[@KoL][@Banana][@Lmpkio]

[h2][center][color=fff200]Saef Harken
Surface-Who Knows Anymore?[/color][/center][/h2]

Withdrawing troops to save their lives made a lot less sense in the Nexus. For men and woman like those in Saef's company death simply meant spending a fey days as spirits before being sent back to rejoin the fight. Their commander still wasn't comfortable with that fact. Death was supposed to be The End. The final journey. Not an inconvenience. Here it was more effective to hold an enemy captive than to kill them. It was nice not to have to write Condolence letters after every engagement though.

[color=0054a6]"Sir, I'm getting some odd readings from some of the suit diagnostics."[/color] It was First Lieutenant Stillwater. His second in command contacting him directly over the comms. [color=0054a6]"It might be Demonic corruption or it might be nothing. I don't want to take that chance though sir. We should take the company back to base and run full scans."[/color]

Saef could understand the Lieutenant's caution. The runes carved into the suits were a recent addition. So recent that this mission had been something of a field test. And despite the supposed protection offered by the angelic script it was hard to shake the paranoia from thirteen months of conflict with the forces of Hell.

The captain agreed with his subordinate. The smart thing would be to withdraw and run all the suits and equipment through a full battery of tests. A little earlier than planned but nobody would be accusing them of cowardice for leaving a place like this. He wasn't done here though. The two Demons from before were still out there and his company had barely engaged the enemy before being forced back. No, he wasn't done killing Demons yet.

[color=fff200]"I'm giving you temporary command."[/color] Saef replied to his executive officer. [color=fff200]"Withdraw the company and run those scans. I will stay and assist Farris however I can." [/color] There was silence for several seconds before a simple [color=0054a6]"Yes, sir." [/color] Came back. They both knew he would be getting in trouble for this. The General might even get involved.

Saef took to the air as his company retreated through the glowing portal. He caught up to Farris quickly, the suited Thaumaturge falling in behind the senior warrior. The pair didn't have to search for long before locating their prey. It appeared that the two Demons had stopped to rest after making their way out of the twisting and turning tunnels. A trip that must have taken much more time and energy than simply flying over everything had.

Farris did her thing, announcing the oncoming smite with all the righteous fury of a longtime holy warrior of the Nexus. And unleashing a storm of very nasty looking holy crystals when she was done. For his part Saef simply raised his weapon, once again a glowing scepter. Arcane symbols and runes flashed through his mind and a large magical circle formed in front of the rain of crystals. The prisms of the deadly hail shone with a new inner glow as they soared downwards.

Upon impact that glow would spring outward, blades of light slicing through nearby objects for half a second before their carrier crystals shattered or buried themselves.