The morning sun rose in the east shining light upon a pink sky as the Minotaur horde marched onward. Kane walked at its head with Baal at his side. It has been a week marching since Kane discovered his beloved wife and now they gathered at the edge of the crystal forest.

Beyond them laid vast plains of red grass that stretched to the hilly horizon. Tall enough to reach a standing man's knee, they wavered about in the endless wind. In the distance loomed Fortress Loknar.

It was a colossal work of gothic architecture that stretched hundreds of meters into the sky. Home to the mages of Clan Loknar, this was a place of great power. Such power was useful yet what he sought was its secrets.

Kane's horde gathered at the roots of the citadel with himself at its head. They stood at the ready the mighty minotaur rage burned within each beast's heart. There was no greeting, no warning, just the endless silence of the walls.

"Lord Carrion of Clan Loknar! You know who I am! Submission is all I require of you!" Kane bellowed into the air.

All but the wind fell silent as Kane allowed them time to reply.

"What say you?!" He roared.

The earth rumbled as volleys of purple energy beams blasted from the parapets. They detonated in massive explosions throughout the horde. Kane saw his creatures get vaporised and blown apart all around him. As blood and gore sprayed all over the battlefield in great explosions of violent energies.

He turned to Baal who eagerly stared into his eyes. He nodded as he launched himself over the battlements. Delighting in the pure bloodthirsty rage that burned hot within his soul Baal armed himself with a steel claw on both hands.

These were bulky double bladed weapons what were worn as gloves and turned his hands into the talons that were his clan's namesake.

He raised both fists into the air and howled into the wind with all his might. Rallying his kin to himself he erupted into a mighty battle cry as explosions erupted on all sides.

Baal shrugged off a shower of blood and gore as he led the charge onto the walls. As he got within arms reach of the wall he lashed out, piercing the outer stone with the blades of his claw. With the might of his unyielding strength, he lifted himself up and rammed his second higher up in the wall. With the raw power that his physique permitted him, he climbed up the face of the wall. Following him up his horde clawed their way up the side of the wall. Like ants, tens of thousands of Minotaurs swarmed up the side of the outer walls of the fortress. From the parapets, every enemy vaporised dozens of the beasts with every shot.

Twas proved merely a futile effort as hundreds poured onto the parapets. Baal launched himself over the edge and found himself in the company of Mages. All of them robed in Red silks and bristling with power.

He caught one off guard and threw him onto a group of five just as Minotaurs pounced upon the sorcerers and tore them apart in a bloody mess. He looked on as the parapet extended into the streets of the citadel.

It wasn't long before retaliatory forces arrived. A wave of elite plate armoured knights charged the horde. Wielding mighty two-handed greatswords with grace and skill they waded into the invaders with faith in their own strength. Each one catching the attention of a brute while another cut the Minotaur down. As one they methodically cut through the horde

"Pathetic!" Growled Baal.

He charged into the melee with the fury of the gods. He withdrew the blades of his claws and lowered metal shields to cover the mechanisms. The mighty Minotaur roared as he brutalised knight after knight with a devastating fusillade of powerful punches. Each thunderous strike smashed the flesh of his foes to a pulp within their armours. A spike of pain made him roar in anger as a sword struck his back.

He turned to the perpetrator who held his sword in front of him as he trembled with fear. Baal grabbed him by the torso. With eyes burning with the fury of the savage brute he stared into the eye slits of the helpless warrior. Baal lifted him up off of his feet as the man cried out in despair.

"Coward!" He roared as he grabbed the man with both hands.

Then the man screamed in pain and terror as Baal squeezed him with both hands. Metal screeched and warped as it crumbled under the sheer crushing power of Baal's strength. Bones snapped and flesh was minced. Ultimately the knight exploded inside out as his head popped out and blood and gore sprayed out the neck all over Baal's kin who rostered in it all. It is the blood, the horrors of battle, the fires of war and the stench of death that the Minotaur relished with an irresistible lust.

Kane smashed through a great stain glass window like the oncoming storm. Purple lightning lashed out from his hands at dozens of knights below him. They cried out in anguish as they were cooked alive. They all collapsed in ashen piles as Kane hit the marble floor. All around him mages pounced into action. Their voices echoed in the air as they prepared their destructive spells.

"Stop!" Roared a voice echoing throughout the hall.

"Carrion! Face me! End this!" Kane barked.

Out from the assortment of red-robed mages appeared one particularly elderly one whose robe was decorated by golden sigils.

"Kane end this madness! I'll never follow a madman such as you!" Replied Carrion, his voice rasp from old age.

"There is a new threat on the horizon!"

"The Threat is you!"

Carrion blasted a bolt of energy at Kane. It dissipated as it washed over Kane's defences.

"All of you leave us! Whoever leaves these doors alive you shall serve!"

The mages and knights filtered out through the exits to join the battle outside while the two leaders sized each other up.

"You should've surrendered old fool," Kane growled

"We are Terrans, Kane! We never surrender!" Carrion Barked.

With that Kane launched a fusillade of plasma bolts at his foe. Having them materialise all around him he hosed down his foe with a storm of heat and ionised matter. Carrion braced his defences effectively against the barrage. Emerging from it unharmed and glowing as he chanted in ancient languages. His form elongated and fattened up in a vile mass of evolving flesh.

Kane clapped his hands together and unleashed a torrent of lightning, scorching the growing mass of flesh that was Carrion with trivial effect. Carrion's voice travelled in the gathering wind, warping into an inhuman growl as he lost all semblance of his human self.

Kane gathered matter all around him in the form of lava. The molten earth glowed a bright yellow as it heated up under his control. Soon it all cooled down into obsidian blades and Kane launched it all at carrion. Razor sharp, jet-black blades pierced bone and rent flesh as an endless stream of them formed and launched at their target.

The mass of flesh screamed and howled in pain as a massive serpentine arm reached out and slammed on the ground. Then came another mirroring it, then similar legs and a tail. It wasn't long before a long neck and head erupted out of a chest and a pair of wet wings sprouted from a back. Carrion in his newfound form of the dreaded dragon roared out into the world with his first breath.

The force of the mighty howl blew away Kane and his endless storm of obsidian blades and grounded the Terran. It growled as it summoned hot flame from within and breathed blazing fire onto Kane. Kane intensified his defences as the wall of flame washed over him and winced as the immense heat radiated onto his body.

With his left hand, he drew from the world around him to fuel his shield. With his right hand, he drew out the might of his power. His shield buckled and cracked as his power manifested itself into a mighty spear.

A giant fist smashed into him from the right and broke his concentration on the spear. The spear overloaded as the carefully controlled energies that went into its construction ran rampant. It soon exploded shredding the hand amidst wails of pain and sending Kane flying. Flailing about in pain and anger he rose to his feet.

As he stood up he found himself snatched from his feet as the dragon grabbed him with his last hand and plough through the roof and flew into the air high above the citadel. The dragon threw him higher into the air as he smacked Kane with his tail.

Gravity forced Kane to fall and the dragon summoned up and breathed a column of fire at his foe. As he was engulfed he strained as his defences took a lot of energy to maintain. He fell through the flames.

He aimed for the gaping mouth as the flames burned out but turned his shield to his left as a fist slammed into it. Then Carrion reached out with his head and bit Kane by the leg. With a violent swing, he threw the Terran back down into the cathedral.

Carrion then dived hoping to crush the young upstart with sheer momentum. A great blade of obsidian flew into the air slicing through his right arm and wing causing the mighty beast to roar in anger as he plummeted to the ground. All around him Carrion despaired as he saw Minotaurs overrun his defences and the city burn.

"Kane! You will burn for this!" The Dragon roared.

Lumbering about in pain on his legs he incinerated friend and foe alike with dragon's breath. He had worked himself up into a berserk rage as he lost all reason. Soon a purple light slammed into his face and human feet held his mouth out. Before the man stood Kane wide-eyed Carrion saw his end coming.

"Die!" Cried Carrion as he summoned his breath.

"You fool" Kane answered.

Kane drew from his final reserves of power and unleashed an overwhelming blast of lightning down the dragon's throat. He cooked the creature from the inside. Carrion gave in and closed his eyes as the flames tore him apart in a mighty explosion that shook the earth and consumed the area for a dozen meters all around in flames and smoke.

A tense few moments followed as Minotaurs and Terrans alike stopped fighting and watched to see who survived. All worried as no victor emerged from the smoke. Soon Kane emerged from the smoke exhausted and blackened from the fight.

Baal watched eagerly as his master stumbled through the ruins with the last of his strength. Seeing this as a victory the Minotaurs exploded in bodacious celebration. They flocked to their master as the best of then lifted him up into the air. The Minotaurs danced in triumph as they bellowed and howled into the air in great excess.

Clan Loknar is now defeated and its new lord, a young mage by the name of Carros now kneeled before his new master. Kane wasted no time in annexing Clan Loknar's four other citadels into his domain and prepared the people for war.

Though the other great clans, much like Clan Loknar stood strong and defiant. All around them surrendered or willing joined Kane's side. In mere days most of the continent rushed to his aid. 

He sent emissaries far and wide and told all of the horrors that fell from the sky. All knew him and all believed him. They have all seen the titans that fell from the sky and knew that this could not be taken lightly.

Soon clans from all around gathered to Kane, most willingly bowing in submission to this newfound empire. Those that did not submit found defeat at every turn. Soon centaurs, Terrans, Cyclopes and even a few rare beasts like several types of gorgons, griffons, chimaera and hydra all answered Kane's legendary call. Twas not long after that that even the fabled dragons bowed before this master.

Let all know that Kane has come. Let all know that in their arrogance, the United Forces invoked his wrath. Let all know that the coming storm will consume them all.

The Innevitable War had begun.