Faye watched Abigail trace intricate patterns in the air with her fingers, channeling magae.
The air around them shimmered as the portal began to form, a swirling vortex of dark purple and crimson light that pulsed with an otherworldly rhythm. Abigail had insisted this was the only way to confront the root of the demonic incursions plaguing their world for the past three years, and Faye trusted her judgment enough to follow without question.
As the portal stabilized, expanding to the size of a large doorway, Abigail stepped back and nodded toward Faye, signaling that the passage was ready for them to cross.
They exchanged a determined glance before stepping forward together, the pull of the portal drawing them in like an invisible current. The transition felt like plunging through layers of thick fabric, each one tearing away to reveal glimpses of twisted landscapes beyond.
Colors inverted and sounds warped around them, but they pressed on, emerging on the other side into a vast expanse that defied the laws of their familiar reality. Towering spires of obsidian rose from a ground covered in shifting shadows, and the sky above boiled with storms that never released rain, only flashes of eerie lightning that illuminated grotesque forms lurking in the distance.
"Each portal entrance looks difference but they all house demons," she explained.
"And...you think there's a cause for the demons to be here?"
"There are numerous dimensions with living beings but I sense someone is pulling the strings in this one," Abigal told the priestess.
Abigail oriented herself quickly, pointing toward a distant mountain range where the air seemed to thicken with malevolent presence.
Faye nodded, adjusting her stance as they began to move across the uneven terrain, careful to avoid the fissures that cracked open sporadically, releasing wisps of acrid vapor. The dimension belted with unnatural life, as if the very fabric of existence here pulsed with hunger for intruders like them.
They walked in silence at first, conserving their energy for whatever trials awaited, but soon the environment forced them to adapt.
Demons skittered along the periphery of their vision, half formed entities that resembled twisted amalgamations of beasts from their world, but with elongated limbs and glowing eyes that tracked their every step.
Abigail raised her hand, summoning a barrier of protective light that enveloped them both, warding off the initial probes from these lesser demons.
Faye drew her needles ready to strike if any dared to close the distance. They continued forward, the ground beneath their feet growing warmer, as though the land itself anticipated their approach to the source.
As they crested a ridge, a valley unfolded below them, filled with writhing masses of demonic essence coalescing into more solid forms.
This sight confirmed Abigail's research; the portal had indeed brought them to the breeding grounds, where raw chaos birthed the horrors that had invaded their realm.
Faye felt a surge of resolve, knowing that destroying this nexus could end the threat once and for all but...she felt something else.
She looked around trying to see where that magae was coming from. She tapped Abigal on the soldier. "Do you feel that? That magae?"
Abigal paused and then nodded. "Yeah, I felt it years ago when I first came here."
"That's a witch, this is witch magae. I don't think this is a real dimension," Faye looking at the medium. "I think this is witch made."
One particularly large entity noticed their interference, roaring with a sound that echoed through the valley like thunder rolling across barren plains. It charged toward them, its body a hulking mass of scales and spines, propelled by powerful legs that shook the earth with each stride.
Faye positioned herself in front, meeting the charge head on while Abigail prepared a counter spell.
CLASH!
The blade clashed against the demon's armored hide, sparks flying as Faye dodged its sweeping claws and countered with precise strikes aimed at vulnerable joints. Abigail released her magic, a bolt of pure energy that struck the creature's core, weakening it enough for Faye to deliver a finishing blow that shattered its form into dissipating fragments.
Faye was breathing hard looking at Abigal. "I didnt know mediums did magic."
"We know basic spells but our magae focuses on portals and their spirits within them," she confirmed.
They pressed on without pause, aware that more guardians would soon rally to defend the source. The air grew heavier, laden with the essence of corruption that sought to erode their wills, but their bond fortified them against such assaults.
Deeper into the realm, they encountered a river of liquid shadow that blocked their path, flowing with currents strong enough to sweep away anything that dared to cross. Abigail studied it for a moment, then conjured a bridge of solidified light, allowing them to traverse safely while the shadows lashed out futilely below.
On the other side, the landscape shifted again, becoming a forest of petrified trees that bore fruit resembling screaming faces, each one emitting silent pleas for release. Faye cleaved through vines that attempted to ensnare them, her movements fluid and unrelenting.
As they approached the base of the central mountain, a swarm of aerial demons descended, their wings blotting out the stormy sky. These flyers dove with shrieks that pierced the air, talons extended to rend flesh.
Abigail erected a dome of force to shield them temporarily, giving Faye time to unleash a flurry of attacks that felled several in mid flight. Working in tandem, they dispatched the swarm methodically, Abigail's magic disrupting their formations while Faye's needles claimed the stragglers.
CLINK! CLANK!
The effort drained them, but the path ahead cleared, revealing a cavernous entrance into the mountain's heart.
Inside the cavern, the source revealed itself as a colossal rift in reality, a gaping maw from which demons poured forth in endless streams. Pulsing with dark energy, it fed on the dimension's chaos to perpetuate the cycle.
Abigail began the ritual to seal it, her voice rising in incantations that resonated through the chamber, causing the rift to flicker unstably.
Faye stood guard, repelling waves of defenders that materialized to protect their origin. Each clash tested her limits, but she held firm, drawing strength from the knowledge that success here would safeguard their world.