The great fortress city of Dralun was the heart of the Ropux Empire, normally bustling with the exchange of commerce and knowledge. A city of 100,000 or more inhabitants and with stunning architecture, over the years it had garnered quite the tourist industry as well. Today, Dralun’s visiting tourist group was the 20,000 strong army from the Arthas Consortium who did not come equipped with tourist visas.

Cannon fire rained down on the partially evacuated city as the Ropux mages and archers did their best to return fire on the advancing line of AC troops, who were equipped primarily with the standard melee and ranged weapons of the time. Unfortunately for the Ropux forces, one brigade of the AC was equipped with their newly introduced rifled muskets. While musket fire wasn’t strong enough to penetrate the armor of the Ropux heavy infantry, they had already resulted in a large number of casualties amongst the other divisions of the Empire.

It was another case of quality vs. quantity and currently quality was winning the fight.

Dralun’s large stone walls were primarily designed for warfare of the past but were still necessary to keep the world’s monsters at bay. That’s why so far they had remained relatively unscathed from the Consortium’s bombardment. Until now.

As a blue flare was sent up into the sky, Consortium artillery officers directed their units to fire at the main gates of Dralun. Solid iron balls fired one volley after another, finally destroying what had kept their army at bay.

Arthas dragoons charged in through the main gate, leaping over the static defenses that Dralun’s defenders had hastily put up. Cover fire from the musket brigade kept the mages and archers from attacking the enemy mounted units as they rushed in. The dragoons met heavy resistance from heavily equipped pikemen and swordsmen but they were ordered to punch through the main line and sow discord in the back. Some of the dragoons fell from arrows and the odd firearm that the Ropux forces had procured but any increase in morale was promptly stymied by the follow up of the attacking army’s heavy infantry which promptly engaged the defenders.

Arthanian troops primary objective was to capture the large building housing the Empire’s Magic guild; objective, capture as many of the Empire’s mana users and research as possible.

A vast amount of research conducted by members of the Consortium had led to huge leaps in technology that this world had never seen. Technology had remained stagnant for so long that many of the Empire’s leadership were shocked to see muskets and cannons for the first time. But while the Arthanians could produce respectable numbers of advanced weapons and tools for the time, they needed mana to further create and produce such wonders. Hence the attack on the Empire. Plus the Empire had rejected previous trade negotiations and requests for aid. So war was going to happen.

Ropux ground forces started to retreat to their 2nd line of defense as what remained of the ranged units on top of the wall fell. Unfortunately, the dragoons that had disappeared briefly from the fight, reappeared to block their escape. As the defenders started to despair, a bright flash of light tore through the line of mounted soldiers incinerating the men.

“It's the Hero and his party!” shouted the remaining soldiers.

“We’ll get em now boys! Charge!”

Renewed with vigor and motivation, the soldiers followed behind the Hero and the four members of his party: the Hero with his enchanted blade, the White mage capable of healing and defense magic, the Black mage armed with an array of offensive magic, the Archer capable of going toe to toe with long range musket fire, and lastly the Assassin, armed with dual daggers and the ability to sneak past his foes.

Despite the cannon fire continuing to rain down upon the city, the tide slowly turned against the Consortium forces as the Hero and his party tore into the heavy infantry that had lost its mobile support.

Morale had gone back up significantly as the Hero asked the White mage and Assassin to retake the top of the outer wall and to try and heal any survivors. After they had backtracked some distance to enter the wall’s structure from the rear, a new party entered the battlefield.

One that both sides equally dreaded. One that was on nobody’s side. A being that wasn’t supposed to be here.

Hovering in the air with its crimson wings, the being didn’t even bother to dodge the incoming musket fire or magic attacks. They all failed to penetrate the beings' defenses.

Needing no incantation or preamble, it raised its hands and launched a small glowing orange ball towards the battlefield. The ball reached a point in between Dralun and the bulk of the Consortium’s army, and exploded in midair.

Within 1 kilometer of where the compressed mana had exploded, only shadows of what was once there remained. All of the Consortium’s heavy infantry and 2nd line attackers had disappeared in an instant. Among the casualties were a large number of Ropux’s defenders and the Hero and his party. All that remained of them were the White mage and Assassin who had now reached the top of the wall, or the part that was still intact anyway. The blast had eradicated a large section of the wall and the surrounding structure.

Dumbfounded, the two remaining members of the Hero party couldn’t even think.

But the last thing the White mage would see was the maniac grin of the demon with blood dripping from its crimson wings, as it impaled him and sent his body hurtling towards the inner city.