Fetch fought for what seemed like an eternity. Goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, ogres, snakemen,dragonmen, devils, giants. They all fell to his hammer and spells. A few he took out with his steel gauntlets. A couple he headbutted. He even scooped one up and body slammed it onto the dungeon floor.
He was lost in the shifting maze of Boryis's tower. He was told that Boryis was once the greatest sage in the land. An eccentric magician that valued knowledge and the soft carnal pleasures of women. Throughout the dungeon there was erotic and lewd decorations. Most were not to Fetch's taste...but some he thought were quite nice. He could imagine a few of them decorating his old shack back at Mammoth Keep.
The maze baffled Fetch. He tried going straight through the rooms and corridors but ended up in his original room. He tried marking his trail with hammer blows , but they eventually lead him back to his starting position again with no previous signs of his passing. Fetch was frustrated at his progress. The few creatures he captured and interrogated seemed lost as well.
The information he retrieved from the creatures was disjointed. A few seemed to be searching for an artificat of some sort. A short magical rod of some sort. The others were seeking a corpse or a mummy in some lost tomb. Some claimed allegiance to Dalton the Red. Others to something named Sertrous , some dead snake god. Most swore allegiance to Monte Nabisco. That worried the cleric the most. His foes seemed fanatical in their knowledge that the great general would lead them to victory. Even Fetch saw how the enemy was being decimated outside. They were making great gains, but each block of housing they took, each city district they conquered, they paid for dearly with their lives. Fetch knew that this was all a part of Monte Nabisco's grand plans. Perhaps there was hidden reinforcements arriving. Perhaps from the underdark? Or even maybe even a magical gate. Maybe something was siphoning the dead souls , like Yeenoghu did in Amarath. He also wondered if a mighty necromantic spell would reanimate all the dead soldiers.
Fetch tried to mentally communicate with Baalphzon again but received no answer. The imp was boastful , often arrogant, and always snide , but somehow Fetch trusted the creature and grew accustomed to his counsel. He only bonded with the creature for a short time, but he sensed a nobility about him. He wasn't sure if he believed its tale that it was a fallen greater devil , but most of the advice he had given him proved wise and accurate. He knew the creature was evil, but not evil incarnate as it often boasted it was.
Fetch hoped his companions were alright. Deep down he knew they could handle themselves as well as he could if not better. Frank he saw engaged with the great red dragon terrorizing the city. He somehow summoned a golden dragon to do battle with the beast. The cleric wondered if he could call it forth from the aether like Hildraxel and his daughter could summon Pixietrampler. Ymir he saw fall through the floor, Fetch should have been worried about her the most, but he knew the dwarf could handle herself in a dungeon. The Avatar that resembled the Innkeeper was confronted by a great red pitfiend. It was bigger and more fearsome then any of the balors he faced in the past. It was a terrifying creature, Fetch was glad he summoned the Avatar of War to deal with it. Brita and Earl he lost in the confusion , he hoped they were safe.
Fetch stopped and grew frustrated at his lack of progress. Tyris ...Brita...they were depending on him, and he was stuck in this maze. He cursed himself for not studying the workings of magic more. He sat down and thought it through. He already tried his few divination and dispelling prayers to work his way through but that proved fruitless. He tried battering the walls down , but as soon as he broke one wall , another reformed.
Fetch tried to remember stories of ancient dungeons and magical barriers. He vaguely remembered something of these barriers being unbreachable by conventional means but they would yield to magics stronger then itself. Fetch had already tested his magic against that of Boryis's and he found his skill lacking. He pondered about his quandary.
Fetch stopped and wondered for awhile, then an idea struck him. Maybe the magic in one of his items were enough to pierce his trap.
His first thought was to use Konrad's hammer. Fetch smiled, and though he should change its name one of these days. It deserved better then to be named after a traitorous priest. The cleric held his hammer against a wall, and then waved it against the mists shrouding the passages . No visible effect occurred.
Fetch dug through his other items and tested them as well. The waraxe given to him by Lord seemed to attract much attention , and Fetch wondered if it was more powerful then it seemed. It however ,proved as useful as the hammer in shattering the unseen barrier.
He tried various scrolls, rings and staffs he looted and left untouched in his magical bag, but none seemed to have any effect.
Fetch slammed the wall in frustration. He had come so far to rescue Tyris only to be stymied by this magical maze.
Clovis groaned , his body was wracked with pain. He struggle to focus on his surroundings. He was somewhere dark, cool...with a hint of incense or perfume. He was blind folded and his limbs were securely bound. He remembered that a long time ago , he once paid a prostitute to tie him up and slap him around, before he would "break" free and ravish her. He didn't find it much to his liking, but he chuckled at the thought he was getting that treatment for free now. Well it wasn't exactly the same...instead of a leather clad beauty , he was sure he was bound by snakemen.
Clovis twisted against his bindings again. They bounded him securely and he wasn't going to go anywhere. He remembered how pleasant the night had started. The drinks, the women, his comrades, the jokes, the drinks. Then a great red devil creature burst into the inn , claiming he was Monte Nabisco. He remembered none could withstand him. Even Frank and Ymir were thrown to the side like rag dolls. The normally nimble Tyris attempted to jump away but she stumbled, and the creature caught her and slammed her into the wall. Clovis blamed the army food. The normally lithe bard seemed to have put on a few pounds .
The merchant prince never knew what Fetch saw in her. Clovis had sampled many women in his long and decadent life , but when it came down to it he wasn't that choosy. His criteria for an interesting woman were simple . A half decent body, a pleasant smile, a nice face, and a charming personality. Normally Tyris had a fit lean body , although Clovis preferred his women on the more curvy side, like Brita. She seldom smiled, most of the time she stared quietly in observation. Her hair was nice, but her face was rather plain. The only unique characteristic about her face was her yellow eyes. Clovis wondered if she used magical dyes or lenses to get them that color. Finally, Tyris was the most quiet boring bard Clovis had ever met. No wonder she adventurered , she would never be able to make enough money entertaining to survive.
As on cue. Clovis heard a soft grunt. It was the unmistakable voice of Tyris. Clovis's mouth was gagged, but somehow Tyris managed to free hers. He slowly rolled towards the sound hoping Tyris's other limbs were free as well.
"Poor, Tyris... caught and trussed like a lamb for slaughter. This wouldn't have happened if I was in charge."
Clovis stopped as he heard the voice. It was feminine but wasn't Tyris's. It sounded more confident and haughty , like one of those arrogant noble women that were always trying to catch his attention.
"Look at you...how pathetic. This world could be burning at your feet. These creatures could be serving you or die for your pleasure. But noooooo...you turned your back on me . What has that accomplished. You're hooked up with a guy who isn't even man enough to marry you. You're knocked up. You're about to be sacrificed in an insane ritual that most likely won't work. And ... you are powerless to do anything about it . You can't save your self , your struggling friend there, or your unborn child. "
Clovis wondered who this woman was and who she was talking too. Her comments were most likely directed at Tyris, but the part about babies and destroying the world didn't seem to make any sense to him.
A more familiar meek voice answered "I may be powerless... but submitting to you would doom everything. I don't want to destroy ...I want to live...I want my baby to live. "
The arrogant voice returned " And Fetch? ...when he finds your corpse ... how long do you think he will wait till he turns to the arms of that cow Brita? One month of mock mourning ...maybe 2 for social appearances. She has everything you don't ...conviction, beauty, power...she can even have kids with him. "
Clovis stopped...was Tyris talking to herself? He wasn't sure with his eyes blinded, but the voices seemed to come from the same person.
The meek voice suddenly turned more confident, "Hah...now who has problems...now who's jealous. All I want is Fetch to be happy. If I perish , I do not want him to be saddled with a lifetime of remorse or guilt. That's something I have that you never will... you are a bitter cold murderous bitch ... no one shared your bed without knowing fear . No one truly touched your heart, without you questioning there motives... I rather die then be like you."
The arrogant voice purred..." don't worry...you soon will...you soon will..."
Clovis was now certain the two voices came from the same person. He wondered if Fetch knew how crazy she really was. He then thought of how those two seemed happy together. Then he thought of all his failed marriages. He thought of the women who were only attracted to him because of his wealth and power. He then thought if Fetch even cared how crazy Tyris was.
Clovis knew what he must do. He must be more like the man of his youth. A man of action. He would break his bonds, free his crazy friend, vanquish the snakemen , and make his way out of the dungeon. Oh , how the other members of the town council and the board of commerce will gape at his heroics. How the noblewomen will swoon at his daring.
The captured artificer's thoughts were interrupted , when suddenly a snakeman hissed. More hissing ensued , as he felt himself picked up . He felt a pole threaded through his ropes and he was carried like a hunting carcass. Fingers pointed at his ribs, and gut. He felt his hair pulled.
"Sooon...Dynast...you shalll be sacrificed ...and Great Sertrous shall rise again " , a snakeman hissed in common in his ear. " It took a long timesssss to capture you... mannny comrades...were slain...muchhh has be sssssacriffficed...but don'ttt worrrysss ... our godsss egg shalll sssoon be planttteedd inside you...and you'llll will basssk in his glorry...longg and slowlly... asss he eatssss you inssside outtsss...
Clovis spine ran cold. The merchant prince suddenly wished he was crazy as well. He fought fiercely against the bounds . He knew it was futile but he struggled with renewed strength against his bonds. A strong blow to the head brought him mercifully into darkness.
The door shuddered once from a powerful blow. Then another blow smashed it off its hinges. The wooden barrier crashed forwards into the large room. An imp flew briefly into the room and returned.
"This area seems different then the others ...I think we escaped at last.", Baalphzon said.
"HAH! I told you, we would find our way out of that maze. We dwarves are naturals at navigating natural and magical dungeons. And since I am a princess of the dwarves , my skill at solving dungeons is greater then any others!", exclaimed Ymir triumphantly as the dwarf and the imp entered an entirely new area.
The room was large and seemed more like a large hall. The artwork and decorations of this area were definitely different then the ones in the maze. The area was much darker, and its walls were inscribed with mystical symbols.
Ymir with her special dwarven echolocation , knew they were approximately 100 feet below the surface, but she could still hear the sounds of battle from above. Crashing buildings, giants, the stomps of golems. Those sounds and tremors could even be heard from down there.
The dwarf thought the battle above must have been a splendid sight to behold. She hoped the glory she would win in Boryis's dungeons would match the glory she was missing out on up above.
"Stay down...", hissed Baalphzon as the imp landed and gripped her steel shoulder pad.
In front of them were a procession of halfbreed and pureblooded snakemen. Down below the surface, they took no pains in hiding their identity. There were about 20 of them and they had 2 prisoners. Both had their hands and feet tied to a long pole, and carried like trophy deer to a great feast.
Ymir knew she could not take 20 serpents at once. Maybe 4...perhaps 6 with surprise. She preferred a straight up fight , but knew she had to wait for a better chance. She wasn't normally very stealthy but she had dark talents. She hated to use them, but saw no choice. The dwarf drew upon her dark dwarf heritage and faded away into the air. The stealthy imp did not need to turn invisible to follow them, but did the same anyways. Both then followed the yuan ti into the depths of Boryis's lair.
The group of yuan ti made their way down the hall. They passed many doors with different sigils on them. Most Ymir didn't understand but some she vaguely recognized. There was a symbol of the dread Pharoh Cow Mow. Cow Mow was the father of Dow Mow, the grandson of Aow Mow and the son of the pharoh who shall not be named. There was the sigil of Clarrisa the Seer. First Queen of the ancient empire of Norwold. Lastly they came towards a familiar looking symbol. Ymir recognized it right away. She didn't know much about the yuan ti, but Clovis had previously identified that symbol to her after one of their early battles with the snake men. It was that of Sertrous their dead god.
Several of the robed snakemen approached the wall with the symbol and drew long knives. They started chanting in their strange hissing tongue. Ymir had invisibly crept to their band. She was a mere 15 feet away but dared not to go closer without revealing her position. 3 of the serpent people pressed their bodies against the wall...and suddenly plunged their daggers into their own hearts. Their bodies squirmed in agony as the blood flowed out of them. Even the battle hardened dwarf's stomach knotted from this grisly sight.
The blood from the serpents did not fall to the ground, instead it flowed directly into and then covered the wall...as if gravity was turned sidewalls just for that substance. The remaining snakemen chanted louder louder ...then suddenly the wall exploded and burst into dust.
The creatures cheered with hissing . The most ornately robed snakeman entered the room and fell on his scaly knees at the sight of a massive mummified 30 foot snakeman. He bowed, and in turn so did his subordinates. After saying a few more unintelligible prayers. He motioned for the rear snakemen to come forth.
A nervous yuan ti hissed an uneasy reply. The group suddenly turned and found their prisoners had vanished! A roar of anger filled the great hall.
"Faster dwarf! Faster !", said the imp flying next to the giant invisible dwarf.
Ymir wanted to punch him but each of her arms carried one of her friends. "Oh shut up!" was her only reply.
The yuan ti were in pursuit, though they couldn't see their prey, their acute tongues tracked them. After centuries of labour and sacrifice, they had almost succeeded in their goal , only to be thwarted at the very end. Though they could not see their foe, they could smell her. A light perfume scent, and a slight charcoal sulfur smell.
Months ago the wizard Dalton had approached them. He offered them his aid in securing the dungeons of Boryis, ...in exchange they had to aid him in the destruction of Grom. The elder abominations were doubtful of this exchange. Wizards were known to use others as their pawns, and Dalton had an especially nasty reputation of sacrificing his minions. However the last few years had been especially hard on them. Grommish agents were systematically uncovering and executing their hidden temples and cults. They were ruthless in their hunt. Rumors of a shadowy slayer of snakemen began to circulate and it brought fear and terror into their alien hearts. The yuan ti were so close yet so far away from their ultimate goal however. They had located the tomb of their dead god. It was in the dungeons of the ruined tower of Boryis the Spyder. Sadly they had not been able to mount an expedition to search and uncoverer it. They needed a demi god for their sacrifice to occur. The blood and death of this immortal would resurrect their dead god Sertrous. Remarkably, they had found not one but maybe 2 candidates to sacrifice. However their capture had stalled. One candidate was in the far north in the land of ice and war. One of their agents spotted her , but was promptly slain. They sent many teams to seek her out but lost her trail. The other they located almost in their midst. However his capture proved most difficult. They knew it would not be a simple task , to capture and slay a god, and they expected some setbacks. After their first failed attempt, their prey became much more cautious, and hired heroes and an army of bodyguards to protect him. With their numbers dwindling the serpent men had reluctantly agreed to Dalton's alliance.
The yuan ti had a foot hold in McDunnald's already. A hidden outpost to watch one of their "demi gods". Their part of the alliance involved them revealing their hand and opening the gates. They lost a great many of their number in the assault on the eastern keep of McDunnalds. Even with surprise on their side, the defenders extracted a heavy toll. The elders knew if they did not succeed their power would be broken forever in Grom. They only followed Dalton's seemingly suicidal plan because it was crafted by the legendary Monte Nabisco. Their faith was rewarded when Monte delivered not one but two immortal sacrifices to them. The snakemen knew victory was almost at hand and their faith had been rewarded. The survivors hurried to the ruins of Boryis's tower to fulfil their destiny.
The descent into Boryis's dungeons was also not what they had expected. They expected some magical traps and spatial confusion, but their force was badly split up and lost in that accursed maze, despite their precautions. Through much trial and error, the yuan ti elders finally pierced the maze and entered the mausoleum, but many of their members were lost. Only 20 remained and 3 more had to be sacrificed to gain entry to Sertrous's crypt. With victory so close, their vigilance waned. In their moment of celebration someone had dispatched 4 of their fellows and left with their sacrifices. They pursued their robber, knowing that not only their lives hung in the balance but the lives of their entire race. Spells of haste, and flight were cast and soon the serpent men caught up with their invisible prey. Their pursuit had cornered their foe into a room. A particularly savage snakeman rushed first , but was met with a giant axe blow to the shoulder. The massive axe struck him a glancing blow, but the sheer weight and power of the swing brought the creature crashing to the ground. As it tried to stand it self up again. A massive iron boot stomped down on his body, guts and bile spewed from his mouth as his life was literally crushed out of him. The yuan ti's foe was now visible. The dwarven commander of the mercenaries hired to guard one of the demi gods. They licked their forked tongues sensing not only victory but revenge against an old hated foe.
The eldest serpent knew what to do, without hesitation he pulled out a curved dagger and plunged it into his own heart. His body turned into a dark smoke and settled on his remaining band. The mists flowed into their body and each grew into a massive abominations.
The dwarf maiden backed up from her new foes. The situation was grim before, now it seemed hopeless. She had fought these creatures in the past and knew that an abomination had the strength of several giants. Fighting one would be a close fight , a dozen was certain death. When her back hit the wall, her lips grew into a bitter smile. She gave a warriors cry , determined to die fighting to the end.
The yuan ti surged forward but were met by a wall of blades. The blades would have destroyed them a minute ago but they only proved a nuisance to their new forms. They fought their way through them, but suddenly knew it was only a diversion. A massive winged lion leaped at the pack of snakemen in the front. A warrior maiden mounted on it swung her sword in wide deadly arcs. The dwarf's morale was bolstered by her new allies and she joined the fray.
The snakemen in the back were blinded by the flashing swords but pushed forwards anyways. Their attack however stopped as one of their members suddenly fell from a long dagger through the eye. They looked for their unseen attacker, but could not find him. Whispers of the dark scourge that had wiped out their temples and cults began to spread. One snakeman yelled at his fellows that now was not the time to waver. His eyes crossed in the middle of his speech as a darkly dressed man struck a sword through the top of his skull. He balanced on the creatures head for a moment flashing a smile at his audience, before leaping away into the shadows away from the enraged abominations.
The battle raged for a few minutes. The dwarf stunned a yuan ti by using a feint with her axe then followed with a massive kick with her boot. She savagely jumped up in the air and arced her back . She seemingly hung in the air momentarily before swinging the axe in a 210 degree arc. The power of the blow shook the entire room, as her foe smashed broken into the ground. The lion pounced and tore at another snakeman , while its rider commanded mystical blades to chop and slice at a third. The dark dressed assassin , seemed to concentrate more on evading his opponents blows. A cocky serpent lunged at him over committing his attack, and was rewarded by several fatal blows to the eye, throat , and heart.
The yuan ti's attack seemed stymied at first but with the element of surprise gone, the snakemen's power, magic, and size finally gained the upper hand. The dwarf was soon grappled by 2 writhing serpentine abominations. The winged lion was dealt a mighty blow and laid bleeding or dead in a corner. Dark tentacles erupted from the ground. They grasped, coiled, and subdued the lions rider. The dark assassin proved the most difficult to defeat, but a spell luckily evaded past his formidable defenses. He felt the urge to lie on the ground, and his moment of weakness proved his down fall as the yuan ti began to pile upon him.
As the snakemen prepared to finish their foes , one of them stopped and stared at himself. He suddenly collapsed into a small ball of bone and blood before falling to the ground like a small wet bag of meat. Another stopped to stare at his fallen ally, and he too collapsed into himself. A third collapsed soon afterwards before their attacker revealed himself.
A tall thin youth, carrying a chain iron ball in one hand , and a hammer in the other walked calmly into the room , surrounded by a ring of blades. The snakemen fell back and regrouped as the man walked towards his allies. He put away the iron ball into a loose bag, and started praying in battle. He wove his spells like a master as mortal wounds disappeared from his allies . The renewed attackers turned to face the few remaining snakemen when suddenly the roof seemed to rip and tear before them. Instead of the massive stone falling they seemed to fall upwards. A massive red dragon landed and changed into a mage. The mage seemed seriously wounded but he still seemed formidable and powerful.
A smaller golden dragon flew from the hole now in the roof seemingly in pursuit of the great red . It landed next to the heroic companions. A noble and battle hardened knight rode the dragon and saluted his friends as he stood by their side.
The two sides stared at each other intensely. The snakemen used their magic to recover some of the mage's wounds. They rallied around the wizard ready to strike. The magic of the maze was finally broken and soon scores of the remaining goblins, ogres, and dragonmen poured into the room. They marched and followed the wizard and his snakemen , prepared for battle. The heroes in turn formed on the cleric. He first checked the two prisoners that the dwarf had recovered and gave a grim nod. He then stood ready to battle the dragon mage and his small horde with his friends at his side.
The two sides readied for a final battle, each expecting no quarter from the other. Each side hungry for the others blood. They were about to charge when a large flaming dark shadow appeared before them.
The snakemen cheered, as the heroes wavered.
Monte Nabisco had arrived.
"Oh My GOD! He's here, Monte Nabisco! Oh my god ! Oh my god! Squuueeee!", Frank gushed as the massive red winged pit fiend stretched its wing. " Oh my god..I can't I believe I just squealed ..this is so exciting...I hope he kills me nice and slow like...something he could remember me by. I hope I scream a lot. Dieing heroic is one thing, but dieing screaming and painfully...that's something to remember."
Fetch looked at Frank and was about to admonish him , but he knew his friend was right. Death was certain now that Monte had entered the fray. The cleric looked at his foe , and he was a terror to behold . 15 foot tall, a massive creature made of red scale, muscle and fire. He heard Monte Nabisco had died awhile ago, but he never figured he would return to the world as a pit fiend.
Dalton's horde cheered. After so many losses, their champion and their general, would finally deliver victory to them.
Dalton himself seem to rally with his general at his side. His wounds were grave but he ignored them as he walked up to his general. "You heroes think you have a chance! But you have no chance at all! The greatest general in the world is on our side! Monte Nabisco himself will crush you with his flaming fists , and your charred bodies will adorn the battlements of my castles and my trophy room. Surrender now, and maybe I promise the men quick deaths, and the women a place in my harem. "
Fetch wanted to smash the wizards face with his hammer, but knew resistance would be futile. The last he saw this creature, he was engaged with innkeeper, the Avatar of Rawk. If he had defeated the essence of his god, what hope did the rest of them have?
"THE WIZARD SPEAKS THE TRUTH! ", the pitfiend roared,"THE GREATEST GENERAL IN THE WORLD, NO THE GREAT WHEEL, IN ALL OF EXISTENCE ITSELF HAS ARRIVED. MY CAREFUL PLANNING HAS OVERWHELMED YOUR CITY, SOON YOUR COUNTRY , THEN THIS ENTIRE MISERABLE DIMENSION. LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS, AND YOUR MEN WILL BE GIVEN QUICK DEATHS, WHILE YOUR WOMEN SHALL SERVE MY WHIMS!"
Fetch's band were not about to quit so easily. They knew they would fight to the end, but their will was sapped knowing there would be no chance of victory. They hesitated waiting for a signal to begin their futile attack.
"Upon closer inspection, I can assure you that is not Monte Nabisco!", quipped a small haughty and unamused voice.
"Don't be stupid! Of course that's Monte Nabisco. He said he was the greatest general of all time, he overwhelmed McDunnald's impregnable defenses...look at him brag...who else could brag and strut like that!", Frank exclaimed defensively.
"I know that guy ! ...I don't know this dimensions heroes or myths, but I know that guy. That's Bel , the recently crowned Archduke of Avernus. He served the dark 8 when I was a member . He has defended the hells from countless hordes of demons , celestials, inevitables , and yugoloths. He is not merely boasting when he claims he's the greatest general of all time.. ", sniffed the Imp.
"If that's not Monte Nabisco and he's this Bel fellow you speak of ...why doesn't he tell his minions that hes not the main man himself!", huffed Frank.
"Ok , our time is short, quick lesson on Archdukes. All archdukes in hell have their own little...quips...not weaknesses...just weird behaviors I guess. Baalzebul throws a tantrum when he sees himself in a mirror. Dispater won't take a single step outside the Iron City. Mammon eats nonstop. Fiernia screws anything that moves...Bel...he can't say his name 3 times less he banishes himself. ", Baalphzon said quickly.
"Wait...so he's like reverse Candyman...or some weird version of one Superman's enemies..that Mister Mxyzptlk . ", asked a suddenly intrigued Frank. The other heroes seemed distrustful of Baalphzon's statements, but their courage seemed to have return.
"I am not familiar with those monsters. But even if he's not this legendary Monte Nabisco you speak of, Bel is a force to be reckon with. He is a Baatezu of the highest order, a pitfiend elevated to the rank of Archduke. He won this position by slaying countless enemies of Baator. I am ashamed to admit, but he is even more powerful then I was at my full glory."
"So all we have to do is get him to say his name 3 times and he leaves? Otherwise we are fighting another Yeenoghu? Great, its out of the frying pan into the fire", said Fetch. Despite his words, his will to fight had returned. Arch devil or not, he would find a way to win.
"Here let me try this...", said Frank as he strode confidently forwards, sword resting loosely on his shoulder, his swagger back, and a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Hey Monte! If that's what you call yourself now... I got an imp here that says you aren't who you claim you are. Your some guy call Tacquito Bell or something.", said Frank defiantly.
"AHH BAALPHZON...I THOUGHT THEY TRANSFORMED YOU TO A MINDLESS NUPPERIBIO... WE SHALL HAVE WORDS AFTER THIS IS OVER...AND AS FOR YOU SIR KNIGHT...I DID NOT CHOOSE THAT NAME...I RIGHTFULLY CLAIMED TO BE THE WORLD'S GREATEST GENERAL...THESE FOOLS ASSUMED I AM THIS MONTE NABISCO CREATURE , AND I GLADLY TOOK THAT NAME.", roared the pitfiend.
"Wait...you're not the real Monte Nabisco?", gulped a now shaken Dalton. Fear quickly spread through his followers ranks.
"WHAT DOES IT MATTER! I HAVE ALREADY LED YOU TO VICTORY ..I NO LONGER NEED TO MAINTAIN THIS SELF DELUSION OF YOURS... I AM NOT A FOOLISH MORTAL GENERAL. I AM THE GREATEST OF PITFIENDS. I HAVE DEFEATED COUNTLESS INVADING DEMON HORDES WITH MY WIT AND CUNNING. WHAT IS THIS MONTE NABISCO COMPARED TO ME!", roared the Archduke at his now slowly retreating followers.
"Hey...I don't know where you're from , but around here riding the coat tails of a great man , makes you a Poseur. Are you telling me you're a big fat wannabe. Hey look , between you and me I grew up wanting to be Monte Nabisco too...so did every kid in my village...but you don't see me running around claiming to be him. That's really weak...really ..really weak.", Frank said shaking his head.
"Look I knew Monte Nabisco! I followed Monte Nabisco! I fought for Monte Nabisco! You Sir ...are not Monte Nabisco!", said Frank sternly. He turned and winked at his companions and whispered "Ok, not really...but I always wanted to say that."
"YOU SHALL DIE HORRIBLY ! I SHALL BURN THE FLESH FROM YOUR BONES AND TOSS THEM TO THE HELL HOUNDS ! WHEN I AM FINISHED WITH THIS DIMENSION THEY SHALL ALL FEAR THE NAME OF THEIR CONQUEROR, THE MIGHTY BEL!", the Archduke's last statement was loud enough that the entire dungeon shook . Soldiers from both sides fighting close to the ruins gave pause. The devil knew he had said his name once, but he didn't care, he still had to say it twice more, and he wanted every one to know it was Bel that defeated them ..not the fairy tale hero Monte Nabisco.
"Ooooh big talk for someone not wearing pants !", Frank said with his old smile and walked forward fearlessly." Let's say you kill me, you might even kill Fetch there as well. But your talking to men and women that have fought a half million demons and gnolls. We even killed Yeenoghu himself . Look , heres the blade that slew him. ", he pointed to a now fiercly glowing sword at his side." One of us will take you down eventually, and you now why? Cuz you're not Monte Nabisco! Your some pathetic over sized imp that used his name to fool his army in doing a stupid attack. "
Dalton and his followers slowly backed away. They knew their attack was costly, but had confidence that General Nabisco would lead them to unconditional victory. Now that his deception was uncovered, they questioned their purpose. Even the snakemen who were so close to victory , wondered if raising their dead god was worth the sacrifice of nearly all his worshipers.
"YOU DARE COMPARE ME TO THIS MONTE NABISCO VERMIN! WHAT IS HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS COMPARED TO MINE. I HAVE BROKEN A BALOR'S BACK ON MY KNEE, I HAVE ROUTED 4 DEMON HORDES WITH 1 LEGION OF DEVILS, I HAVE SENT THE MASTERMIND PAZUZU HIMSELF SCURRYING BACK TO THE WASTES OF TORREMOR. WHAT DOES NABISCO MEAN ANYWAYS? WHAT KIND OF MADE UP NONSENSE NAME IS THAT!", demanded Bel.
"National..biscut..com...", Baalphzon began to answer before Bel interrupted him .
"ALL SHALL FEAR MY NAME ON THIS DIMENSION. ALL SHALL KNOW IT IS I, BEL, NOT THIS MONTE NABISCO ,THAT SHALL ENSLAVE THEM AND DESTROY THIS WORLD!", the Archduke once again roared to all that could hear. He knew he said his name a 2nd time, but he often did that to give his foes false hope. None had tricked him to say it a 3rd .
Frank shook his head unimpressed, " Look fellow, you're from where...Avernus or something? That's the first lair of hell, and you must be pretty impressed with that. But this ain't the ghetto my friend ..this is the World of Grom. Even the people who don't live in this country refer to this world as Grom. We use to have a demon king that enslaves demon lords. We recently had a war of immortals. Elder titans,dwarven gods, demon lords, even Archdukes and Duchesses were involved. Geryon and Fierna I believe. Geryon has some street cred around here for being old school, and Fierna is one hot foxy devil babe. You're just an over sized greater devil that ate too many choclate covered larvae. Nobody's scared of you...everyone only thought you're so big and bad cuz you claimed to be the worlds greatest general. Buddy you ain't shit. Big deal , you broke a balor's back..I stuck my sword up ones ass before...you don't see me bragging about it. Who cares if you chased Paza zulu back to his own dimension. Monte slew Lolth...not new Lolth I'm talking old school Lolth. Queen of the demonweb pits , that type of badass. I bet you think you're pretty hot shit where you come from, but even if you destroy this city, people are always gonna know you as the guy who pretended he was Monte Nabisco. Like have you slain anyone A string or upper tier like Lolth? ...don't tell me ...the baddest guy you've slain was some minor demon lord...maybe a demigod like that hopping prophet Wasarti guy...don't tell me ...a mere balor lord?"
Bel was at a lost of words. He stared at Dalton and his followers, and from the expression on their faces he knew the knight spoke truly. This mortal was insulting him, and bringing in question his reputation and honor. He had once defeated the hordes of Grazzt, and tore the head off of its balor general. He also defeated the former ruler of Avernus, Zariel and imprisoned her in his tower. He wanted to mention all these things but they paled in comparison to the killing of a greater god. Such a thing would be even hard for Bel's lord Asmodeus to accomplish. Even when he faced the Avatar of War that was pursuing him earlier, he gave the slip instead of besting him in combat.
The great devil grew intensely hot. He stared at Dalton and his followers as they were slowly edging their way to the exit. The will to fight had vanished from them.
The archduke was livid with anger, enough was enough, "ENOUGH OF YOUR TAUNTINGS! I SHALL CRUSH YOU AND THIS PATHETIC MUD HOLE OF A CITY! EVERYONE SHALL RESPECT MY NAME, AND BOW BEFORE ME. ALL TRACES OF THIS MONTE NABISCO SHALL BE WIPED FROM MEMORY ALL SHALL FEAR THE NAME OF BEL!"
*poof*
The room grew quiet as Bel vanished in a puff of smoke.
Dalton looked nervously at where his vanquished general once stood. . Fetch expected a final fight, but instead they slowly fell back. A couple of tentative steps back at first, then a steady withdraw , then a full flight retreat.
"Fall back! Fall back! We can still take this city ", cried a demoralized Dalton. His troops heard the first part of his command, but their conviction failed on the second.
Frank began to lead the companions to give chase, but he stopped when he noticed Fetch by the now freed Tyris. Both were kneeling , and their heads were both slumped down in defeat. Frank could hear quiet sobs from Tyris and thought he saw a tear on Fetch's cheek.
"Hey , cheer up Fetch. So that wasn't the real Monte Nabisco...so we miss out on our glorious deaths. Look on the bright side, the city has a chance of victory now.", said Frank trying to cheer them up.
Fetch sorrowfully turned to his friend and whispered, "She...we ...lost the baby."