During my quest for glory and retribution against the foul demons, I was summoned by my fellow (race) for aid against an even darker foe. Initially I refused, I had much work in the region I was currently cleansing. Demons were popping up more than ever and I had to put them all down with my faithful (spears name. But when the request came yet again a few short weeks later, I could not turn them down for things were taking a turn for the worse. They needed the assistance I could provide.
I bid a short farewell to my comrades in arms, informing them that I would make haste back as soon as I was able.
The travel was short, it did not take more than two days to reach our destination. What a treat when I arrived. Demons were running amok left and right. Entire towns had fallen. Cities in ruins. Today was going to be a good day.
Unfortunately we had to ignore the small time demons for the time being. We had a much larger more important target.
We flew over the cities, watching them burn. Watching the unfortunate citizens get torn apart from the foul creatures from the outer planes. It was difficult, such easy targets. It would not take more than 2 minutes to deal with most of them, but time is not something we had. We would come back when we were finished. Whether or not there would be any survivors by then was entirely up the townspeople themselves. Their fate was in their own hands.
I did provide some assistance, however. Dropping some items such as flashing stones, alchemy fires and root bags on the beasts as we flew over did not take away any time, and it distracted some long enough for the people to flee. the best I could do.
Some of the beasts even attempted to give chance. Stupid fools. They could never keep up with the speed and grace of the (race)
We soon reached out quarry. A dark and void of life spot of land and decay in the outskirts of the city. This is where our target lay. Sleeping. Spawning.
The view from above was sickening. What was once a flourishing spot of field, now a desolate void of death. In the center, was a massive demon. It lay there like a malformed queen ant. Its form grotesque and misshapen. It would be my pleasure to put it out of my misery. Out of its many pores crawled smaller, equally horrific demons. Before our eyes we could see them grow. None were quite the same. Some resembled creatures, others formless beasts. the field was full of them. Unfortunately for us, they did not stay in the field. They were spreading out in all directions. Some were even returning, caring their spoils. Animals, Humans, Orks, whatever they could get they filthy appendages on.
We began immediately. Our plan was thought out and we discussed it much on the way here.
First the fires. We flew around the entirety of the field, setting ablaze to the surrounding fields. The dead brush caught quickly. trapping those of the demons unable to fly in a fume of smoke and heat. Some would fall to this, but the main idea of the fire was to keep them all trapped in the ring as we picked them off.
Second, areal bombardment. We flew quickly and with haste over the field, dropping as much as we could over the demons. this would confuse, disorient and slow many of them down. While we were confident in our abilities to take the demons, there happens to be power in numbers, and we would be fools to take them all at once. Some of the flight-capable demons attempted to pursue us, but through the smoke and with our superior fighting capability they were easily dispatched.
The queen remained quiet. Either it was sleeping, almost dead, or did not deem us a threat. whatever it was it did not matter, for it would be dead soon anyway.
Third, precision strikes. as a unit we moved and took out the larger more formidable demons. I say formidable only because they were larger than the other demons, and their hide was protected so that it took multiple strikes to take them down.
Ten minutes had passed since the assault began. The fire was growing scarce.
I am not sure if it was the smoke, the nose, or the smell of burning demon flesh (a horrifically satisfying smell) began to rouse the queen, but it began to move. It was difficult to peg just where one end began, and the other started. Was the spawn coming from its backside, or its mouth? Finding a vital spot on this thing would prove a delightful challenge.
It morphed itself into a standing position, though half of its body still lay on the ground, producing more demons. It would not take long before their numbers would prove a nuisance. Large tendril like legs began spiraling from its body. At least a dozen of them, all as large as we were.
With the threat in the field mostly diminished, we rushed it. charging from all angles, eager to find the sweet spot and deliver the crushing blow. The tendrils did not waste any time and intercepted each one of us in turn. The moved unnaturally, making it difficult to combat against. But nothing I could not handle. It was then I heard the first scream. Aerenial was flanked by two of the tendrils, and one had wrapped itself around him. There was nothing any of us could do but watch as it crushed him like an rotting apple.
We fought on, the tendrils were resilient, we could not get close to deliver and real harm until these were out of our way. they were easy enough to avoid, all they could do were flail around and attempt to slam into us, in a sad hope that they may deliver the same fate to us as they did to Aerenial.
The fight was more tiring than anything. A few of the tendrils managed to sneak in a few solid blows to a few of us, but I held firm, swiftly avoiding them and striking all the while. I did, however, have to keep my defenses up. This was going to be a long fight, and taking any unnecessary damage now would be detrimental.
A few of the tendrils were taken down before the new threat came. More fliers. The queen had not stopped producing demons all this while. Most of them were stuck on the ground, flailing far below us just waiting for one of us to come within claws reach so that it may tear us apart. But for those of them that were flight capable they did not need to wait. They did not possess enough intelligence to attack in any order, they came individually, hastily. Easy to take down, but a nuisance all the same.
This was getting us nowhere. The tendrils were tough, and the minor demons were taking too much time too kill. We all broke off and flew high. Out of the reach of the queen. the smaller demons that followed soon found themselves falling back to the earth as lifeless husks.
We were slowly getting beat up. Nicks and scratches ran over all of us. We decided to try some fly by attacks, cripple the beast. Probe for weakspots, not give it enough time to counter attack.
We dived. First we flew high, any tendrils that tried to get in our way were cut off by one of us as the rest flew onward. Nothing was found up top, just a thick outer shell. We flew high.
And dived again, this time from behind. The fleshy sack that was producing demons looked susceptible to stabbings, but it also looked as if it was mostly made of fat. Not something that would provide enough damage to do any harm.
This time we dived low, breaking from under the demon. This was dangerous, as we were now within striking distance for all of the ground ridden creatures. Between the tendrils, the beasts, and the speed as which we had to travel, it was difficult to gather if there was anything under in which we could attack. But, we saw something. A large patch of pale dead looking skin probably from how the demon had never moved, the skin under it grew weak, thin, dead. It was our best bet.
We broke high and made a plan. Each of us were to attack specific areas. We each had our task. We flew.
Three of us would distract the minor demons. Get them away from the queen.
Three of us would attack the sack, bombing the grotesque holes the demons were crawling out of, killing them while they were fleshlings.
I was tasked along with Aora in attacking its eyes. Blinding the beast. A difficult task as the tendrils would have little to attack but us.
the final two would wait until everything was set, then dive quickly and attack the beasts underside as much as possible while it was distracted. Gutting it from below.
A nod and we were off, with great speed we dived at our targets. Everything was going as planned.
The tendrils prevented us from stabbing the creatures eyes, a shame, but we had fulfilled our objective all the same. Distract its sight.
The two on the rear were tearing the sack apart, as we expected the sack was mostly fatty tissue. It torn easily, foul smelling blood oozed form the cuts, but it was not doing much for real damage. A few of the tendrils broke off and began their way towards them, which gave me an excellent opening. With a steady hand I drove my spear deep into one of the creatures eye holes. One out of the many it had, but still. The entire beast recoiled in pain and the tendrils began a new more vicious attack. I did not have time to remove my spear, so I left it in the demons eye. Playing tag with these tendrils became a game. When an opening made itself clear I would hurl an alchemy fire into one of its eyes, it did not seem to do much to damage it, but it sure as hell pissed it off.
Now was the time. Oerenia and Aenrika Dove for the demons underbelly, nothing was in their way. they attacked viciously, but with the same intelligence only the (race) could achieve. the dead pale flesh cut with ease. It was easy to tell when the first cut hit, the entire demon recoiled and tremored. More than half of the tendrils swiftly went for them, a perfect opening for me. With my bow in hand I unleashed arrow after arrow into one of its eyes.
I could not see what was happening on the underside, but whatever they were doing it was working. The beasts movements slowed as it quivered and began to fall limp.
Over all the demons squeals and cries it was difficult to hear, but the cry was there. Aenrika was entwined, caught by two of the tendrils as the beasts mass began to fall on her.
We did it, it was dead. A glorious victory but at a very high price.
A moments silence would have to wait, there was still much to do.
Over the next week we traveled from town to town, slaying any beasts along the way. It would take some time for these people to get their feet and begin again, but they would manage. Humanoids always do.
That is, if they would stop killing each other.
