DROPPING A FLAME IN THE STORM
DROPPING A FLAME IN THE STORM
"There is only one remaining option. You should recover the magic from the pools of sufferings in your territory before the insurgent does", the witch suggested.
"But the pools will no longer produce magic for us in the future if we drain its water", General Moravi protested.
"The insurgents will get to them sooner or later. You might as well be the one to claim them. Besides, I have use for the pools' water", the witch said.
"What will you use the water in the pool of sufferings for?" King Sirroron asked.
"To hasten Concubine Swaye's ascension as an Anti-Saint. Once she becomes an Anti-Saint, we do not need to worry about the insurgents anymore", the witch replied to the king.
"Yes, that will be the best course of action", King Sirroron said without considering.
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"I never expected the damn kings of East and North would willingly drain their pools of sufferings just to deny them to us", Alfred complained to us about the recent actions of the kings.
"That would be the most reasonable course of action although I doubted the king's will to stomach such drastic actions", I replied.
"With the pools of sufferings in all of Hell drained, what should we do now?" Eirot asked us.
"We conquer the remainder two Great Pools. The Kings won't drain those pools, will they?" I asked and suggested.
"Our forces are strong, but the enemy are defending behind fortified walls. They are also protected by magic of the Great Pools that could summon magical moat to defend against intruders. We couldn't take the fortresses of the two kings without heavy casualties", Lord Brathnok explained to us.
"There is also no reason for the kings to leave their fortresses. They have everything inside their fortresses so besieging them would gain us nothing", Aluva opined.
"Our ships would not be affected by the magical moat, only ground units would be. We can fly to the gates of the fortress before I summon my demons. That will save them from the attrition of going through the moat", Eirot suggested.
"That is an option, but it takes time for you to summon your demons. Doing it in the middle of battle will also slow the summoning. Meeting us at the walls of the fortress are the entire army of the kings, they wouldn't give us the time to do our summoning", Sara replied.
"What if something distracts the defenders on the walls. Will that buy us time for Rinna to conjure her demons?" I asked.
"In theory yes, but we need someone powerful enough to fight against the entire army of the kings by themselves", Sara replied.
"I have the perfect person to do this", I replied to her.
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"General Asgara, what shall we do about the sandstorm coming toward our fortress?" King Xorkar asked his trusted general.
"It is that damn sandstorm again. We were tricked by that sandstorm last time to retreat back to Swawila. Your majesty shouldn't be too worried about it", General Asgara replied.
"What if there were real troops inside the sandstorms, fortress Gunungo fell because they ignored the sandstorms before it was too late", King Xorkar asked.
"That idiot King Anazek did not activate their magical moat around their fortress which allowed the enemy to reach the fortress unhindered, we won't be that stupid", General Asgara replied to the king.
"I have activated the magic moat, but the sandstorm still approaches. I wonder why? Could they be flyers?" the king asked.
"The sandstorm is quick approaching our fortress", a captain reported to the general.
"Fire at the sandstorm with all our weapons. If there are insurgents hiding in the sandstorm, they would all be decimated by our fiery flames of inferno", General Asgara commanded.
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A massive, ominous sandstorm loomed on the horizon, creeping toward the fortress of Swawila.
It carried with it a sense of foreboding, promising peril.
The defenders on the walls, sensing danger, quickly readied their weapons, launching volleys of blazing flames into the storm.
"Infernal Beams of Sufferings"
The sky exploded in a tempest of fire as the defenders' barrages lit up the heavens, painting the ground and clouds with the smoldering glow of an inferno.
Yet the sandstorm continued its relentless approach, undeterred. Whatever lay concealed within it was unafraid of the defenders' searing beams.
Tension mounted as the defenders drew their weapons, preparing to face the unknown force.
Without warning, a brilliant flame burst forth from the heart of the storm, aimed directly at the fortress. Emerging from the flames was a woman, cloaked in fire, her burning aura resembling the blazing tails of comets.
Her presence alone was like the embodiment of destruction and wrath.
Without a word, she struck, unleashing a torrent of flames in every direction. The fiery onslaught ravaged the walls and defenders alike, plunging Swawila into chaos.
In the midst of this fiery pandemonium, the defenders failed to notice a greater threat.
Hidden within the swirling storm, enormous creatures known as the Inferno Kings descended. These powerful demons stood before the fortress walls, biding their time, awaiting orders, their arrival veiled by the sandstorm's concealing fog.
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"How did we not get struck by any of the flames that were targeted at our ship? It is impossible that none could hit us even if we are hidden inside this sandstorm", King Anazek asked us.
"Let me introduce you to the Dark Angel's chaos magic. Projectiles could not hit him they would be misdirected away", Lord Brathnok replied to him.
"No wonder my fiery slashes all missed the last time we fought", Anazek said to himself with understanding now.
"When are we going to attack?" Avula asked us.
"Wait till Eirot summons out all her Inferno Kings. They are immune to the attrition of the magical moat and the defenders wouldn't detect them under the sandstorm", I replied to her.
"The defenders are too busy dealing with Wrath. They won't have time to look for the Inferno Kings in the sandstorm", Ratatouille added.
"This Wrath is decimating the enemy demons. We might capture this fortress without much effort on our part", Rinna opined.