Edge of the Abyss

Rainhard gasped involuntarily when he felt sudden pain around his chest. Sensation disappeared in an instant but the ominous feeling lingered.
He pulled the reins of his griffin and reached into his armour. He took out pendant bestowed to him when he earned the title of High Paladin. It was rather crude hefty iron piece of jewelry, picturing seven crossed swords. Central one was ablaze.
Even now pendant was still very warm, although the unbearable heat was gone.

Paladin felt slight pressure coming from the amulet. As if it was drawing his attention into some direction. He put it loosely on his stretched hand and tried to concentrate his will.
After brief moment he was sure - it was pointing him to the east. He exhaled somberly. Even without watching he knew what was in the east, which could attract Shining Ones attention.

Abyss was not dormant anymore.

Paladin shoved the amulet inside his armour again and surveyed his troops. Regiment of state troops and ogre mercenaries were marching north at even pace. He shouted orders to halt, regroup and march east.
He left the rear guard to wait for the Abbess and her Panther Lancers return form long range patrol and to inform them about their new heading.

He urged his mount to jump into the air and flew over his troops to scout ahead.

***

Panthers halted rapidly and started hissing with a mixture of fear and hate. All other soldiers halted too and readied themselves for whatever was coming. Suddenly few hundred meters before them, the earth cracked open and released white hot flames in the air. Their colours started to shift rapidly, creating hypnotizing and nauseating spectacle. However this not lasted for long. Flames faded and from the cracks demons started to pour.

With every second passing more and more demons clawed their way out of the chasm, jumped out or simply flew high in the air. Soon they spotted Basileans and threw themselves with battle lust at them without a second thought.

Rainhard too, without hesitation, ordered his troops onwards. He knew his hopes to close the chasm without a sorcerer were slim, but he hed hoped his connection with the Shining Ones will be enough to do something. But first they needed to get rid of the demons.

With years of experience, High Paladin easily estimated when his troops were at the right distance to begin charge and with all might he ordered his warriors to charge the enemy.
In this instant he felt the pendant at this chest litting up and burning deeply in his flesh. His front armour plate exploded, revealing pendant shining bright as a sun. Then amulet fell apart - each miniature sword flew onwards, exploding with myriad of colours only to form into a huge figure of winged warrior, clad in golden armour and wielding flaming weapon. One of them turned into huge rolling ball of fire, which thundered towards enemy for some time, only to deform at some point, spread fiery wings and shoot into the air. In mid air, flames took shape of a mighty Phoenix, screaming in defiance towards demonical foes ahead.

With religious zeal, Basilean forces and the messengers of the Shining Ones clashed with the demons at the Edge of the Abyss.

***

Rainhard gathered his troops and mercenaries around him and formed central line. Angelic warriors spread their protective wings at both sides of them. Abbess and her Lancers followed one Elohi group - they excelled at outmaneuvering their enemies.

Demon army was creeping towards them at steady pace. Angelic host, too eager to wait for the enemy to come to them, shoot into the sky and hit both flanks like a meteor. Even famous Gur Panthers could not keep up the pace and halted before small copse, housing two regiments of damned Succubi and their Mistress.

Mighty Ur-Elohi dealt quickly with a flock of Gargoyles on the left flank but other clashes were not going so well. Flame Bearers supported by fiery magic of Efreet pushed back their winged adversaries until their fellow brethren arrived with help, forcing angels to focus on a new threat, leaving bearers free to regroup. Even white hot claws and wings of a mighty Phoenix could not break Abyssals nerve.
At the other side of the battlefield, Succubi held firm against the Elohi and their Mistress, wielding quicksilver blades cut them to pieces in no time. Seeing this show of power caused even zealous Lancers to avoid fighting demons in the rough terrain and regroup with Rainhard's forces.

Again, angelic hero showed his power and martial prowess by cutting through the flame bearers, his brethren finally cutting down Lower Abyssals too, but the noble Phoenix was slain. Its final screech was heard on the entire battlefield even through the noise of the battle.

Ogres took position to repel Succubi, while High Paladin and his troops hurled at Abyssal regiment. Again, power of the Abyss was too great. Demons repelled the enemy, buying time for a whole horde of them to take position to attack them from both sides. Succubi ignored hulking brutes and leaped high into the air, giving proof of their unnatural acrobatic skills and assailed regrouping Lancers. Sisterhood did whatever they could to defend, but at the end they only managed to save their leader. And so Abess urged her panther towards Rainhard and his surrounded warriors.
To her demise, hordes of Abyssals disemboweled Basilea warriors and readied themselves to charge ogre mercenaries. Rainhard, not able to save his brothers at arms, leaped into the air and took a position behind enemy backs to inflict as many casualties as he could.

If anyone had any doubts about hiring ogres, this day would prove their worth. Being assailed by hordes of enemy, they stood their ground firmly and it were their demonic enemy that lost their nerve when their kin and their body parts started flying around and their attack washed over ogre's position harmlessly.
Seeing their stubbornness and martial prowess and also angels coming from the left flank, Abbess had still a glimmer of hope. However, it flickered and died quickly when she saw Elohi exploding in mid air when still living Efreet showered them with rain of firebolts, incinerating their winds and melting their armour.

Final doom bell rung when Succubi joined the fray and dealt a thousand cuts to the ogres, laying them finally low. Rainhard was locked in combat with the Abyssal regiment and Abbess herself was charged by the howling Succubi Mistress. During their furious duel, quicksilver claws of the demoness sliced throat of Abess' panther, forcing her to throw away her favorite kolisko and fighting with short sword.

She readied herself for her final rest, but the death did not come this day. Seeing his whole army collapse, Rainhard wanted to save at least one life this day. Griffon's claws clasped around Abbess brutally and took her away from the battlefield.
She knew where to.

The next battlefield.