Author's Note: Dedicated to @ValleriHarmon for still being my friend even when it takes me months to post a new chapter.    :D

A never-ending roar was all that registered in William's ears. Men's shouts, women's screams, the roll of thunder, and the crash of collapsing buildings had all coalesced into a single, indistinguishable sound until his mind felt numb.

Blinking the rain from his eyes, he grabbed an old woman by the arm and hauled her back to her feet from where she had fallen in the muck. He half dragged her while propelling her forward with the rest of the crowd. "We're almost there," he tried to encourage, but his words were snatched away by the wind before they even left his lips. If he had not felt the vibrations in his throat, he would have never known he had spoken.

Ahead, the dark shape of the Warrior's barracks appeared like a shadow in the night, and as soon as they reached the safety of the sturdy gates, William released the woman and turned to see more people still stumbling through the night. Skirting to the edge of the throng, he fought his way against the flow back the way he'd come.

A streak of light tore through the sky accompanied by a strange whooshing sound. William only caught a glimpse of the fiery object from the corner of his eye before it collided with the building to his left. Upon impact, the building exploded. The resulting shockwave struck him like a blow from a hammer, and he flew through the air and landed in the street several yards away. Debris soon followed, showering him with fragments of wood and stone. His lungs spasmed as they frantically tried to draw breath, but for one full, panicked minute, they would not open to allow the air passage. Finally, with eyes bulging and chest heaving, he sucked in a gasp.

Only after he'd gulped down two more breaths did sound finally return, temporarily overwhelming all other senses. The numbing roar that was before had now been replaced by a piercing ringing that felt as though it would shatter his skull. He lay motionless for a few moments, still trying to catch his breath and waiting for the ringing to subside, but when the moments passed and the annoying peel showed no signs of abating, he gave up and raised himself to his elbows. Then, the full extent of his pain finally registered. He could feel numerous welts and bruises forming along the parts of his body not covered with plate armor, and his face stung from hundreds of tiny cuts. Even his bones ached. He felt as though he'd been in a fight with an ogre and lost.

With a groan, he rolled onto his side and spit out a globule of blood. He'd bitten his tongue at some point. Slowly swiveling his head from side to side, he found dozens of people in much the same state as he, though some were worse since they lacked the armor that had protected him. Commoners and Warriors alike rushed to their aid, pressing dirty cloths to flowing wounds and helping those who could stagger to their feet. Among all the faces, though, one caught William's eye. He pushed himself up onto all fours and got one foot under him. Then, with great effort, he pushed off from the ground and stood. The world swayed around him briefly, but he stumbled forward anyway.

"Rissa!" As he shouted, he felt something inside his ears pop, and suddenly, the ringing stopped and normal sounds returned. "Marissa!" he called again, this time able to hear himself.

The young woman glanced up from the man she was tending to see who had called her. Spotting William, her serious features broke into one of immense relief and joy. Her eyes grew wide and a huge grin brightened her face. "William!" Leaving the injured man to the care of another, Marissa sprung from the ground and rushed to meet her brother. When she was but an arm's reach away, she drew up short.

William's face flushed with shame when he saw the hesitation and uncertainty flash across her eyes. He gripped her shoulders and jerked her to him in a crushing embrace. "I'm sorry, Rissa... for everything. I've been acting like a selfish imbecile. Will you forgive me?"

"Well...," she drawled out while partially extricating herself from his vice-like grip. "You have been acting like a donkey's rear..."

His heart sank.

"But, you've always been a donkey's rear," she continued now with a smirk, "and that's never stopped me from loving you before."

A single, "Ha!" burst from William's lips in a short laugh. "You're one to talk. So you forgive me, then?"

"Of course I forgive you, stupid brother. Just don't pull anything like that again, or I might decide I've had enough and--"

Whatever threat she was about to produce was cut off by a boom that shook everything around them. Even the rain seemed to falter at the sudden percussion.

"What was that?"

William held up his hand in a motion for silence so he could listen. What he heard next turned his heart cold with dread.

A resounding crack breached the air, the sound reminding him of a tree snapping in two, but if what he'd heard was the snapping of a tree, then an entire forest had just been leveled in a single instant. A deep, continuous rumbling soon followed. The vibrations of which rattled within his chest.

"It's the wall." William finally gave voice to his fear, "It's falling."

"What do we do now?" Marissa asked with a subtle quiver to her voice.

"You," he emphasized, "are going to hurry these people to safety."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to help hold them off while you do so. With any luck, maybe we can drive them back and end this."

Marissa's features turned to stone and her brow furrowed in an obvious expression of displeasure. She opened her mouth to speak, but William covered it with his hand.

"None of that. There's no time for your stubbornness. Just, for once, do as I say. I'll fight better knowing you are safe."

"But--," she tried to argue under his hand.

A thunderous chorus rose from the direction of the wall as thousands of voices rose in a battle cry.

Gooseflesh crawled up William's spine. "Rissa, please!" He sounded frantic even to his own ears.

She studied him mutely for a second more before shoving his hand from her mouth and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Fine. But you better not get yourself killed or you'll have me to answer to, either in this life or the next one."

"Deal," he sighed in relief. "Now, go!" He shoved her away and turned towards the wall.

Without sparing a backwards glance, he broke into a run and drew his sword, carrying it at the ready by his side. His heart pounded out an unsteady rhythm as he drew nearer to the line of battle. The sounds that carried through the air nearly convinced him that the Crypts of the Underworld had been torn open. He could feel his hands growing slick with sweat inside his studded gloves, and his legs began to tremble. But as soon as he turned the last corner and the battle came into view, all trepidation fled.

Here was the enemy at last.

Finally, evil had a face.