( War Log - Day 43 )
Fearing retaliation from the Mercenary King, Regus ordered the Bloodfall clan to retreat to the central areas of where the Vampire disc was located and take up the role of disc protectors alongside other Aurelius forces already on duty.
This time around Max was not given an option to refuse and stay back to fight on the frontlines as he was simply given orders from the king to fall back and hand over the defence of the orb to the new legion reporting from duty from the Velter clan.
The wrap-up process took the Bloodfall clan a full two days. The tents were rolled and the supplies were collected.
The few traps that were still miraculously active in the forest after the Phantoms had passed through but not triggered them were explained to the Velter clan forces and once all this was done only then did the Bloodfall clan begin marching towards the disc.
In a shocking move, as the Bloodfall clan began moving out, they were given a guard of honor by the Velter clan forces who saluted them with their weapons as per the tradition of the clan.
The Velter clan acknowledged Bloodfall's contribution and made sure they got the hero's respect that they deserved on their way back.
It was not even just the Velter clan.
The Bloodfall clan passed through 3 vampire lord territories before reaching their destination and wherever they passed through they were given the guard of honour as the clan was given unprecedented respect for their achievements.
Slowly but surely the noses of all Bloodfall clan soldiers rose higher and higher.
This feeling of respect and adoration had helped them steel their resolve.
For a society like the vampires and for a clan like Bloodfall they were all ready to lay down their lives.
Just as the Bloodfall clan entered the massive city sized maze built by the Aurelius clan around the disc, the entire dimensional plane began to tremble as a column of thick white light could be seen shooting up towards the sky a few hundred kilometres to the right of where Max stood.
While the others were confused as to what this column of light signified, Max had no doubt in his mind as to what it was.
The first disc raid had been activated, and unfortunately it was the light faction who were on the backfoot first.
On one hand, Max felt thankful that it wasn't the Vampire disc that had been triggered as he did not feel like fighting yet another big fight after having undergone such an intense battle, he did wonder as to which force was undergoing the disc raid and whether they would be fine?
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( Meanwhile The Forger King )
The first disc raid to be activated was under the protection of the dwarves.
The Dimensional war game was designed in a way that once a disc raid was triggered an invading force had 10 days to destroy that disc or else 50 orbs which had been previously destroyed would be restored for the other faction.
When these rules were explained to a fool, they would wonder as to why all monarchs did not participate in the defence of a disc raid if such was the case and ensure that no discs were destroyed?
It would simply be because if a monarch was not present around his disc area, the enemy monarch could simply waltz into the light faction territory unchecked and destroy a hundred orbs in a matter of 30 minutes to trigger a second disc raid and then a third and then a fourth, plunging the entire light faction into chaos.
The war was a delicate game of balance, disc raids were one on one for a reason as no monarch could simply worry about others while having a territory to fend off for themselves.
As the first disc raid was underway, an army of epic proportions advanced under the cold, harsh light of the dimensional battlefield.
The one to answer the call for the first raid was the human sovereign Kane. His forces, over fifty million strong, moved in a synchronised march that spread across the horizon like an endless sea of malice.
The ground force, a spectacle of power and dread, were composed of hundreds of legions from numerous species.
Beasts of the underworld, towering giants, agile goblins, and relentless demons, all pledged to Kane's banner. But dominating the force were humans, comprising a significant sixty percent of the total strength, their eyes glowing with a fierce determination to seize victory.
Yet, the terror was not limited to the land. The sky above buzzed with an aerial force of at least two million, blotting out the light from the pale moon above.
Winged serpents hissed menacingly, their riders equipped with barbed spears and spiked armour. Harpies, banshees, and gargoyles, their ominous figures casting sprawling shadows over the ground below. Among them, leathery winged griffins and thunderous rocs carried warriors with an unquenchable thirst for blood.
At the heart of this terrifying spectacle was Kane, mounted on a majestic elephant beast that towered over others, it's dark eyes blazing with raw power.
Sitting beside him on a carriage being carried by four giants on their shoulders was Memphidos the Shaman God and the disciple of Angakok.
Together they bulldozed their way through, obliterating everything in their path, making their way towards the dwarven fortress undisturbed.
As Kane's forces reached the foot of the mountains, the dwarven defence roared into life. The first to answer were the harpoon guns, unleashing a wave of lethal projectiles. The earth shuddered as they launched, their deadly payload aimed at the sky. The aerial forces shrieked as the harpoons rained upon them, dragging the unfortunate creatures crashing down to the earth, their lives extinguished in a matter of seconds.
Wyverns, Eagles, Winged horses, Winged lions- irrespective of the mount, the harpoons that were designed to even bring dragon's to their knees did not even feel the heat when bringing down these weaker species, while the relentless arrow shooting machines killed the harpies and the other flying demons by the thousands every passing second.
On the ground, the giant catapults entered the fray. These monstrosities, barrels filled with highly acidic liquid, hurled their deadly payload high in the air. As the barrels descended onto the enemy lines, a torrent of acid rained down, melting through armour and flesh alike.
The frontline, once a display of raw strength, was now a gruesome spectacle of death and horror.
In spite of the onslaught, the army pushed forward, each step a testament to their unyielding will. Yet the dwarven machines held their ground, their attacks relentless and ruthless, the dwarven craftsmanship proving to be more than a match for the invading army. But this was just the beginning, the first clash in a battle that promised to test the limits of both sides.
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/// A/N - Chapter 15/20, enjoy ///