Viktor had all but won the battle. Chaos having torn the army of Altearx apart, it was a simple matter for the remaining monsters to clean up whatever leftover scraps. It was then that the Walking Ballistae moved into position, setting up to defend, until the fortress was rebuilt, and the army reinforced. There was still the matter of civilians, who had been boxed into their city section. No doubt escape or rebellion of some sort was being plotted, as the ogres patrolled streets. 

But even as Viktor mused over the well fought battle, he realized that something was wrong. He could no longer see through the eyes of Stamrad, his most trusted of minions. This was unnerving, as this could only mean that he was dead. That shouldn't have happened, if all had gone according to plan. Still mistakes could be made, especially by lessers. 

The Wall of Flesh was woken to action by a mental command from Viktor. The hulking beast slowly turned, eyes sweeping the area, to find Stamrad. It wasn't long before the eyes focused in on a spot of scorched earth, twisted shrapnel lying around. Long, winding arms reached down, lifting a helmet from the rubble. Viktor lowered his head, almost feeling a smidge of emotion. Was that sadness? He wiped that thought from his mind, before speaking again to the construct. The orders were cut short by a blinding flash, and the Wall of Flesh fading away. 

Smoke still lingering in the air from the kill, The Champions moved forward, regaining a formation. Before them laid the Wall of Flesh, flames running up and down the flesh-ridden stone. Darhok leaned down, struggling to remove his mace from the charred surface. He chuckled, before quickly twisting to the side. A massive bolt had just narrowly missed him, thudding into the hard earth beside him. He snarled, turning to see the threat. The four Ballistae had aimed at the new threats, skeletons already loading more bolts. 

Though formidable enemies, it was a rather quick skirmish between the two groups. Ahrims speed along with Alishe's range quickly devestated the minions, now in chaos without a commanding force. Viktor raged angrily from his base, unable to connect with any of the lesser minions. He was left blind, deaf, and dumb, unbeknownst to any threats that may approach. 

Verac looked down at his blade, still unbloodied. He had not yet seen it fit to unleash his power yet. Best to save the ace, give glory to the others. Certainly, the other champions were able to hold their own, even against the monstrous army of Viktor. Though the troops thrived off of their enemies chaos, without an intelligent creature around, they were naught more than armed animals roaming about. It wasn't a glorious battle by any means, but it took them quite awhile to mop them all up. 

When the last ogre fell, blood pouring from his chest, the smiled at their work, though a bit tired. When they were sure that the threat had been wiped away, Verac pulled out a spiraled horn, and blew deep int it. As the noise resounded through the city, he slowly walked deeper into the civilian district, where cautious citizens peered through ajar windows, the more daring stepping out into the cold. Verac put away the horn, before raising his arms.

"People of Altearx! Today, you have been cursed, a plague wrought upon your city. But you... Each and every one of you has survived this onslaught! Today, you have faced suffering and fear like no man should ever have to bear. But you have stood strong like these mighty fortress walls that surround you! So hide no longer! Remove the barricades from your doors, and enter once again your fine city. Though you surely deserve it, we haven't time to rest. One last ordeal stands before you brave, brave people." Spoke Verac, his voice ringing out loudly through the tight stone walls. 

"The walls of your great city must be rebuilt- defenses put into place, soldiers trained. We ask only this of you, so that we, along with you, may rest easily. While you secure your future, we shall secure the present- It is now that we start a journey. We shall track down the source of your misery, and eliminate it once and for all. We swear to you, that you shall never face an ordeal so terrible again. Not without us standing by your side." He finished, turning away before the mass crowd could respond. Sure, many had missed the speech, but from the cheers, it was obvious that it would be passed on, one way or another. 

Wordlessly, the other champions followed, proud smiles on their faces. They took long steps to avoid tripping over rubble and bodies. They felt a bit guilty, leaving this mess for them to clean up, but they knew it was best to get going as soon as possible. It would doubtlessly be a long journey, especially considering that Darhok couldn't teleport them there. The group would have to foot it, in order to track the armies roots down. As they stepped out into the tundra, they realized just how easy it would be. The army of monsters certainly hadn't had stealth in mind when approaching.