Red Dragon's Keep

Thomas ran down the stairs to the forecourt. The sun lay low on the horizon, about to fall behind the mountains. Demons attacked the walls, climbing them and killing the defenders at the top. Flying Demons dropped huge boulders onto the walls and breached them in two places. Smachtmaistirs hovered in the air, somehow directing the flood of Demons assaulting the Keep.

Demons poured through the breaches, onto the ramparts and over the inner walls. Dead and dying villagers and Demons littered the ramparts, stairs, and grounds. Demons stopped at the dead bodies and started to eat them as others scrambled past, looking for easy prey.

Defenders threw dead Demons over the walls to distract those who were trying to climb up the outside. Some of the Demons looked oddly human.

Soldiers battled Demons in the forecourt. Thomas charged into the middle of the battle, swinging HellReaver in great arcs, slicing arms and legs, torsos and faces, as if he were possessed. Demons fell as he pushed toward Aeden. Simon followed at his back, clumsily trying to protect him with a short sword.

Haloran ran at the Demons attacking the defenders on the stairs. He helped the desperate men and women drive the Demons back down into the forecourt.

Thomas raised his hand and called magefire. He threw the glowing ball of fire into the face of a Demon that reached for his throat. The Demon shrieked and fell to the ground, clawing at its face. Thomas drove HellReaver through its heart, pulled back and swung, taking its head.

He whirled around at a scream of agony behind him. He shouted in horror. Demon claws impaled Simon. The huge Demon lifted his writhing body into the air. Simon shrieked again. Thomas charged forward and thrust HellReaver through the Demon’s body. Another Demon grabbed Simon’s body as it fell and began to feed. Rage filled Thomas’s body. He screamed in battle fury and charged at the Demon. The Demon snarled soundlessly in the noise of battle and jumped to attack him. Thomas whirled HellReaver over his head and slashed the Demon’s head from its body.

The forecourt was filled with struggling humans and attacking Demons. Human defenders fell as more Demons poured into the battle.