**Skreeeee!**
"They're coming… Open the gates!"
Demons are simple-minded. They will take the fastest path towards the nearest thing they decide as "food", rushing towards it with great frenzy. With this knowledge, the expeditioners prepared an inner perimeter placing spiked barricades where they could take cover. Behind them were raised platforms where their ranged members could attack without disturbed view or friendly fire. They can also bring the wounded men in the front to the back for treatment should any of them get hurt. It was a standard defensive structure and position against the wave of demons, simulating the strategic advantage of Kaldur's pass.
The strategy was simple; let them come, kill them, pile the corpses, and then use their corpses as a natural blockade. Rinse and repeat a couple of times until they either retreat or they wipe them out.
"Steady!" The priest raised his arm, fist closed.
A beast-like demon entered through the gate. It walked on all fours, had a head halfway that of a wolf and a raven, 3 eyes each on the side of its head. It had spiked spines, an arm hanging from its side, seemingly that of a human, thrashing as it moved. Mouths were sprawled across its limbs and its semi-translucent underbelly, and what would be considered its "main" mouth was placed sideways on its face as if the creature itself was a watered down, drooping painting, smothered by paper. Its hind legs were shaped like that of a horse, its front facing legs were crooked, with paws like that of a bear, claws the size of a knife.
Another demon entered, a tall humanoid creature with two heads. One head was placed on top of its torso, lacking a neck. The other head replaced its shoulder, carrying a sick grimacing smile, the jaw dislocated, chattering its teeth. Both heads featured a variation of an eyeless face, and a gaping hole for a nose where its sharp, teeth-lined tongue hung from. An exposed beating heart stuck out of its chest, a slit on his stomach revealed its entrails; nested, hanging, an organ swinging side to side. The slit let out steam as its blood continuously interacted with the cold air. One of its arms was muscly, the mass of which diminished as it reached its thin forearms, connected to a fleshy hand in the shape of a grotesque morningstar. Its other arm featured a blade shaped bone, surrounded by a pulsing mass of flesh, a large veiny eye darting, scanning the room, embedded in its shoulder, smaller eyes surrounding it.
"Uuuoooogh!" The humanoid demon groaned as it spotted the expeditioners.
With hooves for feet, legs that of a giant bull, it stomped on the ground, moving towards the expeditioners.
"Now!" The priest extended his arm, fingers forward, signaling the others.
**Bang!!!!** **Splat**
"Oooouuuugh"
Four shots blasted the abomination. Its shoulder eye popping, blood splattered everywhere, the heat melting the snow, before quickly dissipating into steam. One bullet hit its head tearing a new hole straight into it. The last bullet drilled into its chest, while the last bullet barely missed its heart.
"Reloading!!!!" The sisters shouted in
unison.
**Fwoosh** **Thwack**
An arrow flew by, hitting the four-legged beast, the tip burrowing into one of its eyes.
"Ready spears!" A knight captain ordered.
The knights began pushing spears from behind cover, multiple spears stretching forth, poking the demons from range.
Many other demons began pouring in. Varying in size, features, and aggression. Primate-like demons began climbing the walls from the side.
Knights and adventurers were stationed on the sides, blades in hand, cutting down the demons who made it down. They were small and easy to kill, but they were agile and plentiful. They assisted each other, sometimes being assisted by arrow shots or fellow knights and adventurers who had the leeway.
Spells flew out against clumped demons, the mages rotating a variety of fire, light, and ice magic, casting one after the other to efficiently clear hordes. It was a song and dance they specially trained in.
"Pass me a potion!" One mage requested.
"We need more arrows!" The archers declared.
"Spears! Get the spares!" The knights yelled.
The battlefield was hectic. Should anyone run out of resources, they would run to get more, passing them out before going back to their post. The battle raged on, no rest nor respite available.
"I need some help over here!" A knight screamed for some assistance, his armor torn, bleeding from what seemed like claw marks.
A sister rushed to his side, dragging him to the back.
"Get that one quick!" A knight pointed out.
A small rabbit-like demon rushed from the side, its head splitting open, revealing an array of sharp teeth. It lunged at a knight's leg, sinking its teeth into the armor, it began munching. He tried shaking it off, swatting it away with his hands before another knight came to his aid, stabbing it with a sword, pulling it off.
**Bleeeegh**
A terrifying, lanky, 10 feet tall carrier demon stood bent outside of the wall. It boasted a large mouth that belched out small, leech-like creatures onto the ground, slithering towards the expeditioners.
A sigil appeared in front of the barricades, spewing out flames across the field, torching them.
**Crackle** **Spark** **Boom**
A bolt of lighting shot out from one of a mage's finger tips, striking the tall demon, killing it, causing it to fall forwards, destroying a part of the external wooden walls, allowing more demons to come pouring in.
"This is absurd! How many more are there?"
Time had flown by, countless hours of fighting continued with no sign of stopping.
"There's more than usual! This isn't right!"
Most of the injured had already recovered, healed by the priest using magic. Despite this, they were still being overwhelmed by the endless battle, the sun already setting.
"AAAAAAH!"
**Crunch** **Squish**
A knight was lifted up by a large, bloated demon, shoving him into its mouth, biting down, separating his torso, instantly killing him. Another knight had been caught off guard, bitten on the leg by a smaller, hyena-like demon, dragging him out of the fortification before being swarmed and eaten as he was abducted.
"Jayien!" His friend screamed in horror before snapping back into focus as a demon lunged towards him.
"He's gone! Eyes forward, there's more coming!" His knight captain reminded him.
"Somebody hel-" An adventurer desperately screamed, before being impaled by a 3 legged giant demon after he was dragged into the open.
Their frontline was crumbling, their fortifications wearing down, their morale steadily dropping.
"Ciceli help us…"