571 Einhoren’s Shadow
Kingdom of humanity: Del Lagos
Einhoren, capital city.
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Mizumi staggered into an alleyway, her snow-white cheeks covered in red, her katars leaking in crimson as she faltered against the building within the darkness. Puking the contents of her stomach out as cold-shivers assaulted her limbs, her mind spun as her legs threatened to turn into noodles, forsaking her and that of her self-imposed mission. A light rain shower concealed the occasional choking and whimpering as her stomach acids irritated her throat, a soothing coldness cleansed the mess she released as Loha's blessing naturally granted the rain clouds she controlled with purifying properties, reducing the risk of poison, disease and natural build up of dirt across the city.
Having caught and removed a dozen more demon worshipping hideouts, the one eyed princess was finding her strength to be rapidly lessening as the days continued to pass. Being pregnant, and carrying Asai's child within, her morning sickness was weeks ahead of schedule and thus demanded greater amounts of calories and energy from her small frame. Finding herself suffering from hunger more frequently and the desire to sleep overcoming her daylight hours increasing, Mizumi was beginning to regret ignoring the man's orders to stay behind and rest within Par'Talucca's palace.
After all, how could she rest easy whilst the kingdom and people she cared about were at war?
Vanishing into [Hide] the dhan adeptly returned to the castle, to Victoria and Kozumi, as she battled the growing weight of her eyelids. Rendezvousing with the Kaka siblings, Sora and Hajin, who had both been ordered by their father Akira to follow the princess' every whim and will, the two also appeared with badges taken from their target locations.
With every hole dug out and removed, it became increasingly clear that a hidden enemy existed within the shadows, challenging their renown as a race that dominated such darkness.
..
Far from the heart of the city, across multiple layers of the stone walls that segregated the city, the poorest sections of the city had been raided and pillaged by the invading dekans. Both soldiers, knights and protesters were indiscriminately butchered and eaten by the ravenous sea of blue.
Having sent the majority of their combat aligned noble household's militaries to Thrud, the city was now relying solely upon the royal guard that were increasingly being spread thin as they combed the city for both insurgents and the dekans alongside their elven allies who were small in number. Due to such circumstances, the fighting had shifted into urban warfare as the dekans sought to cause as much damage and mayhem as possible, as they were very well aware that there were to be no reinforcements. Having no real supply lines to reinvigorate their armies, and not enough food to return to Armenes, the dekans were now truly abandoned deep into human territory, as they sprung from the human built houses like trapdoor spiders, eating and consuming any that crept close enough to their hiding spots.
Like a living plague, they fed upon the humans, used their homes and furniture, and continued to grow in strength as much as they could prior to fighting the resistance the humans would naturally form. Having had no news or information from Thrud, they were completely oblivious to the fact that a red dragon was summoned to annihilate their friendlies, as well as their defeat and failure in keeping the majority of humanity's greatest swords at bay.
Having a clear memory of the thousands they had sacrificed to forcefully mine a single path through the great mountains, to enter Del Lagos whilst their other companions were forced to distract the military alliance with repeated suicidal charges, their desire and loyalty to their king and kingdom remained steadfast. With a little luck, the emerging threat from within would ruin the morale and strategies Del Lagos could enact, allowing their own kingdom to finally march their newest army down south. Successfully forming an offensive from both within and outside of their beloved walls.
..
Within a random building's basement, an azure skinned evolved dekan was laying upon a bed with critical wounds. This dekan kept falling out and in of consciousness, as his mind failed to believe what he was seeing.
There he was, deep within enemy territory, there to conquer, to slaughter, to consume and to eventually turn the human species into a farm no different than the goblins. And yet, a group of humans were worshipping him, kneeling and praying to him as they brought food to his maws and fed him.
Being too weak and injured to raise his claws, he remained entirely bedridden as his supposed enemies were trying their utmost to heal and feed him. However, even with their actions being borderline fanatical, he was still level headed enough to notice the strange glow behind their eyes. Something, or someone was controlling them, and whatever, whoever was doing so, were helping the dekans from the shadows. Not one to bite the hand that fed him, until of course once his recovery was finished and he could resume his aggression upon the lesser race, the dekan decided it to be pointless in deciphering the hidden party who sought to use his race as if they were puppets upon a string.
As he was sure, once the southern kingdoms were conquered and turned into domesticated farms, this hidden party would be certain to follow such a fate without much resistance. After all, why fight within the shadows if one had a strong enough military to fight within the day, he figured.
Knowing not what ingredients the humans were using to cook their stew, to feed him, the azure dekan continued to consume all that they presented to him like a gluttony manifested. After all, their digestive and metabolism were second to none, as they had a unique organ that could break cells and shift their molecules into that of mana and mass suitable for their own bodies near instantly. However, having been fed for days, more so than the humans could feed themselves as they were increasingly becoming skinnier by the day. He couldn't help but grow an intrigue that continued to tickle his brain as well as evade its comprehension.
So much so, that he failed to realize that his body was paralyzed as he had yet to regain control over his limbs.
After finishing the hot pot of stew that filled him with nutrition and minerals, the humans once again began their prayers before a single element appeared different. A man taller than others broke ranks, slowly approaching with a scalpels and knives. With no ability to move his claws and tails to defend himself, no ability to even speak as his maws were greatly numbed due to the toxins that flourished within his system, he had no choice but to watch as the man slowly butchered his chest, slicing his torso up as he stole the large red beating heart.
With an evolved dekan's organ in hand, the man quickly absconded the scene with his followers in tow. Swiftly navigating through the capital's streets and alleyways like rats, they soon converged upon a graveyard, descending through a gravestone that was in fact a concealment for hidden stone stairs into the deep.
Within a great hall underground, fanatics were slowly carving out a glyph, a ritual to call forth divine beings that held power and abilities to grant wishes and desires.
With another dekan heart being added to the centre, where the blood would trickle and fill the carvings upon the ground. Like a beating heart, the magical circle was gently pounding away as if it were alive. Yearning, demanding its followers hastened their actions, as rats like the royal guards and Par'Talucca's princess were increasingly closing in on their main hide out.
""Hail Asmodeus! Hail Asmodeus!""
The fanatics repeatedly chanted, in sync with the magical glyph that was growing in strength.