Through my crystal network, the thief's voice carried growing alarm: "My lord, the army has arrived along with a massive crystalline being - larger than any we've encountered. It's addressing the senior leaders from our earlier encounters." His voice hitched slightly. "The scout commander is presenting his report and... gods. The crystal lord just... he just executed him. No hesitation, no ceremony. Just... eliminated him where he stood. The other commanders haven't moved a muscle."
A moment of heavy silence followed before his voice returned, professional training masking whatever fear he felt: "They're not wasting any time. The crystal lord is already coordinating with his remaining commanders. They're arranging their forces, preparing to cross through."
Through my crystal network, the thief's voice carried a mix of awe and terror: "They're forming wedge formations. The larger ones - those twisted, marked warriors - they're taking point. Here they come... they're beginning to enter the portal."
The sound came first, then the smell. A rhythmic pounding from massive feet seemed to make the very air pulse, each impact sending waves of that putrid stench washing over us, followed by a noxious mix of sulphur and rotting meat that burned the nostrils. "The beast-masters are staying back," the thief continued, his voice tight. "Their spine-ridges are glowing brighter than before - different patterns. And the beasts... they're larger, more heavily armoured. Nothing like the scout force."
Through another crystal, Lady Moira's urgent whisper: "The portal's affecting them just like before - they're smaller crossing through, but..." He paused. "They're ready for it. The front ranks are pausing, letting their bodies adjust before advancing. Disciplined. These aren't scouts anymore."
The first wave hit our initial traps. But instead of chaos, I heard something worse - controlled responses, measured advances. Through the crystal network, reports flew fast:
"They're using those floating orb-creatures to detect the trigger points-"
"Four-armed giants providing covering fire-"
"Storm riders above, they're... they're actually riding the lightning between-"
General Reed's voice cut through it all: "Hold positions. Let them come. They may know our traps, but they don't know everything."
The sound of their advance grew louder, more confident. I gripped my crystal tighter, listening to the thief's increasingly urgent reports of their methodical progress. These weren't the disorganized scouts we'd faced before. This was a proper army, and they'd learned from their previous failure.
Through my crystal, I heard Lady Moira's observation: "They're establishing footholds. Creating safe zones for the ones behind them." A pause. "And their general hasn't even crossed through yet."
The chamber filled with the sound of thousands of feet, the alien harmonics of crystal commanders, and the growing confidence of an army that thought it knew what it was facing. They did not know what was waiting around that corner.
I took a deep breath, touching the portal stone behind me. Soon. But not yet.
Through my crystal, I heard the enemy's advance transform from methodical to triumphant. Their initial successes had bred confidence - perhaps too much confidence.
"Second wave moving up," the thief reported, strain evident in his voice. "Those massive Strain Marked, they're... they're using their fallen as bridges over the trap zones. And the floating ones - the Drift Makers - they're deploying some kind of energy fields to protect their advancing forces."
The sounds filling the chamber had changed. Where before there had been careful, measured progress, now came the thunder of hundreds if not thousands of feet moving with deadly purpose. The alien harmonics of the crystal commanders grew stronger, more assured.
"Storm Hunters forming up above," another scout's voice crackled through my crystal. "Different from before - they're riding what looks like living thunderclouds. And those beast-masters... their spine-ridges are pulsing in patterns I've never seen. The creatures responding to them are... wrong somehow. Twisted."
Through the crystal network, I heard General Reed calmly directing our forces to hold position. But underneath his steady commands, I caught the tension in his voice. He knew what I knew - they were pushing through faster than expected, adapting to our defenses with frightening speed.
"Northern wall," General Reed commanded, "conserve your strength, but take shots of opportunity. Don't waste arrows or mana, but keep them honest." The occasional volley of arrows and magic from our forces forced the invaders to maintain their shields, even as they pressed forward.
"Let them come," General Reed responded, but I heard something new in his voice - not fear, but grim acknowledgment of the force we faced. "The more of them on our side when we spring our trap, the better."
I pressed my hand against the portal stone, feeling its energy pulse beneath my fingers. Not yet. We needed more of them, through. Needed their general to commit fully to this attack.
Through my crystal network, I heard the thief count out numbers that made my heart sink: "Over a thousand through now. Fifteen hundred. Seventeen hundred... they're not slowing down."
Through my crystal, the battle's tempo shifted again. What had started as cautious probing, then swelled into triumphant advance, now transformed into something that made the very air feel heavy with lethal purpose.
"Movement!" The thief's voice carried new urgency. "Their general is... by the gods. The crystal commander crossing through now - it's like looking at a mountain of living crystal. The portal's effect is still shrinking him, but even reduced..." He trailed off, and for a moment, all I could hear was the sound of that massive army advancing.
Then came a sound that made my blood run cold - laughter. Deep, resonant laughter that seemed to vibrate through the very stones. Their general had crossed over, and even through the weakening effect of the portal, his power radiated through the chamber like a physical force.
"Two thousand through," the thief's voice was clipped, professional, but I could hear the underlying tension. "Their general is moving to what they think is a secure position. He's..." A pause. "He's directing some kind of crystalline energy field around himself. Layers of protection I can't even begin to understand."
General Reed's orders came swift: "Northern wall, shift your focus! Concentrate fire on their general when you can. Keep him distracted, force him to maintain those shields." Even as the massive crystalline being erected his protective barriers, our archers and mages began peppering his position with arrows and spells, making sure he couldn't fully direct his attention to organizing his forces.
The sounds reaching me behind the portal stone had become a symphony of war - the rhythmic stamping of countless feet, the harmonic tones of crystal commanders, the otherworldly calls of twisted beasts, all building to a crescendo that seemed to make the chamber itself vibrate.
"Storm Hunters are creating some kind of electrical canopy above," Lady Moira reported through another crystal. "The beast-masters' creatures are... developing somehow. Growing new forms as we watch. And those floating ones - their constructs are larger than anything we've seen yet."
I could hear the enemy general's voice now, not through the crystals but directly that deep, resonant tone that seemed to shake the very stones. He was closer than before, almost directly below my position. Even without seeing him, I could feel the waves of power radiating from his crystalline form.
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"They think they have us cornered." General Reed's voice carried through the network, steady as ever. "Let them think it. Let them press forward just a little more..."
I flexed my fingers against the portal stone, feeling its energy pulse beneath my touch. The moment was coming. Below me, I could hear their general beginning, what sounded like some kind of victory speech to his troops, his confidence evident in every crystalline note.
Just a little longer. Just a few more moments until everything changed.
Through my crystal network, I felt the pivotal moment approaching like a gathering storm. The enemy general's resonant voice had reached a crescendo of triumph - he truly believed victory was within his grasp. That's when I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and reached out with my power toward the portal stone.
The familiar surge of energy flowed through me, but something was different this time. The stone's power felt ancient, vast, like trying to redirect a river with my bare hands. For a heartbeat, doubt crept in - could I really do this?
Then, through my crystals, I heard General Reed's steady voice: "Now, Brendan. Bring it down."
You sing Mana's Dissoultion!
I thought back to what had happened just minutes before. When I'd alerted General Reed about the portal's imminent collapse, he had ordered me to stop singing and wait for his command. As the song's power took hold, the portal's edges began to waver and tear. The enemy general's voice cut off mid-boast. With a deafening rush, the gateway collapsed in on itself, leaving only six ancient stones marking where it had stood against the cold stone wall.
"The portal!" The thief's voice cracked with excitement. "It's gone! They're cut off from-" His report dissolved into static as the portal's death throes interfered with our crystal network.
I could hear the panic spreading through the enemy ranks - the high-pitched keening of crystal beings under stress, the bestial roars of creatures suddenly cut off from their home world, the sharp commands of officers trying to maintain order. But above it all, I heard their general casting something massive.
I looked down from my vantage point behind the portal stone and saw the enemy general below me. That's when I sensed it - his mana, powerful but somehow vulnerable. I reached out with my draining ability, expecting to be overwhelmed. Instead, I felt resistance, yes, but not insurmountable. Like trying to drink from a raging river instead of an ocean.
"Smart play, trying to separate us from our reinforcements." The general's perfect command of our language was unsettling, his voice strained but confident. "But you'll find we brought more than enough power to-" His words faltered as my drain began to take effect. I could feel his confusion, his growing realization that something was very wrong. The massive spell he'd been gathering flickered, destabilized, then collapsed entirely.
The battle had entered its final phase, and for the first time since it began, I allowed myself to feel something dangerous - hope.
Through my crystal, I maintained the drain on the enemy general's mana, feeling his power try to resist, to push back against my ability. It was like trying to empty an ocean with a bucket - slow, but I could sense his reserves gradually depleting. Each time he tried to gather power for a major spell, it faltered, forcing him to use what remained just to maintain his defenses.
"Something's wrong with their general," the thief's voice carried a note of confused hope. "His crystal lattice is... dulling somehow. The resonance patterns are breaking down."
He was right. I also noticed his shield began to flicker - a telltale sign of depleting mana. Below me, the general's frustrated roar echoed through the chamber, followed by the unmistakable sound of a mana potion being uncorked. My strategy was working - his shield required constant power under assault, while my draining song prevented him from casting new spells. All I needed to do was maintain the pressure. Through the crystal network, I heard the battle continuing to rage - the thunder of siege engines, the crackling of lightning from remaining Storm Hunters, the otherworldly sounds of beast-masters trying to maintain control of their charges. But now there was a new note of desperation in the enemy's efforts.
"The general's defenses are flickering," Lady Moira reported, excitement bleeding through his usual analytical tone. "Whatever's happening to him-"
"NOW!" I shouted into my crystal, my voice hoarse with effort. "His shields are down! He's out of mana!"
General Reed's command was immediate: "All ranged units, concentrate fire on their general! Bring him down!"
The chamber filled with the sound of hundreds of bowstrings releasing at once, the crackling roar of battle magic all focused on a single point. I glanced down to see the enemy general's crystalline form begin to crack, then shatter.
Lady Moira's voice cut through our crystal network: "Wait... something's happening. Just like when they came through the portal, their power is diminishing again. That general - he must have possessed some legendary ability to enhance his army's strength. With him dead, they're losing that boost, too."
The sound that followed was unlike anything I'd heard before - thousands of voices crying out in shock and dismay as their supreme commander fell. The once-unstoppable army began to fracture, their formations dissolving into chaos as they struggled to adapt to their twice-diminished might.
"Drift Makers' constructs are falling apart, crushing their own lines-"
"Crystal commanders shattering under concentrated fire-"
I sagged against the portal stone, exhausted from the mana drain but still listening to the crystal network. The enemy general's death had done more than just break their morale - it had shattered whatever coherence their forces had maintained after crossing through the portal.
Lady Moira's voice carried a fierce satisfaction: "The tide has turned. They came here expecting to crush us under sheer numbers. Instead-"
"Instead," General Reed finished, "they've learned what happens when you trap a prepared defender with nothing left to lose."
Through my crystals, I heard the end approaching - not with a bang, but with the inexorable advance of an army that knew it had won, methodically cleaning up what remained of a broken enemy force.
The final moments of the battle unfolded like a grim symphony reaching its crescendo. The once-mighty army that had poured through the portal was now nothing more than scattered groups fighting desperately for survival.
"Corner formations holding," a lieutenant reported through the network. "They're trapped between our forces and their own fallen. No escape."
The sounds changed again - the clash of steel becoming less frequent, the alien screams fewer and farther between. In their place came the methodical advance of our troops, the disciplined movements of veterans who'd weathered the storm and emerged stronger.
"The crystal commanders," the thief observed, his voice heavy with exhaustion, "they're... shattering themselves rather than surrender. Like their forms just... give up without their general's presence."
I could hear the larger beasts thrashing in their death throes, their spine-masters' control completely broken. The Storm Hunters who'd survived their falls were being methodically eliminated by our archers. Even the mighty Strain Marked, their flesh-warping abilities failing them, fell before our coordinated attacks.
General Reed's voice carried a note of grim satisfaction: "Form up the final sweep. Let's finish this."
Through my network, I heard the remaining enemies being herded into prepared kill zones. The Drift Makers' once-mighty constructs lay in ruins, their creators picked off by precise archer fire. The four-armed warriors fought to the last, but without their coordination, they fell to our superior numbers.
"What of the survivors?" Lady Moira asked through the crystals.
The general's response was immediate: "No prisoners. We can't risk any of them surviving to report back, should another portal open."
I listened through my crystal network as our forces carried out that final, terrible order. The chamber that had echoed with the sounds of epic battle now carried only the grim work of soldiers ensuring absolute victory.
The cost had been high, but we'd done it. We'd faced an army of nightmares, creatures from beyond our world, and we'd won.
All because we'd fought together, each playing our part - from the general's strategy to my crucial role in bringing down both the portal and their leader. The battle for the portal was over, and our realm was safe. For now.
Battle Summary - Final Portal Defence
Total Combat Casualties: Approximately 2,000
Crystal Command Forces: 180
- Supreme Crystal Commander
- 12 Crystal Sub-commanders
- 167 Crystal Warriors
Storm Hunters and Aerial Forces: 315
- 180 Storm Hunters and mounts
- 85 Thunder Wyrm riders
- 50 Elite wind commanders
Strain Marked: 460
- 400 Warriors
- 60 Elite Bone Shapers
Chord Raiders: 425
- 300 Beast Masters
- 125 Elite Beast Commanders
- Countless controlled creatures
Arbor Reach: 320
- 250 Warriors
- 70 Elite Climbers
Drift Makers: 300
- 175 Construct Controllers
- 85 War Machine Operators
- 40 Elite Engineers
- Many destroyed constructs and war machines
Allied Losses:
- 89 Infantry (67 dead, 22 wounded)
- 42 Archers (28 dead, 14 wounded)
- 35 Mages (22 dead, 13 wounded)
- 12 Support Personnel (8 dead, 4 wounded)
Notable Loot (To Be Cataloged):
- Supreme Commander's Crystal Core
- Multiple Storm Hunter lightning capture devices
- Exotic beast control harnesses
- Four-armed warrior weapon sets
- Drift Maker construct control crystals
- Various magical artifacts and weapons
- Crystalline command fragments
- Storm riding gear
- Elite commander regalia
- Unknown biological components
Experience Gained (Brendan): 500
Special Note: Portal sealed
The Sundering Portal Quest Completed!
Rewards:
- Experience Points: 2000
- Title: "Portal Defender"
- Items: Lyren's Diary
You receive: Lyren's Diary
Level Up! You are now level 7!