Blood and Death, Fury and Love (Plot)

[Kender Bard]

The mind soldier dropped his barrier. The demon moved, but it wasn't quick enough. Haldor's strike bit deep into whatever it was. A black demonic body appeared at his feet, his sword embedded into a type of chitinous substance. The demon thrashed a bit as it began to die, leaking black blood out like tar.

---

The demonic flyer made an evasive movement and the arrow missed. It swooped around, starting to fly down towards the ramparts, towards Elda.

---

Summary:
Haldor has dealt a lethal blow to the no-longer-invisible demon and it is now in its death throes.

The arrow missed the flying demon and it is now coming down in Elda's direction.

[Darastrix]

Haldor grunted and pulled at his sword to free it from the dying demon and stepped back near his fellow knight. "Might want to bring that shield back up," he told him, eying the writhing creature. He didn't know what kind of surprise this body might hold, and he wanted to be relatively safe before they found out.

---

Elda swore and raised her bow to take aim at the same demon. "Are there any Minds here to call for reinforcements?" she shouted as she loosed a second arrow, body tensed to jump out of its way.

---

Summary:

Haldor's (hopefully) pulled his sword loose and gotten closer to the Mind knight, requesting the shield.

Elda is shooting at the demon coming at her, ready to move if it doesn't stop.

[Kender Bard]

With a bit of effort, Haldor's sword was freed and his fellow knight complied and brought the shield back up around them. The body melted away, leaving a puddle of black ooze that seemed to do nothing, or at least nothing obvious.

The lieutenant in charge of the heavy soldiers cried out, "Fall back! Heavies fall back!" The mind, keeping his shield up, began to quickly shuffle back as fresh soldiers moved up to take their place.

---

A guard near Elda spoke up. "I am! North Wall is hard pressed! They've got demons scaling the walls. But King Flamehart is helping to push them back and rallying the men. They can't spare anyone yet though, not unless things get even worse here!"

This time the arrow struck true and like with the other one, this flyer suddenly dove at her in rapid speeds, trying to take her out in its death throes.

---

The mind soldier shielded against whatever effects the dead demon offered up and now the heavies are being rotated so they can get a rest.

On the wall, a Mind gives a report of the north wall while a demon-flyer that Elda manages to score a fatal shot on tries to dive bomb her.

[Darastrix]

Haldor backed away with the rest, glad for the respite, however brief. The lack of any visible effect was worrying, though, and he kept his eye on the puddle as he moved with the Mind's shield. As they crossed with the fresh soldiers, he pointed toward the demon's remains. "Careful of your step!" he called. "Brought down a demon that just melted; don't know if you should touch it."

He hoped the ooze was inert. If not, it was going to be hard to avoid in this dark, warning or no.

---

After seeing one demon pull the same stunt, Elda was ready for it to dive. She threw herself to the side, hoping that it would crash into the stones without taking anyone else down. "How much worse does it have to get!?"

---

Summary:
Haldor moves back with the heavies, calling a warning to the soldiers about the puddle of demon as they move to take their places.

Elda tries to throw herself out of the falling demon's path.

[Kender Bard]

One of the fresh soldiers muttered thanks as they changed places. As soon as they were behind their comrades and closer to safety, the Mind dropped his shield with a sharp exhalation. "Forces that's tiring," he groaned as he jogged past their palisade and to the camp. Their companions made a beeline to where water was being handed out in tin cups and he joined them.

---

The demon collided with the ground and Elda was safe, though the demon's death flight managed to rip stone free and sent a spray of sharp little pebbles flying in the air. One of the guards reached down to help her back to her feet quickly.

With a tired grimace, the old guard grumbled, "Always darkest before the dawn. Up you go, we need to hold this spot until the north wall can finally relax enough to send some men." But for the moment they had some breathing space. The next wave of fliers hadn't arrived and weren't in arrow range yet and those that had slipped by were similarly out of range. They weren't even heading for the palace, temple, or anything similar. They seemed to be intent on just flying right over the city completely.

[Darastrix]

"Let's hope for a good rest, then," Haldor said, clapping him on the shoulder as he removed his helmet. He paused for a moment to allow the stonelike texture to fade from his skin. "Forces, but I'll feel better when it's full light." He took a cup of water and looked about for a spot to sit while he pushed back the images of those he'd seen die in the field. There would be time enough to grieve and honour their fallen, if he didn't end up meeting them first.

---

Elda got to her feet with a nod of thanks to the senior guard and peered after the flying demons. "I don't like this," she said. "They're not attacking anything. Where the hell are they going?"

[Kender Bard]

The Mind did the same, plucking the sweat-soaked ponytail of his black hair off the back of his neck. "aye, me too. Though I wonder if t hey'll be at all weakened by it. Oh well. At the very least we'll be able to see." He took a large swig of his water. "I'm Namee."

---

The senior guard grunted. "I'm not tactician, but they may be a distraction. Or an attempt to hit us in the ass suddenly. Nothing good." He looked her over. "You hurt?"

[Darastrix]

"Haldor," the knight returned. "And visibility's all I'm thinking of right now, though it might be a boost to morale, too." If the battleground wasn't too terrible to look at, in any case. He wasn't holding much hope that the demons would be weaker in the daylight; the attack on Widor had occurred during the day as well.

---

Elda shook her head. "Still in one piece."

[Kender Bard]

As the men rested, the fighting continued on the front lines. Everyone in the camp could hear the sound of clashing weapons and the dying screams of man and monster alike.

There came a sudden, desperate cry. "They're breaking through! They're breaking through!"

Emerald's voice rang out loudly over the noise, likely enhanced by a nearby Wind. "Cavalry!! Knights!! Push them back!"

Suddenly the ground rumbled as the bulk of the mounted forces, led by the Beloved Knights, swept forward into the knight to try and force the enemy back.

"A break this soon," Namee whispered, shivering. "This bodes poorly for us."

---

"Best get ready for the next wave then," the guard said, pointing ahead. "Whether they plan on stopping here or not, we need to kill as many of these fuckers as we can."

[Darastrix]

"Then let us hope for better things," Haldor stated. "We're supposed to get reinforcements eventually. We just need to hold out until aid comes."

---

Elda gave a short, curt nod, peering out at the next group of fliers. "Forces guide our aim," she muttered, drawing another arrow from her quiver.

[Kender Bard]

Both the fliers in the city and the demons in front of them suddenly paused--all over, the demons hesitated. For many, it cost them their lives.

And then it began again with an almost frenzied effort.

On the battlefield, a sudden cry went up, torn from human throats, and then drowned by the inhuman screams of the damned. The entire enemy camp seemed to ripple forward, like a wave.

"They're charging!" someone shouted and the word passed quickly. Emerald shouted something but it wasn't easily heard in the din. She mounted her personal charger and took off--and soon the entirety of the cavalry went with her.

Namee leapt to his feet and looked around for their commanding officer and found him heading back to battle, shouting for men to follow him. "No rest for the weary!" he told Haldor in a tense voice, grabbing his helm and putting it back on.

---

The fliers--after their pause--sudden streaked forward with renewed speed. Some of the archers on the walls gave soft gasps. It was as if before, fast as they were, they'd only been gliding. Now they flew like, well, bats out of hell.

And while a few did continue onward, those that survived the initial attacks of the archery on the gate began to divebomb, suicidally throwing themselves to the men and women below.

[Darastrix]

Haldor jumped to his feet at the shout that the demons were charging, draining the contents of his cup before letting it drop to the ground. "Let's make them earn every inch," he stated grimly as he put his own helmet on and made his skin become stonelike once more. Love, let them hold that horde back.

---

"Forces!" Elda shot blindly up at the diving demons before trying to get out of their path. They needed help, but if the situation at the north wall was anything like this increase of ferocity, she thought it likely that they would be on their own.

[Kender Bard]

As the battle raged on, a pattern would emerge—Karau’s forces would attack with increasing brutality and frequency until reaching a manic pitch, and then falling back. It gave the Anarlinans a moment of respite that was sorely needed by the time it came, but this was also when a specific type of demon would appear. This demon had a long, narrow body and many legs, giving them the appearance of monstrous centipedes. They would emerge and swarm the battlefield once the Anarlinans and demons both pulled back. The first time it happened, the humans braced for another blow, but the creatures came nowhere near enemy lines. Instead, they swarmed over the dead and dying, human and demon alike. They would swallow the bodies whole, stretching their mouths and bellies wide to accommodate their load.

Thus engorged, the creatures would scuttle back behind enemy lines and new thralls wearing the faces of the wounded would appear. Occasionally, the dead would be raised to fight at the behest of their new master.

Being forced to raise arms against their former comrades had a very demoralizing effect. The army officers and Emerald herself went amongst the men, trying to lift their spirits. The day and night wore on and this became increasingly hard to do as more blood was shed to hold the precious ground they stood on.

It occurred to Emerald that perhaps Karau was playing with them. He had a superior force, at a glance, and he was not a fool. He was making sure to divert his forces where they would do the most harm. At times they would be drawn out farther, chasing a potential lead, only to be mowed down. After that, the Anarlinan army was put to even more cautious use.

It was three days of battering and wearing down. The Anarlinans began to despair that hope would come in time, but in the evening of the third day, Reave made their appearance.

Their general, Claudia Howard, met with Emerald and after a brief explanation of the circumstances were given, the Reave army was handed over completely under her command. Emerald wasted no time in swapping out her men with theirs; though they were a little weary from the march, they were far fresher than her own men. The fight resumed and they even gained back what ground had been lost.

This continued for another four days and soon the Reave army was in similar straights as the Anarlinan one. They were excellent soldiers, Emerald noted, but without elemental powers, and their Clear aura of little help against the demons who were immune to their influence, they could only help hold the line with their lives and their grit.

It was when the Crystalander army finally caught up and joined in that there seemed to be any hope. Karau’s army didn’t seem greatly diminished but by now the numbers of the humans had swollen to considerable size. They had a chance.

After using the Crystalanders to give the other two armies a brief respite, the Anarlinans, the Crystalanders, and the Reavarians gathered up. It was time for the big gamble. They couldn’t hold indefinitely just by staying in one place—Karau’s army would mill them down to nothing given enough time, no matter how many men they had. And so the advantage was pressed.

They held their strength back during the clashes until Karau’s people pulled back, right as scheduled, and then the humans let loose their reserves and pushed forward with everything they had, cutting a bloody swath in the demon army, pushing them back with sheer numbers and ferocity.

And then Karau decided to come and play himself. The demon lord moved from his place at the back of the army where he had remained through the entirety of the campaign and presented himself. He was immediately assaulted and for a brief moment it appeared as though considerable damage was being done as he bled heavily from the multitude of attacks.

Like in Linnod, he used his own blood to his advantage, breathing in the mist of his essence and healing some of his wounds over while using the rest of the energy to charge himself up. He waded forward, dealing death to many in massive sweeps of his weapons, cutting down men as if they were stalks of wheat. As the humans began to hastily pull back, he let loose with his fearsome energy, destroying large portions of the army in mere instances.

And then something strange happened… The demons began to retreat. Karau did nothing to stop them. But he did not go with them—flanked by the most powerful demons of his entourage, he moved forward. It was a mere handful of demons that they faced now but Karau was an unstoppable force. He was able to heal himself of the damage taken, and every blow only fueled his power. The demons with him, though lesser by considerable power, were deadly in their own right and anything that even hinted of a threat to Karau was swiftly cut down.

But even these demons began to show reluctance to press forward. Whatever was calling them away, it was clear it was working even on the strongest demons. Karau’s own advance slowed, but he seemed the least inclined to turn back.

Their men dying, Emerald realized they needed only just a little more precious time before surely Karau would have to submit to the siren call that was luring the demons away. If they threw more men at him, though, they would only be asking men to sacrifice themselves horribly.

A general seeks to take out the highest power of command. Emerald knew what she had to do. With any willing Beloved knights, cavalry, and volunteers of the higher ranking soldiers of all three armies, she led a charge at Karau that quickly spit off into a frenzied game of chase. Karau’s attention was drawn away when faced with the brazen acts of these new challengers. Like before, with Sain and his men, he felt a strange sort of rage and need to prove himself to the challenge.

The attention of the demons split away from the army, who moved in a full retreat on standing orders so that they could gather together for a final defensive border should Karau and his demons make a final push to reach Neo’anar. They did not—they seemed eager to hunt down the humans who attacked them in pairs and groups of three or four. What demons that fought at Karau’s side and still lived began to retreat.

It was then just Karau. He let them come to him, his feet moving back a little bit at a time. He would swing his sickles but a few men are more nimble than a full army and they did not always find their mark. Injured and frustrated, he abruptly took wing, flying high and out of sight. The gathered armies remained hushed for a few tense moments but then cheered in exultation. The demons had been pushed back and their land was saved! The living cavalry, generals, captains, and brave souls who had joined the final charge began to gather up their injured and head back to the welcoming cheers of their comrades.

Before they could reach that promised rest, Karau rocketed back down the ground, landing against the ground with enough force to send a ripple through the ground in all directions. His sickles sank deep into the earth and he pushed every ounce of power he had left in him through them. The land around him blackened like char and ash, spreading rapidly and everywhere that corruption touched, life simply fell. The living soldiers, stranded out away from their fellows, put all speed into their flight from the ring of death. Fissures opened up in the ground and sulfuric steam shot up, taking a few lives.

It was the surges of molten lava from beneath the ground, rising up and shooting like a geyser of death that did it. The army pulled back further, but the corruption and the rain of death did not reach them. They instead watched on in horror as their very bravest fell before the might of Karau and his fel energies.

“Remember this, mortals!” Karau shouted in a hoarse voice that carried far and easily. “Remember this moment! We are not beaten! And when we turn our backs to you, it only means the worst death is to come! You and your Forces shall be crushed beneath us, just as these fools were! Pray while you can! Soon there will be nobody to hear!”

And with that parting remark, he left, taking off quickly with a mighty flap of his wings. Rather than fly straight up, he flew off and away in the direction of his retreating army. In the direction of Naurorod.

New Anarlina was safe, but as blighted land before them attested to, it was not without a cost and not without the promise that they were not fully safe yet.

Nobody was.