It was an early Monday morning and he was guarding the wall as usual.

  "The newspaper said that today's risk of a sandstorm is 15%, like how do they even know that? It's not as if a sandstorm has a special mana signature they could detect. I think that ..." and on and on Bob went.

  He soon sported a headache. The mountain of words threatened to bury him alive.

  "And do you still remember that downpour from last year? When we get any rainfall it's usually swift and heavy. But noooo, it'll barely be a drizzle they said. Half the town ended up underwater."

  "That's not what happened at all. The meteorologists warned about the importance of preparation for the unlikely possibility. It was the Executive Committee who didn't take their warning seriously," Kerek countered.

  "Well, then they shouldn't have foretold a drizzle if they wanted to stop a flood" waved him off Bob.

  He didn't feel the need to argue his point any further. It didn't rain often in the desert. When it did it was either nothing or a downpour of unbelievable proportions.

  Wall defense was an important job, so they both wore tactical armor over their guard uniforms.

  It was made from amcat. Its dark color hid bloodstains well and it was both sturdy and flexible. Their boots were comfortable. Their arm guards held nicely in place. Together it all looked remarkably stylish.

  It was a fine piece of equipment.

  If only they hadn’t named the material amcat. He understood that chemically and magically treated leather was a mouthful.

  How did they get amcat from that though?

  He suspected that the one responsible for its naming had one beer too many.

  The armor set contained two helmets.

  While the first one offered head protection it left the face and ears unguarded.

  The second one was a full-face helmet. In other words, it covered the whole head. The problem was that it blocked sound well, too well even, making them unusable outside of battle.

  Communication earrings solved the issue.

  They degraded fast though, hence why the helmets were hanging from their belts. It was a chore to drag it everywhere but when the fighting started you’d appreciate the extra protection.

  The helmets were both from amcat too. The exception was the t-shaped glass visor of the full-faced one.

  All guards and military personnel wore modern equipment. Only the Ents still used old-fashioned steel helmets.

  They both had a pistol and an arcane rifle with them. Kerek also wore a sword on his hip, meanwhile, Bob decided that a knife was enough.

  Kerek knew that he didn’t specialize in close-quarter combat, which made the knife a reasonable choice. He wouldn’t stand a chance in a melee with a monster no matter which weapon he was carrying.

  A sword would only weigh him down.

  The pair was one of many stationed along the length of the southern wall, the most robust one by far. Made of heavily enchanted stone and reinforced with black steel, the same one used for Ent armor.

  It was more than 200 feet tall and around 60 wide at the ground level, it decreased towards the top. Where they stood it could’ve been around 30 feet.

  Without a battle happening the wall was mostly empty.

  Pairs of guardsmen were stationed at set distances watching for threats. The multiple watch towers were manned with skeleton crews. From the canons perhaps a third was currently prepared for battle.

  Strictly speaking, the Guardsmen were not understaffed. If a call to arms were to be ordered all positions would be getting more personnel in minutes.

  No, it was a compromise of sorts. The guards needed to be sharp, effective, and competent.

  For that, they needed rest, training, and practical experience. So, while a fraction of the guards kept watch the rest were either undergoing training or off the clock.

  This made sense from a tactical perspective too as monsters usually focused their attack on a single wall. Because most of the guardsmen were kept in the city they could reinforce a specific location swiftly.

  This arrangement required a plentiful forewarning before every attack. That’s why each of the pairs had a briefcase with them.

  It contained a special contraption consisting of a roll of paper connected to a metallic hand. The more finicky hardware was built into the inside of the suitcase, invisible to the naked eye.

  Bob had the suitcase currently open and was checking it. Kerek scanned for threats on the horizon. He saw only grains of gray sand floating in the turbulent wind.

  It was a hostile desert out there and if the monsters didn’t get you, the environment might.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  The metallic hand moved on its own, jotting down lines on the paper roll as it slowly rotated. The result was a graph describing local mana levels and their fluctuations.

  Bob focused on the paper. “Mana concentration higher than yesterday,” he droned, until he suddenly stopped. His dull tone took on a note of panic. “This can’t be right… detecting a rapid spike in mana levels. A monster attack near certain,” he finished. “Engage Red Protocol.”

  Kerek gulped, today was shaping up to be the opposite of a peaceful day.

  He pulled out a small golden bell from his pocket and rang it thrice. Its handle bloomed like a flower and a clear voice rang out of it.

  “This is General Hannah. Report."

  “General, Watch Pair 23 reporting. We’ve identified a steep increase in mana levels. An attack is imminent”

  “Understood. Similar reports are coming in from other guards as well. Stay in position and await further orders. General Hannah, out”

  The flower wilted and the golden bell turned to dust.

  How was this even possible Kerek wasn’t sure. Their mana detection devices were superbly sensitive. A small change in the readings was already a big deal.

  Such a rapid change could most likely mean many things, but he could think of only one.

  The monsters masked their approach and stayed undetected until they were too close to remain under the radar any longer. Now that was a terrifying thought.

  The city bells started ringing in combination with a broadcast: “Code red, code red. All citizens, proceed to your local shelter.” The code red was a message for any available fighters to reinforce the wall. While the second half had the obvious goal of evacuating civilians.

  There were multiple forces the city could call on when it came to its defense.

  Guardsmen were the obvious one. The protection of the city was their singular goal.

  Then there was the Tree and its Ents. When engaging any attackers directly The Tree risked damage to its roots. So, instead, puppeteering constructs became Its modus operandi.

  The military generally focused on operations outside the city. They handled scouting, intelligence gathering and protected Korgadar's sole mining outpost. Naturally, they were mobilized during an attack on the city too.

  The last group of fighters worth mentioning were the volunteers. Those were practitioners not employed by the city.

  Most came from the Adventurer’s Guild and the Mage Tower. The rest was a mixture of unaffiliated practitioners and citizens with varying degrees of battle experience.

  The only major armed force that didn’t take part in direct fighting was the police.

  It had a different task. Policemen ran around the city directing the evacuation. If the monsters breached the wall they'd put their lives on the line to protect the civilians.

  The two of them waited nervously. Kerek could see little figures running urgently in the city. From so high up they seemed more like ants than people. Some headed for the shelters, others moved more orderly for the walls.

  A loud noise erupted behind the duo.

  It couldn’t be. Yes, the artillery has started firing.

  That confirmed his worst fears. While the artillery had a range that could hardly be believed, they wouldn’t be found firing so far most of the time.

  The range might be long, but their detection capabilities were much lower. This meant that the enemy was close and they might arrive before the brunt of their support did.

  The first reinforcements started arriving and it wasn’t long before a runner came with a pair of wooden earrings before darting off.

  They put them on.

  For now, they wouldn't do much. When their commanding officer arrived a line of communication would open with their fellow squadmates. Only urgent information could be passed directly to HQ.

  Getting their earrings was an unspoken signal to put on their helmets. While no monsters were visible yet, Kerek was not braindead enough to disregard protocol.

  Both he and Bob promptly put their helmets on.

  The air grew staler, and his vision became more restricted. The glass visor guaranteed some visibility, but it still reduced his field of view.

  Kerek busied himself with a last-minute equipment check. The fact that he already did one this morning didn't stop him. He wanted to be certain that there would be no surprises during the battle.

  His rifle and pistol crystals were looking good. While the weapon would fire even without them, they gave it the necessary oomph to contend with mana-reinforced defenses.

  The guns sported no mechanical deficiencies. Moving on from the weapons themselves he counted his supplies.

  His ammunition amounted to 8 rifle magazines, one with explosive rounds, 2 for the pistol, and three grenades. The emergency first aid kit was in his utility belt.

  There was a supply crate nearby to counter ammunition shortage. Yet he knew how important it was to know what he was working with.

  “I'm Second Lieutenant Hopkins and this wall section is under my command. What am I working with?.” Asked an out-of-breath voice in his head.

  Kerek looked around and saw that he recognized all his fellow combatants. That was good, nothing worse than fighting along people you couldn't count on.

  Hopkins was their typical commanding officer, so no surprises there either.

  Without further ado, they rattled off their ranks and specializations. Even though the officer knew them well, that was the proper procedure.

  “Sam, bronze 3, sniper”

  “Boris, bronze 3, no specialization”

  “Adam, bronze 1, close combat specialist”

  …

  “Kerek, bronze 3, no specialization”

  The familiarity of the interaction helped to calm his nerves.

  “Good to meet you boys, sorry Amanda. Our western wall will be facing the brunt of the assault. That's where most of the combat will be happening, so don't expect much reinforcements. An Ent fireteam will come and serve as our melee protection, but other than that your seventeen lousy asses are what we have."

  "Snipers, spread around the watch towers. Fire at will. Melee fighters, join the Ents when they arrive. The rest, follow me!” commanded Hopkins.

  Kerek's hands were shaking. It wouldn’t be his first wall defense, but it was the first time he felt woefully unprepared.

  The danger of facing an attack of unknown size on a side battlefield made him even more nervous.

  On one hand, they would face a weaker opponent.

  On the other hand, everyone would think twice before redirecting any resources their way.

  At least he could count on his squadmates and his officer. Hopkins has always been dependable.

  The snipers left and the rest of the soldiers started preparing for the defense.

  The officer went around talking to his subordinates, while most of them did the same as Kerek. They checked their gear and tried to look brave.

  The second lieutenant must've noticed the mood. He stopped talking and looked around at their state. He saw that the departure from a sizable forewarning was not something that they could easily shake off.

  It was a change and an unknown. It was their first time fighting on such a short notice. Hell, it'd be his first time too if he never went beyond the walls.

  Hopkins reached a decision. This wouldn't do.

  "Form up!" he barked. The soldiers obeyed without hesitation, snapping into two straight lines.

  "Fear is normal. Fear is logical," Hopkins said, his eyes scanning their faces.

  “But we fight despite it. We are the brave defenders of Korgadar!”

  "We are its shield, its guardians. Conquer your fear Guardsmen for today we shall bathe in monster blood!

  He raised his voice now, a roar rising behind his words.

  “What will we do?!”

  “Bathe in monster blood!” they thundered in unison.

  “Who are we?!”

  “Guardsmen!”

  "Dismissed. Finish your preparations."