A swarm of flyer craft, led by Perfuma's personal shuttle, launched from the gargantuan mothership. Their target: a remote temple fortress in the northern hemisphere. Simmering, the floral princess stared at the viewscreen which displayed the planet they were about to land on. She wondered how things could have gone so far out of hand. Mermista and her had come to the Ralkath not too long ago with the intent to uplift the local populace.
The insectoid creatures known as Sprikha inherently had a strong connection to magic, but had lost that gift a long time ago. Once reintroduced to the arcane by the mages of Etheria, they proved to be quick learners. Too quick. Before anyone really knew what was going on, the locust-like creatures were already hurling arcane flames and calling forth storms of destruction.
Their knowledge of the arcane did nothing to temper their ambitions however, and soon they were demanding the unconditional surrender of those that taught them. When Perfuma and Mermista refused, the Sprikha declared war to all those that would align themselves with Bright Moon. A gruesome series of skirmished followed that saw most Etherians on the planet either killed or enslaved. Some of them managed to flee in time however, and the fleets have been in orbit ever since.
At first, they tried forcing the Sprikha into surrendering with the threat of orbital bombardments, but the insectoids had already generated powerful magic barriers that prevented such tactics. When that didn't work, they opted for just waiting high up in orbit until Adora's first fleet would arrive to assist them. However, intercepted radio telemetry from Ralkath warned the princesses that the Sprikha were preparing to retaliate with an arcane ritual of some kind. Mermista wasn't about to let that happen and invaded the site of the ritual alongside a battalion of her knights. And now they were lost.
'We'll be at the LZ in thirty seconds, your highness.' Crackled the pilot's voice through an unseen speaker. Perfuma took one last weary breath before putting on her protective war crown. She disliked that crown; alongside the composite battle robe it came with. They were uncomfortable to wear and devoid of any joy, but the protection they offered was second to none.
With a loud, yet controlled, thud did the shuttle craft land in ashen mud. Perfuma stepped out of the flyer and into the greyish hellscape that lay at her feet. The earth was life barren and drenched with something toxic and vile. With her eyes closed, the floral princess stretched out her arm to find some form of roots in the desolate ground. Nothing. If life had ever flourished here, it was a long time ago.
In the distance, unnatural clouds gathered into a foul, raging tempest around a spire-like castle. Flashes of light could be seen that were either lightning or some other kind of arcane destruction. Wherever Mermista was, she would be somewhere in that storm. With little time to lose, Perfuma gathered her commanders to discuss a plan of attack.
'We have very little intel on this area,' A reptilian Etherian with a deep, guttural voice stood at the head of a small, makeshift table covered in reports and maps. 'What little we do know is from the time before we were hunted off this piece of rock. Apparently, the Sprikha see this place as sort of hunting ground. We just have no idea what kind of prey would roam here however.' He straightened his back and adjusted his helmet in a somewhat nervous manner. 'But rest assured, my scouts are out there collecting tactical information as we speak. I'll keep all of you updated should they learn more.'
There was a silence at the table that was only disturbed by the far away battle sounds. Another commander of Perfuma's retinue cleared her throat in a bid to get attention. 'I'm afraid we don't have enough time to wait for your scouts to report.' She took a couple of seconds to think her next words through before continuing. 'I'd suggest we launch a wave of attack bots to test their defences and follow soon after with the bulk of our forces.'
Perfuma stared forlornly at the storm in the distance. This assault would have been so much easier if any of the other princesses were here. Yet the thoughts of what could have been were counterproductive to what will be; earlier campaigns had taught her that. The time to act was now and without hesitation.
'You are right commander, Mermista needs our help now.' The military clique awaited the commands of their admiral with bated breath. 'We'll send in the bots as a vanguard, find Mermista, and then retreat again. Don't take any unnecessary risks and keep your people safe, understood?'
'Yes milady!' came the unanimous answer of the military staff.
Titanium plated robots skittered out of the landing craft and towards the maelstrom of battle. Their design was based of the, by now archaic, spider bots from the Horde, but upgraded with tech salvaged from Horde Prime's machinery. Deadly, unwavering and fast, they ranked amongst Bright Moon's most devasting shock units. Each of them was painted in the white and blue colours of Glimmer's honour guard, and the green vine-like heraldry of Plumeria.
Princess Perfuma looked as the machines scuttled away to their almost certain destruction. She just hoped they would distract the Sprikha long enough for her to get Mermista and her battalion out safely. The enemy she would face this day would be unlike any other she had fought before. Back in the days, the Horde were cunning, brutal and quite rightly nicknamed: The emEvil /emHorde, but the Sprikha were of another calibre entirely. They were eagerly committing acts of cruelty and bloodshed, a total tonal shift from how they appeared during first contact. Not more than a couple of weeks ago, the elders of the Sprikha seemed like wise and just leaders, but something changed inside of them as soon as they got a taste of arcane power.
Enough time had passed for the bots to have engaged the Sprikha in full force, now was the time to strike. Perfuma, atop her mechanical steed flanked by her own royal aegis, led the assault personally. The troops under her command cheered with zeal as they charged; inspired by the mere presence of their princess.
The moments ahead of them would be grim however, and none were truly prepared to face the horrors that awaited within the unnatural tempest. Sounds of explosions and people yelling got louder as they got closer to the battle at hand.
Suddenly, Perfuma was blinded by a flash of bright light to the left of her and deafened by a loud boom. When she came to again, she saw how a chunk of her forces had been obliterated by an arcane artillery barrage. Most were reduced to disintegrating piles of ash, blending away mournfully in the grey earth. Some steeds who had lost their rider stubbornly, or unknowingly, continued to charge with the remaining forces.
'Take evasive action, please!' That last bit was a slip of the tongue, a politeness atypical of a military leader, but welcomed by the soldiery nonetheless. The troops obeyed their commander without hesitation and started to make incalculable manoeuvres in an attempt to evade incoming fire.
They were now underneath the storm and closer to the spire-like fortress that stood akin to a colossus amidst the barren wastes. The rain that dropped down was harsh and acidic, unlike any that fell on Etheria. It didn't take too long before they encountered the broken hulls of the bots they sent in earlier. Amidst the wreckages laid also the battered bodies of Sprikha and Etherians alike. The glassy eyes of the insect people casted silent judgment and hatred upon the passing cavalry. Even in death and half torn apart by mechanical claws, did they seem to despise anything Etheria stood for. The princesses, the people, their feasts and even their fashion; the Sprikha hated all of it.
Something twitched amongst the bodies. Possibly a survivor. With a few simple gestures did the princess of Plumeria order her troops to continue the assault. Slowing down to a moderate speed, she jumped off her steed and next to the twitching thing buried under dust and rubble. With care, she pushed some of the debris aside, revealing the ocean green armour of Mermista's forces.
A survivor. She grabbed the knight by their shoulders and pulled them out of the battlefield dirt. 'Are you alright?' Perfuma asked gently to the wounded soldier.
For a while, no response besides wheezing and coughing came, before the knight could speak through gritted teeth. 'They – they were everywhere. Gnawing, scuttling, killing.' Another magic bolt impacted besides them, sending the trooper into another coughing fit. 'Milady,' She suddenly said. 'Please tell me that milady, the princess of Salineas, is alright?'
Perfuma slowly shook her head while ordering a nearby medic to her position. 'I don't know where Mermista is, I had hoped you might have known?'
A tall, skull-faced medic arrived on horseback. He jumped off and immediately began tending to the wounds of the dying knight. She wheezed at first and cursed the pain under her breath, but soon accepted the treatment she was given. 'Everything went real messed up real fast. At first the assault was a success, and we charged with ease through their ranks.' Another cough, this one was wet with some kind of sickly mucus. 'But it was a trap. They had buried themselves underground and unborrowed once we passed them. Before we knew it, we were being attacked from all sides and the critters were relentless. The princess she,' The knight seemed trail off for a moment, before being pulled back to reality by a nearby arcane blast. 'She continued the charge, even reaching the fortress' gate last I heard.'
That wasn't good. If Mermista had reached the fortress, it would mean that any hope of this being a quick operation was gone. Perfuma now had no other choice but to charge the spire herself.
'Thank you for the information. Please try to rest now.' She gave one last nod to the knight and the medic before climbing atop her steed again. Build into her composite gauntlets, was a little two-way radio that allowed her to easily order het commanders on the battlefield. She felt her eyes twitch again, and took a deep breath before activating the communicator.
'This is princess Perfuma talking,' Annoyed by her own authoritative tone, she let out an audible sigh and continued relaying her commands to her officers. 'I have just gotten intel that Mermista is likely to be within the spire itself. Focus on rescuing as many of Mermista's forces as possible and keeping an escape route clear. My detachment and I will attempt to find Mermista in the spire itself. I'll let you know when I have found her.'
'Your will be done, your highness!' Came from all her commanders through the radio speaker.
With no time to waste, Perfuma charged ever deeper into enemy territory. The closer she got to the spire, the more wicked the surroundings grew. Stray Sprikha chewed at the remains of Etherian soldiers or stripped their corpses for valuables. The sight alone was enough for Perfuma to let go of some of that bottled up anger.
At her command, an explosion of vines erupted from the back of her composite robe. Etherian seeds were placed into the armour's back panels, and finally busted loose at their mistress' command. The writhing mass of plant matter lashed out wildly to all that stood in her way. She swept away the scuttling insectoids and made sure they wouldn't trouble her anytime soon. While the whip-like vines were fierce, Perfuma tried her best to only knock the enemy unconscious, granting them a mercy they wouldn't return. Even so, it was the right thing to do. The last thing Ralkath needed was more death.
Clawing out of the toxic mud came more of the Sprikha warriors. Their massive burgundy carapace shimmered wickedly in the baleful light of the twin stars that orbited the world. Each of the creatures came charging mindlessly towards Perfuma and her aegis, snapping their mandibles akin to a frenzied choir. The situation seemed dire, but with her were some of Etheria's finest troops. All were veterans of the old Horde and had served loyally during the many expeditions that were undertaken within the last twelve years. Pinpoint accurate shock blasts emanated from their laser staffs, stunning their opponents by the dozens with each volley. Perfuma herself was as akin to an unstoppable wave of destruction, whipping away those who would dare to stop her.
The Sprikha swarm was relentless however, and for every dozen that fell, three more would take their place. They crept ever closer, and like clockwork, would manage to dismount one of Perfuma's guardians at regular intervals. Once pulled of their mechanical steeds, the riders had little chance against the chitinous flood. There was no time to look back, yet Perfuma couldn't help but wonder what happened to them once the Sprikha got to them. Then again, it might be better to be ignorant of such knowledge.
The gates were finally in sight and, as luck would have, already smashed open. No doubt an act of destruction committed by Salineas' monarch. Those gates might still prove useful.
'Everyone, get inside!' Perfuma could barely raise her voice above the cacophony of battle, but just enough for her troopers to hear her commands. Without second thought did they charge into the looming spire before them. Their princess slowed down just enough that she would be the last one in. As she entered the fortress herself, she slammed the gates close again with the help of her mighty vines. Once shut, Perfuma focused her energies in reinforcing the gate with magical plant matter, so no Sprikha could follow them.
It was done, and while she could still hear the angry clawing on the other side, Perfuma knew that this would buy them enough time to find and assist Mermista. A relative quietude was felt, a moment of peace amongst the madness of war. Time was still of essence however, and the tireless cavalry was already galloping through the massive main hall of the spire. The way they needed to go was simple, follow the path of water-based destruction and they would surely find what they came for. Strewn in all corners of the hive-like castle were the lifeless corpses of Sprikha and the occasional knight of Salineas. They were mostly uneaten, unlike those found outside. Perfuma concluded grimly that this meant that their deaths weren't too long ago.
The path of destruction led them to a grand staircase, which was unsuitable for cavalry units. With no other options, they quickly dismounted and hurried upwards on foot. For a while, it seemed like the staircase would go on forever, a purgatory of everlasting ascension. Suddenly, the monotony was broken by the thunderous boom of crashing tides. The sound originated not too far from where they were, and it wouldn't be long before they would find the aquatic princess.