Fall of Beauty.
A demon lunged at Thane's head with its hands outstretched and teeth bared. He ducked under and punched through the demon's torso, twin shards of purple energy neatly perforating its lungs. Another foul beast sprinted forward, wielding a sword of some bone-like substance. Thane quickly constructed a simple steel sword from the air and parried the demon's oncoming blow. He let go of the sword with one hand and electrocuted the beast with a quick pulse from his freed hand. Thane swung the imagineered blade into the demon's neck, completely severing its howling head and turned to find another foe. Maintaining his momentum, he punctured the gut of another beast with his blade and then disapparated the sword into oblivion. Streams of golden light swirled around his hands, gathered as a single, sharp edge and pierced the beast's heart, finishing it off. As more demons surrounded him, attempting to drown him with their black and twisted bodies, Thane glanced over at the others to assure himself they were safe. Arthur was wielding Shi like the scythe of the sword's namesake, cleaving enemies as if they were but stalks of wheat, Alyssa was administering pain calmly and efficiently wherever she looked, her two white knives flashing in the bright sun with each turn. Thane then turned to Emily, smiling as she jumped through the air, spinning like a deadly top and plunged into a particularly feral knot of demons, knocking them aside, rendering them paralysed then slicing them apart with her twirling staff.
He then turned back to his own battle, a fierce glint of determination shone in his deep eyes and he shot upwards with a shout of laughter, both hands aimed at the ground, propelling him through the air and as he hovered above the seething mass of dark creatures he spun and unleashed bolt after bolt of pure gold-white energy downwards like lighting at the foes below. Content with his handiwork, Thane then became a mighty Dragon and swooped low over the disfigured heads of the demons, fire bellowing forth from his gaping maw, spilling over the dark forces, burning each in his path. He landed - human again - on top of a large manlike bull rushing towards Alyssa's back, driving both hands through its head, imagineered blades of silver light spearing its brain. He vaulted over the remains and landed beside her, using the re-imagineered sword to cut down multiple enemies as they swarmed around Alyssa. Nodding her thanks, brilliant green eyes flashing with a battle light, she pirouetted and plunged her shining blades into foe after foe, working like a smooth, lithe automaton. With a yell, Thane shot into the air again, the shockwave giving her a brief reprieve. He then smashed back to earth with bone shattering force, leaving a small crater where he had landed, in the midst of a nasty group of giant, ape-like creatures. Thane muttered silently under his breath, power spilling from his lips and conjured several monumental Marids, their wraith-like bodies shimmering as they poured energy into the surrounding demons, a blazing path of molten rock all that they left behind. Thane charged after them, the sword again in hand and with brutal disregard for method, he cut his way to Arthur. They found themselves suddenly surrounded by the corpses of the demons they had cleared, glancing at each other as they paused, the same fierce light of glorious battle shining in their eyes. Here they could fight, with no question to the motives or repercussions, no cause to doubt their reasoning. To destroy the enemy was their aim, the safety of humanity was their cause and the power of Yahweh was their means!
Thane scanned the battlefield for Emily again; a sea of demonic creatures leered back at him, until - there! The flash of sun on her long, light brown hair as she delivered blow after blow to any demon that came close, the spark of brilliant blue as her staff struck and delivered its painful magic to her foes.
Then suddenly, the demons began cheering. Such a raucous sound of cawing and hellish screaming had never been heard before and ought never to be heard again. The sun was covered by billowing clouds that swooped in to hide the evil creatures from its sight and a tremor ran through the ground, unbalancing the warriors as they spun to identify the source of disturbance. A crack, a scream, a gout of flame from the insides of the Earth and there, summoned by Malum himself, rippling wings spread wide, a Balrog, creature of shadow and flame stood. Its mace swung, cracking the skulls of foolishly close demons and it roared, hot, sulphurous flames billowing out over the darkened scene. Another roar, human this time, came ripping from Arthur's throat as he jumped to do battle with the beast, Shi gripped in a two handed hold. Its twisted arm came up, taking the full brunt of Shi's great and terrible power on it, an audible crack whipping through the air. A swirl of sentient smoke accompanied the crack and Arthur was flung violently to the ground, lying spread-eagled, groaning and clutching Shi by the hilt.
"Arthur!" Alyssa screamed, running to his side.
"No! Stay back!" Thane commanded and he flew at the beast. He calmly gazed into the Balrog's eyes as he rocketed towards it, hands clutched at his chest as he built up a charge of light and energy. He drew his glowing hands back as he neared the entity of dark fire, preparing to unleash a mighty power upon it, when suddenly, as if from a great distance within the beast's eyes, Malum grinned at him and Thane faltered - and the Balrog's flaming mace came smashing up at him, breaking several ribs and pulping the muscle in his side. He was sure he felt at least one of his organs rupture along with the skin at his side. Thane hit the ground. Hard. Emily screamed his name and Alyssa's eyes widened in shock, her mouth moving, but Thane heard nothing of it. His breathing slowed and his hearing dimmed until he felt as if he were in a bubble, trapped beneath layers of thick air. All he could do was stare with glazed and frozen eyes at the ensuing battle, each detail enhanced with painful clarity. His summoned Marids swarmed over to the Balrog, screaming a deadly, piercing song, then pitched themselves against it, but the cursed mace swung through their insubstantial bodies and they disapparated back into the void. Alyssa jumped, flew over the swinging mace and landed gracefully on the beast's shoulders thrusting both her blades deep into the sides of its neck. It roared at their bite, more shock then pain, sucked in its shadowy wings and then exploded them back out, throwing Alyssa off into the crawling mass of demons. They held her tight, not intending to kill her, but not letting her free either, letting their claws sink maliciously into her arms.
Thane tried to scream, "Alyssa!" but although his mouth moved and his will was true, no sound emanated. He silently raged back and forth within his invisible bonds, trying desperately to free himself. Then his eyes widened in horror as he watched, trapped and helpless as Emily sprinted towards the Balrog.
No! He thought, No! No! NO!
The ancient beast turned, scouring the many upturned faces until it found Emily. Its mouth twisted upwards in cruel mockery of a smile, its eyes focused, its body turned, flames licked the sides of the beast and shadows rippled along the edges of reality around the Balrog. Thane screamed over and over again, rocking and twisting in ethereal chains. His eyes were locked on the horrible scene before him, viewed as if from underwater, Emily jumped, dancing across the heads of the demons, staff crackling with blue magic, hair shining, face set in fierce beauty and flew through the air separating them. The Balrog smiled that disturbing smile again and Thane saw, with painful clarity, that damned, hell-forged mace swing from the side of the black creature through the same air that Emily now flew through. She descended from above his head, still several feet in front of its grinning maw, crystal-white staff spinning with agonising slowness. Then, as she came within reach of the foul beasts head, the staff inches away from its face, the mace swung, arced up and across.
Thane's heart dropped and his spirit sank like a milestone as his tortured gaze witnessed the ghastly nightmare. Everything assumed a surreal quality and time itself slowed as if all were forcing him to watch the unfolding events. The mace came swinging its cold, black song and then, as Emily barely reached the beast - it hit.
The rage Thane felt was unbearable. Emily was tossed, as a discarded rag is tossed once it has been used, across the field, clothes rippling in a cruel breeze. Blood from an unhealable wound poured from a horrendous gash in her side, splashing through the air. The look of horror and pain, of loss and sadness on her beautiful face would stay etched into Thane's mind for the rest of his life, etched by a hot blade into the grey matter inside his skull. She bounced once on the dirt and then lay still, mouth gaping, eyes unseeing, hair matted and bloodstained. But still, through the blood and tears, her face still radiated beauty and seeing that, Thane stilled himself and the laughter and screaming of the black army, the roaring of the Balrog - stopped. The world stopped. All turned.
Thane rose, casting off the bonds of hellish magic as if they had never existed. He shook visibly with emotion. Rage. Anger. Sadness. Loss. Sadness. Anger. Rage. Rage. RAGE! His eyes burned bright orange; his hair flew around his head in a halo of light. He hovered, rising above where he had fallen. His hands clenching and unclenching repeatedly and a light grew around him, a bright white light, so harsh it hurt to look at. Then, something snapped from inside Thane's head. Loudly. He opened his mouth and power spewed forth. He stretched out his hands and from them, too, harsh light streamed forward. The light grew and grew, intensifying with each rising note of his scream.
How. Dare. They.How. Dare. They. How. Dare. They. How. Dare. They. How. Dare. They. How dare they!
What came next was something that can only be described as an explosion of pure emotion. It blasted away with an insane amount of force. The majority of the demon horde was simply burnt into oblivion immediately. The Balrog struggled for a moment, arms outstretched in an effort to resist, but then the power was too much for it, even. Its flames were extinguished and the shadows illumined up from within. Nothing that was on that battle field had any chance of withstanding that blast. It continued screaming outwards, until, exhausted Thane fell to the ground and the flow stopped instantaneously. All that remained was Thane, a crumpled and exhausted heap at the centre of the scorch marks that radiated from around him, Arthur and Alyssa, stirring slightly, but still outstretched on the ground and Emily. She lay where she had fallen, still and silent, gazing, unseeing, into the brilliant sky with her deep brown eyes, untouched but for the blood and dirt that had smeared across her face that had been blasted clean away.
All was still. It was finished for now; this battle was over, though who returned victorious was uncertain.