Bjorn Again- The Demon Wars

Nicholas followed Mazikeen through the city scape - his eyes falling upon the structures. He hadn't seen anything quite like their creation before. They had delicate elven figures carved into the wooden pillars, and walls. Every piece of the place had been hand crafted with care and artistry. The decor was unique - so different than human like. In truth - had hadn't been in many elven places before, and never before a wood elf city. He was removed from his thoughts as they came to the Blacksmiths.

The smithy, as he would call it, was so different than his known. It was open, full of air and light - not hoveled into a dark corner, slaving away in the heat of the coals... Nicholas bowed his head to the blacksmith in return, listening to his conversation with Mazikeen.. it seemed Mazikeen was well known, and even respected... He raised a brow then as a blade was offered forward. He observed the craftsmanship and balanced the dagger in his hand "Wow" he spoke softly and then smiled. "This is impeccable work" he nodded "Thank you, I am sure it will come in hand. I'll let you know" he grinned and added the small sheath and blade to his belt.

As the blacksmith instructed - he took his chest piece off and set it down, leaving him in a ragged tunic. "I appreciate you taking care of it, don't stress much about matching the style, please take your artistic perspective" he smirked "Besides... I can already tell that your work is far beyond what I have on hand... anything you add will surely be a greater addition" he stepped aside for a moment and glanced toward several blades that sat - completed work. He touched the face of one of the blades, tracing the perfectly smooth metal. "I would be honored to hoist a weapon of your make" he bowed his head once more. "Thank you again" he spoke as Mazikeen lead them out.

They sat in a lovely bench, his eyes caught staring off to the passing people - the giant tree in the sky... He turned his gaze to Mazikeen as they exchanged conversation. He spoke of his home in Malroc - Branton, a the capitol of the lands. How people came from all over the world to train as a huntsman, beast slayers, sell swords and companions. That just walking through the cities - you could hear the war drums beating, chanting of men. How all makes came, a melting pot of culture. He spoke of his admiration for the city, that wood elves and elves were more rare in Malroc, but he had never seen such an organization before. Malroc was a melting pot - and often a hodge-podge of creations, all formulated together. Where as this city seem to have a flow about it, the artistic nature, to even the way people interacted. A kind of respect and love that lives in the blood of the clan. It was different to him.

"I want nothing more to help protect this city" he spoke as she began to speak of the plan. "I recall well where the portal is - just north east of this city, thick in the hillside. I am confident I can get her, and you, back to the portal to close it" he nodded his head confidently. "Alright, the city is priority. Understood" he nodded. It was not much longer then that Sayer called them back over.

He stepped into the blacksmiths and came to his armor.. he lifted the chest piece and grinned. "Impressive" his finger touched the links of chainmail patched in the side of his armor. It was different than his - it had nearly triple the chain count, it was still very fluid and flexible.. "wow" he grinned and then put the armor back on, pulling at the several belt straps over his chest. He then reached for his sword and turned it about - observing it. It had a perfect edge that seem to glimmer back at him... he sheathed it upon his back. He stepped to the blacksmith and gripped his arm - the same welcoming grasp Mazikeen had done to him previously. "I will not forget this" he spoke and then stepped back.

He followed Mazikeen as they made way to Rania. He bowed his head to her and listened to Mazikeen. "I am prepared" he agreed with her, there was nothing to do now... but wait. This was always the part of battle that made him uneasy. The reason why he went into beast hunting... the wait was this mulling feeling in his chest..

Nicholas turned his head then as there was shouting, the blow of a horn. He grit his teeth and followed behind Mazikeen as she lead them to the city walls. He glanced outward - his ring squeezed him slightly in response to the darkness in the distance. He clenched his fist and turned - the people running amist, many civilians rushing to the tree, others rushing towards the wall with their weapons drawn.

Nicholas gripped his fist and stepped forward as the archers rushed on either sides of him, lining the wall. He glanced to Mazikeen... He felt his ring pulsing now - magic swelling for him.

"The demons shall perish before your might! Hear me - fight with honor, with pride!" he shouted. From his lips - a wave of power to all around him. Confidence and strength would swell, his ring projecting his voice over the entire village. He gripped his blade and held it with both hands. The rangers shot upon command and he stared forward, the white beasts made way to the gates. As they came closer - he suddenly made a leap forward.

His ring pulsed brightly, filling him with is power. He hit the ground with ease - his blade crashing on the ground. A wave of power was thrusted forward, the earth in its wake cracking every so slightly, but not too deep. A wave of dust and dirt flinging into the air, sending the first several beasts flying back with this shockwave of a blow. He stood now infront of a crowd of elves - all holding their weapons. He gripped the blade and shouted once more - rushing forward.

Behind him the elves followed him, the front line of battle rushing inward. Nicholas felt an overwhelming amount of strength swelling with in him, a sort of rage bubbling within. He swung forward, slicing one beast completely into two. He gripped the claw of one beast and stabbed it easily...

Nicholas swung like mad - an elf next to him had buddied with him. The elven warrior next to him slammed his shield forward and Nicholas finished the beast off. Then the Elven warrior sliced over his shoulder - stabbing a beast that went for his back. The two worked like cog and wheel, moving around each other with ease.

It was several minutes later that his brothern had been bit on the shoulder, the minion demon clawing at him. Nicholas shouted and grasped the head of the beast, yanking him off and breaking his neck. He grasped the man who fell slump ins arm. He held the man barely, his body dragging over the bloodied ground. He dragged the elf back over the piles of dead demons, to the entrance of the walls. He spied Aela - who came rushing forward, having already tended to another. "Take him" he spoke to Aela. He swiftly turned and killed a demon who had managed through the waves of Elven warriors.

He looked out - they were being pushed back inch by inch, the swarm of demons was large. He looked to the sky then as similiar minions to the ones suddenly came forward - except these ones had wings. They covered the skies like locusts - headed forward from the forest heights. He heard the archers shout - their arrows flying now into the air... he grit his teeth and stabbed at another that came forward.

A flying demon swooped down suddenly and gripped Aela - lifting her easily into the air. Nicholas shouted outward and lifted his hand - a blue glowing blade appeared in the air and sliced at the beast, Nicholas ran forward tracking down the flying creature. "Aela!!" he shouted, he rushed forward into the thick of the beasts now, with no backup.

He pummeled forward several beasts with his shoulder, suddenly several swords appeared around him. They spun like furious windmills - slicing a path through the thick wave of beasts. His eyes glanced upward as the flapping minion demon continued onward. He pulled the frost dagger from his side and with strength he threw it forward, his precision perfect. It stabbed the beast in the wing - suddenly the entire beast became covered in ice... He held his hand forward and the blades shot forward, clearing more a path. Leaving a wake of dead beasts as he ran forward. The warriors now 60 feet or so away fighting in a mass as he took on the demons that rushed forward.

He ran now, jumping upward, he pressed a boot on a demon and leaped into the air, his blade falling to the ground as his hands reached for Aela that fell from the skies, dropped by the demon. He caught her and hit the ground, the wind knocked out of his chest as he hit the ground on his back, Aela in his grips. He groaned in pain and looked upward - demons swarmed over them now. Before they could claw wildly - he shouted a piercing shout. The demon's cried in pain as their ears burst, though those beyond 10 or so feet would not have been so impacted.

He scrambled upward, Aela in one arm, he reached for his blade. He fought off several with one hand. He took several gashes to his back and shoulder, he shifted swiftly to take the blows for Aela. The swarm of beasts came rushing in, with want for their blood...

Mazikeen and her fellow rangers fired relentlessly into the skies, their arrows piercing the demon’s skin and covered them in ice. As one fell to the ground, two more seemed to take its place. The ranger watched Nicholas and Rania jump into the fray down below, taking on the ground assault making its way for the front gate. The air was filled with the cacophony of battle, screeches, cries, and sounds of metal and claws clashing together. At the beastmaster’s commands, the wolves of Valendra charged into battle, leaping into the pack of oncoming demons, tearing apart the creatures’ flesh with their teeth. A flash caught Mazikeen’s attention as she watched Ganalon and Faerin move seamlessly together, their blades meeting their marks as they worked through demon after demon alongside Nicholas.

Mazikeen shot arrow after arrow into the sky, striking a demon in the eye, her next shot piercing a demon’s wing, sending it to the ground as its wing froze. The ranger quickly glanced to the ground as she finally spotted Aela, tending to one of the warriors on the ground. The demons reacted to her presence, her magic enticing them to turn on her. Mazikeen shouted, redirecting her aim down to the ground at the beasts focused on the young cleric. As she killed one of the demons charging towards Aela, another swooped down and picked her up easily off the ground. The ranger screamed the cleric’s name, watching in horror as she disappeared into the sky amongst the horde of creatures. Mazikeen fired helplessly into the mob of winged demons, searching for any sight of the cleric. The ranger held her breath as she spotted Nicholas charging forward, his magical sword apparitions slaying countless demons. Mazikeen let out a whimper of relief as she saw Nicholas save the young cleric, catching her as she fell. Rania was quick to retrieve them both, her powerful burst of magic hurt the ranger’s eyes as she watched all the demons in the area fall dead. The three made their way back to the gate, as wood elf ground force tightened their ranks and fell back to the entrance.

More demons poured from the forest, and Mazikeen’s gaze turned to the skies as she heard a loud screech. A wave of greater demons flew towards the city, some tucking their wings and plummeting to the ground, landing in front of the gates to charge the guard. Ganalon let out a cry, the warriors and beastmasters surging forward again to take on the second assault. The Captain charged one of the larger demons, bringing his blade down across its chest. The menacing creature roared, bringing a large clawed hand back and slamming it into Ganalon’s chest, sending the wood elf flying back. Layla rushed over to the Captain, helping him up. The beastmaster shouted, “Genn!” The white wolf’s ears perked, a small demon’s neck in his jaws. Tossing the body aside, Genn growled and charged towards the large demon making his way towards Layla and Ganalon. The wolf leapt, his teeth clamping down on the demon’s wrist, snarling violently as he tore at his flesh. The large creature roared, swinging his arm hard, tossing the wolf aside. Genn hit the ground, scrambling back up for a second attack.

The demon’s eyes were set on Ganalon, bent on revenge for the large bleeding gash across its chest. The Captain tried to catch his breath, leaning on Layla. As he saw the demon charge, he pushed Layla out of harm’s way and took the brunt of another attack, bringing his shield up in time to protect himself from the beast’s claws. The creature towered over the Captain, grabbing his shield and ripping it from Ganalon’s hands. The wood elf warrior swung forward with his sword, slashing the demon again in the chest as Genn sunk his jaws into its left ankle. The menacing behemoth roared in pain and hatred, lunging forward at the Captain, his clawed hand aiming right for Ganalon’s chest. Layla cried out, rushing forward and shoving her Captain out of the way. She turned towards the demon, just in time to watch as its claws sunk into her chest. The beastmaster sputtered, blood dripping from her lips as she fell to her knees. Ganalon’s cry of anguish caught Mazikeen’s attention, and the ranger watched in horror as the Captain leapt forward, severing the demon’s head from its body. He turned to Layla, who sunk to the ground, clutching her chest. Ganalon cradled Layla’s head as the battle ensued around them, her body letting out a final breath before she went limp. The Captain grit his teeth, a tear in his eye as stood and turned, throwing himself into battle, hell bent on revenge. Genn ran up to his master’s body, crouching down near her head. The white wolf nudged Layla with his nose, whimpering. His lone howl signaled his master’s death, sending a chill up Mazikeen’s spine.

Pain filled Mazikeen’s chest as she took a moment to see how many had already fallen, her family. She let out her own cry of anguish as she notched another arrow, watching it sink into the eye socket of a winged demon. The ranger blinked in shock. Even though her arrow killed the creature, no ice was present on its body as it plummeted to the ground. Mazikeen glanced down to her bow, did the enchantment wear off? Hers was the first to be enchanted, and she had used it in the forest already when they met Nicholas. The ranger let out a sharp breath, knowing she would have to aim even more carefully without the help of the enchantment. As she made this discovery, several of the large winged demons surged forward, landing on the Valendran wall. The rangers of Angmar turned on the creatures near them, pushing one of the demons off the wall and sending it to the ground, filling its chest with several arrows.

A large screech pierced Mazikeen’s ears as a demon barreled towards her and several of the other rangers on the wall. She sunk an arrow into its chest, but the demon continued to head right for them. She shouted out, and the rangers dove out of the way as the creature descended upon them. Mazikeen scrambled to her feet, the demon right next to her, balancing on the wall. The ranger drew her new dagger, rushing forward and sinking it into the demon’s arm. The blade entered the creature’s skin, filling the wound with ice. The winged creature screeched in pain, swinging with its other arm and hit Mazikeen, sending the wood elf flying back into the city. Mazikeen landed with a thud on the roof of the nearest building, the breath knocked out of her. Grabbing onto the peak of the roof, she scrambled up and turned, watching the demon leap off the wall towards her, giving chase.

The ranger pushed off the roof and leapt to the next building, landing hard, rolling forward to distribute the force. She looked back behind her, heart pounding, as the large demon easily made the leap to the next building. Mazikeen cried out for help, running to the edge of the building and leaping to the next roof, her assailant right on her heels. The ranger drew closer to the tree of Angmar as she tried to escape, preparing to leap for the next roof. As her feet left the edge, she felt claws wrap around her waist and yank her body back. The demon scrambled, falling off the roof with Mazikeen in its grip. They landed with a thud, and Mazikeen screamed as she turned and slashed viciously with her blade as the grip around her body tightened. A beam of light blinded the ranger, and she heard the large demon screech in pain. The claws around her loosened, and Mazikeen broke out of its grasp, falling to the ground. She turned, watching the demon melt under the power of a bright stream of magic. Mazikeen heard someone shout her name, and her head turned towards the tree. Esha stood near Aroth, both their hands relaxing after their cast. The ranger waved that she was alright, breathing heavily. They had saved her life. She turned back, the demon was now just a pile of ash.

Aroth shouted to the forces around him. “We have to protect the tree!” Mazikeen looked to the skies as demons flew towards the great source of magic, some landing on the ground near the group, a few landing on the branches of the trees. One of the demons snapped a branch off the great tree, and anger filled Mazikeen’s core. She cried out, drawing her longbow once again, aiming for the demon’s neck. As she made her shot, Esha pummeled the demon with ice magic, its body quickly crumpling to the ground. As the creatures entered the city, more gravitated towards the tree. Mazikeen and a few other rangers worked with the mages, slaying demon after demon as they landed on the tree of Angmar. They were heavily outnumbered, the winged creatures descending onto the tree, gnawing on its branches and stripping the bark off.

Aroth looked around desperately, knowing the tree would be destroyed if this continued. They needed more forces. The old mage rushed over to the base of the tree, placing his hands on the trunk. Esha backed up so she stood near Aroth, protecting him with her magic as he began an incantation. Mazikeen did not understand the language he spoke, but his powerful voice grew louder as he chanted. The tree started to glow, responding to Aroth’s plea. The great tree pulsed with a magical light for a few seconds, then faded, returning to its normal state. The display of magic confused the demons for a moment, but as it faded they went back to swarming the tree and the forces down below. Mazikeen shot a few more out of the sky, making sure to hit them in the eye socket so they would be killed instantly. The ranger looked around, confused, not understanding what was supposed to happen. Did Aroth’s magical plea go unheard? The old mage stood, joining Esha once again in pushing back the demons.

Everyone in the town square froze as a sharp cry rang from the skies. Mazikeen looked up, spotting a black circle swirling down above the tree. More demons?! She thought frantically. As she continued to watch the black circle descent down, the ranger realized the winged creatures were much smaller than demons. Another sharp cry rang out, and the ranger’s eyes widened.

Hawks, crows, eagles, and birds of all kinds plummeted down, flying straight for the demons. The forest itself had joined the fight, answering Aroth’s call. Two hawks landed on a winged demon, clawing at its eyes. An eagle grappled the wing of another demon, pumping its own wings to redirect the demon’s path from the tree as several crows landed on its body, sinking their talons into its flesh. The birds swarmed the demons, pecking and using their talons to disable the large creatures. Screeches filled the air once again as the demons swung wildly at the flock, trying to combat the avain assault. Mazikeen watched in awe for a moment, then notched another arrow, killing a demon balancing on one of the tree’s limbs.

While the demons were distracted by the flock, the wood elves on the ground were able to pick them off easily, clearing the tree’s branches of the remaining demons. Some of the birds landed on the branches as the fight in the town square concluded, while the majority flew towards the front gate where the battle continued. Aroth let out a breath, looking a little worn. He waved over the group, his eyes on the mages. “Those of you trained to help Rania destroy the portal need to find her and be ready to depart when the time presents itself. I want whoever has the strength left in them to escort them there, and fend off any evil that guards the portal entrance.” Mazikeen nodded, knowing the minor injuries she had would be bearable. The old mage let out a breath. “I will remain here with the tree. You will have to fight your way out of the front gate. Find Rania and Nicholas, help them get out of the city.” The group turned and headed out of the square, leaving Aroth at the base of the great tree with a few other guardsmen. Mazikeen and the mages started to make their way through Valendra, back towards the fight at the front gate- intent on finding Rania and Nicholas.

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Aroth turned, taking in the damage the great tree had suffered. It would survive, he thought. It pained him to look at the broken limbs, the places where the bark had been stripped off. As the ancient wood elf caught his breath, a large thud in the square made him turn. A large winged demon had landed on the stone street, its gaze fixed on Aroth. The creature was huge, it had to be one of the assault commanders. The old mage took in the appearance of the great demon, and he closed his eyes for a moment, knowing that the time had come. He knew his spells would not be enough. Aroth was the only druid in Valendra, he had not needed to use his transformation magic for many centuries. The older he became, the harder the magic was on his body, and he knew that his next transformation would be his last. When he had learned of the demon assault, a part of him knew that it spelled the end of his time in Valendra.

The great demon sneered with pleasure at the sight of the old mage, intent on killing him and then destroying the great tree. The few other wood elves in the square cowered in fear at the sight of the large, horrifying creature. Aroth turned and gave a small smile to the only other mage left in the square. The message in his eyes was clear, he was saying goodbye. The old mage straightened proudly, meeting the demon’s gaze as it strode forward. Aroth spoke a single word in Elvish, and his body burst with blue light. The blinding light grew for a moment as the mage’s body transformed, and as the light faded, a large light blue wolf stood at the base of the tree. Aroth’s form was both beautiful and terrifying, the edges of his frame slightly hazy and sparkling, giving him a spectral appearance.

The demon froze for a moment, blinking in confusion. The demon commander snarled, charging forward at Aroth. The great wolf growled, leaping forward and meeting the demon head on. The elves in the square watched with wide eyes, not able to take their eyes off the scene. Aroth sunk his teeth into the demon’s neck, ripping a large chunk of flesh off. The creature howled, grasping the large wolf and tried to dislodge him. Aroth sunk both his teeth and claws in relentlessly, bringing his powerful jaws back down on the throat of the demon. The commander shook violently, pushing Aroth off of him, clawing at his sides. The large wolf wasted no time, lunging back in, bringing his jaws down once more around the demon’s skull. Aroth shook his head violently, snapping the large commander’s neck. The creature fell to the ground, and the great wolf released its grip, panting.

Aroth backed away from the body, shaking his pelt. The great wolf blinked, looking around the square at the few wood elves. Feera, the only mage left in the square, approached Aroth, tears streaming down her face. She reached up, resting a hand on Aroth’s snout. “We will never forget you.” Feera’s lip trembled as the wolf’s form grew more transparent, his wounds disappearing from his frame. Aroth blinked and bowed his wolf head in farewell. He stalked away, heading for the gate and into the forest. As he did his body fully disappeared, leaving a spectral trail in his wake.

Rania’s emerald eyes stared to the demons as they flooded forward from the skies and from the thick darkness of the forest. Her expression fell slightly as memories of the past swept over her, consuming her mind and causing her to freeze as if she were a statue. The demons would not stop until they gained complete control over the lands of Oneus. They would destroy everything in their path, engulf the magic of the fonts and level the cities. The demons would grow in strength if they could not be stopped. The Arcane Circle had tried to prevent this, they had hoped that closing the other small fonts would stop the demons. But there seemed to be a larger root to the problem. One that the Arcane Circle had yet to discover, it was something that ate away at Rania like that of a parasitic disease within the body. It was constantly there, gnawing at her conscious, reminding her that there was so much more to learn, so much more that they had yet to discover. Rania’s breath shook as she stood motionless. Do not let up! The words of the warrior broke Rania from her trance like state just as a demon slammed against her. The impact caused the sound around her to deafen. The clatter of blades disappeared. Only her breaths filled her ears, her heartbeat bound within her chest.

The mage let out a cry as she was slammed to her back on the ground. Her daggers that she’d held in her hands clattered to the ground and scattered away from her, willing her defenseless except for her magic. The huge claws of the demon wrapped around Rania’s torso and arms, like a child would hold onto a small stuffed doll, squeezing her tightly. She couldn’t breathe, panic rose in the mage’s eyes. The mage couldn’t lift her arms to cast her spells, she couldn’t make contact with the demon with her palms. She began to shout in elvish tongue at the beast that snarled at her, her words only seemed to fuel the hate that the beast had for her causing it to crush her further. She feared her bones would give in and allow the creature to finish her off. There was a snap in her right side as the demon leaned its weight more upon her. Rania groaned in pain as the air was pushed from her lungs, her skin grew pale as she failed to suck in a breath under the weight of the demon. She closed her eyes as she tried to release herself from the grip of the beast. Nothing seemed to work. The elf began to see flashes of her past. Of a time before the demons came. Her body was beginning to give in, all sound was beginning to fade. A bright flash of light came before her eyes then. The grip of the demon released suddenly and he melted into a pile of ash. Rania gasped in a breath and began to cough as pain racked her body. She opened her eyes to see Esha standing over her with a hand extended down to the mage.

“We can’t lose you now, high elf.” Esha gave a smile as she helped Rania to her feet. “You won’t do us much good if you’re dead.” The world seemed to of stopped in that moment. The cries of battle had failed to return to Rania’s ears as she gazed to Esha.

Rania grit her teeth as the sound returned and she looked around to the chaos around her. The clash of swords against the hard demon flesh. Esha handed the mage’s daggers back to her and gave a nod. Rania looked to her daggers that she held in her hands once again. She was in a daze. Perhaps her use of power had drained her? She lifted her eyes to the skies briefly before the screech of the demons brought her attention forward again. The mage gripped her daggers tightly as she moved forward. Frost crusted the ground in her wake as she stepped forward slowly, leaving a trail of footprints behind her. Ice crawled up her arms as her eyes glowed a light blue, her daggers took on the same appearance. As a swarm of demons came forth Rania charged forward, her blades moved effortlessly through the pack. Ice raced through the wounds that she inflicted. Cuts into the chest, stabs upward and into the jaw, punctures to the eye. Rania did not stop. A few claws cut into her skin here and there but she did not seem to be phased by the pain. Even the broken rib did not seem to slow her down. Esha pushed forward and blasted beams of light at the demons taking them out as they got behind the high elf and made to strike her. They worked wonderfully together as a team. They did not need words within the battle to help one another. Rania stopped demons from rushing upon Esha and vice versa. It was much like a dance between the two mages as they handled the demons.

As the group of demons lay upon the ground, blood dripped from the blades that Rania held in her grip. She shuddered slightly as her eyes caught something in the sky. The greater demon. Fire began to rain down upon the city. “No…” She breathed as she rushed forward into the walls of the city. Rania shot balls of ice into the air as she ran, breaking up the molten rocks, but she couldn’t get them all. Her eyes saw dancing blue blades that attempted to stop the onslaught of flaming rocks as well. It must have been Nicholas. Though Rania didn’t take time to try to figure that out. Rage boiled up within her as she gazed up to the greater demon once again. “Enough!” She screamed, her voice harsh. It carried over the city streets like the call of war. The way that this city had begun to fall…it reminded her of the night that she lost her sister. It brought back too many horrible memories. Too much sorrow.

Rania formed a dagger of ice in her hands and tossed it into the sky. It flipped through the air swiftly and sliced into the shoulder of the great demon, narrowly missing his wing. A roar came from the beast as its amber eyes turned to her. A chuckle carried from the lips of the demon as he formed a fiery molten rock in his grasp. “Puny mage! I’ll crush you!” He snarled, his voice reverberated through her chest with its deep tones most would have quaked in their boots to the sound. He then chucked the huge molten rock in her direction. Rania lifted her hands up and created a white translucent barrier before her as she braced for the impact, she wasn’t skilled in the art of barriers, but it was her only chance there was no way to dodge this attack. Esha placed her hand upon Rania’s shoulder. She felt the mage’s power as it flowed into her giving her strength to hold the barrier up, a sense of calm overcame her. The molten rock slammed against the barrier bending it in so that it was only a few inches from Rania’s face. The two mages were pushed back several feet, their heels dug into the dirt. The molten rock broke into a thousand pieces leaving flaming ashes around the two. Rania took in quick breaths as she glanced to Esha. It was in that moment that Rania heard the warrior cry out for her and Mazikeen. “It’s time.” Rania turned to Esha then, “Where are the other two mages?” She questioned quickly.

Esha furrowed her brows slightly, “I’ve lost them in the chaos…” She glanced around to the flames that engulfed the buildings.

Rania grit her teeth slightly, she needed the power of the other mages to close that portal. “We will find them.” She nodded and gave a soft smile as she sheathed a dagger. “They’re here.” She placed a hand upon Esha’s shoulder. “Come on.” She turned and then rushed through the city. She leaped over dead demon bodies and elf bodies alike. It was a true warzone. Her eyes glazed over with tears. She was failing. She hadn’t prepared them enough. She skidded to a stop next to the warrior, her eyes gazed to the partially destroyed tree of Angmar. The missing pieces of bark and the broken limbs caused pain to fill her soul. Such a monument, such a thing of power should never been destroyed in such a way. The demons, did not care. They did not stop. They would consume every bit of magic that Oneus held. A pit formed in her stomach as the gravity of the situation settled in upon the high elf. She felt Esha’s hand upon her shoulder, surely the wood elf could feel the pain within her soul. Rania glanced to the elf and gave a nod before she gazed to the warrior.

“We have little time.” She spoke, her voice soft. She looked like she had been through hell and back. Her face was smudged with black tar like blood of the demons and her own red blood. Lines of tears cut through the blood and mud upon her face creating two distinct lines upon her cheeks. She had several rips in her leather armor that clung to her body beneath her cloak. “We need the other mages…” She gazed to the burning buildings. “Lead the way, Nicholas…I can only pray to the gods that we make it in time.” She held her hand over her broken rib for a moment. The elf didn’t appear weak considering. She had been through worse. She’d seen this before. She’d picked up the broken and battered bodies of elves and humans, dwarves and more. It did not bring her pleasure to know that she had failed to prepare the wood elves well. But, she could only hope that the gods would allow her this one pass that they would allow her to save the city.

Nicholas did waste any time - once the group had reconnected he lead the group forward. They traversed past the battle and pushed into the thick of the forest. His steps were fast as they made way through the forest paths, following the old trails of hooves from the previous day. He had his sword in one hand, propped on his shoulder as he rushed forward. They went for some time - until he came to a familiar rock side, a hill just in the thick of brush. "This way" he spoke. His gaze turned and he watched the wolves, fox and forest kind pushing beyond him.

He felt fear swell in his chest, but the addition of the wildlife gave him some kind of calm, even reassurance. He felt his ring pusle and squeeze slightly as he came closer to the hillside. He held his hand out as he stopped suddenly. Laying in over a collapsed bush was the dismembered body of a human. He knelt down and gripped the bow that lay next to the body... he sucked in a breath and his eyes looked over to this man... who stared to the skies. His flesh had been shredded, his bloodied muscles showing to the canopy. Nicholas pulled off his own tattered black cloak and layed it over the man and placed the bow atop him. "I will come back for you" he whispered softly "Rest now" he spoke and stood.

"Let's make them pay" he spoke through grit teeth. He rushed forward to a large tree and gripped the bark. The tree was larger than he could ever wrap his arms around... it hid him well as he leaned down next to a bush. He shut his eyes for a brief moment - and opened them. For a second he saw Jet standing next to him - his bow in hand. He blinked once more and he saw Rania standing, looking forward. Did he lead his new friends to the same fate?

Nicholas peered down the slight valley, the portal still stood. The huge demon stood before it - his huge brute of arms glowing as he summoned more creatures from the portal. Several of the small minions crawled from the depths of the earth in which the portal rest. They clawed at the soggy earth and pulled themselves up - each letting out a screech of terror. The beasts of the wilderness launched from the brushes and clawed at the minions, but it did not stop the great demon from summoning more.

"His Wings right?" he questioned and gripped his hand, his ring glowing through his leather gloves. "We give it all we have - for the wings. Catch him now... and then we rush in for the battle..?" he questioned. "Keep him grounded - and we can do this" he gripped his blade then. "I will wait for your command Mazikeen, I will launch my swords to his wings, we all attack at once and sever him"