Lord Agelas was a big creature, red skin, muscly arms and legs, large shoulders a well developed chest. He wore a resplendent shiny crimson armour. He caught Uther in his voice and boomed at him saying:

“Uther I trust you can keep the Demon Lords in line!” Agelas said, “we need order in Cahov. I will annex the other Demons once I bring Cahov into order.”

Uther was slightly bigger than Cathlor but much smaller than Agelas. Agelas was three metres tall, he was a strong being, able to teleport, able to revive Demons and other Devils. The halls of the palace had scurrying servants, most too scared to even glance at the new Emperor, the new Lord of Cahov.

“The Cahrin clan has ruled 400 years… and Devil’s merely obeyed the imperial family. Why did we ever do that I wonder?”

Uther nodded.

“Tradition,” Uther posited.

And loyalty. Something you apparently lack. Uther thought, knowing he couldn’t be too honest.

Agelas nodded, it was not the answer he was fishing for, but Agelas deemed it acceptable, he turned in a more authoritative manner, speaking to Uther with gravitas, Agelas probably used magic to make his voice resonate that bit more.

“Uther!” Agelas said, making the Demon jump, “you are in charge of internal security. Make sure the Demons are loyal.”

“Yes your majesty,” Uther nodded, half shuddering.

Uther relayed orders to lieutenants who organised security forces to restore order. All cities soon had jackboots armed with pikes, halberds and maces. Uther’s communication crystal glowed and a rather panicked voice was heard on the other end, Agelas stood next to him.

“Lord… Agelas was it?” The voice quivered.

“What is it?” Agelas answered impatiently, “fucking…” he muttered inaudibly.

“Umm… a Necromancer has appeared outside of Goblina. He has defeated an army sent to dispatch him,” the voice was clearly nervous, “we require assistance…” the panicked soldier blurted finally.

Agelas turned to his counsel, everyone looked confused, not least the generals who pretended to be busy, some looked at Agelas in fright while others turned away, not daring to meet his fiery red eyes. Uther just stood there perfectly still, ready to be dispatched wherever.

“Destroy this fucking filth,” Agelas said, his diction perfect, “do you understand me?” Spittle flying out of his mouth, “Undead in the land of Demons? Has our border security always been this lax?”

“We will deal with it,” one of his general’s said, nervous beyond belief.

Agelas shot a stare at the general and snarled, shooting a fireball into the ceiling and making the courtiers and soldiers jump.

Ildrid had amassed a skeletal army at a plateau, they were gentle rolling hills, various fortresses and millions of Demon soldiers. Many of these forts and fortresses had been speedily built to crush any Goblin resistance. It was doubtful any Goblins would rise up in these circumstances or if any were even alive. Maras and Ildrid had entered the plain having taken small forts and marching through villages but clearly some of the villagers had narked on them, and with terrifying effect. Millions of Demons were behind them, millions more were in front of them, and to the side of them; they were completely surrounded. Maras snarled at the sight of so many, swivelling his head before preparing his voice.

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“If you don’t retreat you will all die!!” Maras said in the loudest voice he could.

Only so many Demons heard him, and even they ignored him, taking it as a small yapping dog; the majority heard something but didn’t know what it was.

“Ildrid, I will protect you.”

“Yes Maras, and perhaps I will protect you.”

If Maras could, he would have smiled at Ildrid’s comment, any good feelings were first interrupted by large Demons that rampaged at them. 5 metre tall axe wielding Demons alongside others carrying large glowing swords. Reapers sliced their throats, and their blood dampened the ground. Large meteorites fell from the sky, taking out Demon and Undead; Ildrid was knocked upwards, and Maras caught him and put him back down. The battlefield devolved into chaos as Demons could be heard roaring as they charged down at them from all directions. Maras was at a severe disadvantage, without Ildrid he could simply flee and strike at the Demons from the hills. He chose to stay.

“Leave me…” Ildrid whispered, “I’ve caused enough trouble.”

“Damn it! No!”

Reapers sliced and Wraiths flung knives at high velocity and frequency. Maras saved Ildrid from imminent destruction and stood next to his comrade in arms, his forces blunting the attack.

“We can both retreat to those hills, I can cover the retreat!” Ildrid said, changing his tune significantly.

“No, let’s fight here, it will be messy, but we can win.”

100s of Ghouls ripped into the Demons as they cascaded downwards. They felt the poison on their flesh, and collapsed upon being scratched, some tumbled down the slope, others attempted to pike the rabid creatures. Bane formed a protective shield, healing allies while absorbing the impact, ethereal beings vanished, skeletons used spears, pikes, arrows and axes. Both sides shot missiles, the Demons had larger heavier units that quite often bulldozed their way through, only to be sliced open. With death came more Undead, more skeletons poured out of the dead, not quite raised but summoned, the mana acquired from killing, allowed new skeletons to be summoned from the ether, the same was true for the ethereal beings. Maras was nearly destroyed, three Bane shielded him and revitalised his blue skeletal figure.

“Fuck…” Maras whispered, “I can’t die here. Not like this.” I am dead already.

Maras would grimace if he could.

The Demons sent wave after wave, catapult shots, mages shot fireballs which fried many a skeleton and left many a Demon unaffected. Nonetheless Maras teleported Ildrid out of harms way, his Undead created enough death mana for Ildrid to create a whole formation of pikes. The Demons could be heard shouting, the pikes were not particularly pleasant to any kind of soldier, pikes were pikes.

“Archers Ildrid. They will increase casualties, more casualties, more Undead.”

Ildrid nodded, he was nearly destroyed by the comet sized boulders, again Bane healed him.

“Those Bane…” Ildrid whispered.

Maras stayed quiet, he knew exactly what his ally meant, and agreed wholeheartedly. The Undead advanced up the slope, it was gruelling bloody work, for the Demons charged down and up the slope. The Demons surrounded them. Skeleton pikes kept multiplying, Demons kept trying to fry them, and Maras sent some of his Spectres to assassinate the mages to get some stability.

“We’re going to die…” Ildrid whispered.

“We are already dead remember?” Maras chuckled, he paused and then said, “I have a contingency!”

Ildrid sighed, and then turned to Maras wondering what Maras’s plan could even be. Hours of combat it seemed, but it only had been thirty minutes; total utter carnage with slashes, stabs, fireballs, large boulders flying from the sky and the dead rising endlessly. The Demons nonetheless were ruthless and seemingly gaining the upper hand, pushing the Undead back and into a smaller space.