Rise of the Horde

The magic bombardment from the combined efforts of the shamans, mages and dark elves ended long ago, but all the dust and dirt kicked up by their onslaught was yet to settle.

As soon as everything settled, the extent of the devastation became apparent.

The sand palace, already destroyed to some degree by the first demonic swarm that was summoned by the demoness, now was more ravaged than before.

Scarred by the destructive power of the magical bombardment that followed.

The once-grand structure was now little more than a shell, its walls cracked and buckling, its majestic massive doors now turned into nothing but waste.

The combined might of the shamans, mages, and dark elves had taken a toll on the insect-like demons and the Infested Ones. Their twisted forms lay scattered across the battlefield, some twitching feebly in the aftermath of the attack.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of burnt magic and the sickly sweet stench of demon ichor. The ground was littered with the remnants of the magically imbued arrows from the dark elves.

The sand palace, already ravaged by the demonic incursion, had borne the brunt of the magical onslaught. Its once-grand walls, now little more than crumbling sandstone, bore the scorch marks of wild magic, and its grand entrance, where kings and queens had once greeted visitors with pomp and ceremony, was little more than a gaping maw, testament to the fury that had been unleashed upon it.

"They went a bit wild with their magic," Artanos commented as he surveyed the extent of the destruction brought forth by the combined efforts of the orcs, humans, and dark elves.

The captive of Artanos trembled in fright from what she had just witnessed. Her eyes were shaking as she took in the devastation that was before her.

She felt fear not because for her current body, but for her very soul. Mixed within the magical assault which were primarily of the elements, was a magic of a different nature, something of a much higher realm. And she was certain that if she took a hit from that magic, her soul would be injured or worst, her very existence could be very well erased.

Artanos was impressed by the result of the three races teaming up together, and he was itching to have a go at them. He was about to go down to greet the allied force, but he noticed that the four magic towers still being active. The rifts that connects this world and the other world was still active, the passage was still open.

Right on cue, demons like the one that Elara and her sisters fought before stepped out of the rift. Hybrids of human and scorpion, with muscular bodies and four powerful arms.

Their bodies were a twisted fusion of human torsos and scorpion tails, the chitinous plates gleaming with an unearthly light. Each of their four arms ended in deadly claws, sharp enough to rend flesh and bone.

The demons moved with a terrifying grace, their multiple arms blurring as they brandished an array of weapons. Some wielded curved blades, others fought with barbed whips, and a few hurled jagged bolts of dark energy that left trails of shadow across the sky.

Their movements were fluid and deadly, and their eyes glowed with an unholy light as they surveyed the destruction with an intelligent, malevolent gaze. Unfazed by the devastation around them, these scorpion-like demons advanced towards the remnants of the sand palace, their eyes fixed on the orcs that were clearly moving towards them with excitement.

The intent of the orcs were clear, to have one good bloody fight with the newly arrived foes. They were relieved that the four armed foes resembled that of warriors by the way that they carry themselves, they were not something like the Infested Ones which was a headache for them to fight.

More and more of the four armed demons poured out from the passage, their numbers easily over a thousand already.

"Your master is still as cautious as ever, I see" Artanos muttered after still not feeling the presence of his real target. The demoness just kept mum, her gaze focused on the numerous demons that had crossed over. Her gaze was trying to scanning the demons, her eyes clearly searching for something or someone.

Artanos noticed what the demoness was doing, "Oh! You have a friend among the new arrivals?" he questioned with interest, "Let him come and try to rescue you. It would be pretty lonely for you if you don't have someone to accompany you," he chuckled.

The ranks of the demons and the orcs were making their way towards each other, but then, the ground began to shake, the trembling was even more intense than before.

Artanos frowned, "What is happening now?" he sound annoyed.

Khao'khen noticed that their was a pattern to trembling of the ground, as if something underground mas moving, and that something was anything but a small creature. Everybody was doing their very best to maintain their balance from all the shaking that was happening.

A few moments later, the trembling finally stopped, but Khao'khen was certain, whatever had caused the ground to shake that much, it was now under the group of demons.

The ground trembled, and a low, rumbling growl reverberated through the air, causing the demons and orcs alike to pause in their advance. The source of the disturbance became apparent as massive dune worms burst forth from the ground, their colossal forms dwarfing even the tallest of the demons.

The worms were a sight to behold, their gigantic bodies resembling undulating dunes themselves. Their segmented plates, a mosaic of sand-colored scales, shimmered in the light, each one as large as a shield.

A forest of sharp, curved spines ran along their backs, and their massive jaws, lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth, could crush an almost anything and anyone with a single bite. Beady eyes, glowing an eerie yellow, sat atop their heads, which were adorned with a crown of twisting horns.

Khao'khen, realizing the imminent danger, shouted orders for the orcs to retreat.

The worms, sensing the movement above, thrashed violently, sending clouds of sand and dust into the air.

The demons, caught off guard, were not quick enough to escape the writhing mass of bodies, and many were pulled beneath the ground, their roars of defiance abruptly cut short.

Artanos, witnessing the chaos, frowned. The arrival of the dune worms added a new layer of complexity to the battle, and he was a bit eager to see how the demons would fare against these formidable creatures.

The dune worms, having emerged from their subterranean lairs, slithered across the battlefield, their massive forms carving furrows into the sand. They moved with surprising speed, their powerful muscles propelling them forward as they sought out their next meal.

The demons, recovering from their initial shock, rallied and launched themselves at the worms, their weapons gleaming with dark energy. The clash of demon and dune worm was a spectacle of chaos and fury.

The demons' attacks bounced off the worms' tough hides, their claws and blades unable to pierce the thick scales.

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In response, the worms lashed out with their powerful tails, sending demons flying through the air, their broken forms landing with sickening thuds. The air was filled with the sounds of battle—the hiss and roar of the worms, the clash of weapons, and the unearthly shrieks of the demons.

Despite the demons' best efforts, the dune worms clearly have the upper hand. Their sheer size and strength proved to be a formidable advantage, and the demons began to falter in the face of such relentless assaults.

Artanos, observing the battle with growing excitement, turned to the captive demoness. "It seems your friends are having a spot of trouble," he remarked with a cruel smile. "Perhaps they could use your help."

The demoness, her eyes flashing with a mixture of fear and defiance, said nothing. She, too, could sense the tide of the battle turning, and she knew that the arrival of these massive dune worms signaled a new challenge for her allies.

Khao'khen was thankful that the dune worms made their appearance right under the demons and not under his warriors. He couldn't imagine the casualties that the horde would have suffered if that happened.

The battle raged on, and the four armed demons were at the mercy of the dune worms. Their ranks were thrown into chaos by the worms that kept popping out of the ground only to drag a few of the demons with its decent in the underground.

Far from the eyes of everybody, tentacles covered in spikes crawled towards one of the magic towers. They moved slowly but with purpose. The tentacles strangled the demons who were nearby and dragged them underground while the rest continued on towards their intended target.

The tentacles headed towards the heart of the magic tower, the source of its power and the one supplying energy towards the rifts. The spike covered tentacles coiled around the corrupted core of the magic tower, its spikes digging deep into the crystal, and it didn't take long for cracks to appear all over it.

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