The battlefield outside the walls of Apus boiled with chaos and tension.
Beasts of all kinds fangs and fury—charged at the front lines. These were Bloodtusks, hulking creatures the size of warhorses, covered in coarse, reddish fur with bone-plated shoulders and long protruding tusks dripping with saliva. Their breath was hot and foul, their eyes glowing with bestial rage.
The soldiers of Apus, however, were prepared.
Their shields locked tight, forming a solid wall. Steel met muscle. With every slam of a beast, the line shook but it didn't break.
"Hold the formation!" the captain bellowed. "Don't fight them alone, you maniacs! Use the gears designed by the Lord!"
Cries echoed in response. "Yes, sir!"
Behind the shield line, a group of four soldiers moved quickly, hauling out a massive object wrapped in canvas—a metallic chain-net trap, the Lord's latest commissioned invention.
"Deploy the safety net!" the captain roared.
