Amidst the Howling Dark

A World at War

De'mah touched down just outside the town, but this one was not Equestrian. He looked to his assembled Zealots and nodded, and they took to the skies. With Equestria thoroughly repressed, their leaders in hiding, De'mah had turned his attention to the Griffons. The species whose members had been De'mah's first taste of extraterrestrial life would now play part to his vision for their world.

He ignited his energy sword and began his trek into the mountain village, his dragons circling overhead. At once the Griffon warriors came out, and De'mah rushed forward. A squad of them took note and moved to intercept him, and he raised his sword. Lunging forward he swung, and his blade flashed through the neck of one. A Griffon swung a sword of his own, and the steel raked harmlessly along the steel of De'mah's armor, sending sparks through the air. The Sangheili turned and ran his blade through the bird's torso.

As De'mah withdrew his sword he was struck in the back, and he stumbled forward. Spinning around he saw another Gryph preparing to stab him, rearing up onto his hindlegs and angling his sword downwards, towards the earth. De'mah leapt back as the Griffon stabbed down, his blade sinking into the ground. De'mah swiped the bird's forelimbs off and quickly did the same to his head.

With the Griffons down De'mah rushed deeper into the village, coming near a house just as one of his Zealots, Aldurmaax, landed upon it. "Take not names, brothers! Take not count! Take only their LIVES!!" the mighty dragon thundered, and smashed open the house he was upon. De'mah watched as the dragon let loose the inferno and the house outright exploded, wood and straw and body parts being flung across the stones.

De'mah nodded to the drake and he took off, leaving De'mah to focus on contending with whatever came his way. As it was, it was another Griffon warrior, this one armed with a club. De'mah charged at him and swung, and the bird dodged. He swung again, and the Gryph ducked. As he came up he swung his club, hitting De'mah in his helmet and knocking him astray. The Sangheili growled and moved to slash again, cutting only air.

"Hold STILL, won't you?" he called, and thrust his blade towards the Griffon, who sidestepped and gripped the Sang's wrist. He swung his club and De'mah ducked, and responded by punching the bird in his beak. The creature let out a surprised squawk and staggered back, and De'mah stabbed forward. His angle was off, though, and his blade only lanced the bird. The Griffon swung at him again, and De'mah pulled back. Now here was a challenge!

De'mah took a moment to recover, the Griffon doing the same, before he launched himself at the avian once more. He swung wide at the Griffon's midsection and he leapt back, and De'mah rushed him again. He swung high and the bird ducked, and swung his club into De'mah's leg. The Sangheili's leg was swept out and he fell to one knee. The Griffon swung down at him and De'mah went as low as he could, and swung his sword at the Griffon's ankles, swiping them off. The bird squawked and fell back, and De'mah climbed back to his feet.

With the avian warrior wounded De'mah was prepared to finish him off, and was about to stab down at him when the Griffon rolled aside, and De'mah's blade sank into the earth. The Griffon, his teeth gritted, swung his club again and hit De'mah in the ankle, and the Sang stumbled away, struggling to keep his balance.

"Rrr, ENOUGH of this!" De'mah roared, and leapt onto the Griffon, keeping the creature pinned under his boots. The Griffon squawked in rage and defiance and De'mah buried his sword into his chest. The creature at last fell limp and De'mah stepped away, and rolled his shoulders. "If only more of this world's creatures could fight as well as you did."

He turned back towards the village and saw nearly all of it aflame, only stragglers remaining. "CRUSH THEM ALL, ZEALOTS!" De'mah bellowed, thrusting his sword high into the air. He thudded forward, towards the last remaining group of Griffon warriors. A few of them took to the sky, crossbows in talon, and a few of the Sang's dragons immediately descended upon them.

Three Griffons remained on the ground, and they scattered. There was a muted *CRACK* and a crossbow bolt hit De'mah in his shoulder, the arrow shattering harmlessly against the dragon armor. The Sangheili charged into their midst and swung at the archer, who scrambled back against the ground. A Griffon near De'mah produced a sword and charged at him, and the bird collided against the Sangheili. He stabbed the sword forward as hard as he could, the blade harmlessly scratching against the armor. De'mah shoved his knee into the Griffon's midsection, put his hand on the avian's shoulder and pushed him back, and ran him through.

With one Griffon down, De'mah turned back to the others just as the archer fired again, this time the bolt nicked one of his mandibles, and De'mah hardly missed a step as he flicked away the purple blood with his free hand, the archer retreating again as he reloaded. The Griffon ran into one of the few remaining houses and De'mah charged in after him.

Immediately as he entered De'mah was struck in the head by the archer's crossbow, and he staggered forward. He growled, enraged, and spun. The archer fired again, and at point blank range the bolt buried itself in his chest piece. De'mah gripped the bolt's shaft and snapped it away, and as the archer attempted to duck past him De'mah kicked him, sending him to the floor. With the Griffon lying prone De'mah straddled the avian and swung down, bisecting him cleanly. Only one Griffon remained, and the Sangheili stepped out into the midday hell of the village to strike him down.

De'mah caught sight of the Griffon as he cowered behind a pile of barrels, as De'mah stalked towards him the Griffon rushed out. "Alright wait, wait! I... I surrender!" the Griffon yelled, and threw his sword into the dirt. De'mah approached the bird as his Zealots landed all around.

"I haven't respect for cowards. Pick up your blade, now!" De'mah barked, gesturing his own sword at the iron blade as it lied on the ground. The Griffon took a step back, watching De'mah carefully.

"You... You wouldn't strike down an unarmed warrior, wouldn't you? That's hardly honorable!"

De'mah scoffed. "I'll not have my honor questioned by a coward. You would have to offer me something substantial to justify your continued existence."

"What about the Princesses? The Equestrian Princesses?! I know where they are! The Emperor put them in a safehouse at the peak of the mountain, this very mountain! They're there right now! They won't even know you're coming! The path up to them is quite treacherous, though, but I can take you up to them! I know the way!!" the Griffon reasoned.

De'mah put his hand to the bird's shoulder, his sword at his side. He looked up to his Zealots, who all watched expectantly. "I can find my own way, I'm sure." Before the bird could respond De'mah drove his blade into the creature's chest, the tips piercing through his back, the fur and flesh cooking away. He slid the blade out and the Griffon's corpse fell to the ground, leaving the village destroyed and empty.

De'mah turned to look at his Zealots, and he thrusted his sword into the sky. His Zealots responded by throwing out their wings, and De'mah howled triumphantly. "ZEALOTS, let us ASCEND TO THE MOUNTAIN PEAK and, at last, EXTERMINATE THIS PLAGUE OF COWARDICE!! There will be NO SURVIVORS!! FOR 'TOKAM, FOR SANGHELIOS, AND FOR THE FORERUNNERS!!"