The instant the disguised Landing Pod slammed into the ground, the tremendous impact blasted its entire outer shell apart. Shattered stones hurtled like cannonballs at everything nearby. Fortunately, it had landed in the desolate Krokuun Region, where even an enormous bomb exploding would draw no attention and go unnoticed.
"Crack, crack."
At the bottom of the circular crater, amid the shattered rocks, the impact point of the large black Landing Pod had buckled. Two minutes after the crash, its door began to creak. Then someone kicked the black door open, sending it flying far from the pod.
The Warden emerged from the dark Landing Pod with slightly unsteady steps, carrying her Warglaives. She surveyed her surroundings warily. Everywhere she looked was a dark green vision of the apocalypse. She raised her head. Beneath that dark green sky, there were no twinkling stars to be seen, only the demons' fel barriers. Maiev took just one breath of the burning, sulfur-heavy air in the crater and could already sense the toxins it contained.
They were not particularly potent, but this was certainly no place for mortals to live for long. Beneath her mask, Maiev sniffed, then reached down and activated an Amulet hanging at her waist.
It was a simple air-purification barrier, an elementary magic circle even an apprentice could create. While Maiev studied her surroundings, in another valley not far from her landing site, Duke Jorach walked across the ground with a grim expression and somewhat shaky legs. Finally, he braced himself against a warm volcanic rock beside him and could not help swearing.
"That damned turbulence..."
Regardless, the first wave of scouts was in position. They headed toward the Burning Legion's gathering points in the Krokuun Region as quickly as possible, then sought ways to blend in and gather every