The puppets led the way up the tunnel meant to be their escape route. For the two tunnels designated for the demons, one went directly to the battlefield where the demons created chaos while the other served as a way out of the valley. No one knew if any dangers awaited them at the end of the tunnel but they weren’t given much of a choice. According to the demons, the battle aboveground was fierce as the undead forces were engaged with Ides’ forces. Both sides were ready for a long drawn out battle. One would be foolish to get involved in such a battle.
“Based on what you shared,” said Colet to Kagarath, “it sounded like the two sides were ready to destroy each other. I didn’t know they would make our lives that much easier.”
“It’s all due to politics,” replied Kagarath simply.
Colet gestured to the demon to elaborate.
“You all know both sides use dark powers to achieve their goals. Dark powers may originate from either the underworld or hell. Creatures from those two realms don’t get along with one another. Within those two realms, there are numerous factions with their own politics and, in general, they don’t get along with each other unless there’s a common interest. While both sides find satisfaction crushing us, their masters likely demanded them to weaken the other side to further their agendas.”
“We got lucky then?” asked Colet.
“We can say that once we defeat the enemies blocking our way out.”
Hearing Kagarath’s words, the group turned to face the undead creatures standing between them and their freedom. Following a roar from the bear, the puppets charged at the undead. The resulting battle was one of the brutalist Colet had ever seen. Since both the undead and puppets weren’t living beings, they no longer possessed emotions like fear or limitations like exhaustion. He watched as the beings from the two sides fought until their limbs were completely hacked away. At times, the beings used their teeth when only their heads remained until their heads were smashed apart. Against such foes, the centaur couldn’t see how he could win against large hordes of them.
“Now, Ogmoth!” shouted Kagarath.
Everyone turned to see Ogmoth cast a spell on the approaching undead. While the puppets put up a decent fight, they were outnumbered and were eventually overwhelmed. The undead then charged at the group but the charge was halted by Ogmoth. The undead at the front of the enemy simply stopped in their tracks. Moments later, they turned around and attacked the other undead. Once again, another brutal battle ensued leaving body parts and limbs scattered all over the tunnel. The event was repeated multiple times until only the puppets stood victorious.
“What spell was that?” asked Colet.
“Dispel,” said Ogmoth.
Colet stared at the demon with skepticism. He learned about the Dispel spell from Eupoos and he was never told the spell could counter undead creatures. He couldn’t help but wonder if the demons were simply keeping secrets about what they had in their arsenal. While he had no issue with the act, he would appreciate it if the demons were more upfront given the importance of their cooperation in their survival. The more they knew about their enemies, the better their chance at survival.
“Dispel alone isn’t enough,” clarified the demon. “I also have the ability to see the links between the undead creatures and their master. If I concentrate the Dispel spell on those links, I could sever them. This is only made possible given the distance between the undead creatures and their master. If this Soul of Xemir is present, I couldn’t hope to cut the links allowing the bear to make the dead her puppets.”
By the time Ogmoth finished his explanation, the group had exited the tunnel. Under normal circumstances, the token undead force in the tunnel would be more than sufficient to slaughter the group. However, Ogmoth and the bear made all the difference as they turned the enemy’s numbers against them. Colet took a quick moment to look behind him. The beastmen marched in an orderly fashion with a group of them still carrying the unconscious centaurs on their shoulders. They all looked distraught after walking through the carnage but Zulgar managed to rally them with shouts of encouragement. Under the circumstances, the beastman leader was really pulling through.
“Where are we headed next?” asked Sofice.
Colet and Kagarath could only stare at one another. It was clear to the others the two leaders didn’t plan this far. Even now, Colet couldn’t imagine the good fortunes of his group. Kagarath stated that the bear joined their fight voluntarily. While the demonic soldiers summoned by the three demons engaged the enemies to hold them off, a group of beastmen puppets, likely those Colet watched fall to the creature, appeared and assisted the fight. The bear was capable of communicating with the demons and, through negotiations, they agreed to fight alongside one another. Surprisingly, the bear mentioned that it wished to be reunited with a human but it refused to further elaborate on the matter. Despite having many questions about the connection between a demonic bear and a human, no one had time to question the matter.
“I’d say we roam the plains for now,” said Zulgar. “We are familiar with the land and can throw off our enemies.”
“I suggest we find a settlement,” suggested Kagarath. “Following that Purificator, there will be numerous abandoned settlements due to their denizens’ demise. We can make use of the fortifications until we devise a better plan.”
“If we want a place that’s easier to defend, we can try the dwarven fortresses in the mountains. I know centaurs and beastmen aren’t accustomed to the underground but those fortresses are said to be impregnable for a reason. Some of the dwarven tunnels may even take us to a safer location away from our enemies.”
Sofice's suggestion got the group thinking.
“I second the idea of a dwarven fortress,” said Ogmoth. “The dwarves possess some powerful weapons we can use to defend ourselves. No point letting those collect dust.”
