The guard atop the wall glanced downward. "Any two of you, hurry up!"
Jeb glanced at Hank and Ryan, then turned away reluctantly.
Suddenly, cheers erupted from the wall. The guard who had spoken to them turned toward the city's edge, then quickly shouted down, 'Lucky break! All of you, get up here!'"
As Ryan scanned the wall for a staircase, a rope ladder was already being lowered. Hank went up first, climbing with the agility of a monkey and quickly leaving Ryan behind. Unbothered, Ryan followed at his own pace, while Jeb brought up the rear.
When Ryan finally reached the top, he joined Hank and the guards, turning his gaze beyond the city walls.
The night was dark, with a few bright stars scattered around a deep crimson moon, adding an eerie yet beautiful mystique to the otherworldly sky.
In the distance, four red lights flickered sharply against the pitch-black horizon—two leading, two trailing, rushing toward the city wall and leaving faint neon-like trails in their wake.
As the red lights neared, Ryan finally discerned their source—two massive, lizard-like beasts, their blood-red eyes gleaming coldly with a ruthless, predatory intelligence.
The guards atop the wall showed no signs of fear. If anything, they looked eager.
One of them smirked. "Crimson Lizards."
The Crimson Lizards drew closer to the city walls as several guards raised their bows. As the creatures neared the edge of their range, the guards immediately pulled back their bowstrings, ready to fire.
Ryan's heartbeat quickened. He fixed his gaze on the approaching Crimson Lizards, fully immersed in the tension of the battle.
Soon, the leading lizard entered bow range.
"Fire!" a guard shouted.
Arrows whistled through the air, streaking toward their target. The Crimson Lizard let out a guttural snarl, trying to dodge, but two arrows found their mark, embedding deep into its flesh. It writhed in pain, releasing a chilling screech as blood gushed from its wounds.
"Again!" another guard shouted.
A second volley rained down. The lizard staggered under the relentless assault, its movements growing sluggish as more arrows pierced its thick hide. It let out a final, desperate shriek before collapsing. Its massive frame shuddered once, then went still. A pool of crimson spread beneath it, its lifeless eyes dull and vacant.
By then, the second Crimson Lizard had entered bow range. The guards fired again, but this one sensed the danger and suddenly surged forward, its limbs moving rapidly as it kicked up a cloud of dust. It dodged every arrow, closing the distance to the wall and disappearing from Ryan's view.
Ryan leaned over the edge, searching for it.
A flash of movement below—clawed limbs latched onto the wall, powerful hind legs coiling. Then, with a single explosive leap, the lizard launched itself upward, scaling the stone surface at a terrifying pace.
Each claw strike left deep gouges in the masonry, the sharp scraping sound setting Ryan's nerves on edge. Its tail pressed against the wall for balance, allowing it to climb with the precision of a gecko.
"Quick! Shoot it!" a guard bellowed.
The guards leaned over the edge, firing arrows downward in an attempt to stop the lizard's ascent. But the lizard twisted and dodged mid-climb, avoiding every shot.
As the Crimson Lizard neared the top, a surge of panic gripped Ryan. He glanced at the guards, but they remained composed, smoothly transitioning weapons—raising their longspears in preparation.
One of the guards smirked. "Let it come up!"
Ryan leaned over again, just as the lizard's claws hooked onto the top of the wall. Its massive body—nearly ten feet long—was covered in thick, armored scales. Its eyes burned with untamed fury.
"Move aside!" a guard barked, shoving Ryan out of the way.
Ryan stumbled, landing beside a heavy crossbow manned by two guards. One of them cranked the winch, the weapon letting out a deep, resonant hum as it locked into place.
At that moment, the Crimson Lizard leaped into the air. Ryan held his breath, watching as the creature's massive form arced through the sky.
In that instant, two guards lunged forward, their long spears striking like lightning. The gleaming tips punched into the lizard's eye sockets, piercing deep into its skull. The beast let out a blood-curdling screech, its massive body convulsing violently in midair.
Then, the crossbow fired. The bolt streaked through the night like a comet, slamming into the lizard's exposed underbelly. The sheer force sent the creature reeling, blood erupting like a crimson firework. With a deafening thud, its mangled body crashed to the ground, sending dust billowing into the air.
Ryan immediately got to his feet and leaned over to look down again. The Crimson Lizard lay motionless. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, a guard's loud shout rang out.
"What the hell are you staring at? Get to work!"
Ryan turned as Hank walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, buddy. Time to get to work."
The guards lowered two more rope ladders, and Hank and Jeb quickly retrieved coils of rope, preparing to descend.
One of the guards said, "Leave the blood on the ground. If it draws in more beasts, even better. Just clean the wall."
Ryan, confused, hesitated for a moment before following Hank down the ladder.
As they reached the ground, Hank turned to Jeb. "Jeb, go collect the arrows."
Jeb nodded and set to work, picking up the scattered shafts.
Meanwhile, Hank strode over to the carcass of a Crimson Lizard. Without a hint of struggle, he hoisted the massive body onto his back and secured it tightly with rope.
Ryan watched Hank's movements in stunned silence, a mix of surprise and confusion swirling in his mind.
He couldn't help but ask, "So… the reason we were called down here is to haul corpses up the wall?"
Hank arched a brow. "What else did you think?"
Ryan frowned. "And we have to clean the wall too?"
Hank shrugged. "Of course. That's part of the job."
Ryan's frustration bubbled up. "Aren't we supposed to be scavengers? Shouldn't we be scavenging? This feels more like being porters—or a cleanup crew!"
Hank chuckled. "The city gates aren't open every day, so we can't just go scavenging whenever we want. The Lord was generous enough to let us earn a few coins by helping the guards. Otherwise, we'd be starving."
Ryan's curiosity sparked. He wanted to ask about the gates—how often they opened, who decided—but before he could get a word out, a guard on the wall bellowed,
"Quit standing around! Get to work!"