Only the Most High Can Save Us Now
Zacharel: +Nearly a week had passed, and my army and I had just managed to make a significant dent in the number of demons we had been sent to face. #Svana had come with her army to assist in our efforts, but she didn't prove to be of much use after all. She stayed for a day and a half, then returned to the heavens for another assignment. Along with her army. We had been alone ever since. Both Elandra and Xerxes had healed from their wounds and were back in fighting form, though I had ordered Koldo to fight by her side for the remainder of the war. She was not to leave his sights. Koldo took on the order all too willingly, as he had shown that he favored her in some ways that I had yet to understand. I had taken it upon myself to keep an eye on both Xerxes and @ThaneWarrior, not knowing how either of the, would handle Xerxes' injury, and wanting to be close by in case they became ruthless in their killings. Though human life was nearly nonexistent in this particular region of Panama, I couldn't chance an innocent getting caught up in the fray.+ We will go in strong, and attack with haste. We have gotten this far, and barring any life-threatening injuries, or heaven forbid, fatalities, this will end. Today.
Thane: -In the past week, #Bjorn and I had barely left #Xerxes’ side. His healing had been slower than I liked, no doubt due to whatever taint the demons’ claws and weapons had carried, but he had recovered. However, each moment of seeing him in pain had only strengthened my resolve to see this battle through and see the demons wiped from existence. Now, today, @ZacharelWarrior hoped that we would be ending our final battle, at least in this region. As much as I wanted to end this threat, I was not looking forward to having to keep all of my urges restrained. No doubt in the weeks ahead I would be more glad than ever for The Downfall. I barely heard @ZacharelWarrior’s words as my mind was focused on the need for vengeance for those who had been hurt. After a few moments, I felt @ZacharelWarrior’s stern gaze on me. I forced myself to concentrate through the lust for battle so that I could recall his words. He expected a swift attack, and a successful one. For once, we were of the same mind. I nodded in response.- We will see it done, O Glorious Leader.
Zacharel: +As I took one last look over my army, I saw that they were worn. Battered. Bruised. Determined. They wanted this to be done with. With a silent nod, I turned and walked out of the house we had taken over for our duration here, and with any luck, after this battle this would be the last time we walked through the doors. The scent of demons permeated the air and assaulted my senses the moment I stepped over the threshold. Even though we had nearly razed the entire squadron down, there was still a small battalion that needed to be dealt with. Projecting my orders through the mental link I had with my army, I ordered half of them to circle around and wait for my word to attack from behind, while I lead the rest for a frontal assault.+ Remember. Only on my word.
Thane: -The fact that @ZacharelWarrior had no mental rebuke for my words told me just how apprehensive he was, even though his face was stoic as ever. And yet, as our forces were split by his orders, I could not help but feel worry of my own. Demons were notoriously duplicitous. What if they had managed to deceive us somehow, hide from us like they had before? With any luck, the Most High would once again be on our side today, and we would eliminate the rest of this threat right now. I could feel the adrenaline fueling my body. My muscles begged to unleash their power, and my fiery sword was only seconds away from being in my hand. I scanned the area along with @ZacharelWarrior, wondering what made him hesitate for giving the command. Our other warriors were surely in place, and stalling was doing nothing for any of us.- It is time. Let us end them.
Zacharel: +My head snapped towards the sound of @ThaneWarrior's voice, my own, silencing him with a hushed command+ On. My. Word. +I couldn't risk sending them in too early. They would be expecting an attack right out of the gate... Let them worry. Question for a while.+ I suggest you all get comfortable. We may be waiting for a while. +I wanted them to sense us, but not know our next move. Patience. Demons may be ruthless, but they are weak. When an attack didn't come, they would start becoming paranoid. Question their actions. Falter in some way. That is when I would give the command. Then and only then.+
Thane: -The glare I sent at @ZacharelWarrior was nearly as sharp as my sword. The fight was inevitable, and by sitting here we were only delaying retribution for every wound struck against us. @ZacharelWarrior might want the demons on edge, but I wanted them impaled on my sword. Nothing less. While the others took his advice and relaxed, I prowled silently through our jungle outpost. I could sense the demons out there, sense the evil coming closer toward us, and my feet longed to carry me forward into battle despite the orders we had been given. What I had expected to be only minutes was stretching into an hour, and the more time that passed, the more comfortable the other warriors became. This was foolish. Demons could descend upon us at any moment, and /we/ would be the ones who had made the mistake. @ZacharelWarrior’s plan was a gamble, but much more was at stake than a mere monetary fortune. I marched back to him and nearly hissed the words.- Is the taint in the air enough for you yet, O Lord of Us? You said we ended this today. Give the order so we can kill them before they kill us.
Zacharel: +The amusement in my tone as I answered @ThaneWarrior surprised me, but it didn't stop me from cocking my head to the side, arching a brow and crossing my arms as I regarded him with as much authority I could muster.+ Patience is the key to ending this today. And you would do well to remember that, Sent One. +Addressing @ThaneWarrior in this way put him on a level playing field like the others under my command. And though it was sure to upset him in the worst way, it was also sure to drive the point home that /he/ is not the one responsible for how things panned out today. That responsibility rested with me. Upon my shoulders. Not his. Should we fail today, I would be the one serving the punishment. Turning my head to the demons below us once again, I noted their change in demeanor. They had become more lackadaisical now. Now was the precise moment we had been waiting for.+ Now. +The command was sent on a whispered order, though no one outside of my army could have heard it. Regardless, both groups moved in on their targets, one ambushing the demons towards the other for slaughter. It would be a bloody battle for certain. But it would be demon blood that would be spilt this day. Nothing else.+
Thane: -The rebuke from @ZacharelWarrior was unnecessary and left me glaring at the ground in front of my feet lest he see the anger in my eyes. He was forbidding us from doing the task he had set forth, and for what? We hungered for battle. We were too close to winning to allow any other outcome, regardless of how long he kept us tethered here. Finally, his command to attack came. Our army split in accordance with his orders, and as we moved in, it was all I could do to maintain any pretense of stealth. As soon as the demons recognized our presence, however, there was no need to be anything less than a vengeful warrior. With a firm grip on my fiery sword, I charged into the fray, slicing through demons that offered little more resistance against my blade than hot butter to a knife. Their blood colored the air around us as their corpses littered the ground. Surely they would see that they could not hope to win. That fear would cost them, would cause them to make even more mistakes, allowing us to cut them down that much easier. My sword whistled through the air as it decapitated yet another demon. All the while my eyes scanned the scene, making sure that no demon escaped our notice or came close enough to attack those who were still recovering from injuries.-
Zacharel: +Screams filled the silence the instant the demons recognized our attack. Though their screams of being unprepared, ambushed and eventually slaughtered was not the focus of my attentions. No, I was focused on each warrior's thoughts and actions as they entered the battle field. There were those who were doing this because their fealty to me had been forced upon them and they were following orders; others felt that they had not other choice but to perform this task I set forth; and others still, who had true intent and purpose behind each action. Those were the ones that proved most beneficial in this battle. Those were the warriors who made their way to the center of the skirmish -armed to the teeth and ready to execute what they had set forth to do with honor and duty. Unfortunately, only two of my warriors had made it to the center of the action. #Axel and @ThaneWarrior. Though @ThaneWarrior was motivated primarily by vengeance, I also found the qualities of a true warrior in his actions. Until he and #Axel were surrounded, with all other warriors occupied with their own engagements. With a short command to #Charlotte, I kicked off from the ground and zeroed in on my own target, my wings carrying me quickly to my intended position. With all of the grace of a seasoned warrior, I pulled my flamed sword from a nearby air pocket and ran it through one of the demons that had chosen to gang up on @ThaneWarrior and #Axel, hooking him on the edge of the blade and carrying him with me through the air to another area of the field, landing and beheading him the instant my feet touched the ground. It wasn't the most effective means of helping, but it was efficient. A quick glance over to @ThaneWarrior and #Axel had me paling almost instantly, causing me to send a sharp command to the exclusive pathway I shared with @ThaneWarrior.+ Thane! Your flank!
Thane: Although we had surprised the demons, they had acclimated to the battle quickly, fighting with more cunning, strength, and sheer willpower than we had seen in previous battles. Unlike our ranks, the demons had no concerns with honor, no particular care for attack formations or rules of combat. While we tried to dispatch the demons as efficiently as possible, they seemed content with maiming and mangling our soldiers rather than killing us outright. No doubt they wanted casualties left that they could torture however they saw fit. Such an outcome was wholly unacceptable, and yet one more reason we had to prevail in this crusade. As cries of battle filled the air, the war waged on. The demons were no fools. They wove in between our soldiers, keeping us separated from each other, trying to corner us to make us more vulnerable. I fought my way to the center of the horde, and was somewhat alarmed to see only #Axel by my side. He was a worthy ally, but even the two of us together could not stave off the demons constantly pressing in. @ZacharelWarrior had quickly evaluated the scene and carried one of the demons away. I could hardly spare him a second glance as another demon took that one’s place. My sword had just found a home in his side when @ZacharelWarrior’s warning rang in my mind. I whirled around to find three demons pressing an attack. For a moment I was motionless, trying to think through my options as quickly as possible. Even if I could take two of them down, I would still be open to attack from the third, and #Axel was fighting his own demons. There was nothing to do but hope whatever blow was struck was not fatal. Steeling my resolve, I swung my sword in an arc toward the first demon, but he jumped into the air, striking my arm with his spiked tail, knocking me back a step and deflecting the attack. Instinctively I tightened my grip on my sword and swung again, aiming for his unprotected underbelly, but before I could complete the swing, I felt sharp claws raking my skin. It could only mean that one of the demons had jumped onto my back. I hoped the claws were only claws and not poisonous, or this would take a deadly turn far more quickly than I wanted it. I tried to shake him off while still lunging for the first demon, but with the extra weight, I miscalculated, barely managing to wound him. The second demon still hovered nearby, looking for his best opportunity. I turned away for one moment, this time managing to thrust my sword into the target, but at the expense of my own safety. The second demon slashed his claws along my side, forcing me to grit my teeth to keep from showing any weakness. I tried to keep fighting, but the ground suddenly seemed unsteady, the demons’ forms wavering before my eyes. I could only hope that the other soldiers were having more luck, and that aid would come soon.-
Zacharel: Thane! +The exclamation sounded before I could stop it, causing several demons to turn their attentions my way, but I couldn't let that distract me now. The demon that latched itself onto @ThaneWarrior was vicious, and relentless in his attack, and I could tell it was taking all of his effort to stay silent. To not show any weakness. His eyes told me everything when they flashed to me briefly. Pain. Agony. He had suffered several deep lacerations and swayed on his feet as the demon on his back let out a maniacal laugh and raised his claw high in the air. In an instant I was in the air again, my wings laboring to get me to him as quickly as possible. With the speed of a torpedo, I wrapped my arms around the demon and plowed into him, breaking @ThaneWarrior free of his hold and barreling through the others, only stopping when the demon's back came into sharp contact with the trunk of a tree, my hands gripping his shoulders and limiting his movements. My gaze burned into him like a fire, and I gritted my teeth together in the struggle to keep him still. All of my efforts were nearly for naught as the demon's tail wrapped around my neck from behind, the spikes boring themselves into my throat. Instinctively, I brought my hands to my throat to try to liberate myself and get air flowing into my lungs again, but all that allowed was an opportunity for the demon to thrust his claws into my belly, tearing the flesh with an unexpected ease. My scream was strangled by the demon's tail, and black splotches coated my vision, and it was then that I knew that if I failed to act, I would not live through this battle afterall. Retrieving my flamed sword again, I thrust my arm out and prayed I hit my target. The demon's scream and drastic reduction of pressure on my neck told me that I had, slicing the tail clean from the demon's body. As I dropped to my knees, and as the demon fell to the ground, I gathered my strength and wielded my sword as high as I could, bringing the weapon down clean across the demon's neck, severing its head from its body in one move, immediately bringing my arms to wrap around my abdomen trying to stem the bleeding from the wounds.+
Thane: -Everything seemed a blur as @ZacharelWarrior swooped in and carried away the most dangerous of the demons. Only one was left near me, and despite the burning pain coursing through my body, sheer adrenaline and willpower kept me on my feet long enough to slay one more demon. I turned to find #Axel, but he seemed to have escaped with far fewer injuries, or at least wounds that were less severe. He rushed off into the fray to help the others, lest we lose the advantage we had worked so hard to gain. Despite the anguish from what had to be poison spreading rapidly through the blood in my veins, our duty was not done, and this was no time to suffer from either hesitation or weakness. My eyes scanned the jungle terrain, looking for where the most help was needed. There—#Elandra and #Charlotte. Demons had formed a nearly impenetrable wall around them, much as they had done to #Axel and myself. Even from this distance, fear was plainly etched onto their faces, desperation bleeding into their movements. There was no time to waste. As @ZacharelWarrior had helped me, I needed to help them. I willed my wings to expand and tried to kick off from the ground, but my wings felt too heavy to hold upright, much less to use. No sooner had I made it into the air than I plummeted toward the ground. Something reached out to grip my shoulder. Instinctively I tried to attack, but #Xerxes’s voice sounded in my ear, reassuring me that he was here to help, that he would tend to my wounds. In protest, I shook my head and managed a ragged order of my own.- Charlotte and Elandra. They need the help. Go, fight with them. –He hesitated only for a moment before the severity of the situation dawned on him, and then he took flight to rejoin the battle. For a moment, the immediate area around me was quiet. No demons or Sent Ones approached, though I could not fathom the reason why. Certain I must be missing something, I continued to appraise the field. Everything seemed as expected until my eyes landed on @ZacharelWarrior. He was down on his knees under the shelter of a large tree, his arms wrapped around himself as though trying to hold his own body together. Never had I seen him in so defenseless a position, and the sight sent a dire message. If he did not live through this, all our lives were forfeit. With my remaining strength, I forced my wings to obey my mind’s command and flew in an uncoordinated path to @ZacharelWarrior. My own body was nearly useless by the time I reached him, so consumed as it was by the demon poison, but I had to try something. Ignoring my own bleeding, I tried to use our robes to form tourniquets for his, all the while doing something I never thought I would again. In hushed words, prayers fell from my lips to the Most High, that #Lysander, #Clerici, or even the One True Deity himself would intervene on our behalf and deliver us.-
Zacharel: +I tried to laugh as I heard @ThaneWarrior start to pray, but what came out of my mouth was just a strangled choking sound, that ended with me spattering blood over the grass below me as my upper body pitched forward in pain.+ You have never put your fate in their hands before, Thane. Why start now? +My words were laced with pain, and interspersed with coughing fits and heavy breathing. The demon had pierced a lung, I was sure of it. His claws raked deep, slicing muscle and tissue, grazing bone. The pain burned with the intensity of the strongest fire I could imagine. Besides the fires of hell. And even those might have paled in comparison. I looked over my shoulder back to the other Sent Ones in battle and focused on not losing consciousness in order to get a feel for which side was winning. The battle was so intense that I couldn't even get a read on which side had suffered more injuries. I would have to leave my faith in the fact that the only bodies I saw unmoving were those of demons. I was left with no other option, for as soon as I came to that realization, I lost the ability to hold my body upright any longer and slumped to the ground. @ThaneWarrior had said something, but my head was in such a fog, that I couldn't decipher what it was, nor did I care. Rest. I needed rest. If I could just close my eyes for a brief moment, I would be able to recover, just as I always had. At least, that was the hope.+
Thane: -As I tended to @ZacharelWarrior, my body gradually began going numb, which was a welcome respite from the ropes of agony that had coiled themselves around my body. Or was it? Coherent thought seemed to elude me, but death had always been described as a sweet release. Perhaps I was even closer than I thought. Somehow @ZacharelWarrior’s words penetrated the haze around my brain, and though I had little voice left to answer him, I realized that he was right. The humans we protected always seemed to turn to God and faith when they knew their time was drawing to an end. Perhaps we were not as unlike them as they thought. If I could only let go… Suddenly @ZacharelWarrior slumped to the ground, and panic seized me, jarring me into awareness. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, but though I tried to rouse him, he would not wake. I tried to call for help, yet my voice barely reached farther than my own ears, and somehow, I doubted anything but a drop of water from the River of Life would be sufficient to restore him. My prayers resumed with a fervor, but there was naught to do but wait and see if they would be answered. As I eased @ZacharelWarrior into a more comfortable position, I saw that the jungle floor was no longer green and brown but flooded with a startling crimson. Red…why would a jungle be red? An endless pool of red, so warm and so inviting. And it was coming from…me…to claim me, to take me home. I fell into its comfort, and knew nothing else.-
