by TyrannoTitan » Tue Sep 27, 2011 3:25 am
As the sun gradually descended out of the sky, the growing lack of light was of little notice to the goblins: The raging forest fire behind them gave them more then enough to see. Even over stretches of land that seemed devoid of flammable material, the blaze still raged. And although the area it engulfed was rather large, it never seemed to branch in any other directions, instead following behind the goblin's heels like a lost dog from hell. Unseen by the goblins, the Trade Prince's gaze was upon them, staring into a mirror-like substance hovering in mid-air in front of him, energy being channeled into the mirror by two magi. Lucifron stood beside the throne, as still as stone. As they watched in silence, the goblins made their way to a heavily wooded area only a few miles from where their observers were sitting. Even from their limited perspective, the Trade Prince could see movement in the woods, and as the goblins heard the strange noises coming from within, so too did the Prince, who grimaced slightly at the sound. His plan was nearing completion...but he wondered if his own people would get out of the way in time. He cared little for their lives, but each man down was a man that needed to be replaced, and that cost money, and he didn't like things that cost him money. The entire point of this risky maneuver was to prevent such a thing anyway...
The sharp voice of the Trade Prince intruded the thoughts of a goblin taskmaster. "I think this is as close as you need to get. Now get the hell out of there." The taskmaster nodded, knowing Bolthammer would see the gesture, and immediately began barking orders to his group, Vul'nul and Ko'tor alike, latter herding the former away from the source of the noise. The fire seemed hesitant at first, as if unsure it should follow or not, then continued on its original path, away from the retreating goblins, much to the Trade Prince's relief. The strange sounds coming from the woods increased in number and intensity, and swift figures began to dart in between the trees as the flames neared. The flames, impossibly, stopped spreading, and began to part. An enormous creature, dwarfing most mortal creatures by several feet, trudged out of the flames and burning foliage, the burning embers that were its eyes swaying in their sockets, as if looking around. The creature looked like a demon, with a scorched black skull, grotesque armor, and deadly spikes jutting up from its back. It carried an equally massive axe no mortal race could ever hope to hold, which it carried with only one of its massive hands. "Betrayer filth." Lucifron growled suddenly, the Trade Prince giving him an amused look. "I see you two have met." Bolthammer said with a grin, the sentinel, as always, giving no sign of emotion, saying nothing. The Betrayer, giving off a dull glow but far enough away from the flames that he was partially shrouded in darkness, looked toward the woods and howled, the unholy, hate-filled sound sending a shiver down Bolthammer's spine. As if in response, the undergrowth came alive with grotesque creatures, crawling, running, and flying every which way, clearly agitated by the light in the distance, but comfortable enough to get closer to this being standing before them.
It was these creatures, known by few as the Nethrezim, that broke the ice: One of them launched themselves, claws-first, at the Betrayer from the side. Despite its lightening quick movements, the demonic being knocked it aside with a swipe of its axe, sending the shattered body of the animal into a nearby tree. Instantly, the creature's brethren shot forth from all directions, biting, clawing, and shrieking as they did. As they closed in, the Betrayer roared, his body becoming a supernova of light, and the nocturnal creatures reacted instantly, diving away in their multitudes to escape the light. The flames dying down, Kharn grabbed one of the creatures by the tail, swinging it over his head as he turned around, slamming it into the ground, shattering countless bones, before hurling it into one of its fellows that recovered from his previous attack. More of the Nethrezim dove in, one meeting the end of Kharn's axe as its body was driven into the ground, while another collided with the demonic being's back, failing to stagger its enemy, but began clawing the molten armor in a frenzy nonetheless. The Betrayer left the axe buried in the last of its slain foes, letting the wrist blade sag a little on its chain enough to grab it, smashing the knife into the head of another advancing Nethrezim, a third snapping its teeth-filled jaws shut on his other arm. Grabbing the creature's neck, Kharn wrenched it in the opposite direction, ripping its body away from its head, which was still fastened on his arm. The creature attacking his back was joined by another, both slashing his armored shoulders and back repeatedly. Pulling his axe free and hefting it in one hand, the demonic being used his free hand to punch an advancing creature in the jaw, blood flying from its mouth as it shot backward, flying into the brush like a ragdoll. Turning sharply while swinging the axe, the Betrayer narrowly missed the two Nethrezim attacking him from behind, both of which screeched and rocketed away to find another angle of attack. Turning in time to meet another attacker, Kharn smashed the axe blade against the side of its head, the blade slicing clean through, sending the creature flying off by its own momentum. Once again hefting the axe in one hand, his wrist blade still hanging under his arm on the chain, swung the chain forward, stabbing it into another creature's chest, which screeched in pain. Yanking the creature forward, while two others dove in from the sides, racking his head and shoulders with their razor-sharp talons, the Betrayer caught the Nethrezim in his hand, fingers wrapped around its struggling head, crushing it with a clench of his fist.
The fight raged on this way, the Nethrezim overwhelming the Betrayer with sheer numbers, but the demonic creature fought the darkness nonetheless, the inferno at its call staying back, even though it seemed to drive the creatures away. To Bolthammer, it was if this "Betrayer" knew that very fact, and sent the flames away so it could fight without interference...