The next morning came far too quickly.
The tension from the previous night had not faded in the slightest. If anything, it had worsened. The assassination attempt on Bahamut remained fresh in everyone's mind, while the looming presence beneath the desert made sleep nearly impossible for most of Senkeht's citizens.
And just as the sun began rising over the dunes, the alarm sounded.
BOOOOOOOOM!
A massive drum echoed through the town. Then another. And another. The walls of Senkeht immediately burst into activity.
"East approach!"
"Beast pack incoming!"
"Combat positions!"
Warriors rushed through the sandstone pathways while archers climbed the walls with practiced precision. Earth elementalists reinforced sections of the outer barriers while scouts shouted distance reports from elevated towers.
Forta stood atop the great wall in his flowing black robes, his sharp eyes fixed on the distant dunes. Something moved there, multiple somethings.
Rock Lions.
About twenty of them.
