The Feathered Serpent.

The scream of a middle-aged woman broke the serenity of dawn; she pointed towards the sky, mumbled out incoherent words before she picked up the child next to her and ran out of the city gate in haste.

And then, it all began, rats rolled into their furrows, birds beelined towards the wilderness, townfolks scrambled towards their dwellings, and the soldiers at the watchtowers stood still with gaping eyes as they witnessed the travesty unfolding before their eyes.

A massive black cloud was flooding towards them like the eve of an impending cataclysm.

Some dropped their weapons while some climbed down the towers and retreated inside the safety of the walls.

Those were the smart ones but also cowards in essence.

But one courageous fellow stayed still, for he did not abandon his duty as the protector of this city.

Honourable indeed, but a fool in the end.