Morpheus strode deeper into the chamber, his boots clicking against the ancient stone. The Sage's Eye turned as one, their wary gazes shifting between him and the two figures behind him—one a tall, imposing man wrapped in desert-colored robes, the other… well.
"A dog?" Evelyn Cross blinked.
Ishaan Varma tilted his head. "Not just any dog."
Morpheus waved a lazy hand. "Yes, yes. Introductions. This is Khufu, the grumpy one, and Anubis, the… uh, more grumpy one." He smirked at the jackal-like canine. "Try not to be too starstruck."
Anubis, in response, let out a slow, unimpressed exhale through his nose and sat down, his golden eyes gleaming.
Khufu crossed his arms. "Are they supposed to be competent?"
"They'll do fine," Morpheus replied, already moving toward the floating map in the center of the chamber. The glowing lines shimmered in the dim light, tracing the structure of the pyramid and the surrounding desert.
Morpheus placed both hands on the map, his fingers tracing the glowing lines of the pyramid and the surrounding dunes. "Alright, listen up. The goal is simple: don't let them inside. The second they breach the pyramid, containment becomes a nightmare. We lose the advantage, and this turns into a slaughter."
With a flick of his wand, a golden dome materialized around the miniature pyramid, shimmering with layered enchantments. "This shield is our first and best defense. It's not just some flimsy ward—it's built on old magic, woven into the foundation of the pyramid itself. Ancient protection spells from the original builders, reinforced with modern enchantments."
He tapped the shield, and the golden light pulsed. "It's strong, but not unbreakable. It's designed to disperse magical attacks, absorbing impact and redistributing the force across its structure. That means it can take direct magical hits—about fifty high-intensity strikes before we see serious fractures. If the attack is spread out, it might last longer. Physical assaults, like the creatures clawing at it, will weaken it over time but at a slower rate."
Morpheus shifted his gaze to the others. "That gives us about an hour under sustained bombardment. Less if they focus their fire in one spot."
Khufu frowned. "And after the shield falls?"
Morpheus grinned, but there was little humor in it. "Then we buy time. The natural terrain around the pyramid works in our favor—narrow corridors of stone and uneven dunes force them into bottlenecks. We set up layered defenses at key chokepoints here, here, and here." He pointed at three areas around the map, where the dunes created natural pathways. "The first line will be ranged attacks remember stick to conjuration and transfiguration, spears of stone, transfigured barriers—anything to keep them at a distance. The second line is direct engagement, spell duels and close combat. If they get past that…"
His wand moved again, drawing glowing marks deeper inside the pyramid. "We fall back to the interior tunnels and use the architecture against them. Narrow spaces, collapsing corridors, deadly wards. The longer we hold, the better chance reinforcements have to get here."
He straightened, glancing around the room. "This is a war of attrition. We're not here to win a battle, we're here to survive long enough to make sure they don't win it either."
A low, unnatural growl rumbled through the air.
The chamber stilled.
Morpheus exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Right on time."
A tremor ran through the pyramid, dust trickling from the ceiling. Then, with a sudden, violent force, the sand outside erupted.
Demonic creatures—twisted amalgamations of desert beasts—poured from the dunes. Jackals with too many eyes, cobras with black fire coiling around their fangs, monstrous scorpions with stingers dripping molten venom. They moved as one, surging toward the pyramid with a hunger that burned red in their eyes.
And above them—wings.
A dozen, two dozen angels hovered in the sky, their ethereal forms shimmering like light through glass. Their wings, vast and otherworldly, pulsed with magic. Then, with a unified motion, they raised their hands.
Bolts of searing energy rained down.
The first impact struck the shield with a deafening crack, golden ripples spreading across its surface. More followed—a relentless barrage of divine fire hammering down like a celestial storm. The shield held, absorbing each impact with a pulse of protective magic.
Morpheus watched, counting under his breath.
"One."
Another impact.
"Two."
A surge of demonic beasts slammed against the barrier, their claws screeching against the unseen force keeping them at bay.
"Three."
Khufu narrowed his eyes. "How long?"
Morpheus flexed his fingers. "Ask me again in fifty hits."
Anubis let out a low growl, his ears twitching as the magic in the air thickened.
As his group spread out to defend the pyramid Morpheus knelt before the entrance and Khufu joined him shortly after.
They knelt across from each other Khufu steadily drawing in the sand markings spreading with each flick of his hand, "This manifestation hasn't been used in a long time Morpheus, my current state is inefficient, to say the least."
Morpheus who had already cut his palm began to add his own markings mirroring those of Khufu, "Of course." he agreed, "Not to worry I have it handled, we shall prepare it now I fear this is only them testing the waters."
"Anubis is inside?" Khufu asked briefly looking up
Morpheus chuckled softly, "Yes, its were he will be the most useful. Right now they don't even know Anubis is here. If push comes to shove he will be the biggest trump card we have, they were lucky to capture him once and he will never let them get that chance again."
As they worked diligently the sage's eye tried their hardest to combat the attack.
The Sage's Eye moved in coordinated formation behind the shimmering golden shield. The barrier held firm, absorbing the relentless assault from above as angelic forces rained divine energy down upon it. Outside, the demonic creatures clawed and slammed against its surface, their monstrous forms writhing in frustration as they tried to break through.
Evelyn Cross stood at the front of the formation, her wand carving intricate patterns through the air. "Keep the pressure on! Aim for mobility!" she barked, her voice steady despite the chaos.
Behind her, Gideon Marsh and Ishaan Varma mirrored her movements. Their wands flashed in unison as they wove their spells together. Stone lances, conjured from nothing, shot forward with terrifying speed, piercing through the bodies of the attacking creatures. Some of the beasts exploded into blackened sand upon impact, while others shrieked and stumbled as the conjured spikes tore through limbs and torsos.
Alec Dorne took a different approach. Instead of launching direct attacks, he conjured shifting barricades—floating, razor-edged discs of hardened metal that hovered in the air before launching themselves at high speeds toward their targets. The discs sliced clean through some of the smaller creatures, while the larger ones were forced to dodge, breaking their charge.
"They're adapting!" Ishaan called out as one of the jackal-like beasts leapt sideways, dodging a conjured spear. "We need to funnel them!"
"On it," Evelyn snapped. She flicked her wand sharply, and a series of thick iron chains materialized in the sand, weaving together into massive barriers that curved inward like a trap. The creatures that weren't fast enough slammed into the newly formed walls, momentarily disoriented.
A beat later, Alec and Gideon capitalized on the moment. With a synchronized movement, they conjured a row of massive harpoons above the creatures—then dropped them. The weapons impaled the demons instantly, pinning them to the sand in a brutal display of precision.
Across the battlefield, other members of the Sage's Eye worked in smaller teams, layering transfigurations to devastating effect. A trio of wizards created a barrage of conjured spikes, only for another group to transfigure the fallen bodies into additional barriers, forcing the creatures into tighter kill zones.
From behind the battle lines, Morpheus and Khufu remained kneeling at the pyramid's entrance, their hands working steadily over the growing array of markings in the sand.
Khufu's fingers barely paused as he muttered, "They're managing better than I expected."
Morpheus, still pressing his bloodied palm against one of the markings, snorted. "You underestimate them. They're resourceful." He dragged his wand through the sand, extending the complex pattern of symbols. The golden lines pulsed in response, feeding into the greater whole.
"I picked them for their resourcefulness and creativity. Nicolas and Perenelle trained them specifically to combat these creatures. We can hold here." Morpheus continued
Khufu exhaled through his nose, not arguing, as he continued shaping the ritual.
Back on the battlefield, the sky erupted in another cascade of divine fire. The shield flared violently under the renewed assault, its surface rippling with the impact. The golden glow flickered, dimming for a split second before stabilizing.
Evelyn gritted her teeth. "That was hit number—"
"Twenty-five," Gideon supplied grimly.
"We're halfway to breaking," Ishaan muttered, his grip on his wand tightening.
"Then we make it count," Evelyn snapped. "New tactic—shift the battlefield."
She lifted her wand, and with a powerful gesture, the dunes beneath the creatures shifted. The sand transfigured into a pit of jagged spikes, sending several beasts tumbling into their deaths.
Alec immediately followed up by conjuring massive iron chains that shot out from the ground, wrapping around the struggling demons and pulling them deeper into the pit. The team worked fast, forcing the enemy into kill zones while keeping themselves protected behind the still-standing barrier.
Another impact shook the shield.
Morpheus lifted his head slightly, as if feeling the shift in the air. "Almost there," he murmured, pressing his palm down harder onto the sand.
Khufu's gaze flickered up toward the sky, where the angels were gathering in greater numbers. "We'd better be," he said flatly. "Because they're just getting started."
"Good thing we are finished." Morpheus replied standing and walking toward the battle, "I don't mean to berate you all mid battle but you really need to learn how to conserve your strength. Watch me." he added with a cheeky smile
Twirling his wand in his hand Morpheus the clear-eyed demon finally came alive.