Cody pumped his double-barrel ‘shotgun,’ ejecting two spent capsules that evaporated when they hit the air. Mana merely trickled from his palms into the magical weapon, contrary to the urgency of the situation. Reloading another set of shells took seconds longer than usual. It was an ominous sign that had him chewing his tongue.

He smashed the steel barrels into the toothy jaw of a reptilian monster as it eclipsed the edge of the rock edifice that he was responsible for controlling. The creature was practically smiling at him through a vaguely spinosaurus-like visage, completely unthreatened by his actions.

Cody had his jaw clenched and his lips were pulled back so that his teeth were also exposed when he squeezed the trigger. He wondered if the monster would have changed expressions knowing what was to come.

The gun roared in response, drowning out all the aggressive growls and scrabbling claws for a brief moment. The burst of firepower annihilated the giant lizard’s head, sending scales and teeth flying as its body toppled back down the steep walls it had so aggressively climbed.

Cody leaned over the edge, watching as the body mass crashed into half a dozen other potential threats, dragging them down before fully dissipating into mana. He scowled as thousands more continued scrambling up the sides. There was no end to them.

He leveled his weapon at the nearest target and fired again. The blast ripped its arm off at the shoulder, dislodging it from the wall with a chunk of stone still gripped in its opposite claw. Defeating one more wasn’t nearly enough to make a difference. It was growing increasingly clear that this was their last stand.

The strange golden sands had been thickening for weeks, but until recently they were secondary to the crimson haze that choked the horizon and inundated their world in corrosive mana. They had let themselves be deceived, so focused on maintaining their own superiority against the more immediate threats, they had failed to recognize the building danger.

From their vantage point on top of a 1,000 foot tall igneous rock butte, they were able to keep watch on a huge plot of land. No monsters were capable of catching them by surprise, even as they survived without a civilization shard throughout the assimilation. Devil’s Tower was their fortress.

The Eradication Protocol had reduced that advantage to just the immediate area surrounding the base of their mountain, with the trails leading into red haze instead of toward rivers and the horizon. That was before the sands came, encroaching on their safety in such a passive way they hadn’t even noticed.

At first, the individual motes of almost transparent sand were practically indistinguishable from the crimson energy that dominated their perspective. The grains caught the red in the air and reflected it, indirectly camouflaging themselves within the more immediate threat. The lack of motion was deceptive, but when it grew more concentrated, dramatic movements could force waves in the steady sandstorm, revealing its domineering contiguity.

The more dramatic threat was obviously the monsters that came with the sands. At first, the individual examples of lizard-like hunters were easily destroyed. They were like the untamed Primal Constructs that had hounded them throughout the assimilation, but it became clear that this was an entirely different scenario. For every one they defeated, five more came looking.

The lizards quickly surpassed the strength of their previous enemies, and they were far more persistent. Rather than satisfy themselves with claiming territory, the fact that humans had a stronghold on top of the butte seemed to provoke them. They ruthlessly challenged their position, completely indifferent to their losses.

They grew more and more powerful, increased in numbers, size, and variety. As they revealed their breadth, so did the sands. Before they even noticed what was happening, the world had been swallowed in the golden debris, reflecting the crimson mana throughout its range. The top of their holdout was a lone island that was gradually sinking as the sandstorm grew higher and higher. It consciously sought to swallow them up.

By the time they realized the peril of their situation, Cody and his companions also recognized that they were properly trapped. Their motivation had switched from survival to making the bastards pay for every inch that they stole. The opportunity for retreat had closed while they still arrogantly believed that they represented the truest of all strongholds. It was too late to enact their withdrawal plan.

Before Cody emptied his weapon, managing to stymy the monsters on his section of the perimeter, he was flanked by a dragon that had managed to breach from a different angle. He was knocked off his feet, the outside of his left arm torn open, leaving a streak of blood on the ground, but he turned and fired from his back, splitting his assaulter in half as it pounced on top of him.

He used the gun to protect himself from the gore, then rolled up to his feet, seeking the fate of the man that should have been watching the side that had leaked. There was no one left, but a dogpile of alien lizards, each the size of a sedan, indicated where he had fallen.

Elsewhere, the top of Devil’s Tower was already dominated by hundreds of other monstrous lizards, many that were three and four times the size of the enemies he had been holding off. He spat, realizing that they had already lost.

Cody cursed as the end snuck up on him, just as the original threat had risen like a shadow from all around them. He blew the head off another lizard as it charged at him, then smashed the side of the barrels into the elongated snout of another, stunning it for a second while he aimed and fired again, directly into its chest.

He pumped to reload after dozens of shots, kicking the chin of another enemy as it rose over the nearby rock ledge, sending it back down into the absolute swarm of enemies that had formed all across the walls. He couldn’t imagine how thick the enemies were down on the ground, but at this point there must have been tens of millions of the alien creatures, all singularly determined to consume the tiny holdout of humans.

He fired at a monster that climbed on the backs of the others, starting a trend where the lizards actually formed layers on the outside of Devil’s Tower, thickest where they were shrouded in the sands. Then, he was forced to address the lizards at his side, draining his resources to smash the horde with a series of blasts. More often than not, two shots were required instead of one, indicating just how quickly the enemies were advancing in terms of power. They rushed at him after a leg or arm was ripped off, only succumbing to critical hits.

He took a claw swipe to the chest when one particular individual actually blocked a shotgun blast with its outer forearm, but he pummeled it with the butt of his manifested weapon before shooting it where it seemed the softest. He shot it a second time for good measure before it fully dissipated.

Cody had trained hard with the Lighthouse when Primal Constructs were the biggest threat, and he had risen to the point that anything less than a Siege Boss was doable. And yet, the regular forces of mana were starting to give him trouble. Just what was their limit?

As he regained his position, but was forced to reload, he gave up on holding the edge, even knowing that it was the last advantage they had over the swarm of monsters. There were only a handful of people left on the top of Devil’s Tower, and they were all being backed into the center. Each individual could only hope that the others were capable of protecting the other angles as they barely prevented themselves from being overrun by the enemies in front of them.

Cody ended up in the exact same situation, firing as rapidly as he could at the monsters in front of him. Everytime he reloaded, he ceded ground, and whenever he couldn’t land a critical blow, the distance he had to move increased.

Despite the finality of the situation, Cody felt a sense of calm as his shotgun blasts tore through the frenzied enemies that chased after him, just barely preventing their claws and teeth from ripping him to shreds. It was like his emotions had left him and his mind switched off. He was nothing more than a thorn in the side of a limitless army. The least he could do was make them hurt.

He inched backwards until his back collided with someone else’s. They shared a quick glance, but no words, before returning their focus to the thousands of lizards that encroached on their position. Millions more were doing everything they could to catch up and join in on the savagery, transforming the flat-topped rock formation into a squirming mass of scales, tails, and teeth. The defenders were down to two.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The woman who had outlasted everyone else swung a chain of energy that glowed with heat and melted through the scales of the monsters that she swiped. She ripped through arms and torched their necks while Cody blasted his shotgun, having no need to aim anymore. The density of the monsters made it impossible to miss. The monsters had piled on top of themselves such that they were practically falling from above, like the curl of a wave breaking on the last source of resistance, just waiting for it to erode away.

From the side, their silhouettes transformed them into paper shadows on a crimson canvas. The flat top of Devil’s Tower was their final stage. A former game warden and nurse anesthetist playing the roles of true human warriors.

The blasts of his weapon highlighted the sharp nails and glistening teeth that sought his flesh from in front, the sides, and above, while the furious chain whip of his final companion sent streaks of illumination and sparks across the scales of their assaulters. Larger winged beasts and bull-like wyrms ripped through the crowds of lizards and dragons only to be temporarily halted by the last efforts of the two humans. They had no need for final declarations.

They kept fighting until the sands claimed the tower, then fought some more in the gilded darkness, sending dramatic flashes of light across the stage, but after one final shotgun blast, the storm fell silent and the grains stayed still.

—

The sandstorm had already swallowed all of Sioux Falls. An insurance agent stared into the miasma and regretted declining a transfer to the national headquarters on the west coast before mana turned into the most important aspect of their lives. The lower cost of living didn’t do him much good when monsters roamed the planet.

As he watched through the glass pane, he felt completely isolated from the world, trapped in a domain of strangely stilled debris that was in the process of quietly consuming the entire continent. Only one building was still standing, not just in the city, but in the entire central region. Everything else made by humans had dissolved in the corrosive mana, turning to chalky dust before completely losing its corporeality and giving way to the golden sands.

The eleven story building he hid inside had been reduced to eight, with one facade completely destroyed, exposing the inside to the elements, but it retained its position as the tallest in the state by virtue of being the last. A default victory to maintain its default victory. He couldn’t even bring himself to smirk at his observation, the situation too grim for even a moment of amusement.

The survivors who had holed up in the structure had utilized the elevation to their advantage against the Primal Constructs. With the initiation of the Eradication Protocol, they had wound up entrenched with a long lost mana pylon as the sands swallowed everything. Instead of safety, the building was transformed into a tomb, but he was no pharoah.

Offices that had once been saturated by the irritating drone of fluorescent lights had fallen almost completely silent. Solid walls, lockable doors, and a decent supply of weapons had lulled the survivors into a fragile sense of security prior to the Eradication Protocol. The groups who had come to consider the place a sanctuary from the Primal Constructs quickly had their illusion shattered when the threats shifted to the forces of mana.

A major battle had taken place along the border walls of their territory, one of the largest in the region, but it had not gone in their favor. The last of the survivors had been pushed all the way into the building, fighting at the front doors until the monstrous scaled lizards stopped rushing forward, creating an inexplicable lull in the pressure. They took the chance to retreat further into the interior when the battle slowed. Since then, the sands had drowned the stronghold in silence. They quietly suffered as the corrosion chewed through their mana, collectively accepting that there wasn’t much else they could do.

The hush was subtly broken by constant scratching sounds coming from the lower floors. The survivors could only wish that the noises were caused by rodents, but the heavier thuds echoing through the empty lobby and open corridors erased any hope. The broader perimeter had been breached quickly, and the fighting had been devastating without barriers separating the defenders from the monsters. The limited number of humans were picked off by increasingly powerful opponents until too few remained. No matter how many creatures they killed, the number of enemies only ever increased. It was completely hopeless.

He and a few others, the last survivors of a moderately sized stronghold, ended up huddled together in one of the upper-level offices. Together, they watched the heavy oak door that acted as the last barrier between themselves and whatever came next. They whispered their observations, voices trembling in fear, as they formed desperate last minute plans to escape.

He was the only one brave enough to peer through horizontal blinds, revealing nothing but a world swallowed by sand to his sight. If he squinted into the golden depths, he could see the shadows of monsters still occupying what had once been the employee parking lot, though the sands had climbed at least two stories already.

“There are… a lot more of them…” He reported with a shaky voice, unable to give an accurate count, but also realizing that the truth was devastating. “The whole building is surrounded and there’s no end to them.” He concluded, turning to the others, fear etched on his face.

They had prayed that the siege would be abandoned after the outer perimeter walls fell and they ceased their resistance, dreaming that their enemies would be simple enough to move on if they played dead, but that would have required an unbelievable stroke of luck. Obviously, fate was no longer on the side of humanity. If it was, the world wouldn’t look the way that it did. For all he knew, the whole world had already fallen and they were the last remnants of life anywhere.

The quiet was never left to settle. Periodic pounding on the outer doors gradually grew more insistent, interspersed with draconic roars and the scraping of claws against glass windows. It was as if the monsters were demonstrating their increased intelligence compared to Primal Construct manifestations by acknowledging the presence of the human survivors without going into further frenzy.

The other survivors yelped in surprise when a window on the ground floor shattered, sending a deafening crash that echoed through the sands. Then warned him to get away from the one he used to peek outside, afraid it would be targeted next.

One among them volunteered to scout the rest of the building, perhaps impulsively hoping to add layers to their limited defenses, or maybe thinking he might have an opportunity to make a run for it on his own. It didn’t matter.

The group let him go, lacking any better options, mostly crippled by the feeling of powerlessness. It didn’t take long for them to hear how far he actually got.

His fearful shout was abruptly cut short, still within the building, even on the same floor as their office. It made the rest even more desperate to escape the situation, renewing their whispered planning. They had to make a run for it, but they had nowhere left to go.

The oak door just seemed inadequate. The end result of their contentious debate was that the group barricaded the door with desks and filing cabinets, a futile effort knowing that even the foundations of the building were not long for the world. The monsters could just as easily tear the walls down with them still inside. Meanwhile, an unseen, overwhelming force drew closer and the pressure felt through mana was heightened.

Another among them began scratching at her skin, even going so far as to draw blood. Whatever irritant was affecting her was growing more intense so that she could barely concentrate on anything else. The corrosion left them all feeling agitated.

The monsters hardly made an effort to breach their final bastion. The pounding and scraping slowed, as if the enemies were losing interest and moving on, just as they had hoped. The woman insisted that they leave immediately, disassembling the barricade herself, and as the others moved to help, he snuck another glance through the window. The idea that they might have a chance bloomed in their hearts, but he wasn’t so sure.

As he was peeking through the blinds, he noted the darkness. The surrounding monsters were gone, the parking lots nearly empty, and as he revealed the scene with an excited whisper, he trailed off. “Wait…” He cut off any potential optimism. “There’s something else. Something… big.” He stated, almost objective in his tone, like he wasn’t personally experiencing the danger with the rest and was instead a passive observer reporting on the scenes.

The ensuing silence grew heavy as they considered the situation. When the world shook, they all simultaneously came to the same conclusion. They had to move, no matter what.

They frantically tore the rest of the barricades apart, rushing to escape, fueled by desperation and terror. Only he remained still, remaining man at the blinds, enraptured as the sands marginally darkened after every tremor, as if something completely unrealistic was coming closer. Then a roar completely swallowed the world, shattering the windows so that the glass cut his skin and the sands rushed into the building.

Sand flooded into the hallways, catching up to the ones who fled the office before they encountered any waiting monsters. The building started to fall apart, its foundations transforming into a shifting dune that would gradually diminish, one grain at a time as each was individually added to the broader domain of golden sands.

The increased pressure of the corrosive mana stripped the survivors of their energy. Their inevitable ends came with significantly less violence than they had feared, but with the same finality they hadn’t wanted. They joined the sands, leaving the bleeding man alone to witness the approach of a monstrous enemy as it continued closing in on the decomposing building. As the manufactured materials in the building melted away, he raised an arm to shield his face. For a few extra seconds, he was the last trace of humanity in the region before his mana was added to the sands.