One minute passed. Five minutes. They waited, and waited for people to enter the door— until fifteen minutes already slipped away, nobody entered the church.
"Where are they? Wh-why is no one coming here anymore?" A cracked voice of a young woman wrapping her little sister with her body.
"Are they dead? Are they all dead? Are we- are we going to die too?"
"No! - No, I don't want to end up like that! No! Please, no! God, please, have mercy on us." A man overwhelmed with terror fisted on his already messy hair drawing madness in his trembling gaze. "Somebody save us, please." Tears trail down his face.
"Mom, I'm scared." A young boy clutches his mother's night gown.
The words of the young boy reach Mrs. Degget as she watches her embrace her son despite being terrified herself. Her eyes drifted to the stained glass of Saintess Aniveyn.
A ground-shattering blast exploded outside the tall doors as violent tremors instantly sent everyone screaming in sudden fright as they lost their balance holding on to nearby objects for support. "What the hell is that?"
Another blast erupted, causing pebbles from the Church's ceiling to rain down. "The Barrier!" The priest yelled tinted with fear of the barrier being destroyed.
Mr. Degget felt an unpleasant vibration and felt the ground with his hand, realization hit him like a brick slammed at his face. "What the hell?" He mumbled, not glancing at Chief Rondor.
"Are you saying something, Bimer?" Chief Rondor gathers his people at the center.
"Rondor, they're coming here!" He alerted them.
Silence pressed heavily inside the church. A thin, irregular clicking began to echo— soft, but intensely wrong.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The villagers stiffened, their eyes drawn to the stained glass where a shape crawled just beyond it, its shadow peeks.
How? How can it approach the church?! Their exact thoughts.
"It's the Church." The Priest blurted, answering the obvious but silent question, staring at the stained window with the image of Saintess Aniveyn. "The church became our refuge because of the Saintess' blessing casting a barrier for protection." He started, he returned his gaze to the tall doors where the presence of foul-creatures increased.
"The barrier protects us and we all gather here... fear what draws the beast, and I bet you a hundred baskets of cabbages, our fear accumulated so thick they are salivating right now… If we don't do something, this church will become our cage and grave if it collapses." The priest explained looking at Chief Rondor.
"Don't the Blessing filtered our fear?" Chief Rondor asked.
"Fear is a natural emotion embedded in the living. It is not made of darkness that can be filtered and cleanse." The Priest, disappointed, answered.
"No…" The young woman faltered helplessly, holding her young sister tight.
"Then, what should we do?" Mrs. Degget asked. "We cannot just sit here and wait. This is the only place Anton and Ruina can go. We cannot lose the Church." She reasoned to their leader and her husband. She is correct, however, no one can fight the Beasts. Scratch that— No one wants to fight the Beasts.
No one uttered an answer, Chief Rondor's mind, already crowded with chaos, his fear, and the well-being of his people, calculated ways to stop the beast from destroying the barrier or escaping the church and ran to the woods, praying for a miracle to survive.
They can't do that. He can't let them. It's an impossible task, especially with children and elders with them— they'll pointlessly die. If they fight, they'll be easily outnumbered and outstrength.
Chief Rondor messes his hair in frustration. This is not good. I can't find a way for us to escape. Is this really the end for us?
His eyes drifted to a metal shield laying on the ground. He stares at it for a moment, his lips curve into an uneasy grin. How crazy of me to think that. How reckless… but screw that!
"We need to draw them out of here." To do that one must need to step out of these walls of protection and face those monsters. And that means sacrificing. If I survive this, I'll definitely retire.
Mr. Degget immediately read his mind. "What you're thinking, that is stupid and dangerous."
"Well damn, what do you wanna do then? Do you have any better idea how to shoo away those fuckers?" Chief Rondor playfully said, masking his fright with a grin budding a sweat.
"I have to do something. I'm partly to be blamed for this." If he only listened, if only he acted early and quickly, if only he called for help much sooner— they wouldn't be losing everything, they wouldn't be suffering. He concealed his trembling hand in his pocket.
Mr. Degget still noticed it. "You'll die out there!"
"If those fiends gather here, everyone here will die, and I cannot take that." He immediately answered. "The smoke has already grown big, I'm certain it'll be visible to the neighboring village— help will come."
"Then let's just wait for that help." Mr. Degget deeply insisted. He doesn't want to lose a friend.
"The barrier won't last… Unless, you can repair it while we're under attack?" They glance towards the priest. Despite already knowing the answer.
The Priest shook his head. "To repair or strengthen the barrier, the ritual must not be disturbed or touched by any form of darkness."
"See? I have to ensure everyone lives when that help comes, I must draw them away." He grabbed a sword and the metal shield, tightened it around his waist and composed himself, taking deep breath and long exhale.
"Priest, once I exit those doors immediately start the ceremony— seeing them able to step on the roof, those fiends must have already created a crack. At this rate, the barrier won't last." Listening to the heavy footsteps above. The Priest only responds with a firm nod.
"Rondor, you don't have to do this." Mr. Degget halted him.
"I have to. I'm your Chief, it's my duty to protect my people." There's no stopping Chief Rondor, his mind is set. Mr. Degget regrets not being able to be useful. As much as he wants to fight beside his friend, he can't leave his wife alone.
"It is an honor to serve with you." Mr. Degget lowered his head, his face distorted fighting the strong urge inside him to not tie Chief Rondor down.
"Then, take my position after I survive… or not." He jokingly told Mr. Degget to ease the disturbing drumming of his heart.
"You will survive and I won't take your job." Mr. Degget firmly said.
"We don't know that." Chief Rondor shortly smiled. He held out his elbow, Mr. Degget then crossed with him. "Well then, see you later."
The Priest waited for him at the door on the left side.
"Wait Chief, we'll be going too." Six men appear on the side holding their weapons.
Chief Rondor was stunned, he wanted to stop them, but before he could move his lips, they spoke. "There's no returning for us, might as well use this life to save what remains of the village."
"You have my deepest and sincerest gratitude."
"Before you go, let me cast a protection… It might be a small blessing, but I pray for a miracle." The Priest halted them for a second to cast a spell for protection.
Lumbre ur hartel ya har rumen de har Sol, (Open your heart to the light of the sun,)
Ley mei Corte o hykhar 'ir calor, (May it welcome you under its warmth,)
Anta har peras de lafer gunde ur, (Let the spear of flare guide you)
Ein Dorko har sapir de Tembris. (And destroyed the spreading of dark.)
Eil-lumen Heim (Reign of Light)
A language not common, spoken like spells of incantations only passed down to the children of light. After the priest casts the last word, the looming darkness in their chest is lightened by the warmth similar to a sun, as their body glows in gold halo and sparks, and disappears the next second.
Chief Rondor leading the group slowly opens the door as it creaks of rusty hinge, cautiously scans the area and gives a signal to his men. "Alright, pair up and scatter, we need to draw them away as far as possible." They all run into different directions and into the woods. Chief Rondor went to the front of the Church where the Beasts gathered more, he began hitting his shield with a great force grabbing the attention of every beast. "Follow me, you fuckers."
His battle cry pierces the wall of the church signaling the Priest and the Daughters of the Holy Light to start the ceremony chanting the spells to repair and strengthen the barrier.
Golden light appears on the floor drawing the symbol of a magic circle of unknown language. The chants repeat as the halo illuminates stronger, almost blinding the villagers watching them on the side.
Chief Rondor started running away from the Church and into the village while banging his shield loudly, spreading the noise in the burning village. He trailed the same path he used to take everyday— from the gates, passing the training ground, through the healer's house, and down further south.
When he planned to grab their attention, he meant every beast in the village, not only in the church. With his distraction, in just a second, every beast gathered behind him, chasing him. "Yeah, that's right, come and follow the food."
Like a murderous hand seeking a target, stretch out its steel-like tongue behind him. Sensing his doom, he quickly kneeled down. His eyes widened at the long slimy tongue of a giant frog with four pairs of eyes in front of him, piercing the bloodied soil deep.
A sudden surge of fright made his legs lose their strength, he was pinned to the ground. "Goddamnit legs, we haven't gone far yet." He forces himself to stand, he cannot die, not yet. Not until he guaranteed the safety of his people. Chief Rondor takes his sword and faces the horde of beasts before him. "Come and get your food, you fucking monsters."
A mutated wolf with the multiple eyes of a spider, dashes in his direction. He shifted his posture, raised his arm, grip hard on his sword, and eyes focused on the incoming enemy.
From the wall of smoke and dust, a spear slicing the air flew directly to the head of the wolf-beast pinning it to the ground. Confused at the sudden appearance of an unknown spear, Chief Rondor glanced at where it came from.
"Made it in time!" A group of men in white cloaks atop of their horses emerged from the smoke like spears. Their white cloaks flutter in the strong wind presenting the crest of the two mirrored leopards.
"Help has come." Chief Rondor whispered, silently swallowing a tear threatening to escape, feeling the hope for his people swell in his chest.