Chapter 10.- A Shower of Fire and Brimstone

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Miles away from the luscious hills of the Scottish Highlands, in Iceland, crackling light struck the ground, scorching the surface. As the blinding beams dissipated, appeared our five Knights, all clad in the finest battle gear. They all wore the same matching armour. It was made of a blackened steel, which resembled obsidian; accenting the edges were golden adornments, intricately engraved. On the shoulder pads, bore the symbol of the Cataclysmic Order of Kaiser, a Phoenix, grasping a ribbon which said, "Et Inmites Principes"; The Merciless Rulers. Above the phoenix were five stars, each representing Sebastian, Arielle, Darius, Maximinus and William.

Where the light struck the ground, a beacon was embossed into the rocky surface of the mountainous landscape. The sky was filled with grey clouds, ready to burst open and shower the earth with their rain. The wind was strong and swept down from the glacier and unto the grey rocks. Towering above the glacier was Mount Katla, a volcano, one which for hundreds of years, laid dormant yet erupted with all sorts of folklore. Stories of witches, demons and even enchanted underwear! The entire mood was dismal and dreary however there was something swimming through the air. "It smells like rotten eggs!", shouted Darius. "Sulphur.", said Max, "It's coming from the volcano, it's supposed to be dormant!"

"We should visit the nearby abbot at the village", said Sebastian. "You mean that village?", pointed Arielle. Behind the glacier, a hill could have been seen, atop it alit and a tower was clearly visible. "How're we going to get there?", asked Darius. "The beacon", said William. Sebastian nodded. The group took their place and said the word, "Poppycock!" The golden came forth and sent them zapping through the air to their destination. Moments later they arrived at the village, and became spectators to a grim sight.

As the group set foot on in the village square, a foul stench filled their nostrils. A gut wrenching, eye watering stench; it overpowered the sulphur of Mount Katla and even made William gag. Laying on the cobblestone ground were dozens of villagers, all heavily wounded; some, their entire body scorched as black as coal, others had their limbs ripped off only to be the new festering home of maggots and flies. Piled neatly in a corner of the square was something none of the five had ever seen before, a mountain of bodies, suppurating and decaying. Flies buzzed noisily around. Sebastian was able to notice something horrifying, most of the dead bodies were either children or babies, holding the grimmest poses, their eyes wide open and foggy.

A man stood up from one of the injured villagers, adorning a white robe and cap. He laid eyes on the group from behind his overgrown eyebrows and made hastily to them. The man limped his way over to group and dropped onto his hands and knees, "Praise be to God, he sends us his help", the abbot cried. Arielle approached the abbot and kneeled down, "Sir, what happened here?" The abbot raised his head, his tears soaking up his beard, "Eldur and his army of demons have been torturing us! For weeks!" Arielle took the abbot's hand, trying to stand him up. As she did so she felt a wet sensation on her hand, as she looked at her blood-stained hand, the ground began shaking violently. "What's going on?", shouted William. The villagers frantically grabbed the injured and dragged them into their huts. "They're coming!", shouted the abbot, hit face gone completely ashen.

In the distance, black smoke began bellowing out of the top of Mount Katla. The ground began shaking even more furiously. Sebastian and the rest of the group were now on the ground, trying to keep their footing. In the distance, layers of ice came barrelling down the glacier and scattered in all directions. "Look!", shouted William. An ominous red glow radiated from the top of the volcano followed by the stop of the tremors. The group regained their stance and looked on. "Is that it?", scoffed Max. Then suddenly, Mount Katla erupted. Sebastian looked on horrified at the silent event, then came thundering after was the shockwave. The boom shook the very hill, shaking the foundations of the villagers' huts, and caused pieces of the watchtower to come crumbling down.

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