THE JOYOUS RETURN OF THE GENERAL
THE JOYOUS RETURN OF THE GENERAL
"This must be a ruse to slow our return to Fortress Gunongo. We must advance into the sandstorm and return home without delay. If I am not mistaken, Fortress Gunongo is in danger", General Kublok said.
"But we would be going into the sandstorm handicapped?" an advisor asked.
"If we stopped our march home and indeed if Gunongo is attacked, even if the insurgents retreated later, we would be severely punished by King Anazek for disobeying his orders. Trust me this sandstorm is a pretense", General Kublok replied, and the advisors agreed.
------
[In the palace of King Anazek in Fortress Gunongo]
"Your majesty, the armies of General Kublok have finally returned and are camped about thirty miles outside our city", an advisor reported to the king.
"Finally, Kublok has returned. I will not feel safe in Gunongo as long as that damn sandstorm remains outside without the full force of my army", King Anazek said.
"Your majesty, General Kublok requests to return to the fortress with his army", the advisor asked.
"So, let them return. Must you ask me that?" the king replied.
"He needed to be sure the Moat of Suffering would not be active while his army returns", the advisor replied.
"Oh, yes. I will inactivate that magic now and let them return safely", the king said.
Soon, the magic moat around Fortress Gunongo was deactivated and the armies of General Kublok returned. However, once the moat was deactivated, several sandstorms moved toward the fortress to the surprise of the king and his advisors.
"Your majesty, the tricky sandstorms of the insurgents are moving into the perimeters of our fortress once we deactivated the magic moat", an advisor advised the king.
"Damn that Kublok, can't he move quicker?" King Anazek complained.
"He is already moving as quickly as he can. Our army is not small, and we have many slow units dragging our march", an advisor told the king.
"The sandstorms are moving behind General Kublok's army and there is some distance between them. I guess we could receive our troops into the fortress before the sandstorm could reach us. By that time, with our combined army, it would be difficult for the enemy to maintain a siege against us without heavy casualties", another advisor advised.
"Make it quick. I am not secure without all my men back in the fortress", the king said.
------
[At the gates of Fortress Gunongo]
"Open the gates and let us return", General Kublok shouted toward the fortress walls as he rose into the air together with his Demonlords.
"It's about time you returned, get inside before the sandstorm reaches us", an advisor told the general as the gates of the fortress was opened.
The demons and soldiers of the army quickly marched into the fortress followed by the enormous Inferno King units.
General Kublok approached the king in his hall together with many of his demonlords who were wearing full armor and helmets.
"Insolence, how dare you demonlords enter the king's hall with full armor and covered faces?" an advisor scolded the procession.
General Kublok took off his helmet and kneeled before the king.
"I apologize your majesty. We are in a hurry to meet you, so we didn't have time to clean up and remove our armor", General Kublok apologized to the king.
"Forget the protocols. It is good that you returned safely. Tell us what happened in the expedition?" King Anazek asked the general.
"We returned from the expedition immediately after we received your majesty's order. Along the way we were faced with several mysterious sandstorms that slowed our return", General Kublok informed the king.
"You went through the sandstorms?" King Anazek asked.
"Yes, at first, we thought we would meet insurgents inside the sandstorms but when we went in, there was no one there. The sandstorm is merely a mirage that slows us. With that experience we quickly marched back to Gunongo", General Kublok explained.
"What about the sandstorms that were following and trailing your troops?" an advisor of the king asked.
"They are empty inside. I assure you we passed through them before", General Kublok told them.
Suddenly, a scout came to report.
"Your majesty, the sandstorm has reached our walls", the scout reported.
"Don't worry about it, it's just a mirage. It's harmless", General Kublok told them.
"I am relieved. Now tell us more about your expedition to the south", King Anazek said with a sigh.
The General started talking about his expedition to the south while the king and his advisors asked many questions like curious children.
The armies of the king have almost never ventured beyond the walls of the fortress, so this was an enlightening moment for the court of King Anazek.
After some time, the story telling was interrupted by a scout who came with a dire report.
"Your majesty, we are being attacked, a hundred Inferno Kings appeared before our gates from inside the sandstorm and attacked us together with a massive army of demons behind them", the scout reported to the king and the court to their shock.
"I thought you said there was nothing inside the sandstorm, General Kublok?" the king asked the general angrily.
"Damnit, why is it taking so damn long?" General Kublok replied but nobody knew what he was talking about.
"It's ready now, do you think it is easy to break the defensive magic in this damn hall?", one of the armored demonlords shouted in reply.
"What is the meaning of this?" King Anazek asked in shock.
------
Suddenly, enchanted chains descended from the ceiling of the Great Hall, their shimmering links aimed directly at King Anazek. Before the powerful Archdemon could react, the chains coiled tightly around him, binding him in an unbreakable grip.
King Anazek's strength was legendary, but the magic woven into these chains was crafted specifically to imprison someone of his immense power.
"What treachery is this?" he roared, his voice echoing through the hall as the chains hoisted him into the air.
Fury blazed in his eyes, but even his might could not free him from the trap.
Below, chaos erupted.
His advisors and soldiers were being mercilessly cut down by the armored demons accompanying General Kublok.
Moments later, more demons stormed into the hall, but these were not the king's loyal warriors. They were insurgents, here to overthrow him.
In that instant, King Anazek understood. His reign was over.
-----