It started around the middle of a day which seemed to be like any other ones in the Village of Estolad, a small, peaceful and rural village located in the middle of the wilderness. Not many people lived there, only a small community and each member knew each other, long way was between Estolad and other villages or cities, fact which pretty much isolated it from the rest of Arda’s population, they could not ask for help or support, and merchants were rarely interested in that village. But that didn’t stop the strangers and the wanderers to stumble upon Estolad, and even spend a few nights at the Kaima Inn before leaving once more. But it seemed the peaceful and beautiful days of the Estolad would come to an end, as this time in a long while something more bizarre decided to ‘visit’ the village, something that threatened the inhabitants and their animals. It all started with a few puddles of blood found upon the fields, belonging to a few missing cattle. So far the villagers suspected that their animals were attacked by some beast of the forest, probably a large feline or a hungry wolf powerful enough to hurt and kill a cattle. But on the following days people began missing as well, they were killed but their bodies were never found, only findable things were even more puddles of blood which led to nothing in particular. That seemed impossible, the beast should have left a trace of blood or at least some ‘pawprints’, unless it was a predator which was able to fly. But what bird would cause so much damage?

The villagers decided that they could not go on like that, and a small group was formed which only the bravest of the villagers or the stupidest joined. They left to deal with the matter, find whatever the beast was and slay it once and for all. They never returned…

But the predator, or better said the predators didn’t act unnoticed for too long, in a matter of a few more days some eye-witnesses and survivors reported a very strange creature, at first no one believed them, they reported that they have seen their cattle killed and carried away by large chitinous and horned insectoid creatures. They were approximately at the size of a large dog, with translucent red wings which buzzed like those of a bee, only louder. A mouthful of wolfish teeth and disturbing humanoid clawed hands completed its horrific appearance. That kind of creatures had never been seen before around there, it is a mystery how they managed to find their way around. But nonetheless they were a bad omen. It was as if some god turned their back on the villagers or wanted to have fun by sending those creature to hunt down each of them.

For those with a vast knowledge of the outer planes or at least of the Abyssal one, and with a keen intelligence would realize that the descriptions match the feared Demonhive. A colony of almost mindless demon-like bees, they originally come from one of the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, and now could be found throughout the Lower Planes as well, but never were they spotted in the Material Plane. With their aggressive and bloodthirsty members, demonhives threaten all creatures they encounter and lay waste to the areas they inhabit. Estolad would become nothing but a memory if the demonhive would be allowed to continue its rampage. They function exactly like bees, with their queen being the leader, in order to kill it, one must go through a lot of soldiers, or attendants for this matter, and many swarms of smaller members which have not reached full maturity yet.

The villagers only hoped for a miracle, and for their prayers to be answered, who would be bold and brave enough to face the Demonhive? Only time will tell…

The midday sun shone brightly along the coarse road, stones and dirt mixed up in an unlikely order that signified the path to different areas. A lone figure stood between two paths, one which extended to a small rural village, another to the endless expanse of the land. It had been two days since the figure stopped at a local inn, the warmth and comfort of the cloth sheets escaping his thoughts. The village ahead had only one such establishment, one as fine as any other in the land. He had been to many regions and inns, most travels more pleasant than the rest. This time however, he wished only the comfort of a bed for his back and a fresh flask of water for his thirst. It was something to look forward to in his day, and he decided to take the journey into the village.

The straw huts and wooden cottages seemed homely on the outside, but the village was as silent as a graveyard. The silence was unusually eerie, even for a small populated area. The figure had experienced towns that were naturally distant to travelers, setting a line between them and not getting involved. It was a comfort most accomodated, but this time it was unnatural. The silence was not one of silence, but it was fear. Anxiety. These were the feelings that crept through his skin, slight chills spreading through his frame. Keeping his arms crossed, the figure continued to travel across the almost desolate area.

The eyes of the merchants and peddlers almost evaded his gaze, his wandering stare observing the area. The stores and small shops were still open, but only a few people were idly around them. Most were busy preparing tools and materials, others were looking at places which nothing could be found. This was strange indeed, it was as if a dark shadow had overcome the small homely population and slowly drained the life away. It might have been fortunate that the figure had arrived, had it been his wish to intervene. But it was not his trouble, and it was something he preferred not to be involved with.

"What brings you here, mister?" spoke a youth, arms clutched at several vegetables. His eyes spoke of health and innocence, traits common to young children. The figure turned to him, kness slightly bent to meet him eye level. In a small but gentle voice he replied, "Nothing much, child. Just a simple traveler passing through. Mind I ask if - " he was cut short by another voice, one whose tone was more aggressive and caring. "You'd best steer clear of here, stranger. Lest you prefer to make this stay your last." A woman this time, her gestures motioning the child close to her. The figure pondered for a moment of the words that reached his ears, and moved onward.

Apparently this was something else entirely. Something has gripped this town in an iron fist, and would mean to bleed it dry. The figure moved onward, arms crossed as he moved to the inn. Hopefully more light could be shed in there, as tongues are more loose when ale is in hand.

It was warm outside with the bright sun shining overhead, reflecting off the water's edge, sending sparkles through the translucent waters lapping the pond's shore. A figure knelt in the bright sand by the water's edge, his form nearly entirely wrapped in black clothing, except for the loose crimson scarf that hung from his neck. The figure's head, covered in a dark, wide-brimmed hat, bent over, and looked closer at the sand before him, his right hand brushing the stained ground. The sand was a yellow-brown color, but the stain was a dark red, nearly black in color, dried and holding the particles of sand together in clumps. The man stood slowly, his cape drawing up around his form.

Just as the townsfolk described, and bearing the same splatter mark as the blood in the pasture, where the cow disappeared. He thought to himself, multicolored eyes bright even from under his hat. The sun was out of his face, and it made thinking easier. No wolf, bear, or any other normal woodland creature would have the means- or the intelligence- to keep from spilling more blood. Animals would drag the corpse away from the area of their kill, or at least make a mess tearing it apart on the ground. There would be much more blood. That, and remains would be present. There are none here, and the pasture was clean, too. He shook his head, turned, and made his way to the dirt road heading back into town.

The creature is large enough to swallow a cow whole, in one bite, or big enough to grab the animal and carry it away. It could have wings, but if so, it would have to be quite large. He pondered then the possibility of dragons, elusive creatures not of his home world that he had found roaming the country of Arda, but apparently the creatures were near unheard of in these parts. That, and someone would have likely spotted the dragon. He had yet to find an eye witness, or anyone who knew of someone that had spotted the creature, but given the likelihood of its large size, someone was bound to have saw it. All he needed was a good description, and he could put his knowledgeable nature to work. The tavern was as good a place as any to find information.

The inside of the town's tavern was dark and grimy, like all good taverns that cater to travelers, and Sartana found himself the object of many a patron's glance. Obviously everyone was a little shaken up by the recent disappearings, or the demonhunter looked like someone who couldn't be trusted. It could have been either. Not that he cared. He sat down at the bar without touching the slimy counter, and ordered a bottle of Reberry Cordial Wine, something unopened and thus untouched by the dirty barkeep and fresh. Sartana wasn't terribly clean or orderly, but he didn't enjoy sharing filth with others when it was unnecessary. He poured himself a glass of the fine wine an sighed. The food and drink of this land are fantastic. It's a shame Tarsonis is so lacking... He floated off into thought, taking a sip of his drink every few moments. He'd ask around for information in a bit. He was in no hurry.

And suddenly the door of the tavern opened, with such force that it made it smack against the wall behind it. A man in his middle 40s entered the building, he looked as some important figure judging by how everyone looked at him from the very second of his appearance, but stranger was the woman who followed him, she seemed sore from so much crying. She was following behind the man, beginning, the words rolling through her lips with a great effort, she almost fell to her knees each time he came to a stop, and her painful voice touched everyone’s heart, after all they were all villagers, they were easy to impress. But none could help her.

“Please kind sir, we must send someone after the group… we must save them… my husband was with them… please.” The woman begged and didn’t seem to care that every one in the tavern had their eyes upon her. She was desperate. But in return she only got cruel words from Aramil.

“I am sorry, I can’t, we cannot afford to lose more people to those winged beasts.” He grumbled, so now the villagers and Aramil himself believed the people who had reported large insectoid creatures attacking their cattle and the less fortunate of them. “Go home. We will all going to perish so you will join your husband’s side soon.” The cruel man said, though a slight sadness could be felt into his voice, he didn’t want to die, but didn’t want to leave the village either, where was he to go? He pushed the crying woman out of the tavern, before taking a seat himself at one of the table, joining his friends who were already there, he didn’t take notice of the two strangers who stumbled upon the tavern themselves, but he did not care either, probably the villagers already warned them to leave while they still could.



It happened that Dispater was currently wandering and exploring the Material Plane and he had learned from a higher force about the unexpected and unwanted appearance of the Demonhive, the matter called out to him through some strange means, and a sudden willingness to eradicate the abysall insects had installed into his being. And so towards the village of Estolad he left, traveling in the most fashionable way, he was flying, using his almost angelic wings he gained from the celestial essence which has been infused within him when he was created. After a while of traveling, Dispater finally stumbled upon the village, but he avoided making contact with any villager for the sheer fact that he could be mistaken as one of their foes, and he was in no mood to change his appearance.



A loud shriek could be heard throughout the small village, even within the walls of the Kaima Inn, some beast had been slain somewhere not far from the building. Dispater was already in action, he had drawn the first blood, the first demonhive member was sliced in half. It seemed as if it was a scout since it was flying alone, away from its counterparts, probably those beasts planned an attack over the villagers sooner than it was expected, even though Dispater didn’t believe them to be so intelligent.
It was a matter of time before he would track down the hive, but he will have to go through a lot of attendants, and in swarms they consisted a very powerful force, there was a chance to be overwhelmed.

The figure walked on, arms still crossed as he approached the tavern. The eerie looks and doubtful gazes of the villagers didn't make an effort to ease his worries, so his pace quickened. The faster he came towards the haven which was the inn, the calmer he would feel. It was one place he did not feel to be in at the moment, so his intentions were purely to rest for a while, then move on. As his foot landed on the creaking wooden floor, a small conversation could be overheard from the inside. A woman's voice filled with sadness pleaded something to the silent crowd, though her words fell on deaf ears. Some patrons even emoted words of concern and rudeness mixed up, and the topic became dead at the moment. It was then that he realized how bad the situation had become.

The scene did not bother him much, but it brought him much thought as he sat on the bar. The man who made the scene earlier was sitting almost next to him, his gaze full of mixed impressions he could not tell what his eyes were trying to say. "Whatever you have is fine, bartender" he stated, his arms flat on the table. The bartender prepared a somewhat fresh flagon of local brew, and laid it hastily in front of the figure. Though he was not much of a drinker, he would have to make do with the local alcohol. The refreshment was cool on the throat, and he finished it in one ride. His hands reached out for his pockets to leave some coins for the keep, when he noticed another figure. He did not have the same pale stare on his face, and this bothered him slightly. He left the coins on the table, then proceeded to the stranger.

Just as he was about to catch the stranger's attention a loud shriek came from above. Noticing it was not from the floors above his head, he raced outside ignoring the slight force he used to get out of the tavern. As he came into a small clearing outside the inn, he looked around to see one figure. His features were unclear from the distance he was in, but his presence and the ominous shriek that preceded him did not seem as a friendly sign. Preparing his special weapon, the figure readied it and approached the figure. Weapon in hand, he came a few more steps closer before declaring his presence to the figure. In a voice he considered to be taunting, he shouted at the figure, "Foul creature, you better be ready for one beating you'll never forget..."

Sartana had just finished his second cup of wine when the doors of the tavern burst open. He didn't look behind him; his eyes were closed, and he was deep in thought, traversing the fields of memory that were so well described in his mind. It was like reliving the past moments of his life, and he often did it for enjoyment with a cup of alcohol in hand, visiting his fiancee's lively face, before she was taken so forcefully away from him. The two people that entered the tavern began shouting, and the demonhunter's thoughts were disrupted. He opened his eyes and listened to their conversation. When they were done, he closed his eyes again.

There is no real reason to send out another search party, anyways. These villagers and militiamen are ill-equipped to combat whatever has been preying on the livestock and natives of this town. The Lomedor army will be sending spare troops in a weeks time, and they'll be able to take care of the beast- or beasts- with little trouble. He opened his eyes as the woman's sobs slowly disappeared, and she was scooted out of the tavern. How many more would die in the week before the troops arrived? He wondered to himself grimly.

Through the shouting another person had entered the tavern. Usually, this would not have disturbed the demonhunter's thoughts, but the unseen individual's footsteps were soft and well-placed, almost thoughtful in their own right, moving fluidly over the creaking tavern floor boards. The man sat at the bar, ordered a drink, and left a moment later. Sartana never got a glimpse of him, as he was lost in thought with his eyes closed once again. But he wasn't left undisturbed for long.

“Greetings, stranger.” Came a voice from behind. Sartana had heard him coming before he spoke up, and had noted how long he had waited before greeting the demonhunter. He opened his eyes and turned around on his stool, looking the man in the eye. His voice matched the one that had been arguing with the sobbing woman only moments earlier. He was a fairly large man with well-defined features, and Sartana figured him to be the captain of the local militia.

“I don't know if you've heard, but we've been having disappearances lately, from townsfolk and our livestock. We're not sure-” Sartana lifted his hand in front of the man and stopped him, looking to the side and listening through the tavern ambiance. He had thought he heard the shriek of some creature. It was vaguely familiar to him.

“I'm sorry.” The demonhunter said, placing a few coins on the counter and turning to the man. “But I must be going. Perhaps we'll talk later?” The man was about to speak up, but Sartana was out of the tavern and heading towards the direction of the shriek before he could muster up a response.

From wherever the shriek came, Dispater could be found, standing tall, his full 8 feet above the sliced, dead body of a demohive attendant, the hilt of his sword was gripped powerfully with his both hands. His breathing was steady, and his glowing eyes were locked onto the victim for a few seconds, before a shout broke the silence once more, reaching to his ears,. First the shriek and now the shout…

His gaze quickly turned into the direction of the shout, it was the voice of a man, a man who was threatening him, why would he do that, was he some sort of protector to those demonic insectoids, or he was just possessed by one of them? Dispater heard about a certain giant wasp which was able to control the minds of people and other animals thus using them as thralls, but never did he hear that any creature populating the Demonhive could own that ability, but who knows, maybe those aberrations teamed up against the humanoid race. Or the Demonhive itself evolved to the point where they would be able to pull out such tricks. It didn’t matter though, Dispater was still going to go on a killing spree once he will get closer and closer to the hive. But first he had to deal with this man. Closer he came, better Dispater could see him, he was no common man of the village, he seemed like an adventurer, a wanderer, and most likely he knew some tricks himself, he was not to be underestimated, even though Dispater’s posture looked quite arrogant as he turned towards the man.

“Bring it on, bug-lover!” Came his reply, powerful and deep, the tone of his voice as firm as the grip was onto the hilt of the sword, his Infernal Greatsword, she was able to feed on the souls of those who she slays in battle, and now she was hungering, it almost pushed Dispater to make the first attack. But he never allowed himself to be influenced by the sword, so he maintained his position, waiting for Sanzen’s next move. He was so focused that he didn’t even notice another man approaching the location, one who was wearing a hat, another wanderer no doubt, now if he was going to interfere on whose side he was going to be?

But his concentration didn’t last for too long and was interrupted as soon as a powerful, unsettling, buzz-like sound could be heard, its source being very hard to locate. It seemed as if it was coming from everywhere. This meant only one thing, a group of demonhive attendants were approaching the village, like bees they were able to feel the scent of their fallen comrade, and now they were coming to its aid, but mainly to remove the threat, whoever killed their member. Now Dispater had to deal with both, the man and the approaching bugs, if the man was indeed a bug-lover and if he was behind this insect invasion as Dispater believed, judging by his reaction to him.

His 'opponent' stood 8 feet tall, with features he had not encountered in the realm. Not that he has been familiar enough with the world, but his features show an origin Sanzen did not recognize. He might have been away for too long, that new faces have begun to emerge. The world never ceased to fascinate the hunter, as a slight smirk came from his face. The figure responded to his taunt in kind, and his reply came as a surprise. Bug lover?! Those words struck like a thorn on his side, the origin and the assumptions unknown to him. Never in his life has he been associated with bugs and with anything that resembled an insectoid. He loosened his weapon a grip before getting a tighter hold of it, his thoughts lost in the words with which his opponent had said.

It was not long after the figure presented his reply that Sanzen took a closer look at the other figure in the vicinity, the strange carcass of a creature with features he could not understand. The remains were close to the figure, whose sword seemed to have tasted the effluence of the now deceased. Maybe this is what he referred to as a 'bug lover'. The remains are of a large size, one which if still alive could probably overpower the common man.

After coming up with such realizations, the figure could only stare into the blankness of the space between them, various thoughts filling his head. Now there are two possible situations presenting itself: one where the figure itself dealt with the yet unknown remains, whose shriek he overheard. The other being them being on the same side, where the figure still standing is some demon commanding the creature. Whatever the case he would find out for sure.

Though the figure stood there, Sanzen would not take any measure. If he used his weapon now, any hopes of understanding the clouded situation would be lost. Piercing the ground with his glaive, he gripped his poison blade, the handle feeling cold to the touch. Taking a few steps more, he began circling the individual, maintaining his distance. Drawing his sword to its full length, he gripped it in one hand. Footing set for a defensive stance, he prepared to recieve the attack of the figure. Though the unusual noise of swarm-like buzzing and hustled footsteps clouded his focus, he stared at the figure straight, anticipating his move.

The demonhunter knocked the doors of the tavern aside and ran to his left, down the dirt road that lead to the outskirts of Estolad, where only a few rickety farms stood, and from where he had heard the now recognized screech. A frown was hidden under his dark red scarf as he ran. That shriek is terribly unique; it carries magic in its air waves. A demonhive has made its home here. He shook his head, still sprinting. He fingered through the files of information in his mind, looking for something on these creatures. What do I remember? Yes, here we are: most can be found as the size of a large dog, horned and protected by a semitransparent exoskeleton. They're terribly aggressive creatures that strip dry the areas around their hive. There are three main types of these demons: attendants, hunters, and the queen herself. Hunters will attack in swarms, using sheer numbers to overwhelm their opponents. He thought to himself, knowledgeable in regards to many planar creatures and their habitats. He found it strange that the demons had found their way onto the material plane, though. It was unheard of, as far as he was concerned. Was there a portal to the abyss nearby?

Something just barely audible crept over the sweep of the wind, and the birds stopped chirping. The sound was low, and monotonous. It was the sound of buzzing. Sartana's Dao of Destruction was already in hand, its perpetually bloodied surface glinting in the sunlight, and held low to his side as he he continued to run. He could hear talking from just beyond the corner, near an abandoned farmhouse. If there were farmers around, or travelers, he would need to warn them before the demons- which were undoubtedly causing the sound that was slowly increasing in volume- made it here. He rounded the corner and stopped.

A man and a creature stood, weapons drawn, facing each other. A dead demonhive hunter lay split in two on the ground beside them. The demonhunter lifted an eyebrow at the creature holding a two-handed sword, apparently about to engage a human warrior with two fiercesome weapons; one in each hand. Sartana thought the creature looked familiar- and soon remembered exactly what it was.

Concordant Killers: elite planar hit men and mercenaries, finite in number and unable to reproduce, thus their race slowly diminishes in size. Half celestial/half fiends. Sartana growled. He had fought one of this creatures in his own world, one that had been hired be the Demonic Legion to track down and slay the famous demonhunter. It had been a tough battle. They come from 'The Plane of Concordant Opposition', but the traits of that plane need not concern me at the moment.

He took a step forward, now a falchion in his left hand and Dao in his right. He could only wonder why a Concordant Killer was in this realm. That, and how it had traveled here. But at the moment, there were more pressing matters at hand, and he didn't want to have to fight the Demonhive and keep an eye on these two at the same time.

“Now is not the time to fight each other.” He said in his deep voice, not introducing himself. “A swarm of demons approach as you squabble, whether you know it or not, and they will surely overrun us if we don't fight them together.” As if to prove this, the sound of buzzing was now thick in the air, and the sky to the west was darkening.

Dispater’s glowing eyes followed the figure of the other man who seemed to circle around him. Sanzen maintained the same distance though, his strategy was to fight defensively, and that was probably the wisest thing to do when encountering a creature like you have never seen before. On the other hand, the concordant killer remained still, only his dusky, feathered wings snapped out, and outstretched to his sides, making his figure more intimidating, and harder to see whenever Sanzen reached behind him. They were pulled out to play not only for intimidating purposes but also to give him a lift into the air with a powerful flap, either to deliver a surprise attack or to dodge a blow, if he needed to.
He didn’t turn so he didn’t remain facing his opponent, only his eyes followed the frame of the hunter.

His reply seemed to throw Sanzen into an uncommon and awkward silence, that was to be expected, though something in his eyes and into the expression of his face showed that his words affected him more than he anticipated from the start, the man seemed very deep into his own thoughts and feelings, and some of them were exteriorized. So, he was not a bug-lover, and his presence there had nothing to do with the Demonhive, or he was just a hell of an actor, trying to mislead Dispater. One thing was for sure, the fight between them was not going to occur too soon, neither of them wanted to throw the first punch, and there was a higher threat approaching them, the very reason Dispater could be found in Estollad.

Before Dispater could say or do anything else about the Demonhive or about the one with who he almost got into a fight, a voice interrupted the buzzing sound, it was the voice of the man who was approaching their location, another interesting figure, who can be easily distinguished from all the others, he was not a common man either, carrying an arsenal of weapons upon himself… he seemed very battle worn. Though the strangest thing at this man was his hat and the readings one could get from him: yet another hunter… Though he had to admit, the man did have a point. A dangerous swarm was approaching their location.

“The Attendants!” Dispater shouted, then grunted, teaming up with humans was something new to him. His gaze traveled from Sartana back to Sanzen, to see if he agreed with the whole thing, to leave the differences behind and team up against that swarm and ultimately against the whole hive, even an arrogant creature such as Dispater would not turn down the offer in such situation. “And what strategy do you suggest?”

They didn’t have much time left before the attendants will reach their location, so they had to do the talking fast and decide on a strategy. The villagers were also alerted by the buzzing sound, so they found shelter in their humble houses, none of them felt prepared enough to face such a force, they could not hope to get the assistance from an army either, the city of Lomedor was very far away, and their leaders rarely cared about Estolad, all of their hope was placed into the two men who were considered insane enough that they were still outside, as for the fiendish creature, Dispater, they didn’t know what to believe, and did not know on which side he was.

Another figure entered the scene, a man of decent build. His weapon showed a bright red, but appeared not bent on using it on either on them. “Now is not the time to fight each other.” He said in his deep voice. “A swarm of demons approach as you squabble, whether you know it or not, and they will surely overrun us if we don't fight them together.” The man proved a point, as the buzzing sound grew ever stronger. The incoming swarm of insects seemed to number a lot, and if his attention was split between the strange creature and the insects, it would be his last day indeed. The creature however seemed to take heed to the newcomer's advice, and voiced his concern. "The attendants!" he cried, then darted a look at each of them, including the newcomer. It appeared that his motives were focused more on the incoming swarm of these 'attendants', and it seemed to be the cause of the people's troubles.

The townsfolk made haste in clearing the square and areas, the sounds of doors being bolted down and windows being shut filling the field. In mere seconds the town almost gave a feeling of being deserted, and that these three were the only ones to have come by. The feeling of dread and excitement thrilled Sanzen in a perverted way, the opportunity to make something right at his fingertips. Giving a nod in agreement to the two, he placed the poison blade back to the hilt, then grabbed the glaive that was impaled to the ground. Ignoring the tension between him and the creature, he approached the creature and impaled the glaive in the insectoid carapace that was close to his feet. His glaive attracted the weird-colored effluence that the insectoid reeked in, and stuck itself to the weapon.

In hopes of making some form of response to the two, Sanzen stepped a few feet forward, less than a hundred feet from the incoming swarm. The numbers of the opponents still remained unclear, so it would be quite a skirmish, if needed to be. Holding the glaive to his right, Sanzen gripped it tightly. Turning to his right a bit to exert some effort, he swung the polearm sideways, the blood formed hardening. The foul blood that came from the insect composed into a blooded spike, and managed to impale one of the insectoids. A low chilling shriek escaped its corpse as it collapsed to the ground, landing on a small thud. The rest of the pack drew ever so closer to the three, speed increasing as if in a frenzy. Sanzen turned his head slightly sideways, not keeping the incoming swarm from his gaze. Addressing the two behind him, he taunted them a bit saying, "Like that? I don't know much about these things, but I can get them down from here, while you take them the good ol' fashioned way." A mixed expression of excitement and uncertainty filled his face, the incoming swarm headed their way.

Sartana watched as the black horde of winged creatures made their noisy approach, now within range for one to see exactly what they were, and to distinguish them from one anotherr; at a distance, they had appeared to by one large creature- a giant buzzing translucent cloud- gaining on the three adventurers. Now you could see, or at least the demonhunter could, that each demon was about the size of a large dog, horned and various colors, with a semi-transparent exoskeleton covering its body. Each had six legs, three sections of its body, and large, black wings. Those who had never heard of a 'demonhive' before would have thought the creatures to be large bugs. It was true that they resembled insects, but they were, in fact, demons, and Sartana's grip on his Dao tightened as he watched them approach. I would have never guessed the creatures would find their way to the material plane. I wonder if the swarms operate from a hive in the abyss, and travel here through a portal. Not that it really mattered. He had bigger fish to fry, and this extermination job would be over soon enough.

The Concordant Killer shouted, and Sartana turned to him. The creature wanted to know their course of action; how they were to defeat such a large number of demons. The townsfolk had taken shelter in their homes, so the three didn't have to worry about defending anyone but themselves. The demonhunter took everything in around him, and brought his Dao up to rest on his shoulder. He turned to the two men. “There are too many to fight in such an open area; we'd be at a terrible disadvantage, even if the creatures are quite weak individually. We'll engage the attendants here, alerting them of our presence,” he lifted an arm to point behind the two men, “And make our way back to that abandoned farmhouse, being sure to cover each other on the way. Inside, they won't be able to attack from all sides, and we can engage them a few at a time as they come through the entrances.” He said calmly, but with a stern edge.

He watched as the human- a man with dark gray hair and the form of a warrior- dispatched one of the creatures, which had closed in one the group faster than the rest of its swarm. Sartana's eyes slid over the man's form, and equipment, sizing him up. We should have little difficulty with these beasts, if things go as planned. Retreating to the farmhouse would certainly be the safest possible course of action, however. He thought to himself blankly, lifting his curved sword form his shoulder and holding it to his side. The creatures were upon them.

The demonhunter didn't move from his position; he didn't need momentum, nor did he plan to give up his defensive footing for more power. The first two beasts flew directly at him, no strategy in their minds; they were not thinking demons, and had no real intelligence. They were beasts, and they meant to tear Sartana apart- or ram him, and shred his form. The demonhunter had other plans.

He sliced his curved sword diagonally at the one to his right, and quickly arced his sword mid air, turning it almost completely around and cleaving through the tough exoskeleton of the second attendant, breaking off several of its barbed legs in the process. He then ducked, tucking his form down as the creatures wings gave out and their bodies disassembled, collapsing in the air and flying over Sartana's head. He sprung up, and began backing up towards the barn, hoping his companions would do the same.

There was no time for words or thoughts, the attendants were very close and engaging into a fight, against the three adventurers. The blasted demons… they didn’t even know what awaited them into the village, but they didn’t seem to care either, they were close to mindless, acting only on instinct, they were puppets, they lived only to serve and protect the queen which was giving birth to other thousands of their race. Dispater remained in place, standing like a statue, his glowing eyes fixed intensely on the approaching swarm; the first one to engage them was Sanzen, with his long weapon he managed to poke them while they were still airborne, before they could get down to him, but unfortunately that wouldn’t last for too long. Two weaker attendants made an unusual attack against Sartana, they went alone against the demon-hunter, that surprised Dispater as he continued to stand still. The concordant killer shook his head, not agreeing with Sartana’s plans of action, that was no way of engaging the demonhive, they fought as a whole, they were linked empathically through what was called the ‘hive mind’. In combat, attendants prefer to overwhelm a single foe before moving to the next, unless enemies threaten the queen. In such cases, they divide their efforts between blocking approach to the queen and attacking those who come near.

All demonhive members within 2 miles are in constant communication. If one is aware of a danger, they all are, if one in an encounter is not flat-footed, none of them are. And unfortunately for Sanzen, he was first in line, first who threatened their puny existence, he was considered the most dangerous for the time being, and the rest of the swarm began to concentrate only on the hunter. Their formed a cloud above the man’s head, their numbers clouding the sun-light to fall properly into that small area, they were preparing for a swarm attack against the human, the other two were inexistent, thing which further proved that they were not so bright.

A new course of action had to be established…

“No, we could loose them easily if we retreat… We will face them where we are… we will have to create a swarm ourselves…” That way they would not attack just one of them. Dispater shook his head slightly, and glanced quickly towards Sartana, hoping he would understand. He didn’t even wait for an answer, and instead his left hand opened, ebony claws pointing towards the sky, a small fire erupted from the very center of his scarlet-skinned hand.

“You shall burn!” The killer cried out, throwing the fire towards the swarm, it became larger and larger as it traveled to its destination, it was a fireball, swirling violently through the air, burning the oxygen in its path. The target was the core of the swarm, where it would explode, burning several attendants, and also breaking through their lines. The still living ones frightened away from the blast, thus creating a breach into their perfect formation. It gave Sanzen enough time to plan his next attack, and Dispater to leap into the air, his massive wings carrying him towards the swarm, he had a slight advantage, he was able to fly… Sword was in right hand, soon to be gripped with his both, the first attendant which crossed his path was sliced in half… The battle had just begun, and this was just the easiest of the fights, since they fought on a neutral ground. The hive itself would consist into the greatest challenge.

The two adventurers with him approached the situation differently. His hasty decision to make a stand in an open field surely was not the best of plans, as it seemed to be the ideal combat arena for flying creatures. Him being a half-elf was not gifted with wings for flight or even a spell to transcend the handicap of movement in the arena. It appeared that he gave himself too easily as a target, now that the swarm of insects drew closer. He would only steal glances from his allies, each with plans on their own. He did not take a long enough glance to know their intentions, but only took their words as suggestions.

The figure whose hat blurred the image on his face spoke first. “There are too many to fight in such an open area; we'd be at a terrible disadvantage, even if the creatures are quite weak individually. We'll engage the attendants here, alerting them of our presence, and make our way back to that abandoned farmhouse, being sure to cover each other on the way. Inside, they won't be able to attack from all sides, and we can engage them a few at a time as they come through the entrances.” His words were sound advice, and prompted to be the most strategic of options laid out. His other ally, the creature whose features almost sent chills through his spine offered another solution. “No, we could loose them easily if we retreat… We will face them where we are… we will have to create a swarm ourselves…” Sanzen did not understand what he meant, or could not tell how his plan seemed to be a better choice.

It was then that he realized a swarm of the insects formed a cloud of sorts over his head, and was slowly coming down from him. A jet of fire in the form of a ball homed in at the cloud, causing a decent explosion and disarray to the insects. A small token appreciation would be noted later, but now it was a time for fighting. Taking his earlier stance, Sanzen once more dipped his glaive onto the carcasses that landed close to him. The blood slowly clasped itself to the blade, hardening to form a bladed projectile. He swung the blade once more, the force slicing one of the insects in half. Taking slow steps backward, he maintained his composure as he retreated to the barn.

Four sharp fangs suddenly gripped his shoulders, then lifted him up instantly. A somewhat distorted form of laughter came from the insect that lifted him up, rising steadily higher. Feeling the grip on his shoulders, the hunter loosened his weapon a bit, the focus shifting on getting himself away from the flying insect. Pointing his weapon upwards, he jabbed at the midsection of the insect, then pushed his weapon to the left. The insect's body squirmed in pain as the blade thrust his internals, and his body shifted slowly as he plummeted to the ground. Sanzen pushed harder on the glaive, slowly maneuvering the insect's body below himself, to absorb the fall. The move worked barely, the insect landing sharply on the ground while a slightly shaken hunter rolled messily on the floor. His weapon still impaled on the attendant, Sanzen lay there for a moment. Gasping for air and struggling to pick himself up, he bided his time. He would have to rejoin the fight soon, lest he be taken once more by the large insects.

Sartana lifted an eyebrow at the Concordant Killer's response. He had asked for a plan, and yet his decision was to do nothing but stay where they were and fight? The demonhunter turned to the swarm. Indeed, they were easy opponents, but to underestimate the enemy- even such a weak one- would be foolish, and rash. To survive in combat you needed to take every possible advantage you could; blend them together with your own skill and battle prowess to keep you alive. Fighting several opponents in an open area was foolish, especially when they had the advantage of flight. But I suppose I need to argue; we will not lose here, nor should we sustain any major injuries. The hive itself should prove to be a bit more difficult, however. That should be interesting. He thought to himself, unsheathing his falchion with his left hand, now wielding two weapons at once. He watched as the Concordant Killer made a fireball attack, dispersing the formation of attendants

There were dozens of them in the air now, dog-sized buzzing demons with sharp mandibles and thorny carapaces. One dipped down behind Sartana to grapple his side. He turned his head at its approach, and spun around, his black cape flaring to the side as he extended his right blade in front of him, impaling the demon by its own momentum. It slid further down his blade towards him, and he took a step forward, slashing with his falchion, slicing off the creature's head and a good portion of its thorax. He pulled to the side as its heavy form hit the ground in a burst of dust and blood. The demons went down easy enough, even with their tough exoskeletons. Another attendant dropped from above and Sartana tumble to the side, watching it hit the ground where he had stood, its sharp barbed claws sticking into the ground. A swift kick from the demonhunter sent the creature reeling, and a double slash from his curved blades silenced its incessant buzzing.

A heavy thud from his left caught Sartana's attention, and he turned to see an impaled attendant jittering in death twitches. The human that had been talking to the Concordant Killer lay on the ground a few meters from it, regaining his posture after what must have been a heavy fall. Two attendants had watched as the man fell, and now dive-bombed towards his prone form. Sartana dropped his blades suddenly and made 10 concise hand movements in front of him, each completed signal adding a white glow to one of his fingertips. When all ten fingertips glew a fierce white, he held them up towards the attacking attendants.

“Die foul demon scum!”

White lightning sparked between his fingertips, and suddenly leaped from them, cracking and twisting in through the air, until they hit their targets- the two demon attendants above the prone human. The moment the lightning hit them, they disappeared. There was no blood or mess, only a 'poof' noise as the attendant figure vanished. Sparkles of white light appeared where the demons had been moments before, and then dissipated in the air. Sartana's spell continued past the two attendants, and hit several more with the same devastating effect. These demons were quite weak, so the magic effected many of them at once, with fatal results. The demonhunter picked up his discarded blades, and once again took up his defensive stance.

Indeed the concordant killer was strange, asking for a plan then deciding to stay and fight there, acting against the plan he asked for. Yes, he was weird, he sometimes tended to talk and act contradictory with himself, and he would not deny that either. He was a creature of oppositions and contradictions, and sometimes that proved just too much for him, so it was understandable that he acted like that every once in a while.

However, getting used being overwhelmed by the swarm was not a bad idea either, once they reach to the hive itself they would not have any place to retreat, they will be attacked from all sides, and probably Sartana was aware of that too.

An attendant came to attack him, charging with its head first, such mindless creatures, they were throwing themselves into the arms of their slaughterers, his massive sword slashed to left and right, severing limbs and even slicing the attendants in half while he ascended further to the skies. The powerful flap of his wings sent powerful gusts of air which did not allow any of the insectoid demons to attack him from behind, those wings proved to be an advantage once more, but how long could he maintain his flight and fight in the same time? It required powerful and tiring maneuvers from the killer, even if he had used those wings for ages.

Meanwhile another small group of them attacked the gray-haired hunter, they even managed to lift him off the ground, it seemed that those creatures should not be underestimated, they had the advantage of their numbers. They know how to work as a whole, their strength together was very powerful, that’s why the three fighting them had to keep them scattered around. The fireball played its role for awhile, but they were regrouping fast, though Sartana released a spell himself, further scattering them across the battlefield.

Sanzen was not into a very bright situation, he was prone to the ground and the attendants could take him easily from down there, so Dispater, against all expectations decided to go keep his back safe until he managed to regain his fighting stance. The concordant killer was aware that he could not take the whole hive on himself, so he needed all the help he could get, losing one of the helpers from the very first encounter wouldn’t be the cleverest course of actions.
He had a sudden flip into the air, descending quickly, his wings remained unmoved, he was free falling towards the ground, he had quite a speed, he used the tip of his sword as if it was a lance, anyone crossing his path would be impaled. But instead the insectoid demons just avoided his free-falling frame for awhile.

Using his wings to decrease his speed in the very last moment of the fall, he managed to land powerfully but unhurt close to Sanzen, his knees bent and his robe billowed powerfully, releasing another gust of air across the ground.

“Get up, I have your back.” It was easier for Dispater to move across the battlefield thanks to his wings, but an attendant went to attack Sanzen from the other side of his landing spot, he didn’t have time to spread his wings and leap into the air once more, it required too much time. So he acted on instinct and took the serrated chakram attached to his side and threw it at the approaching attendant, the deadly, ranged weapon forged by Dispater himself traveled through the air swiftly, stopping only into the eyes of the beast, and straight into its tiny brain. The chakram was to be retrieved a little later when the concordant killer will have a spare moment.

The army of the demonhive still seemed endless.

His strategic blunder alarmed the two adventurers with him, causing slight disarray in their styles. With pieces of speckled earth in his face, his vision was slightly blurred. A faint whisper urged him to stand to his feet, with a voice that seemed vaguely familiar. The endless buzzing still swarmed his ears and senses, drowning other noises in the frenzy of the battle. It was not a good day to mess up, as the swarm of insects seemed to remain endless. Sanzen got back up to his feet, the dirt still clinging on his face. His hair is messed up a bit, strands covering his eyes. He scooped them up in one hand and swept them to the back of his head, to grasp a better view of the situation.

The creature he would have fought earlier stood close to him, weapons readied as he faced the opposite direction. The other adventurer seemed to face them as well, signs of smoke appearing in his area. It appears his prone form was taken full advantage off, as several of the insects lie cold in his area. They appear to be mindless and sadistic creatures, appearing huge and overpowering but only preying on the defenseless. He would pay them in kind, as he looked around for his weapon. The red-laced glaive was still impaled on his former abductor, and he made haste to pick it up. While he ran he placed two fingers on his lips, and blowed as hard as he can. Hopefully the signal will alert his faithful companion, and make quick work of the swarm.

Two of the insects above him stopped hovering and prepared to dive on the unarmed hunter. Their claws ready to strike, they charged downwards head aimed at the running man. As each neared to strike and maul, Sanzen made a quick roll to the side, his reflexes catching them offguard as they slammed to the ground. He quickly jumped on top of the dead abductor earlier, and pried his glaive free. Blood still attached to his weapon, he quickly swung the glaive horizontally, forming an arc-shaped projectile that sliced both insects in two.

Another insect buzzed past him, claw attack parried by his weapon. In the side of his eye he could see another anticipating a sneak attack, probably preparing to strike once Sanzen turned his back. Taking a risk to take both down, he raised his weapon and struck down diagonally, another insect down. As the insect behind him closed in, Sanzen repeated his earlier tactic, making a quick roll and jabbing the insect in the mid section. The creature squirmed a bit before stopping, the motionless form still impaled on his glaive. As he continued to pry his weapon loose, he stared upwards to see how many are still left. The swarm seems to be thinning a little, but the numbers are still great. His hopes are pinned on all three of them working in unison, as well as the faithful companion who seems to take forever to arrive.