@GentlemanvaultboyDesperation and determination are a dangerous combination, and as Firebrand charged the snake mage sliced both it's blades towards his neck. Catching the blades left cuts deep into his palm, and most other creatures would have simply lost the top half of their hands. But Firebrand endured, making a desperate last gambit at life. Unfortunately, he had miscalculated, failing to understand the weakness of his attack. While both combatants had lost the use of two arms, the Yuan-Ti possessed an extra pair, which it was quick to employ. The headbutt would have shattered bone and shredded flesh had it struck true, but it was interrupted halfway by a forcefield that enveloped the demon's face. Scaled hands hovered tentatively in front of his eyes, waving in almost hypnotic pattern as the bands of force wove over his skin, locking his head in place. With no way to build up momentum, there was no way to break the cage without releasing the blades, and allowing them to remove that which he sought to free.
The only positive development to come out of this unfortunate endeavour was perhaps also his downfall. The curse that had so drained him slowly began to abate. Cold numbness gave way to prickling agony, as every cell in his body collectively gasped for fresh air. This gasp was cut short, as the demon realized that the mask of energy covering his face not only locked him into position, but also cut off his air supply. Any chance to recover was shattered as his muscles began shivering and shaking, deprived of oxygen and life. His lungs burned and his brain screamed as blackness began to pull at the edge of his vision. With no oxygen to fix the damage done by the curse he might as well still be cursed, and now he was out of option.
Malevolently staring at it's prey, the Yuan-Ti knew it had won. It's thoughts seeped into Firebrand's mind like a green ooze, forcing their way into the cracks of his failing consciousness. Voices spoke of an empire inherited by the children of foul gods, of great temples and living sacrifices, and immense power payed for with sacrifice and servitude. He learned of vile practises and cruel torment, and the voice was like a lullaby, urging him to a sleep he would never awaken from. It was a whispering lie that slithered through his mind, dispelling determination and preparing him for death. He would not be dead for long, he knew. Just a moment, as the moment his heart stopped his soul would be caught, ritually prepared, and reinserted. Unlike the fortunate fools his ally now fought his mind would not be allowed to fade, shackled to his body and made slave to the abomination's will. An eternal torment, a fate of suffering and servitude, an undead warrior to guard this creature for all of eternity, as it amassed even greater powers. And every secret he learned was like a nail in the coffin, a statement of fact, a grim fate that could not be avoided.
Then, for just a moment, the creature's concentration broke. Had it just.... moved?
Slowly, the demon's left foot moved upwards, and came down with a heavy smash. Moments later the right followed, slowly forcing the snake priest back as Firebrand made his way forward. Blocked, suffocating, half dead, his charge had not ended. Clinging to the last kernels of life inside of him he pushed forward, the only direction he could go, the only thing he could do. The creature hissed and screeched, as it was pushed back with every step. It yanked at it's blades, still held by bleeding hands, and the edge struck bone. But no amount of pain nor damage loosened the infernal grip. The abomination gestured, the forcefield pushing back, but no amount of force seemed enough, no amount of magical energy slowed down this final march. The creature raised itself up on it's tail, bringing it's full and significant weight to bear, like a serpentine boulder pressing against him. And still, they moved. Through willpower and determination alone, Firebrand simply refused to die, refused to pass out, and absolute refused to lose.
Pebbles rained down on the ground, as a long green tail slowly clipped the building's edge. Now the snake pressed close to Firebrand, getting as far from the edge as possible, desperately clinging to safety. It was a long drop down. And as they stood there, on the edge of oblivion, finally, Firebrand released the beast's blades. Yanking them free at last, the Yuan-Ti Abomination lost all purchase, and careened over the edge. It screeched all the way down, uttering curses in several ancient languages, before it's tirade was brought to an abrupt halt by a sickening crunch. The forcefield over Firebrand's face dissolved, as he was finally allowed to draw breath.
((In this post, I made some assumptions as to Firebrand's actions. On the whole I attempt to avoid doing this, but I found this to be the best narrative ending to the conflict I could think of. If you take offence to this, my sincerest apologies.))
@SupertinykingOzo tore through the undead creatures. A figure in oriental clothing slashed a number of blades aside, wielding a Japanese sword decorated with an ornate golden dragon coiling around the hilt. Another pulled back a silvery bow, unleashing a series of glowing silvery arrows which seemed to home on their targets. Yet another dodged and wove around his attacks, blades attached to his ankles coming dangerously close to decapitating the frog creature on a number of occasions. Had they been alive this would perhaps have been more of a challenge, but while they fought with the same styles they had employed in life, much of the subtlety was lost. They felt nothing, and their reflexes were relatively sluggish, although still quite impressive. One by one they were chopped down, often with the assistance of the red demonic figure that flew past, peppering the area with fireballs.
However, after some fighting, the remaining undead suddenly just dropped to the ground, no more alive than they looked. Ozo felt like some kind of influence had left the area, a prickling sensation he only noticed when it was gone. It appeared that whatever had been animating these corpses had stopped doing so, and quite suddenly at that. Ozo would have a moment to look around, and perhaps hail the demon that had assisted him. Or perhaps he would noticed Firebrand, as he stood on the edge of the building. However, any pleasantries he engaged in would soon be cut short.
A shadow fell over the building. Slowly looking around, Ozo was confronted with the massive face of Enki, blocking out the sun. The giant mech hung from the side of the building, glaring down at those present. While he might not have been certain of the demon's allegiance, this was most definitely the leader of the invasion, Viral. And Ozo got the feeling that, sawblades or no, he was not ready to take on an enemy of this magnitude.
@NightKnight@Gentlemanvaultboy@SupertinykingFinding his way through the city, Viral sighed. It appeared most of this city had already fallen, even without his gunboats. The most competent souls had fled, and he had personally eliminated a significant chunk of their defences before the main force even struck. But it seemed that there were still some small pockets of fighting. With a mild kick he dropped a house on a squad of armoured vehicles who had gotten it in their mind to fire on him. A casual sideswipe crushed a winged pest, some kind of raven-man wielding an energy blade. They had been given plenty of chances to surrender, and Viral's mercy had run out. Meanwhile, loyal followers both new and old gathered around him, his army reforming. While the increase hadn't been as vast as he had hoped, his forces had certainly become more significant, and the weapon markets had provided an excellent source of arms for those among his troops who did not yet have powerful weaponry.
Suddenly, Enki's comm systems captured a message. It appeared a powerful broadcast signal had been sent practically all across the planet, on a general frequency. Curious, Viral opened it, listening as some human blabbed about a strategically important location. It sounded too good to be true, and that usually meant it was. Was this a trap? But who would they hope to trap, sending out a signal all over the place? The other factions were certain to respond to such a message, no one target would appear. Was this person just hoping to bunch up as many dangerous folks as they could? Or perhaps there was an actual matter of importance, so important that this person had been forced to discard any and all security precautions.
Grinning, Viral knew what he had to do. This would be the first blow against the human filth that ruled this world, his first great conquest on this world. Even as he stood on the ashes of the city he had set out to level, he planned out his next assault. This matter was of strategic importance, and might grant him the upper hand in the ensuing wars. Others would respond, but they would be slow to do so, and they would send scout forces first. He would go in full force, and merely erase all in his path. While the denizens of this world wielded powers far beyond Viral's comprehension, none could match the raw power of Enki. And with this army at his back, he was certain to capture and hold this point, making off with a strategic asset while other factions squabbled over petty territory.
However, for this endeavour, he would need elite soldiers. And his sensors had located some high-powered action in the area. Moving over, he found the source of the combat on a nearby roof, and quickly climbed up the tall office tower. The top floor was collapsed, but still the action continued. Enki quickly took take of who appeared to be the victors. They were certainly dangerous individuals. He recognized the one they had defeated, the snake that had passed him on the way up. That had been one of the most powerful soldiers in his army, and if these strange fellows had managed to best that monster... well, he wanted them on his side. They would certainly be useful assets. And best yet, they all appeared to be inhuman. He grinned inside his suit.
"Well, it appears I've found the source of my problems. I offer you a choice. Not much of one, really. I'm in a hurry. I'm creating a group of special forces in my army, officers with power above that of the general mook. Any of you who refuse die here, so I'd recommend you join. But, if you choose to die with honour, then I commend you on your bravery." The massive mech raised an arm, and a hatch opened to reveal a row of giant kunai. These would shred anything they hit, and probably cover a fairly large area. Viral was confident in his ability to stomp these guys if they tried to flee or even fight him. "Answer quickly. I have places to be." Meanwhile, his makeshift army would merge with the newly acquired Alliance battalion below. For them it wouldn't be much of a change, fighting and conquering for a slightly different leader. And Mortanius was certain to find plenty of new bodies to choose from, if he was willing to make do with corpses. Viral needed his forces in tip-top shape.
