It was a dark and stormy night as the demon lord, Astaroth, awoke from his slumber. The ground shook beneath him as he rose from his throne, deep in the underworld.
His four commanders, each with their own unique powers, stood at his side.
"My lord, you have awakened,"
said the first commander, a being of pure fire and destruction.
"Yes, it is time,"
Astaroth replied, his voice booming and filled with malice.
"It is time for us to conquer the realm of mortals and bring eternal darkness upon them."
The second commander, a master of shadows and deceit, stepped forward.
"My lord, what is your plan of attack?"
"We will begin by gathering our army," Astaroth said.
"We will call upon all the demons and monsters from the depths of hell to join us in our quest for domination."
The third commander, a giant of immense strength, asked
"And what about the sorcerers and other magical beings that will try to stand in our way?"
"They will be dealt with swiftly and mercilessly," Astaroth said with a sinister grin.
"They will not be able to withstand the power of my army."
The fourth commander, a temptress of seduction and manipulation, spoke up.
"My lord, what about the artefacts and relics that the sorcerers may use to defeat us?"
"We will find them before they do," Astaroth replied.
"We will not be defeated. We will rise victorious."
The commanders bowed to their lord in agreement and set out to gather the demon army and prepare for war.
The storm outside raged on as the fate of the realm hung in the balance, with the demon lord and his army ready to conquer all in their path.
As the news of the demon army's rise spread throughout the kingdom, fear and panic gripped the people.
The king and his family, along with the rest of the royal court and ministers, were summoned to a meeting in the throne room to discuss the impending threat.
"Your Majesty, it is with great concern that I bring you this news," the Director of the Magic Council began, bowing before the king.
"The demon army, led by their monstrous lord, has risen from the depths of the underworld and is making its way towards our kingdom."
The king's face turned pale as he listened to the dire news.
"What are our options?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"We have two options, Your Majesty," the Director continued.
"The first is to summon Orin, the most powerful sorcerer in the land, to fight the demon lord and his army. But Orin is known to be a reclusive figure, and it is uncertain if he will agree to help us."
One of the ministers spoke up,
"Your Majesty, I propose a different option. We can fortify our kingdom's defences and prepare for the demon army's attack."
"We can gather all the able-bodied men and women to train as soldiers, and we can seek alliances with neighbouring kingdoms to aid in our defence."
The king considered the minister's proposal for a moment before turning to the Director of the Magic Council.
"What do you say to this, Director?"
The Director hesitated for a moment before responding,
"It is true that fortifying our defences and seeking allies can be beneficial, but it is also true that the demon lord and his army are extremely powerful. It would be difficult to defeat them without the help of a powerful sorcerer like Orin."
The king let out a sigh and leaned back in his throne.
"Then we shall pursue both options. We shall send messengers to Orin, asking for his help, while also fortifying our defences and seeking allies. We must be prepared for the worst."
The rest of the court and ministers nodded in agreement, knowing that the fate of their kingdom rested on their actions.
The king then ordered the Director of the Magic Council to send messengers to Orin immediately, and to send word to the neighbouring kingdoms to ask for their aid.
As the meeting came to an end, the king and his family retreated to their chambers, deep in thought about the gravity of the situation.
They knew that the demon lord and his army were not to be underestimated, and that it would take all their strength and resources to defeat them.
The future of the kingdom was uncertain, but they were determined to do everything in their power to protect it.