The Rise of the Black Plain

Under the manipulation of the group of Hell Lifelings they had raised in the capital city, they held their position securely for the next few hours.

As the hours ticked by, whispers grew into shouts, and soon the air was thick with talk of Mylecent, The Betrayer. Her name was spoken in hushed tones, a boogeyman come to life, ready to unleash the dreaded Macabre Horde upon the unsuspecting populace.

"Have you heard?" a merchant whispered to his neighbor as he hastily shuttered his shop. "Mylecent is in the city! They say she rides with the undead, ready to rain death upon us all!"

Such rumors needed no encouragement from Minos and his companions. The very movement of the local forces, their hurried preparations and grim-faced patrols, served as all the confirmation the populace needed. The approach of the Macabre Horde was accepted as fact, and the citizens' imaginations filled in the horrifying details.

The memory of Mylecent's daring escape from Cursed Rock, aided by the nightmarish Macabre Horde, was still fresh in the collective consciousness. Coupled with the recent increased vigilance of the royal forces, it created a perfect storm of paranoia and fear.

As the day wore on, the city's usual rhythm disintegrated into chaos. Shops slammed their doors shut, their owners muttering prayers as they retreated to what they hoped were safer locations. In the streets, people scurried about with wild eyes, some weeping openly as they sought shelter or supplies.

"We're all going to die!" wailed a woman as she ran past a group of stunned onlookers. Her panic was infectious, spreading through the crowd like a virulent disease.

The local authorities, surprised by the deteriorating situation, were forced to split their attention. While a significant portion of their forces remained vigilant against the supposed approach of the Macabre Horde, others were dispatched to quell the growing unrest within the city walls.

"Maintain order!" barked a harried captain to his troops. "We can't fight a war on two fronts!"

As chaos engulfed the lower districts, the city's elite saw an opportunity. The local lake and river, usually reserved for pleasure cruises and merchant vessels, became an escape route for those with the means to flee. Ornate boats and hastily commandeered barges alike were pressed into service, loaded down with the rich and powerful and their most prized possessions.

The gentle rocking of the boat and the muffled sounds of panic from above alerted Minos' team. They remained hidden in the cramped confines of the luggage compartment, surrounded by the opulent belongings of the city's elite.

As they had expected, the Eternal Death had issued orders to seal all exits from the city. The urban area had become a massive trap, with guards stationed at every point of egress.

Minos' wives saw this through the eyes of their Hell Lifelings and couldn't help but look at him in expectation.

Minos remained a picture of calm, his features betraying no hint of worry. His voice, when he spoke directly into his wives' minds, was steady and assured. 'Abby, it's time. Order the Macabre Horde to strike hard against the city. We need chaos to engulf the outskirts. When panic reaches its peak, those desperate to escape will clash with the guards. The sovereign force will have no choice but to abandon their current strategy.'

Abby nodded, her eyes taking on a distant look as she communicated with the undead forces under her control.

The group fell into a tense silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they waited for Abby's actions to bear fruit. The only sounds were the lapping of water against the boat's hull and the occasional creak of wood.

After what felt like an eternity, Gloria's mental voice broke the silence. 'How long before we see the results you're expecting?'

Minos closed his eyes, his mind racing through countless scenarios and variables. 'At minimum, half an hour,' he projected to the group. 'But it could take up to two hours before we reach the apex of chaos. We must be patient.'

As they settled in for the wait, Ruth turned her attention to Gloria. 'What's the situation with Mylecent?'

Since yesterday, Gloria's clones had made a lot of progress in their objectives and had practically reached Mylecent's position, even though she hadn't allowed her clones to advance any closer.

Besides Gloria's clones, the Hell Lifelings who had accompanied them when they entered this city were also scattered around the capital. Some of them were positioned to draw the enemies' attention to their alternative escape plan and others to advise on the escape from Mylecent, close to Gloria's clones.

Gloria's mental voice resonated with a mixture of excitement and caution as she reported to the group. 'I believe Mylecent is on the move. The entire city is in a state of upheaval, which makes pinpointing their exact location challenging. I can't confirm with absolute certainty until I make direct contact, but I'm poised to approach as soon as you give the word, Minos.'

'Let's wait a little longer. The city needs to be on fire by the time we gather to flee,' Minos said, calmly waiting for the moment.

...

Miles away, emerging from the dank, oppressive darkness of the city's underground sewers, Mylecent, and her band of rebels found themselves thrust into a world teetering on the brink of anarchy. The acrid smell of smoke mingled with the fetid odor clinging to their clothes, a pungent reminder of their recent hiding place.

The streets, once a testament to the capital's grandeur, now bore witness to the unraveling of social order. Citizens, their faces contorted with fear and desperation, surged towards the city gates in waves. Their cries of panic and frustration echoed off the stone buildings, creating a cacophony of terror.

Guards, overwhelmed and increasingly desperate, struggled to maintain some semblance of control. Their shouts and the occasional crack of whips barely registered above the din of the panicked masses.

Amidst this chaos, Mylecent, and her rebels moved with practiced stealth. Some of their comrades had already dispersed, tasked with sowing further discord and misdirecting the authorities' attention. ŗаɴоᛒΕṠ

Mylecent leaned close to Ysolt. Her voice, barely above a whisper, betrayed a hint of anxiety that she would never show to the rest of her followers. "Where will Minos find us?"

She didn't like not being in control. The feeling of having her life dependent on someone else's actions irritated her significantly, but she tried to stick to what Minos seemed to want from her.

Ysolt's eyes now held a glimmer of uncertainty. She scanned the surrounding chaos, her prophetic abilities straining against the tumultuous energies engulfing the city. "I have no idea," she admitted, her voice low. "But I suspect we're on the verge of finding out."

Her gaze drifted towards the southern horizon, where dark clouds seemed to gather at unnatural speed. "The Macabre Horde is nearing the southern walls," she reported, her tone grim. "If my visions are correct, the First General will be returning in defeat soon. That should add fuel to the already raging fire of panic."

Mylecent looked in the direction indicated, sensing that the undead were indeed fast approaching them, not thinking the defeat of a Celestial unlikely.

Celestials and True Celestials had a big difference that went beyond vitality. Those without access to the Upper Realm were much weaker, which led to them often being called Strengthened Supremes. So it wasn't impossible for a group like the Macabre Horde to force even a level 125 individual to retreat.

"We'll remain vigilant. I believe he'll have someone to lead us to our escape route." Mylecent continued walking through the humblest area of the city, the path that led to the river, where many ordinary citizens were heading this late afternoon, in search of escape from the city.

As the masses moved from one side of the city to the other, screams of horror slowly rose from the south, ushering in a night of terror over the capital!

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