Chapter 2
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He stood infront of his office's window sighing to himself as he could see his reflection along with the dull and depressing atmosphere of the once lively outside as his background. 

"I..,look older.. It's been two years by the counting of our scholars."

He opened his window and try to breath air to refresh himself only to see the gray skies and made him let out a bigger sigh. 

"Have they already figured those out? What about the masters? Are those the reason why they haven't descended yet?" Lundt, the most senior among the guard captains asked the chief of staff, Shibald. He pointed at the grey fog that surrounds their city. "What are those damnable things? No matter how much we blow them away, they are immediately refilled. We have sent a series of guards to scout what is beyond expecting a fall from a high wall only to go back to where they entered from. And we can't open the gates." Lundt futher said with a tinge of anger and impatience.  

Lundt looked straight at Shibald "Could it be that the masters have aban.."

"Enough Lundt! Mind your words, we are already at a precarious situation. And you know what will happen next if whatever you are about to say falls to ears of the wrong person." Shibald admonished Lundt preventing him from finishing his words and changed the topic. 

" I recieved a report, is whatever happening in prison settled?"

"That, a prisoner went mad and started killing his fellow prisoners. That happened during the defence of the East Gate. Our forces are busy fighting the damn horde of barbarians. He has been pacified now. Also in addition to that, we lost another 112 of our guards. They kept swarming like the pest that they are. They are weaker but their numbers make do to somehow fill that weakness. This is perhaps the largest force in our two years here and by the mother, hopefully the last." Lundt tried to relax his crunched eyebrows as he talked with Shibald. Probably an attempt for apolgy about his earlier outburst. 

Who could blame him? The city is suddenly surrounded by a thick fog and from there came the invaders. They tried to communicate to them and to resolve this peacefully only to learn that they wanted the city! Not to trade, not because of some misunderstanding but because they simply wanted the city! This barbarians! And they even went through all the trouble  to keep the prisoners alive and had the scholars learn their language to have a way to talk to them! 

Thinking this he felt the urge to lash out his pent up frustration towards the prisoners adding the fact that only the masters could increase their numbers. If only Shibald didn't find a use for them, they have long been killed even if did not lift his fingers.

Seeing through his comrades's thought, he offered him a wine that he took out from his cabinet. They started recounting the curious informations they gathered from the prisoners.

Indeed, for two years they were kept on being attacked. The invaders are weaker but their tenacity is commending. They were repeatedly beaten black and blue and yet they kept on coming. But that was before they belived they were one group. 

As they capture prisoners from the invaders onlaught and pried information from them. They learned that they are of different kingdoms. They even showed confusion when they saw the other prisoners like they are seeing  something familiar and impossible. Upon further interrogation, they learned that not only did they came from different groups but from different time as well. One claims that this kingdom that this prisoner came from has already perished several hundreds of years ago. Kingdoms that Shilbald and rest doesn't know. And this was observed as well from the other prisoners. If that was the case, then the time inside and outside of the fog is greatly distorted.

Another discovery is their skills and magics. Unlike them, the invaders magic seems to be more malleable, has a wider of variations and more potent. Though their magic is still weaker because of their weaker constitution, this is still of great concern. That is why their own mages immediately went into researching this. The good news is, they found out that their mana is more "guidable" and "shapable". The bad news, research on it's actual applications is greatly hampered due to the rapidly declining resources. If only they could also access the vault, this could somehow alleviate some of their logistical problems. Shibald is sure the masters will forgive him. Too bad, only the leader of the masters could freely close and open the vault. It wouldn't even bulge even if they come altogether bashing the doors.

As for the invaders martial skills? They came up of presumptious names for their skills but the effects is hardly worth it's name. Lundt even stiffled a laugh at the mention of this. For example, one of the invaders shouted his martial skill "Mountain Cleaver" only to be parried by single guard not even leaving a nick in his sword.

The scholars and mages deduced that against their own kind, these skill might be very effective. The only behind it's weakness maybe because of same reasons as their magic. They are just too weak, atleast, individually.

Then their topic changed to the invaders themselves. How come that they can freely come and go while they were stuck inside? Can't they just give them a rest, leave them or much better help them resolve their predicament. But they wanted the city, a thing that will surely angers the masters.

The subject of their talks once again jumped to the most memorable of the invaders. There was one time a hoard of flying beasts came zooming from the skies. Well they were taken of as fast as they tried to swoop down. 

Then there was this obnoxious woman haughtily speaking in whatever retarded language she is speaking. Behind her was a horrible army of decaying men and beasts. It was a horrid view that the mages present there peppered them with fire magic.

Another was an old man. He looked senile. He landed from a similar flying beast and started shouting and screeching. We managed to capture him after a few scuffles and brought him to a prison cell. The old man is actually mad, speaking nonsense about hurrying up and bring him our most guarded treasure. The mad old man died the next day, probably of old age.

And finally, the most recent one. A swarm of babarians appeared from the sky riding a balloon. They dropped something from their basket like structure attached to it. Upon impacting tge ground, it exploded. It scattered dust and smoke reducing the visibility. 

Afterwards they came charging towards the guards position. Their seemingly endless numbers managed to breakthrough one of our positions and killed several guards.

 " I have no choice but set out myself and the other two. Good thing we weren't late yet, they are about to descend to the city. 

Seriously, where did they get those numbers from?"

Lundt went silent for a while and said, " The masses is growing weary Shibald. Even without the invaders, we might end up destroying each other here. While we could continue growing our own food and stricly ration it, other resources like ores and some reagents for important potions is in critical quantities. And just look at the sky, who wouldn't feel restless just looking at the perpetually gray skies. If only atleast one of the masters are here I am su.." Ludnt didn't finished his sentence when a loud knock is heard.

"Haahh..What is it this time? This sounds serious Shibald."

Shibald then answered. "Enter."

"Please excuse me sir Shibald, but this is urgent. The guild master summons you."

This words made the two tired bones felt fainting and relieved at the same time.

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