived.

And the true enemy had not yet entered the valley.

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