Chapter 7: 7. Blood, Guts and Rot

The Imp ran at the strange human, it's mind filled with blood lust and glee at the impending kill. The human was sick and injured, barely able to hold its blade. Its claws would gut the prey, then it could find the unarmed humans, the weak and young. It would play with them for hours, listening to their screams, tasting their flesh, feeling their life leave their bodies.

It's claws slashed deeply into the humans stomach, slicing through intestines, destroying organs. It allowed itself a second to laugh at the easy kill, it's eyes already searching for new prey.

The dead mans hand clamped down on its arm.

Startled it tried to jerk away, stabbing the human through the shoulder.

The human didn't even flinch at the blow. With surprising speed the human slammed its blade into the Imps chest. It screamed as the blade was pulled out.

Slumping to the ground, it's arm still held in the vice like grip, the Imp felt energy surge through its body. It smiled. It was dying, but it would have vengeance before it died. Ripping its arm free, tearing muscle and skin as it did, the Imp lunged for the humans throat, biting deep into the neck.

Rot filled its mouth.

The blade plunged into its back, again, and again, and again.

Falling to the ground, it watched the human calmly walk into the growing melee, it's bloody blade ready to kill.

**

A skeleton was flung into the ground, its bones cracking from the inhuman force. Getting to its feet, it vaguely realized it had lost its gun. For a moment it was unsure what to do.

-KILL THE DEMONS-

The weapon wasn't needed.

Looking at the four armed demon that was crushing and throwing the dead who got to close, the skeleton knew what to do. When the massive creature turned, bellowing in anger at the enemies that surrounded it. The skeleton ran forwards, jumping onto its back, digging it's bony fingers deep into a cut to hold itself in place.

It grabbing a bayonet that was stuck in the demons back, yanking it free. The demon spun around, nearly throwing it off again. It drove the bayonet into the leathery back, the rusty blade scraping along the spine.

The demon jerked in pain, howling in rage. For a brief moment it stopped moving.

Seeing an opening, the dead swarmed. zombies and skeletons alike clambered onto the demon, biting, stabbing, and clubbing the Brute, as it tried to tear them away.

The skeleton climbed up the demons back, using the other dead that clung to the monster like ants, as foot and hand holds. Wrapping its arm around the thick neck, it drove the bayonet into the demons mouth.

Teeth turned its forearm into powder, but the blade had already hit its brain.

Slowly the demon lost its strength, swaying and stumbling, it's blows becoming weaker. Finally it fell to the ground, crushing some of the dead under its great weight.

The skeleton realized its arm was stuck under the demons head. That was fine, it was badly damaged already. It tore its arm off at the shoulder. With its remaining arm it grabbed a broken sword from a zombie that was trapped and unable to free itself. Suitably armed it searched for another demon to kill.

**

The ghost flew over the battlefield alongside dozens of its companions, watching the growing chaos. It flew low enough to almost touch the taller demons and flesh golems, studying how the demons fought and moved. It didn't know why it did this, there was simply a vague knowledge that it should do this until something else happened.

Another ghost shrieked.

Looking around it saw a flock of Screechers coming from the forest. Its pale face began to grin, it could obey its new orders. Shrieking it flew towards the demons, other ghosts joined it. They instinctively used the magical energy that formed their bodies, turning ethereal hands into talons, hardening their mist like forms into something that could kill.

The demons scattered for a moment, not expecting to be challenged in the sky. They quickly reformed, and flew at the ghosts screeching their own battle cry.

They collided in the air. The ghosts slashed and tore at the demons, cutting their wings, sending them falling to the ground where they were trampled in the melee. The demons tried to do the same, only to cry in confusion as their own claws and teeth passed through the ghosts.

Spinning around, the ghosts flew back through the flock of demons. Blood fell like rain as they tore the Screechers apart. Some of the demons tried to flee, they didn't make it very far.

The ghost fell silent once more, its body became softer, its talons turned back into fingers. It was hazier now, harder to see. It flew more slowly around the battlefield, watching the demons fight the dead. When it heard another shriek, it was slower to respond, and its magical energy was harder to control as it once more headed into the fight.

**

The Reaper moved through the battle, it's long, sinuous body twisting and turning to avoid the knives and clubs. Sometimes it was hit, steel and claw scraped against its hard scales, a few bit into flesh. Arms that ended in long bony blades cut through the dead, bathing it in rotten blood and half-liquefied organs. It left a trail of broken zombies and skeletons in its wake, limbless, headless, missing most of their body. It didn't care if they still moved, they were easily destroyed by its kin.

It saw an enormous handed Crusher smashed into the ground, its head pierced by a rusty sword. A mismatched leg of flesh, wood and bone crushed the demons chest as the blade was withdrawn. Silently, the flesh golem swung its arms into the horde of demons that were desperately trying to bring it down. Bone spikes impaled flesh, the blade cut them down like wheat.

Digging its claws into the ground, the Reaper launched itself at the golem. It landed on the monstrosity, wrapping its long tail around the things leg, driving its clawed toes into its stomach. Its scythe-like limbs hacked through the neck of the dead thing. It screeched in victory as the lump of flesh flew off.

The flesh golem refused to fall.

A blade struck the Reapers back, slicing through its spine. Looking down, the demon saw the bloody sword sticking out of its body, pinning it to the monstrosity. Shrieking, it hacked at the things shoulder, trying to free itself.

The spiked limb of the golem slammed into its head, blinding its eye.

Swinging its bone scythes as hard as it could into the golems shoulder, the raggedly cut arm fell from the body. The Reaper tumbled away from the golem, landing on its back, its lower body paralyzed and useless. The last thing it saw from its remaining eye was a foot coming down to crush its skill.

**

Tearing off the rotten head of a Brute that refused to die, the Render howled in mourning at having to fight its kin. It's massive jaw was bleeding from the dozens of cuts it had suffered from what should have been its allies.

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A Gnasher, clearly dead from the crater in its oversized head, threw itself at the demon. The Render spun away before the dead thing could cripple it with a bite that would tear through metal. It crushed the Gnasher with a quick bite, before the little thing could regain its feet.

Looking around the demon saw many of its living kin being dragged down by the dead. Even missing half their body, the monstrosities continued to fight, grabbing the legs of demons, biting, clawing and stabbing anything that came within reach.

The Render howled again. Not in mourning, but in rage. It's howl was picked up by the other demons, growing louder, overpowering the roars and shrieks of the dead.

From miles around, the demons who had remained in the forest answered the call. Their own howls spread the call. More demons, from further away responded.

In minutes thousands of howling demons were streaming through the forest heading for the battle. A true threat had risen to face them. It would be destroyed.

**

Von watched the battle, if the wild, vicious melee could be called a battle. There was no strategy to it, no tactics, just two groups of monsters clawing and biting each other until one of them was dead.

They had been fighting for over an hour, bodies and limbs were piled up in mounds. Demons were dying in the hundreds, a steady trickle of reinforcements came from the forest. The undead kept fighting until they were torn limb from limb. They were being whittled down, but it was slow and they made the demons pay in blood.

Sparing a glance at Keir, he was surprised the necromancer was asleep. He realized how drained the necromancer had to be after raising an army, yet they were less than a hundred yards away from a howling nightmare. 

A pack of dark hounds managed to make it through the fighting. The six, long legged monsters saw them and charged, barking and snapping. Taking some of his energy from the shield, Von moved his hands, shaping a small amount of magical energy, placing it directly in the hounds path.

The demons shrieked, tumbling to a stop, their eyes melted and their lungs burnt from super heated air.

Seeing that they weren't a threat, he snapped his fingers, ending the spell.

'Von. Are you free?' a voice asked inside his mind.

Sighing, he opened his mind to the voice. 'I'm watching a battle, Alvis. I can talk for now, but may be called away soon.'

'I'm glad you're still alive. We were starting to get worried when you didn't respond for the last week. How is the battle going?' Alvis asked.

'We're winning.'

There was a long pause. 'From what you told us last week, your defenses couldn't last more than one more attack, if that.'

'We have reinforcements. The demons don't know how to deal with them.'

'You resurrected the bastard.' It wasn't a question.

'Yesterday. Keir wasn't happy about the geas. It works by the way. But he's agreed to work with us. His army of the dead is... horrifying.' He wished the mental link allowed emotions to be sent. Talking in an emotionless monotone left a lot to be desired.

'You were forbidden to resurrect him. You'll be lucky if the Eldritch Council merely censures you.'

'I had a choice. Resurrect him and have a chance of saving almost ten thousand people, including myself, or die. There was nowhere else for us to go, and no one could help us.'

'You took it upon yourself to fight monsters with a monster. What happens when he inevitably turns on us?'

'We have the geas, and he was killed before, if need be we can kill him again. At least he's human.'

'That isn't exactly comforting. People were already claiming you've spent too much time around the Llieal, this is going to make your many detractors even angrier. The Council will probably strip you of your membership and make you an outcast.'

Von didn't respond, there wasn't anything he could say. He knew he was breaking the law when he went through with his plan. His only regret was waiting so long to do it.

'How powerful is the bastard?'

'He raised an army of thousands over an hour ago. There was some blow back, but now he's sleeping peacefully in the saddle.'

Alvis cursed. 'No wonder he was able to fight the world. You think he can fight an actual Demon horde, not just the cast offs you're dealing with?'

The demons began howling. The noise pierced his ears, making his head ring. The demons finally realized they couldn't win, not with the numbers they had nearby. Reinforcements were coming.

“What is that gods damned noise?” Keir asked, rubbing her eyes.

“Our signal to head back,” Von said. “The artillery will be starting soon, and we don't want to be caught in that.”

Motioning to Emer, he led them back towards the human lines.

In his mind, Alvis asked, 'Are you still there?'

'Yes, but not for long. We're about to face a real horde. If we live, I'll message you tonight.'

'May Father Moon protect you, and Mother Sun guide you, my friend.'

Von was about to respond when the artillery opened fire.

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