*KICKS DOWN THE DOOR WIDE OPEN*
I'm back.
Man, I missed you guys for the last couple of months. I have been very busy with online courses and work. A lot of things have happened during my absence.
I finally got to eat cuisine ramen in public, bought Mass Effect Legendary Edition last month, along with the Tyrion & Teclis novel trilogy, Warriors of the Chaos Wastes (starring my boy Wulfrik) and Brunner the Bounty Hunter omnibus; my online classes are finally done (for now), The Silence and the Fury DLC coming out, Total War: Troy finally going full Mythos, and I finally signed up to Discord.
My account: Dane-.-Nagai-#4366
Group chat: h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/-discord-.-g-g-/-TTxHr5BCzh
As always, delete the "-" between the letters.
That said, some bad news have come up. Joey Jordison of former Slipknot fame passed away recently. I've been a Slipknot fan since 2012 and their album, All Hope Is Gone, was a gateway to the metal scene for me. And to hear arguably one of the best drummers pass away has been a relatively somber mood. Hope Paul is keeping you company, Joey. RIP.
And with bad news, comes the worst news. As all of you've heard by now. Geedubs has finally decided to fucking screwing over its fanbase (including everyone on this site and other communities) by imposing copyright infringement to fan content creators. Especially with fan animators as of recent months. Starting with Astartes, it seems GW is intent on destroying its own community by sending "cease and desist" letters to Youtube content creators, bullying animators to work with them or die under a pile of paperwork, and ignoring our pleas just for that stupid fucking app of theirs.
So now, I don't know what's going to happen. If this extends to fanfiction, they can try and wrestle my fucking story from ID software should they try something funny. Otherwise, I'm gonna keep writing what I've wrote and finish what I have started. And to spite them further, I'm gonna write lemons and smut spinoffs and one-shots just to give them the finger.
You have no power on the fanbase. You wanna take down the fan videos? We'll just archive them? Wanna take our crossover stories? Deal with the creators of the other works that we've combined. Want everyone to buy your models? We'll just 3D print them and find other smaller brands.
FUCK YOU, GW. FUCK. YOU.
Except CA. You are the best.
Anways, after two months of blue balling you all, here is the next chapter. As in the actual chapter. I'm not sure what happened when I deleted the Chapter 11 Q&A. It was really weird after hearing about it so sorry about that false alarm. Anways, this is the next chapter of the story. And down further is a special surprise for everyone. Hope it was worth the wait for everyone.
EDIT: Ok, I made another edit. It's not a lot but a reviewer on Wattpad (yeah, I know) pointed out how the elves could've used transportation magic. And to their credit, they actually made that point. So now we have a little update sometime during the kidnapping. It's not much but it does avoid a plot hole. Unlike Zack Snyder's disappointing zombie film...
The Brass Keep...
Khorne was pleased by the bloodshed. His power grew upon the carnage wrought on by the Slayer. The spikes on his armour grew sharper with every inch. His throne reaching greater heights with more skulls. And the blood of mortals flooded into his rivers in tsunamis. The rush of power surged like adrenaline to his body. And though his power was not enough to overbalance the other Gods - knowing the Slayer's absorption powers -, Khorne was satisfied by the Great Slayer's willpower.
"I have made a wonderful investment." He reflected. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed the greatest of his Bloodthirsters flying towards him. The greater daemon landed and bowed before his creator. The Brass Lord's eyes gazed upon the kneeling daemon, smouldering in irritation at his interruption.
"Ka'Bandha."
"Master." Greeted the Bloodthirster, respectfully. "Forgive my presence. The other Gods have sent emissaries to your fortress. They have called for an urgent meeting. One concerning the matter of this world."
Khorne raised a brow and snorted at the request.
"Tell them it can wait. My interests are elsewhere. I will not be bothered with another of their hysteria."
"But master..." Ka'Bandha insisted, risking the ire of his lord. "They say a great evil is returning. In the lands of the Cursed Pit."
"The Cursed Pit? But that place has been-" Khorne stopped amidst the mention before turning to the Greater Daemon, erupting in fury and terror.
"WHAAAAT?!" Screamed the Blood God, the blood from the rivers boiled and his throne's skulls rattling under the heavyweight and fear as he spoke in umbrage. "BY WHO?!"
"Servants of the Great Necromancer are gathering and await for his resurrection there. The other gods await you, lord."
Khorne fumed and grew tempestuous. The return of the Lord of Death spelt doom for the world. Both for the mortals and the Immaterium. The god stood up from his throne and marched his way out of his fortress.
"I shall take my leave here, Ka'Bandha." Khorne stated. "I will attend this meeting alone."
"By your will, Lord." The bloodthirsters stood aside and allowed the Lord of Brass to leave, his steps creating quakes as he stomped his way. Fear was not an emotion Chaos was accustomed to. Only two things can cause them to their attention. The Doom Slayer... and Nagash.
Har Ganeth...
"Get the mounts ready! Put your backs into it!" Howled Hellebron. The druchii reined in their beasts of burden to the forefront of the gates straight towards Naggarond. They could only go gather as many mounts from what limited stables they had left. Alith, meanwhile, called in his forces outside the gates to enter. After much displeasure and grief from his men, Alith was able to rein them in though barely in the presence of the fanatic followers of Khaine. Both sides had kept their distance since then.
As for where Doom Slayer was in of all this, he returned to the bay to sweep up the remaining forces of Chaos. The carnage he wrought on his foes was swift and brutal. The warriors of Chaos stood no chance against the onslaught of the Hellwalker and his plethora of weapons at his side. He rained down upon them with fire and fury like a maelstrom of metal. It would have taken the elves of Naggaroth months fending off the followers of the Dark Gods.
Now, it took only but a scant few hours to drive them off the shores of Har Ganeth with Doom Slayer on their side. Many of the witches who have fought alongside (albeit unwillingly) were awestruck by the full might of him in action. At the same, they are severely disappointed that they could not get as many sacrifices to Khaine with Doom Slayer taking the lion's share. They still prayed to their god for giving them strength to fight the barbarians of the Chaos Wastes.
As the fight continued, Hayden analyzed the energy expelled from the daemons since landfall. Since the first encounter, Hayden had been conducting his own little research while fighting in the background. A great sense of fear washed over the doctor. This Chaos energy had too many similarities to Argent energy. He had already imagined the process of such a thing came to be. A process that he would never allow being repeated like in Nekravol. And thanks to his extensive work and development with the Crucible as a conductor, Earth no longer needed to use the insidious sources that corrupted Urdak and the Maykrs through synthetic Argent. Or as many within his faculty would like to dub: Neo-Argent.
Still, the fact that these daemons have long since been split apart from the great body of Hell painted a very big picture. The question is: why had this "Chaos" not been seen amongst the legions of Hell? Sacred texts and unburied codices from Argent D'Nur showed no passages of their appearance. It's as if they had simply never existed. Or worse, they did... but the relations between Chaos and Hell had long since been abandoned.
It appears time has passed much drastically since his inception to Earth. Time will tell if Hell and Chaos will have any ever reunite. Or destroy one another.
"Hayden? Do you hear me?" Hayden's thoughts were interrupted as Alith radioed in his earpiece.
"Yes, Alith? How may I be of service?"
"Preparations are soon complete. How goes the bay sweep?"
Hayden observed through the Slayer's helm just as a marauder found himself pleading for mercy before Doom Slayer drove an axe straight into the centre of his face before being pulled out, leaving behind a split head wound.
"Currently, a festivity for the Slayer," Hayden stated. The remark made Doom Slayer smirk before hefting the axe and decapitating a rabid berserker hurling himself towards him.
"But in great spirits, the invasion is being routed as we speak. We'll possibly be finished. Faster probably if the elves manage to keep. Despite the current company, that is."
Alith understood and sympathized.
"Still, Hayden, once this is done, we'll be back to our usual business. I'd rather not spend too much time here in this Khaine-forsaken land. Alas, be prepared to leave. And get rid of those barbarians as fast as possible. I'd rather not be living with a den of wolves any longer."
"Copy that."
Hayden cut off the transmission just as Doom Slayer punched his wrist blade through the helmet of a Chaos champion. Disconnected, Alith returned to overseeing the preparation. Observe from afar, he scanned around before locking eyes with the Crone. The woman returned a withering look. Alith simply stared coldly in kind before drifting off elsewhere. For him, it was a surprise alliance but a very short-lived one. Only the timing of when the broken truce will happen mattered more. Alith drifted elsewhere to work with his own kin.
As she watched the Shadow King vanish from her sight, cold contempt gripped her heart. She was regretting the pact already. The fact that they saved her entire city means next to nothing since they were Asur. Getting rid of them would have been her top priority were it not for the presence of the brute known as Doom Slayer. The moment she felt the dread growing from him, bets were off she would never be alive was it not for her quick thinking and proposal for a ceasefire between the two. She was certain that she did not show fear as soon as she saw the giant immediately backed off. Although part of it was out of respect for saving her, the truce would cease sometime before the ruse was finally in shambles. And she needed to be a step ahead of the giant and that conniving asur bastard known as Alith Anar.
The Crone walked away to rid her eyes of that blighted prince. A detachment druchii took notice of her and made way for their queen. The woman gave them every bit of scorn and malice whilst they looked down to avoid locking eyes with her. The group departed after and resumed their duty whilst Hellebron made her towards an alley.
The narrow path had long since been unused and abandoned even before the siege. Rarely had it been populated with any sort of life save for scheming nobles, assassins, and vagrants; the latter of which Hellebron made sure was taken care of.
Now, though, the alley was vacant with two figures. The crone herself. And a khainite assassin.
The shadowy figure approached from the darkness. Hellebron was weary of the figure, placing a hand on the pommel of her sword.
"Halt." She called out. The assassin stopped immediately. The Crone relaxed slightly as she noticed the slight shudder and apprehension in his body language. He was no Shadowblade for sure. If it was, his posture would've been courteous and unflinching.
"Step forward." She commanded again. The assassin eased himself but cautiously moved forward; kneeling before the slender figure of the High Priestess.
"Mistress." He spoke.
"Rise, servant of Khaine. I will not have you wasting time prostrating yourself before me. What can you tell me of the rogue Shadowblade?"
"Nowhere, I'm afraid." Answered the assassin. "We have searched far and wide, my lady. It appears Shadowblade has escaped during the chaos. No trace of him is left in this city. He... might be out of our reach."
A low growl escaped from Hellebron's throat. A single drop of sweat rolled down the assassin's forehead, which thankfully was obscured by his hood. Still, the sound of displeasure was enough to raise his anxiety a bit.
"Damn fiend." She cursed to herself, looking back to the assassin. "You have served enough. Moving on, what can you tell me about this...'Doom Slayer' that the Asur have brought with them?"
The assassin looked nervously at the Crone, carefully choosing the words to not invoke her wrath. "If I may speak... freely. The man you speak of is... how shall I put it... a monster. A terrifying beast clad in iron. I have witnessed briefly his power against the invaders and those few moments were enough for my eyes. The fury of our witches was nothing compared to his might. He fights with weapons, not unlike the muskets those humans wield in the Old World. Yet they spew unlimited fire and hate upon the flesh of our enemies. It is as if our Lord had been given mortal form and used all of his power to batter down the forces of Chaos. I have even heard rumours amongst our kin that perhaps he is indeed Khaine himself."
Hellebron's eye twitched at the blasphemous statement. Her temper had been fuming like a tea kettle above a fire. The assassin bit his tongue and realized he might have spilled too much. The crone slowly raised a hand towards the hooded elf. The assassin preemptively anticipated his death before the hand landed towards his shoulders.
"You have... done well." She vaguely praised. "I have had enough news for this day."
The assassin felt relieved before Hellebron closed in towards his ear and whispered, "You will find the ones who are spreading ill of Khaine. Bring me their tongues and the ears of those who believe in them. All shall know better to speak such slander."
Hellebron let go after, pulling herself to see the shock in his eyes. The assassin's eyes spoke of fright and worry at the command.
"You can keep yours intact." She corrected. The assassin was relieved to hear and bowed to her, before hurrying into the shadows at her behest. Hellebron walked away from the alley. She thought of killing the messenger but he would do better to collect what was requested of her. Besides, an assassin was an invaluable asset to her regime. Hellebron made her way before the gates. The eyes of her many sisters and executioners laid her way. Fear and respect emanated from them, for Hellebron basked in that glory. Not Malekith. Nor that whore-mother of his. Morathi.
Her hate boiled and simmered within her for that bitch. She could not forgive the woman for all the humiliating times she had to undergo. Her youth, especially, was the final brand of Morathi's plights. She could feel her beauty fading every single moment. No matter how many sacrifices were spilled to fill the blood cauldrons, the passages of time would reduce her beauty within days. Less even. She could feel the wrinkles creeping up under her mask. The others have thankfully not noticed but she needed to hurry. She spilled enough for at least a week, possibly. More than excessive even on the yearly Death Night.
The other elves thankfully gave her plenty of space to avoid being at the sharp end of her blades. The walk towards the gates had been mercifully short. Magnificent as they were, the sight was made repulsive as she spotted Alith with his small army preparing the journey. Herds of horses had gathered amongst this journey; each owned by the Asur. Hellebron begrudgingly admitted that they were beautiful the moment they graced her city. They were more magnificent than her people's flesh-eating and highly temperamental steeds.
A lieutenant of his spotted her and beckoned him to turn. The Shadow King was not at all pleased to see her again.
"Hellebron." He curtly greeted. "What has spurred you to come approaching me? I thought your ilk disliked approaching an Asur without the urge to murder us."
"Don't get wise on me, prince!" Snapped Hellebron. "I may have been lenient but that does not mean you may be off so easily. I am only letting you this one chance not only because your sellsword saved me but I also want payback from Malekith."
"Of course. I'm sure that doesn't conflict with our actual purpose." Alith sarcastically said, rolling his eyes.
"If your 'mission' doesn't pan out, then we'll take my approach."
"I've already counted on that. Though, I expect the Slayer to be a much better chap." Alith replied.
"Yes. Your sellsword, as I've heard." Hellebron reluctantly agreed. "What was his name? Hayden, was it? He is... impressive."
Alith cocked an eyebrow by her 'praises'. "I didn't exactly need your approval but you can tell him yourself."
Alith looked off to the distance and smirked as he noticed his armoured friend reappear. "Speak of the devil."
Hellebron turned to see the Slayer approach, drenched in gore. The cold winds of Naggaroth appeared to have dried the blood on his armor quickly. He did not at all appeared phased by the blood staining it. In fact, seemed rather at peace, she thought. The cold, blank stare greeted them before a booming voice broke the silence.
"The invaders have fled." Hayden announced. "They won't be coming anytime soon."
"Delighted to hear, Slayer." Praised Alith. "Now let's start packing things quicker now. This invasion was a lot more difficult than I had expected."
Doom Slayer nodded and walked alongside the Nagarythe prince. Hellebron, however, wasn't done.
"Halt!" She ordered, causing the two to stop and turn.
"I am not quite done here." She said. "I would like something returned to me. From you, Slayer."
Doom Slayer stared blankly back at the Crone Queen. His brow lowered, none at all interested in what she had to say.
"The sword." She demanded. "I would like it returned. It is a symbol of my executioners, my city, and my rule. And I would not have it be parted so easily. Lest you renege on our pact."
Hellebron's seeming demand aroused tension again. There was no hiding behind minced words. There was a clear message. A threat. Silence was but a fleeting moment between the three. Alith was well-prepared for another throwdown and Hellebron was ready to return the favour. Doom Slayer was smouldering under his helmet. This bitch was getting on his nerves. He stood there, contemplating the thought of killing and moving. Few seconds of intense dread-induced staring later, Doom Slayer simply shrugged and let the whole thing slide. Any other moment would've had him placing the barrel of his shotgun into her head. But a sword? Easy enough to agree to.
The sword appeared in his hands and returned it much to the two's surprise. Hellebron, especially, was stunned at the gesture and immediately backpedalled on her words. But before she could unhand him, Doom Slayer slightly took his helmet off. Just enough to for his jaw exposed. Before spitting on the handle and dropping it to the floor in front of the crone. Hellebron was in umbrage at the blatant defilement but the roaring dread inspired by him made her grit her teeth and bite back her exploding temper. Alith was worried, amused, and relieved in a mix of emotions as he witnessed the Slayer's boldness and Hellebron's eye twitch with odd restraint.
"I...will let this slide...further." Hellebron admitted. "But that will be the last offence you will make in my presence."
Doom Slayer visibly smirked before putting his helmet back on. Hellebron called in a servant of hers to come forth and take the blade from the ground. The witch subordinate hid her disgust well as she touched the mucus on the blade handle, likely to avoid being in Hellebron's wrath. The weapon was carried off after.
"Well since that is settled, perhaps we should be moving on and-" Alith was interrupted by a loud hissing screech as a couple of beastmasters reined some of their mounts from the stables. A cold one - noticeably larger than its brethren - let itself loose from its harness and began thrashing; attacking its cruel masters. Dreadspears surrounded the reptilian mount as it snarled and bared tooth and claw.
Hellebron grew angry and yelled, "Get that beast under control! Kill it if you must!"
The druchii obeyed and thrust their spears toward the bipedal reptile, backing it into a corner. Alith and Hellebron were content to ignore but Doom Slayer quickly walked over to the mount. He shoved one of the dreadspears aside as he got closer and became the center of attention. The cold one registered Doom Slayer's appearance and snarled at him. Doom Slayer remained unmoved and unphased by the creature's defensive nature and simply stared it down. Eye contact was maintained between the two, completely uninterrupted. None of the dreadspears deigned to move, keeping their spears aimed towards the reptile. Hellebron and Alith watched curiously as Doom Slayer cast his shadow over the cold one. The mount looked upon him, intimidated by Doom Slayer despite having no weapons on him. His instincts urged him to attack yet something else told it to hold in its primal urges. Such an attack would bring its demise, it thought. Its hesitance signalled weakness. And its masters saw that as proof of submission.
Not long after, the nauglir made a low hiss similar to a whine; bowing its head in defeat. Doom Slayer relaxed and approached the cold one. His hand cascaded over its hide, more out of respect than fear and pain, before mounting on top of it. The sight of Doom Slayer riding on top of the nauglir inspired shock and awe. The two leaders of their respective companies - Hellebron and Alith - watched on in surprise at the Slayer's handling.
"Your sellsword... certainly has a way of using language." Hellebron admitted. "With or without words."
"Indeed." Agreed Alith.
Hours later, outside of Har Ganeth...
The gates to Har Ganeth opened up again and out came the pointy ears. The red beady eyes stared hatefully at the elves that poured out from the safety of their stinking walls. Krikzuz's saw hundreds of riders venturing off to the east. More likely to head to another one of the fortresses there. He remembered seeing the spiky boys from the North came crashing down like an avalanche at those damn elves. He began to smile sadistically at the thought of revenge; his crooked teeth exposed to the harsh cold.
"Looks like dem pointy earz are on da move." Krikzuz observed. "Means me and da boyz should make good work of 'em. Sum good ol' payback for giving us 'em whiplash."
The goblin warboss got up from his snow hovel and marched towards his mount. A squig of abnormal size. Evolved and bred to the cold lands of Naggaroth. Its natural red skin was replaced with albino qualities to naturally camouflage against it the environment. Its teeth had been replaced with tusks at the underjaw, repurposed to impale and gore its way through prey. It resembled more of a boar than some monstrous seal.
The seal squig looked to its rider and began licking his face affectionately. The goblin was disgusted.
"Oi! Quit slobbering me! Save that for 'em pointy earz!" Krukziz protested. "Looks like meats back on the menu for you!"
The goblin rode on top of the squig and hurried to his clan. The elves would rue the day they made slaves out of the Broken Chainz Clan. And they will soon taste the whip that they were so fond of.*
World's Edge Mountains...
"Finally! I can't wait to see the mountains!" Aliathra said cheerfully as she looked outside of her carriage. The mighty mountain homes of the dwarfs were within her sight and she was eager to learn the history and culture of the Dawi. Accompanying her was not just the Asur from back home, but the dwarfen emissaries sent by High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer.
From the Asur numbers, three hundred and fifty of the Lothern Sea Guard, one hundred Sisters of Averlorn, sixty of the Handmaidens of the Everqueen - handpicked by Alarielle herself -, twenty swordmasters and six mages of Hoeth accompanied the Everchild.
And from the Dawi numbers; six hundred Ironbreakers and Irondrakes, three hundred Quarellers, two hundred Thunderers, one hundred Gyrocopters and Gyrobombers, and fifty Rangers joined the elves as requested by Thorgrim. The dwarf numbers were quite... an eyesore for the elves. But for Aliathra, it was a majestic sight to behold.
Before, the relationship between the two races had always been bitter since the War of Vengeance until now. Aliathra had an odd fascination with the short but stout mountain-folk, much to her family's dismay. Of course, the same could be said for the Dawi but the High King was eager to hear her interests as well. This was the first sign of restoring the relations between the two and a way to end historical grievances.
A dwarf - gruff with a graying beard and receding hair - glanced at her with a grandfatherly smile just outside her window.
"Nay lass." Corrected the dwarf, who Aliathra came to know as Traudin Stonebrow by his name. "We're far from arriving sooner. But I can assure you that once we get there, the halls of Karaz-a-Karak will be filled with my fellow Dawi welcoming you! Most especially the High King! That I can assure you!"
The way the gruff dwarf said with pride emitted a glowing smile to Aliathra's lips. Traudin was one of the many dawi entrusted by Thorgrim to personally escort her. He was a Longbeard. Oldest dwarfs even amongst their kin. And his beard was proof of that. So long in length that it was braided in complex knots to avoid tripping, in and out of battle. Traudin, however, was unlike his dour equivalents for he was jolly and quite a storyteller. Aliathra could never get enough of the stories he spoke as they rode along. Her personal guards looked at him in disapproval, but Aliathra handwaved them and told them to relax.
The Everchild sat back in the safety of her carriage. Two handmaidens sat across her but carefully watched their surroundings; their eyes and ears ever vigilant. Aliathra rolled her by their tight security.
"You know you two could just relax? We already have several guards on patrol outside." She bemoaned.
"Even with them outside, your safety is our top priority." One of them responded. "And both the Everqueen and Prince Tyrion have requested of us to keep you within our protection."
"Right..." Aliathra muttered. She could never forget the cold deathly stare her mother had given her. The Everqueen never raised her voice when angered, which was terrifying as it was for the Child. Aliathra slumped back at her cushy seat, looking out to watch the scenery with each travel.
"I wonder what Doom Slayer's doing..." She pondered. "I hope his quest is doing well. He probably found his Doom by now... wait. He's human! He can't be a slayer of dwarfen origins! And why hunt down 'Doom' for that reason?"
The man was still an enigma and curiosity for her. Even after all that tea-time conversation, there were a lot more questions than answers. After that, she overheard the conversation about the raid the day after. Her impulsive curiosity got the better of her and she snuck into the destroyed village that morning. It got her nowhere and she was caught by the Slayer. Although, she did make a mental note to never cross him again. There was... a sense of dread around him. It came to the point where she choked the air, however brief it was.
"Just what are you, Slayer?" She wondered, placing a curled finger against her lip.
"Lady Aliathra?"
"Hmm?" Aliathra responded by a Handmaiden calling her, breaking her thoughts.
"Are you alright? You seemed troubled." She asked the Everchild.
"I'm alright." Aliathra brushed off. "Just going through some introspection. Nothing really."
"If you insist, Everchild." The maiden said, face still stoic. "If you're not feeling well, we can always stop. Just give the word at any time."
"I will," Aliathra answered, before viewing the scene outside. Althena rattled in her cage, causing the Everchild to look upon her.
"What's wrong, Althie?" She said pulling out the rabbit from her cage, cradling Althena in her arms and rubbing her back to calm her down. "You seem excited, aren't you? Don't worry, you'll settle in our new home quite well."
As Aliathra gushed for her rabbit, one of the Handmaidens couldn't help but smile at the loving adoration for the small pet.
The carriage stopped in its tracks abruptly, however, much to Aliathra's surprise. Curiosity and concern bloomed in her mind. The Handmaidens as well shared her concerns, though they were far more alert and readied their weapons. Aliathra peeked outside and called out for the dwarf next to her.
"Traudin? Is everything alright?" She asked.
"It's probably nothing, lass." Traudin assured her. "Just a minor occurrence at the front, mayhaps. Probably some grobi nearby. Be back in one moment."
The dwarf marched towards the front to investigate. Aliathra looked to where the dwarf sat back tightly, leaving the profession to the guards and dwarfs. If anything, she was well-protected in her spot. The Everchild placed her rabbit back in her cage for safekeeping. Seconds passed, with no word from the dwarfs. The natural sounds outside were unnervingly silent. Not a sound of birds singing even. One of the handmaidens eventually stood up and made her way outside of the carriage.
"Atara, stay with the Everchild. I will inquire about this abrupt stop. I pray that the dwarfs aren't up to something..." The handmaiden ordered.
"Take care, Avarla." The other maiden said. The door closed after, leaving the Everchild and the maiden to themselves. Aliathra placed Althena back in her cage for safety before twirling her hair around her fingers to distract herself. In her heart, she felt a pang of anxiety slowly filling her. Atara could see the worried look on her ward's face and did her best to calm her.
Hell - Disturbed
"Do not worry yourself, Everchild." Atara reassured. "We are here with you for a reason. I will not let anyone come near you while I still stand."
"R-right." Aliathra spoke in a worried tone. Seconds turned into minutes before a sound broke the silence.
A scream. Followed by another. Then came the sound of steel being unsheathed, followed by fighting. Yet, none stood out more than an inhuman roar. Aliathra's anxiety and turned to panic as the carriage rocked and swayed violently. Atara placed an arm against her chest and pulled out her blade.
"Stay with me!" Atara told her, even as the battle outside raged on. Suddenly, the door to the carriage opened wide to reveal a horrifying creature. It crouched on its hind legs yet there was no mistake of its stance. Its hide was brown with spikes protruding its back. Its red eyes glowed with malevolence as the creature stared at the two; teeth revealed in a sadistic permanent grin. The thing stared at the two hungrily, before fixating its eyes on its newfound target.
The Everchild.
(0:29)
The creature made a low hiss before it pounced towards the two. Atara was ready to strike before someone pulled the abomination aside. Traudin appeared and wrestled it to the ground and driving his axe into its head. The thing went limp as its skull was caved in. Traudin wrenched his axe and stared at the two. His eyes were bloodshot and his armour was covered in blood; his expressions that of horror.
"Come on, Elgi! It's not safe in there!" Traudin yelled out, reaching out his hand. Aliathra was the first and grabbed it before being pulled out followed by Atara.
Aliathra stopped and turned back. "Wait! My rabbit!"
Atara looked back but was too late as the carriage was flipped over. The one responsible was revealed to be some uglier and larger version of a squig; snarling and squealing like some daemonic boar. Aliathra screamed for her beloved pet, causing the pig-like beast to turn its attention to her.
It bull-rushed towards her but found itself in the sharp end of Atara's spear as she thrust it into its gnarly mouth. The spear tip exited through its back; the pig daemon struggling with a wet gurgling noise before succumbing to its wounds.
Aliathra voiced her distress, tears running down her face. "Althena!"
"There is no time, my Lady!" Voiced Atara. "It's not safe here!"
Atara guided the Everchild alongside the Longbeard. As Aliathra gathered herself, she now took in the horrible scene of battle before. Swarms of the gangly daemons appeared and attacked the guards. Ironbreakers remained stalwart and resolute as they braced the furious slashes and bites while hefting their axes and spewing alchemical from their Drakeguns against the monstrous torrent while Thunderers and Quarellers shot in volleys behind their Gromril-armored brethren. Above, Gyrocopters shot from above and hit with heavy ordnance as Aliathra witnessed explosions. The small humanoid creatures took to firing at the skies; some landing direct hits at the gyrocopters.
On the Asur's side, the Handmaidens appeared and stood closely to Aliathra's side, while the Lothern Sea Guard and Averlorn Sisters made their stand; defending the Everchild in a shield wall and mystical bolts. Mages bombarded the creatures with Aqshy, Hysh and High Magic while the swordmasters gracefully shielded them with masterful strokes of their infamous swords. The monsters were scorched and decimated by the Winds of Magic.
Initially, it seemed as if the creatures were no different from the greenskins or the beastmen from what she had been taught during her tutelage. Their tactics were nothing more than swarming in with numbers. Yet, the combined efforts of the two ancient races proved themselves to be formidable despite overwhelming odds.
"Protect the Everchild!" Atara called out to her sisters and brothers. "She must reach the stronghold!"
The Asur fought fiercely with blade and magic. Traudin, likewise, roared his own in Khazalid.
"Avenge every kinsmen with twenty more of these wazzocks! For each of them is a grudge settled by Grimnir's Axe!"
"Khazukan Kazakit-HA!" Roared the dwarfs. Fought, the elves and dwarfs bravely did.
Yet the worse had come in new forms of the unknown monsters. More of the pig daemons appeared and charged through the Ironbreakers with shocking ease. Gromril was a powerful metal and used by the most hardened dwarfen veterans. And to see the legendary dwarfen warriors thrown about like fragile glass shattered her hopes of survival. Soon, other new monstrosities appeared. Hulking, skull-headed beasts charged in and crushed any downed dwarf or elf under their mighty feet. Their appearance gave off the impression of undead creatures from a place called Sylvania from Stonebrow's accounts. Another type of monster came in the form of ogres with cannons mounted - no, grafted she witnessed - onto their forearms and blasted away at the dwarfs. Their fireballs scorched and blasted through their dwarf lines.
The Dawi defenders were losing further numbers, even as dwarfen artillery and asur magic was blasted into the swarm. Suddenly, more gyrocopters were being fired with heavy assault by gangly skeletal creatures launching with cannons on their backs and cyclopean horrors floated and threw skulls from its mouth. Aliathra even witnessed that they were flying towards the gyrocopters and throwing out the pilots. Some were even being torn apart in mid-air; bloody chunks falling into dwarfen casualties.
Aliathra and her company made their way out. Aliathra accidentally fumbled to the floor. She briefly looked and witnessed a horse being grabbed by one of the skull monsters. The creature tore through the equine's underbelly through the flesh with its teeth.
Aliathra screamed but Atara simply covered her eyes. Yet, even she was not immune to the horse's brutal death. The beast looked up, gore still drenching its mouth, and spotted the elves. Traudin stood firm and hefted the axe to swing it in the direction of the charging monster. The axe landed against the skull of it but the beast was unaffected. Traudin struggled as it tried to free itself, thrashing its head around to wrestle the axehead off. A spearhead thrust aimed at the eye ceased its rampage, ending its existence at the hands of the handmaiden. Atara let go of her spear, the tip too deep past the socket to pull out, and pulled out her sword from her side. Traudin wrestled the axe out and turned to Atara with a nod of respect.
"Come on, Elgi! This way!" Traudin yelled. The elves, seeing no other choice, followed him. Aliathra's head was held down to avoid projectiles. Her ears were invaded by the sound of explosions and inhuman screams. The brown creatures were tearing through the elven and dwarfen ranks with tooth and claw. There was only pure malice in their slaughter. Some of Aliathra's guards were jumped and mutilated but the rest fought with increased ferocity and determination. Traudin and his remaining kin acted in wedge formation, while the elves encircled the Everchild.
Soon, a pack of the hunched daemons jumped and came running towards the retreating force. A blurry flash of blue stopped their pursuit, however, and the daemons found themselves severed and sliced away into pieces. The figure turned and revealed herself to be Avala. The maiden approached quickly and helped Aliathra up.
"By Isha, you are both alright!" Spoke Avala. Atara caught up and inquired of the situation.
"Avala! What manner of these creatures are they?!"
"I do not know! But I know they are certainly creatures of Chaos!"Avala answered. "We must evacuate Aliathra immediately!"
"The mages could teleport us! Perhaps we can-" Avala raised her hand and stopped her sister from speaking.
"I'm afraid that option is off the table." Avala interrupted. "Something in the air is interfering with our other means of transport. We are disconnected. Running is our only option."
Atara was ready to protest but the howls grew louder and closer.
"Get Aliathra out of here! I will hold them off with the rest of the Sea Guard and Sisters!"
Atara silently nodded and whisked Aliathra away. Avala turned back and pulled out her enchanted bow. She grabbed a handful of arrows and rapidly shot them into the incoming monsters. Each shot exploded as the bolts landed upon their targets with fatal results, killing three times as within the blast radius.
Atara gathered the remaining elves that were alive. The Sea Guard and half of the Sisters stayed behind willingly to hold off. One mage and six swordmasters joined while the others joined the resistance. And only twenty-six of the handmaidens had survived among their numbers. Atara grimaced at the lives lost in this ambush, but was unyielding and focused on the Everchild's safety.
Traudin called onto his kin as well. Only fifteen rangers, twelve ironbreakers, eight irondrakes, seven quarellers, and twenty thunderers had answered his call. The rest volunteered to stay behind to fight against the tide. Traudin was ready to order them to leave while he stayed but another Longbeard stopped him.
"No, Traudin! We'll handle this! You get the elgi to our High King! And avenge us with a great grudge!"
Traudin opened his mouth but no word came out. He struggled between duty and kin, but his brother-in-arms pushed him towards his oath. Traudin looked to his regiment and lead them alongside the elves.
Aliathra's personal guard - what remained at least - ran down to the ravine. Beyond it was a forested area. The group ran for it and took cover in the thick greenery, retreating into the darkness. Avala turned towards the abominable horde. New creatures came in the form of gargoyle-like creatures. Hunched down and armed with blades at their forearms, they made low hisses and spread their diminutive wings before pouncing. Atara simply planted her spear to the ground before pulling out her bow. She readied her aim and released the arrow to the closest gargoyle in silent fury while the Longbeard gripped his battleaxe and bellowed out a warcry.
Moments later...
The pine trees and grove were thick enough to camouflage their clothing for a brief time. The survivors ran further and further, the terrible screams and cries growing distant. Aliathra felt her legs burning from the running, yet the adrenaline and terror had her ignoring the pain. Her guards helped her keep up, ensuring her safety above all.
The dwarfs were at the front, guiding the asur through the forest. A ranger scouted ahead, having been one of the few remaining to survive the onslaught. The survivors found no rest in the escape. The daemons were in pursuit of them, their monstrous howls and roars echoed the forest from behind. Artillery from both races took shots from behind, diverting the monsters from following with arrows and muskets. The creatures threw back fireballs and spit acid in return. Few of them were hit by the deadly projectiles. Those that did were dead from a direct hit or left screaming before being killed with tooth and claw.
The screams spurred Aliathra to run further. Atara stuck closely to her while the sound of mages summoning Aqshy and Hysh and burned the path behind them. A skull daemon leapt from the fires and pounced on one of the mages, tearing her head and spine from her body effortlessly. Two swordmasters clashed with the hulking daemon and rend its flesh and bones with ease. The duo was soon swarmed by lesser daemons, one being torn to shred while the other fought with valor before succumbing to the onslaught. Irondrakes slowed down and shot their Drakeguns against the tide. Ironbreakers stood with their hammers and axes and crushed any that managed to jump over the defences.
The survivors continued their way downhill. Traudin's voice could be heard from the front, urging the rest to follow.
During the chase, Aliathra saw something in the corner of her eye. A flash of purple light but she could not identify the origins of it. Not a moment too soon, a ranger running in front of them was grabbed by a blur. His head was flattened against a tree. The perpetrator revealed himself as something similar to the brown daemons albeit with a purple color scheme. Its three eyes clustered in a crude triangular shape against a black dome on its forehead. The thing looked back at the elves and chased after them.
"Get down!" Cried Atara. Aliathra ducked while the handmaiden prepared her bow. The gangly daemon leapt and prepared to attack before it vanished from Atara's sight. The handmaiden was briefly surprised before intuition kicked in and spun back to jab the arrow into the reappearing daemon. The arrow exploded with magic inside its skull, showering the Everchild in gore. Aliathra hyperventilated and shuddered from the havoc. What was to be a safe journey became a living nightmare.
"I am so sorry, my lady!" Atara apologized as she pulled up Aliathra. "But we have to keep moving now! I promise that no harm will be done to you while I still stand!"
Aliathra nodded frantically before running again. Muskets and magic exploded around the forest like a cacophony of fireworks. The trees were set ablaze to defer the creatures from going further, only to do nothing. Traudin continued leading what's left of the survivors. Numbers continued to dwindle further as more of the beasts caught up to them. The screams of both Asur and Dawi deafened the once silent forest, terrifying the others.
Traudin looked back and saw Atara and Aliathra behind him. And behind them, a multitude of daemons closing in on the two. Traudin stopped in his tracks and lobbed a hatchet from his belt to throw at one of the daemons. A scream was heard as one landed at the head of his target. Atara and Aliathra looked behind briefly at the Longbeard.
"Traudin!"
"Go now, lasses! Follow my kin! I will hold the line!" Traudin argued. Aliathra wanted to protest but Atara pulled her away. Aliathra's last glimpse of Traudin was him swinging away at the swarm before he was surrounded, screaming to his ancestors and with foul words in his native tongue. The survivors continued running forth until light could be seen further into the distance. They ran and ran until they finally entered the grass plains. Aliathra could see who was ahead of them.
Less than half of her guard managed to survive the escape. The elves were few and the dwarfs even fewer. Not enough to even hold off this massive swarm. The chase was non-stop for them. No rest in sight. Aliathra ran out of breath and stopped briefly. She was ragged and almost prepared to heave her stomach's contents. Atara grabbed her arm to keep moving.
"My lady! Please, we can't stop! We must keep moving!" Cried Atara. Her voice, however, betrayed the desperation she was now showing.
Aliathra panicked and cried. "I want to go home...!"
"And I will make sure that you will!" Atara added. Both elves kept their pace despite their haggardness. The survivors trek through the grass fields until their escape came to an abrupt end.
A great wall of purple fire encircled them. Trapping what little there was of Everchild's personal guard. An Ironbreaker tried to run through the flames but was engulfed by it. The gromril plates did nothing as the dwarf screamed in unending agony. His armor melted into his skin while his flesh roasted and burned away. Aliathra covered her ears to tune out the horrifying sounds. The group stood their ground, encircling Aliathra with their blade, magic and armor. Aliathra held tightly to Atara's waist, while the guards eyed closely at the fire, cautious of the next attack.
"Aliathra, please... stay close to me..." Atara calmly told the Everchild.
Icon of Sin - Doom Eternal OST (start at 1:03)
Suddenly, a path opened in the midst of the fires. In came a being shrouded in an obscuring dark cloak with purple accents. He stood abnormally tall. Too tall even to an elf. His posture was that of superiority over those he considered inferior. His features under his hood, save for the burning violet eyes that glowed furiously under the darkness. Even with the shroud obscuring his identity, there was no denying the raw dark magic emanating from him. The elves could sense and dread the power within.
"Excuse the sudden appearance." He spoke, his voice droning like a sound of locust. Ancient and malevolent. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I planned for a 'welcoming committee'. However, circumstances for the past few days have hastened preparations."
Extending under his heavy sleeves revealed a huge, three-clawed hand. His finger raised directly at the target he was looking for. Aliathra.
"Hand over the girl."
His demands were greeted with steel, magic and guns aimed at him.
Atara retorted back, "The Everchild stays with us, fiend. Whoever you are, you shall not take her!"
The figure lifted his head a bit. As if in amusement.
"Ah, forgive me. Where are my manners?" The stranger rhetorically spoke. His clawed hands reached toward his hood, pulling them down to reveal a head Aliathra could only describe as a skull warped from dark and hellish magic. Crimson colour covered its head, skull pulsating with dark magic and protruding spikes to form a jagged crown all over its exposed brain. His mandibles were filled to the brim with long jagged teeth that would not be out of place in a predator. Eyes burned with great evil and cruelty as he looked upon the survivors with contempt.
"Chaos filth!" A dwarf cursed. The figure simply laughed darkly like a goat bleating with its dying breath.
"Not quite." He answered, glowering with its toothy grin. "I am Aeligor. Archvile of Immora, Grand Duke of Hell, Commander of sixty legions under my Will, and Heresiarch to the Dark Lord Himself. At your service."
The demon tilted his head forward with a mocked bow before straightening himself. "And I am here to collect the girl on behalf of a generous patron."
"Chaos or not..." Atara growled. "You will not take the Everchild while we still stand, aberration!"
What remained of the Irondrakes, Quarrellers, Thunderers, and Sisters of Averlorn took up arms and aimed their weapons at the demon. Rangers, Ironbreakers, Handmaidens and Swordmasters stood guard while the sole mage prepared his spell. The survivors made their last stand in an act of defiance.
And yet for all their bravery and valour, the elder demon was not so impressed.
"A poor choice of words." He said, bemused. "But so be it."
With a raised hand, he summoned forth a terrible being beyond the fires. Heavy footsteps shook the ground with a resounding boom, burning the grass beneath its hooves. It made the warriors quake and almost stumble as the new figure appeared. The beast dwarfed even the Archvile in sheer size and muscles. From top to bottom, its flesh was grey in tone and covered in an obsidian carapace. Red cracks glow visibly against its skin, giving it the appearance of cooled magma. Heat emanated within the demon that not even the runes on the Irondrakes could shield them. Horns protruded from its head like a demonic bull, adding to its already intimidating factor. Its eyes bore through the souls of every single being it made contact with. Hatred consumed it and it let out a horrible low growl.
"The Everchild must be brought unspoiled, Baron. But you may kill the rest." Commanded Aeligor. The Fireborne Baron glanced back at the Archvile with a bestial grin and let out a terrible roar. The surviving knights covered their ears from the horrific sound. Blades made from Hellfire magic extended from its forearms and the Infernal demon charged like a mad bull. Atara pushed Aliathra away and jumped to the side as the demon began to toss and crush through their defences. Ironbreakers and rangers were smashed and thrown about as they met the demon noble head-on. Their gromril was sliced and melted through as the Baron's blades carved through them like parchment. Rangers and swordmasters collided with axe and sword to no avail. One swordmaster was impaled on its horn before another had been grabbed from the leg and flailed him around as a makeshift morning star. Bones cracked and shattered as the swung asur crashed against his brethren and nearby dawi, before being thrown to the ground and squashed violently beneath the demon's hoof soon after. An irondrake doused it in flames but found to his horror that it did nothing to the titanic demon. The demon grabbed him by the waist. The dwarf screamed for ait but the demon bit his head off and spat it into the ground before tossing the body against another. The bolts and bullets of the thunderers and quarellers were useless against the impervious hide.
Averlorn Sisters and handmaidens, on the other hand, shot rains of magic against its tough hide with better results. The sole mage summoned forth Phoenix Fires and blasted against the demon's skin, stripping the flesh further. The Baron's upper left shoulder and arm found themselves stripped of its hide and one horn broken, showing patches of flesh exposed. Though, it was less flesh and more like molten lava that poured out from its wounds. The Hell Noble, initially perceiving itself as invincible, grew enraged at the wounds it received. It crossed both arms and unleashed a wave of Hellfire towards the archers and gunners. Few jumped back as the Hellfire energy tore through the lines and vivisected through their bodies. The baron quickly grabbed the closest sister and clamped down her waist with its teeth. The woman shrieked as her organs were not only being ripped apart but cooked against the demon's heated breath. Her suffering ended as the Baron ripped her in half by her limbs. He threw both waist and chest to the nearest targets before gleefully continuing its senseless butchering.
Aliathra watched helplessly and screamed as the monster slaughtered her guards, too paralyzed to move or do anything. Suddenly a dome of dark magic shielded her from the Baron's carnage. Seeing this, Aliathra stood up and slammed her fists against the shield, desperately calling for help. Atara looked up and saw the carnage unfold. So few of her sisters and brothers were left standing as did the dawi as they tried desperately to kill the creature, before turning to see Aliathra trapped in the spell dome.
The sole mage took notice as well and tried to dispel but was consumed by purple fire. Aeligor had eyed the mage from the start and burnt him to the crisp without remorse. Atara looked to the Archvile and pulled out her bow. She knew he was the one responsible for this trap and readied herself. She nocked the magical arrow and let it loose towards the sorcerer. The magic arrow reached him but was stopped by a third arm completely unknown to her. He stared at the perpetrator and wiggled at claw at her in mocking disapproval; clicking his tongue to accentuate it.
Frustrated at her efforts being foiled, Atara decided to get physical and pulled out her short sword and approached him. Suddenly, a shadow eclipsed her. Atara looked up to see the Hell Noble jumping before with the intent to crush her with his meaty fists. In those split seconds of survival, her legs moved and jumped forward on their own, avoiding her a costly death. She rolled away after as the demon's blade sank into the soil from where she would have been impaled. Soil flew into the air as the Baron continued its assault at the handmaiden. So close to its blade that it singed her hair and skin. Atara knew that her blade would do nothing compared to the Hell Baron's, but damned if she was going to submit to the demon's demands.
She ducked underneath the demon's legs, confusing it temporarily to have it be blinded by the last of her sisters' bows and dawi guns. The demon lobbed a fireball at the last surviving sisters, exploding upon impact and killing them. The dawi were of hardened build but even they were remotely able to do much. The last two swordmasters, another Averlorn sister, and a couple of rangers joined Atara in a futile bid to end the battle.
The baron's eyes gleamed with pure predatorial delight in killing the last resistance for the Archvile. However, a flicker of light caught one of its eyes before it painfully struck its eye. The demon screamed and clutched onto its eye while the survivors and Aeligor looked in surprise before someone jumped from the flames.
"WAZZOCK!" Cried the dwarf. "I AIN'T DONE WITH YOU YET! I STILL HAVE A TALLY TO COUNT WITH YOUR NAME ON IT! ON GRIMNIR'S AXE!"
Aliathra felt a surge of hope as she recognized the dwarf to be none other than Traudin Stonebrow. His gromril armour had been scratched and carved to the point of near destruction while his face had been mangled by the countless imps that ambushed him. One side of his face had been burned by gargoyle acid, with an eye missing from its socket as well. Yet his remaining eye showed great wrath and fury at the monsters responsible for the attack while tearfully look at the bodies of both his kin and the elves.
He let out a terrible battle cry and hurled himself at the Baron. The demon snarled but was thrown to the ground with a rage-fuelled dwarf pummelling with fists so hard that Grimnir would be proud to behold. Traudin unleashed all of his anger on the downed demon, knocking out some of its teeth. The demon stood up quickly and tried to throw the dwarf off only to be grabbed by the horns and be beaten continuously by the angry dwarf. The demon thrashed around and flung its blades wildly to kill Traudin. Atara and the others jumped out of the way and avoided the clumsy blows.
Aeligor grew frustrated with the Baron's incompetence. "Fool! Be done with the damn midget already!"
Atara snapped her attention and focused on the archvile. She raised her sword and yelled, "Kill the sorcerer! Ending his life will banish the daemon!"
Alerted by this, the archvile groaned as the handmaiden lead the remaining soldiers to her.
"Fine." He bemoaned. "I will parley with you."
The Archvile brought forth an extra pair of arms and ignited his clothing. Aliathra watched the fire consumed the cloth until all that remained was the gauntly powerful build of the Heresiarch much to the horror of everyone. His body possessed power in its deeply twisted parody of a skeletal body. The crown on his forehead and back shot out with large spikes growing out. His clawed hands extended while the lower arms conjured Hellfire blades. Behind him, a prehensile tail tipped with a blade at the end of it whisked around, ready to kill. The elder demon pounced and engaged with Atara and her allies.
The swordmasters and rangers hew their greatswords and axes with all of their experience and training yet the archvile parried and deflected with abnormal grace. He fought like a whirlwind with Death as his chosen partner. Claws caught and slashed through the chest of a swordmaster, disembowelling him before his guts were thrown in the face of a ranger, impaled through the skull with an energy blade after. Atara and her sister released their arrows at the demon. Aeligor caught them in one hand, impaling the last ranger with his tail before motioning himself in an arc and throwing their magic back at them. The arrows, now corrupted, formed into javelins of dark energy and sought out their targets. Atara managed to duck in time but her sister was not so lucky. Both javelins impaled through her head and abdomen before exploding in gore. Atara despaired and turned back to see her last ally screaming as Aeligor grabbed his head with lower hands and melted through his helmet with Hell magic. The asur made gurgling noises before dying and being tossed aside, his head now melted with the helmet still on. She looked to the side and saw Traudin still throwing heavy fists down upon the Hell noble until Aeligor shot out a blast of lightning from his hand and shot him into the ground. Black tendrils soon erupted and held the dwarf down, who struggled the overpowering entanglement.
The demon noble gave out a sigh of relief, given rest from the enduring beatdown before growling at his humiliating duel. The baron pulled the axe out of its eye, fireblood pouring out and burning the soil beneath it. The demon stood and prepared to finish off its attacker until Aeligor stopped with a raised hand.
"Stay your hand." Said Aeligor, displeasure seeping through his voice. "My disappointment with you is beyond measure. For now, sit."
The baron gave out a whine before it lowered itself to the ground as ordered. The archvile turned his head to the last surviving guard. Despite her allies now dead, Atara still clung to her sword and courage to meet the demon. Aliathra continued desperately banging against her prison, while Traudin screamed at the demons with insults. Tendrils soon covered his mouth to shut him to Aeligor's respite. The archvile towered over the handmaiden with sheer confidence.
"I admire your determination, elf." Aeligor spoke to Atara. "But that won't be enough to save your precious Everchild. You can't save her. You couldn't save your own kin. Give up, and your death will be painless."
Atara looked to the dome. Aliathra cried out to her and tearfully pleaded to be saved. Atara was demoralized and diminished. All her allies and kin dead around her, the Everchild beyond her reach, and the elder demon looking down upon her with heartless malice. Yet, with all hope seemingly gone, the Handmaiden made one last resort to deny him the pleasure.
"I will not allow her to be taken from with your vile magic!" She spat, holding her sword in a guard. "I will fight with every will, both body and soul to keep her safe from whatever dark master you serve!"
Aeligor listened to her defiance and silently stretched his arms in the air. Hellfire grew and reached higher against the winds at his command, settling back after as he stared down at Atara one final time.
"Prove. Your. Worth." He goaded.
The handmaiden dashed across the field, striking the elder demon only to be deflected and tossed down to the grass. Atara turned to meet the demon again. Steel flashed in a flurry before his eyes, each repelled and parried by an emotionless Aeligor; almost to the point of boredom.
Aeligor kneed her in the stomach. The spike on his knee did not pierce her flesh but the impact took the wind out of her. His lower hands reanimated and met her face with powerful blows. Atara's were lip busted and her face felt swollen from the punches. The demon's dominant hands rose and slammed down against her shoulders, forcing her down until a kick was thrown in her face again.
The demon sent her flying into the corpse of a swordmaster. The handmaiden was bruised and hurt, her crown fallen from her head, but glimpsed at the greatsword in front of her. Grabbing it as she raised herself again, Atara met the two blades together and aimed it towards the Archvile, who looked on with insulting amusement. Atara leapt again, the two blades clashing against the claws of the Heresiarch. The demon held his lower hands back, refraining himself from using magic to delay her death further. Atara swayed to her left as the tail blade aimed for her waist, all the while slashing at him without success.
Aliathra watched intently, looking for signs of hope. Traudin stared through his one eye while listening to the baron laugh behind him as the archvile played around Atara in her duel.
Atara grew haggard and out of breath while the archvile looked down upon her, unphased by tiredness. She dropped both weapons from her hands, signifying her imminent defeat. Seeing her weak and exposed, Aeligos raised his left claw in the air, bringing it down in full force. In a split second, Atara jumped to his left much to his surprise. She grasped onto the greatsword once more, channelling all of her magic into the blade before twirling and cutting it across his cheek. Shock overcame Aeligor, leaving him exposed to impalement through the waist by Atara. The handmaiden pushed the blade through with every ounce of strength left in her. The archvile let out a death cry as he clutched the sword, before falling onto his knees. Atara felt a surge of victory wash over her as the demon lowered his head to death.
A dark laugh escaped from him instead. Atara's joy turned to despair as the archvile raised his head with a wicked grin. Aeligor grabbed her head with a clawed hand and lifted her up in the air. Atara struggled and beat his hand with her fists to go, all the while he pulled the sword out with both of his lower hands, slowly pulling until it exited the wound where it healed instantaneously.
"All of that flash...for a mere scratch?" He said with faint amusement. "Admirable...but pitiful."
A sharp pain ran through Atara by the abdomen while Aliathra screamed in horror as his hell blade pierced through the handmaiden. Traudin wrestled through his restraints, desperately freeing himself to save the girl. Aeligor lowered her to the ground on her two feet.
Lapse - Black Math
"Say your farewells, o noble elf." Aeligor suggested to Atara. The handmaiden slowly turned towards the Everchild. She used what remaining strength left in her and stepped towards Aliathra. She had managed seven steps before falling to the ground. Undeterred, Atara crawled with her bare hands, heaving herself while Aliathra looked on behind her dome with tears running down her cheeks. Aeligor followed behind the crawling elf, with a greatsword still in his grasp. Atara reached out her hand to the Everchild. Aliathra could only press hers against the dome in futility.
"Hope. A pain worse than any wound dealt by a weapon. Be it sword or axe." Aeligor mused. "Makes the despair all the more... sweeter."
The archvile's clawed feet pressed gently over Atara's back. She felt the tip of the greatsword slowly push through the skin on her neck. A sense of calm washed over the dying asur, death's door nearing her.
She looked to Aliathra once again. A great loss of innocence was painted all over the Everchild's face. Too many deaths in only a matter of an hour. Aliathra, in turn, saw acceptance in Atara's pained eyes.
"No..." Aliathra pleaded. "Please..."
With her last breath, Atara whispered, "Be brave... Aliathra..."
The greatsword pushed through Atara's neck. The tip exiting on the other side. Aeligor pulled the sword out, blood pouring from the wound. Atara spat and coughed blood, the light in her eyes fading before Aliathra. The Everchild lowered her head and broke down. The energy dome dissipated, releasing her from prison. Yet, Aliathra lost her will to escape. Traudin again struggled, freeing himself to save her. But the tendrils tightened their grip to ensure he could not fulfill his duty.
Aeligor simply stared at the prostrating form of Aliathra. The final piece had been found. And the ritual will begin.
The archvile cast a sleep spell on the girl; her body limping instantly after. The moment after, Aeligor sniffed the air. A faint scent of rot passing over his acute nose.
Soon after, a great shadow loomed and glided over the field. Aeligor looked above to see the rotting form of a zombie dragon slowly landing on the ground. The undead creature's wings folded and its head lowered as the rider let himself off. The being was once a man, now given undeath to his form. A vampire. Of the von Carstein bloodline. His black armor, twisted with dark magic of this world, was instantly recognizable by its wing adornments and horns on the back. Only the vampire's arms had been left exposed. The archvile turned and bowed respectfully to the bald vampire
"Count Mannfred." Aeligor greeted. "The final sacrifice has been secured. Arkhan will be pleased to hear of this."
"Good..." Mannfred replied delighted by the news, "Thou hast been successful. I saw the fires from great yonder. Hast thou taken care of ending the threat?"
"Close." Aeligor answered. "My scouts are hunting down the last of this little union."
"Excellent. We shall begin thy ritual soon." Mannfred stated, impressed by his guest's resourcefulness. Looking over the demon's shoulder, he witnessed the laying form of Aliathra. There was dried blood on her hair and clothes. The vampire was seemingly annoyed by his honored guest's handling of her.
"Thee hast naught laid a scratch on the maiden, hast thee?"
"I have not, milord." Aeligor denied. "I simply put her to sleep. My minion, however, was a little too rough on the others..."
Both sorcerers cast glares on the Hell baron, who in turn grumbled by their disapproval.
"But I can assure that she is in good health."
"I am hopeful yond thee speaketh the truth." Mannfred growled. The muffled screams of Traudin caught the vampire's attention. Mannfred stared at the frothing dwarf in amusement to the point a chuckle escaped from his throat.
"And what shalt thee doth with him?"
"Nothing to concern yourself, milord." Aeligor assuaged. "I will take care of this dwarf."
"Wonderful." Mannfred soon lifted the Everchild into his arms. "I shalt await thee at Nagashizzar. Shall thee cometh to the fortress?"
"I will accompany you later. But for now..." Aeligor stared at the glaring dwarf. "I have other businesses to attend to."
"If thou insist." Mannfred understood, mounting his beast of burden with Aliathra in tow. "Fare thee well."
The vampire lord took the reins and urged the dragon into flight. The tattered wings spread forth like a legend it once was, before finally taking off. Traudin was forced to watch as the Everchild was whisked away, leaving him with the demons. The Hell noble breathed down on the longbeard's face. The demon's breath felt hotter than Grungni's furnace. The demon's one remaining eye bore into him with a hateful glare.
"Enough." Ordered Aeligor. "You will not kill him. That is your punishment."
The baron stared furiously and growled at the Heresiarch. Aeligor wasn't phased at all, however, he did let out a sigh.
"However... you may break him." Said Aeligor, much to the Baron's relief. The tendrils then positioned the dwarf upward to meet them at his full height. Not long after, the tendrils unravelled from his lips. The dwarf immediately insulted.
"WHEN I GET OUTTA THIS, SORCERER, I'M GONNA SHOVE YOUR ENTIRE BODY UP IN THAT BITCHBOY OF YOURS SO FAR UP ITS ASS, IT'S GONNA BE YOUR NEW MOM!"
Aeligor simply chuckled at the dwarf's barrage of insults lashed out at him.
"My, my. I can see why you dwarfs live underground. You are simply dirty. Both body, soul... and tongue."
"COME CLOSER AND I'LL SHOW HOW REAL DIRTY THE DAWI GET!"
"I'm fine where I am." Aeligor responded. The sound of trees and branches snapping caught the Heresiarch's attention. Approaching from the forests, swarms of imps flooded the scene. And dragging with them were some of Traudin's kin. Running alongside them, Hell Knights carried trophies of Asur heads. Traudin recognized one of them as belonging to Avala. The poor woman must have died horrible based on the terrified look on her face, he thought.
An imp walked on all fours before Aeligor. The demon spoke in an unknown language to the archvile. Aeligor smiled in content and turned to the one-eyed longbeard.
"It appears that these are the last of your company. How convenient..."
Aeligor approached one of the dwarfs and gently grabbed his beard. A Hell Knight restrained the dwarf from further resistance.
"Such finely groomed beards don't you think, Baron?" Aeligor asked rhetorically to the noble. It did not take long for the baron to understand the implication and simply strode upon the dwarfs. Traudin was slowly beginning to understand as well and frantically moved against the tendrils.
The baron grabbed onto the beard and pulled it a bit closer. The dwarf yelped and felt as if his head was about to dislocate. With one claw, the baron pressed into the dwarf's cheek and carved deep into the skin. The dwarf howled in agony by the burning tip cauterizing as the noble demon skinned him of his beard. The other dawi hollered in anguish protest only for the Hell knights and imps to hold them down firmly.
"No! Stop! I beg ye!" Traudin pleaded. "I'm the one you want! Kill me in his stead, you Chaos wretch!"
Aeligor snapped his head back to the longbeard with tumultuous contempt and moved the tendril to muffle him.
"I am not a servant to those false usurpers you speak of! They are beneath me... as it is the God I worship."
The tendrils then went for Traudin's eyelids, forcing the remaining eye open long enough to witness the baron finally rip the beard off the restrained dwarf. The beardless dwarf screamed in horror while the baron held the flayed beard over its head and roared triumphantly, followed by the praise howls of its lesser kin. The dwarf's screams stopped as the Hell knight twisted his neck, killing him.
"Consider this a consolation, baron." Aeligor praised the demon noble. "The old dwarf will die last. Not by your hand, however. His suffering will suffice."
The Heresiarch walked away from the execution, laughing in the distance in triumph before a portal opened and vanished. With his one eye forced open, Traudin suffered a fate no dwarf should ever go through. A scream pierced the air as another dawi was flayed of his beard. The longbeard could not hold back the tears, for a great shame was forced upon him.
The Warp
From the depths of their anarchic realm, the Dark Gods seethed with anger. Hell had returned. The ones who imprisoned them. They had no right to take away what was theirs. This world belonged to Chaos. It was their right to destroy and be liberated from this mortal realm. And to have that right snatched away from them yet again enraged them. A deafening cry escaped their realm and unto their servants. Their warriors raged and slaughtered their way in Kislev and Cathay; their cultists burned down villages and slaughtered the innocent with rabid dogma; the Beastmen of Drakwald turned their sights upon Nagashizzar while rampaging across the countryside.
Beyond their dark realms were the heavens. From there, the Gods of Man, Elves, Dwarfs and even the Horned Rat shuddered from the chilling cry. Only the ork twins laughed in excitement. It was not the laughter of thirsting gods, nor the screams of dying ones, but the roar of anguished titans.
War had come, and mortals will tremble in the face of Chaos... and Hell.
*Yes, they exist. Sorta. So shut up. Thank you Nintendoplayer96v8 for the hard work and research.
Well, there you have it, folks. Hell has finally arrived. And Manlet has to be that motherfucker to ruin the fun.
And say hello to Aeligor. The Face of Evil in future storylines to come. To get a good picture of him, imagine the Heresiarch from Hexen; the updated Genestealer Patriarch from 40k; Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars; and possibly David Xanatos from Gargoyles.
You'll be seeing this asshole a lot.
So yeah, here's two cent of a chapter. I thank you all for the patience. I am really grateful for the people who have been PMing me as I slog through work and college. It's amazing to see some talented on the site contacting me. You guys are the best.
After this one, I'm already in the making of another chapter. Whether it will come anytime soon depends on how much brainfart I have.
On to the Q&A, I will do that possibly sometime on Thursday. I have been exhausted at the end of my job but I am determined to answer questions in the review section. As always, I look forward to everyone's response to keep myself alive and happy.
Thank you and goodnight. :)
Edit 10/17/2022: Decided to change up Aeligor's appearance a bit. Instead of the Mohawk, I've given him a "crown" of horns instead. Collaborations with an artist had been the reason for this change. That is all.
