The soldiers marched shoulder-to-shoulder. Twelve men, with their captain at the centre. Daiden retreated with five other soldiers, a few steps behind the frontline at the edge of the safe zone. He pointed at Leda with his chin, urging the three scouts to move into a position of defence for the priest. In formation, the punitive force steadied into silence, planting their feet onto the floor while the dust settled around them.

Deng noticed it first, a few loose pebbles, rattling to distant footsteps. The two tunnels whistled with whispers first, then the roars of a frenzied march.

“Shields! Shield wall!” bellowed the Multana Captain. He heard his soldiers swallow the lump in their throats, loud, nervous gulps across the line. Their arms tensed around the leather attached to their shields. They hugged the surface with their shoulders, one eye out from the corner, staring into the darkness.

A breeze shrieked through the corridors in that moment, announcing the arrival of the undead horde. Heavy Fleshbound Soldiers, Armoured Ashbones, and Crimson Lockjaws, among other darkly coloured skeletons; leaderless, they lacked the discipline for coordination, rushing the Multana soldiers by the strength of their numbers instead.

“Hold…” said Deng, in a low voice, but with clarity. Their shields rose, a wall without gaps. Some of the soldiers willed through the effort with their eyes closed. The Multana Captain observed the path of the rush, before declaring, “Brace, brace…brace!” Each command louder than the last.

Weapons first, then with the weight of their bodies, the horde plummeted onto the shield wall raised by the Multana soldiers. Deng absorbed the brunt of the force from the centre, and curved the formation along the sides to hold the line.

“Spears!” commanded Deng, arming his free hand with a weapon. He stabbed from over his shoulders, along the top of his head, but without target. The other soldiers joined in the attack as well, piercing bone and skin, sometimes nothing but air. They persisted, shaving away the pressure from the front while holding the line.

“We’re good!” announced Daiden, from the back.

Deng nodded in acknowledgement. His eyes shifted from left to right, confirming the health of his defensive formation. “Just as we discussed. Yes? Yes!”

The other soldiers roared, in unison.

“On my command…” continued Deng, buoyed by his soldiers’ morale. He could almost hear their thoughts, their fears quashed by an earnest desire for sunlight and freedom. His heart swelled with pride. “On my command…”

The soldiers continued the stalemate by attacking the horde with their spears.

Some of the heavily armoured undeads broke away from the struggle. They retreated a little and sprinted back to the shields. Deng noticed the attack as well.

“Split!” yelled the Multana Captain, breaking the formation at the centre. The line of defence opened from both sides, the space of a narrow door. “One, two…seven…twelve…” counted Deng, hugging his shield. Out loud, he commanded, “Close formation! Now! Now!”

Deng, alongside his soldiers, fiercely attacked through the gaps now. They repelled the rush, marching without hesitation, raising their shields to erect the wall once more.

***

With the dome to their backs, Daiden remembered his conversation with Leda, mere moments after setting up camp. He stretched his neck, sword on both hands, a little relieved.

“Well, Leda did mention that he thinned the walls of the dome to make space for everyone,” thought Daiden, in a hum. “Not like I’m going to give them the opportunity to break past this line of defence…”

Daiden noticed Leda cook without worry and spat a sigh in exasperation. “Is it just something I do? I keep meeting with these weird people…then again, I don’t regret it.” His gaze swept through the soldiers behind him, even across the scouts charged with protecting the priest. “Let’s keep everyone alive!”

Swords straightened, Daiden felt the jaws of anxiety nibble away at his confidence. He pursed his lips, waiting for an escape. He counted to the moment, until the light from Ehedus veiled him in an embrace. The Godvildian trainee puffed his chest with a deep breath, and exhaled into a state of calm.

“Keep ready!” warned Daiden, watching a portion of the horde retreat from the shield wall.

As planned, Deng opened a path for the undeads to rush into, and closed the wall behind them. Daiden helmed the formation of a triangle. “On hold until I give the go ahead!”

The soldiers froze from the command, in bewilderment. They watched their leader plunge into the small clutch of undeads. Their mouths parted when Daiden flowed through the crowd with a dizzying speed, weaving and swaying in a dance, with strange, unfamiliar footwork. He parried without effort and separated the enemy, piercing thick skin and hard bones. Daiden surged into an aura and pushed seven of the undeads to the left, exposing his back to the rest.

“Take the others!” commanded Daiden, finally.

The soldiers jolted into action, drawing the remaining undeads onto themselves. They struggled, mismatched at first, and then switching positions with smart coordination. Their hearts strengthened, in a yearning for freedom, some with wives and children, and others with the hope of reuniting with their friends and parents.

Daiden whittled the numbers on his end with haste and sprinted to the aid of his soldiers right after. He moved the needle of the battle, together with Deng.

Towards the end of an hour, the Multana soldiers cleared the forty-strong horde without casualties. They clenched their teeth and fists, in tight, toothy grins. They celebrated the victory, their first after days of despair.

Covered in a little dirt, Daiden returned his swords to his spatial inventory. He watched the soldiers cheer from afar, a tired smile on his face.

“You know, I still think we could die somewhere along the way, towards closing the breach,” a voice said, suddenly. “But it’s not bad, is it? Watching them feel like they have a chance. Maybe we do. We certainly need them to think it…”

“Thank you, Captain,” said Daiden. “We needed this. And you helped clear all the mud in my head. Morale is high, and no matter what you say now, I think you believe it as well. We can do this!”

Deng laughed out loud. “What now?”

“We break to eat,” said Daiden, simply. “After that, let’s focus on clearing out the stragglers. It’s important to secure the route towards the entrance. Our way back will be easier. There are three more doors to open as well. Survivors…I still haven’t given up on that possibility.”

“You’re a good man,” acknowledged Deng, again, with a short nod. “I’ll inform the others. Come join us when you’re ready.”

Daiden nodded back at the Multana Captain. He watched the latter walk away from him, later fixating on the Multana armour, the shoulders.

“Ah, Captain?” called Daiden, slowly. He waited until Deng turned before continuing, “All of our soldiers, they have a placement on their shoulders for shawls or capes, yes?”

“Yes,” said Deng, taking a moment to check his men. “Why do you ask?”

“Stray thoughts on how we can improve our defence,” said Daiden, vaguely. “We have some time to spare. I think I can work this out somehow…”