The Runesmith

“Where are our reinforcements? Have you contacted the Lord’s men?”

“Y-yes, Captain Alric. They said they are facing troubles of their own and will need some time to mobilize more soldiers. They ordered us to hold out until they arrive… They mentioned it could take days.”

“Days? Hold out on our own? Are those bastards mad? We won’t last another hour like this! How do they expect us to survive for days? Those beasts are going to break through the walls!”

An older man clad in heavy armor spat out the words in fury, taking out his anger on the trembling guard before him. The younger man could only lower his head in fear as his commanding officer vented his rage. The older man turned away from the trembling soldier, gripping the battlements so tightly his gauntlets scraped against the stone. His eyes darted across the battlefield or what remained of it.

The outer wall of Aldbourne was cracked and broken in dozens of places, monsters clawing and tearing through weak points like a tide of living nightmares. Some of the larger beasts were already attempting to scale the damaged sections, clinging to the slick stone with clawed limbs. Others battered against the gates with brute force, their twisted frames driven by mindless hunger.

“What are these monstrosities… No one said anything like this would be coming, have the gods abandoned us?”

What the man saw before him were abominations, twisted and disfigured beyond recognition. There were many of them among the regular monsters, and they had not prepared for this type of enemy. During the last dungeon break, the number of monsters had been minimal, and they had been much weaker. These creatures, however, possessed high regenerative abilities, with some able to survive even after being struck by dozens of arrows from the strongest bowmen.

The city’s defenders fought valiantly, but it was clear they were losing ground. Barrages of arrows darkened the sky, raining down death upon the seething mass below. Mages hurled fireballs, lightning, and freezing winds into the throng, momentarily carving open space between the walls and the encroaching swarm. Buckets of boiling oil were poured from the murder holes, shrieking creatures dissolved into smoking, shriveling husks, but it was still not enough. 

From the tower window, Captain Alric could see the truth plain as day. Their line was folding. Every time they repelled the enemy, twice as many rose to take their place. In the distance, large holes had opened in the earth, releasing thick mist into the air. From these rifts, the beasts poured out with no end in sight. Their city was quickly becoming surrounded, and if the monsters broke through even one gate, it would all be over.

Suddenly, a muffled boom echoed across the walls as one of the enchanted ballistae exploded from overload, sending shrapnel and flaming wreckage flying in all directions. Several soldiers screamed as they were caught in the blast. The others barely glanced their way, too focused on holding the crumbling defenses. Alric gritted his teeth, heart pounding in his chest. They needed a miracle.

“Captain! There!”

One of the soldiers shouted, pointing into the distance.

“What is it now?”

Alric looked, squinting through the narrow slits of his helmet’s visor. His blood ran cold. Something was emerging from one of the distant rifts, spreading its massive wings wide.

“A… a wyvern? But how is it so big…”

The monster shot forward, arrows bouncing harmlessly off its thick hide. The ballistae, already strained from continuous use, were their most powerful defense against the monster horde. But against a massive flying beast like this, they would be easy targets, and the wyvern seemed to recognize them immediately.

“It’s… a Flame Wyvern! Get back!”

The monster stopped in mid-air, flapping its wings furiously to stay afloat. Its chest began to glow with an ominous, molten light. Then, with an ear-splitting roar, it unleashed a torrent of blazing fire upon one of the few remaining ballistae.

“The shields aren’t holding… Run!”

Some of the mages tried to protect the siege weapons with mana shields, but they were far too weak against such a powerful opponent. They quickly scattered to the sides, forced to watch helplessly as their enchanted weaponry was destroyed.

The siege engine stood no chance. The wooden frame caught fire instantly, the runes sputtering and exploding into showers of sparks as the structure melted into a heap of slag and ash. Several nearby soldiers screamed and stumbled back, raising their shields in a desperate attempt to block the wave of searing heat. Somehow, with the mages’ help, they managed to survive, for now.

Captain Alric shielded his face with his arm, grimacing as the wyvern’s fiery breath washed over the battlements. The defenses were crumbling faster than he had feared. He dropped his arm just in time to see the great beast turn in the air, its glowing eyes locking directly onto him. The wyvern’s jaws widened again, fire gathering once more in its throat, ready to annihilate the captain and the few defenders still holding the line.

But then…

*CRASH!!*

A thundering roar of steel and earth erupted from the ground below and, more precisely, from one of the rifts that had just opened at the edge of the battlefield. A massive shape shot out from the gaping hole: a battered, rune-covered armored construct, glowing with cracked but still-burning magical inscriptions.

To the captain, it looked like a strange metal carriage with even stranger wheels, spinning wildly and burning with a bright, unnatural fire. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. It all happened so fast – but it had happened. Some kind of miracle.

The metal monstrosity soared through the air in a clean arc, heading straight for the fire-breathing wyvern. The beast turned, but it had no time to react before the vehicle slammed into it with crushing force. Then, right before the devastating impact, Captain Alric could swear he saw figures leaping from the vehicle, and among them, something that looked like a furred beast.

The wyvern screeched in pain and fury, its breath attack firing wildly into the sky as it was knocked off balance. The vehicle crumpled like a tin can under the collision, metal plating buckling and shattering in a shower of sparks and molten runes. Chunks of armor flew in every direction, embedding themselves into the stone walls and enemy ranks alike.

Alric shielded his face as the explosion tore through the air. The wyvern was still high above, not directly overhead, which spared him from being caught in the blast. But to his horror, the monster was not dead. When the smoke cleared, the wyvern emerged, its thick hide pierced with shards of metal, blood spurting from its wounds. It was badly injured, but very much alive.

The wyvern let out a thunderous roar, enraged, staggering from the impact but already turning its burning gaze toward the battlements again. Captain Alric shouted orders, trying to rally what few archers remained, but the defenders were too scattered, too battered to form any real resistance.

The wyvern flapped its torn wings, kicking up a violent gust that sent soldiers and debris flying. It reared its massive head back, the fire in its throat flaring to life once more. Before it could unleash its fury, a longsword struck deep into its back. A heavily armored knight appeared, clad in gleaming runic armor and gripping a heavy sword. To make the sight even more astonishing, he was joined by a burly warrior wielding a massive axe, which he charged with a glowing red aura before slamming it into the creature’s neck.

It was astonishing to see the monster’s body being chopped and pierced so easily by two people. It tumbled down with them, blood splurting from its neck and back. It collided with the ground hard, tossing up dust everywhere. The two men jumped to the side and landed on their feet with a thud. The wyvern struggled to get its neck up again, but could not and so it fell, now dead and defeated.

It had happened, something the guard captain had never expected. He had no idea who these men were, but one thing was certain: they were powerful. Even better, they were not alone. In the distance, he spotted a radiant wolf leaping across platforms made of light. On its back rode two women, one clad in armor and wielding a strange tome, the other wearing light armor and firing arrows with deadly precision, each shot felling a monster instantly.

Suddenly, another blast echoed nearby. He turned toward the sound and spotted what at first seemed to be an ogre. But as he looked closer, he realized it was a man with reddish skin, wearing a strange harness. Towering and muscular, he struck down the approaching abominations with powerful blows from his metal-clad fists.

Yet none of these six compared to the last figure. Hovering in the air where the wyvern had once been was a man clad in glowing armor, radiating a strange magical energy that drew all eyes to him. Around him floated several strange devices—some rectangular, others more rounded but still edged with sharp angles. Without warning, beams of light erupted from the devices and streaked across the battlefield.

It was the miracle the captain had prayed for. Before his eyes, salvation unfolded. The monsters that had been scaling the walls or preparing to break through the gate were struck down by the relentless magical assault. It was as if death itself rained from the sky, catching the creatures completely unaware. The defenders of Aldbourne, battered and bloodied, watched in stunned awe as the tide of battle shifted before their eyes.

Captain Alric could scarcely believe it. Just minutes ago, they had been on the brink of annihilation. Now, the monstrous horde was being torn apart by a small group of warriors whose sheer power seemed to defy understanding…

*****

‘I managed to get here in time, but there are still a lot of them’ 

Roland thought, hovering in midair as his golemic drones fired in all directions, cutting down the monsters trying to scale the walls. He was crippling and destroying them at an impressive rate, but their numbers were staggering.

Below him, his armored vehicle lay in ruins, a smoldering heap of twisted metal. It had done what it was meant to do: bring them to Aldbourne as quickly as possible. The armor had barely held together, and when they collided with the wyvern, it shattered completely. Fortunately, no one had been hurt in the explosion, as they had all jumped out just before the impact. Now, the seven of them had to defend the city of Aldbourne, a place Roland had visited once before.

‘Now then, I have to do this right’

“You there, soldier, where is your leader?” 

He called out to the man who looked to be in charge, which took him by surprise. 

“L-leader?” 

Roland floated down toward the man who appeared to be the guard captain, wearing heavy armor and a closed helmet. Roland had come to rescue this city, but there were still steps he needed to follow. One of them was securing a direct plea for help from the acting leader.

“Yes, where is the mayor? Will I find them here?”

He descended lower but remained hovering, while his golems continued to fire at the enemies surrounding them. The soldiers nearby did not seem to know how to react to his sudden arrival. It was understandable, since they had no idea who he was or what he intended. Thankfully, the captain kept his composure and answered quickly.

“The mayor left before the dungeon break began. The one in charge now is the deputy mayor. He should be in the main mansion.”

“I understand.” 

Roland nodded. It seemed the man in charge had temporarily abandoned the city. It was possible he had received information or believed the rumors that the intensity of the dungeon break would be far greater than usual. Nevertheless, he had chosen to flee and seek shelter elsewhere, perhaps in a better-defended city. It was not unusual, as many wealthy merchants and nobles often did the same in times of turmoil.

Just as he was about to head toward what appeared to be the mayor’s mansion, Roland was stopped in his tracks. Captain Alric, breathing heavily beneath his helm, took a cautious step forward while gripping the sword at his side.

“Who are you? State your name and allegiance. Are you with Lord Valerian’s forces?”

“Lord Valerian? Yes, I am”

The moment he spoke, he saw the older man exhale in visible relief. However, as Roland continued, he watched the captain’s face grow pale.

“Lord Arthur Valerian. You had better remember that name. He will be your new lord soon.”

“Lord… Arthur?”

The man was stunned by the revelation but Roland had more pressing matters to attend to. The monsters were still swarming from all sides and they needed to defend this place until the cavalry arrived. Even though he had gotten a lot stronger and his companions were here, they were gravely outnumbered.

“Lady Curtana, I give you permission to use the Golem Battalion as you please, defend the city at all cost.”

“Of course, High Commander!”

He informed Lucille through his helmet. Both she and Robert could communicate with him directly through their armor, and everyone in their group had been given a device that allowed them to contact him as well. Even the Guild Master had one, though Roland wasn’t entirely sure the old man fully understood how it worked.

While Roland prepared to leave, Lady Curtana raised her tome, her primary weapon. It was a book filled with blank runes, ready to be shaped by her transmutation skill. The pages were thin, allowing her to quickly alter the rune structures and cast multiple spells in rapid succession. Once a page was used up, it could easily be replaced with another previously prepared page, giving Lucille a versatile tool to create any spell she could imagine.

“Come forth!”

At the moment, she focused on using it as a spatial transportation tool, summoning the many golems they had reconstructed for this very purpose. A field of mana shimmered on the ground where the spatial gate would open, and from within, rocky soldiers began to emerge.

The opening wasn’t wide, so only two obsidian golems came through at a time. They resembled armored humans, each wielding a shield and spear. Despite the narrow passage, their numbers quickly grew, and once outside, they wasted no time forming ranks. They spread out in front of the city walls, creating a defensive line to hold back the advancing monsters.

Roland nodded and quickly activated his runic flight system to pick up speed. The attachment on his back unfolded its wings, and he soared into the smoky sky, pushing the system to its limits. His destination was the mayor’s mansion at the heart of the city. Normally, he would have expected it to be heavily defended, but it looked oddly deserted. His mapping device barely picked up any signs of life inside.

‘He must be a scapegoat… If the city falls, all the blame will fall on him and not the real mayor.’

Roland wasn’t sure if the man had known about the monster siege beforehand or if this was a decision made in the midst of the chaos, but either way, the mayor looked suspicious. His people had been observing the city for a while now, and it was clear the place was poorly managed. The citizens had little love for those in power.

He touched down softly on the cobblestone path leading to the front entrance, noting the eerie quiet surrounding the building. There were no guards posted, no frantic servants running about. Only a skeletal handful of soldiers and a few wide-eyed attendants remained, looking more like survivors than defenders.

Inside, the mansion was in disarray: furniture hastily pushed aside to barricade windows, valuables either stripped away or left abandoned. In the main hall, illuminated by the flickering light of half-melted candles, stood a young man barely older than twenty, wearing an ill-fitting breastplate over expensive clothes. A trembling rapier was gripped in his hand, though he looked like he didn’t know whether to fight or flee.

“W-who?”

The man pointed his weapon at Roland, who had appeared out of nowhere. The guards beside him fumbled awkwardly, moving as if this were their first mission. To Roland, it was clear that no one here was capable, and that suited him just fine.

“You are the acting mayor, right?”

“I… Y-yes, I am. But who are you?”

“That is not important.”

Roland said, cutting him off. 

“What matters is that you request assistance from me and my troops, because if you don’t, all of you will die…”

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