Nightmare Crusade

Chapter 5 - Those of the Night

Jack takes off into the forest, gripping the hilt of his sword tight. He jumps over an Axe-Knight and cuts him cleanly in the back. Two more Axe -Knights approach him, one with an axe and the other with a bow. Jack dodges a swing from the one with the sword, yanks him close, and slits his throat. His buddy fires an arrow, but Jack blocks it with the dying man in his arm. Before the crossbow wielder can reload, Jack throws the body onto him, pinning him down. Jack then dives and skewers his blade through them both. He leaves their bodies for the ground to drink their blood and continues onward down the path.

All the while, Alissa silently observes him from behind the shrubbery, studying his movements intently as he dices up a couple more mooks. She tilts her head in momentary confusion as Jack runs into the trees and disappears. She waits for him to reappear until a pointy piece of metal slides delicately under her neck.

"Get up. Slowly," a stern voice commands behind her.

The green-armor-clad knight drops her bow, moves her hands outward, and slowly stands. She hesitates to face her attacker but does so after the sword is lowered away from her throat. When Alissa sees that he's the Nelvernian knight, she lets out a sigh of relief and relaxes.

"What is a Kalicrussian knight doing way out here?" Jack questions her, "Are you planning on robbing the castle while we're at war?"

"No, no," she laughs and takes off her horned helmet. "I'm Alissa."

Jack scoffs. "And... I'm Jack."

"You... don't know me?" Alissa asks.

"Should I?"

"I mean, yeah, kind of. I sent a letter to your castle warning you about this war."

"I didn't hear anything about it," Jack claims, "In fact, I almost slept through the thing."

"You're joking!" Alissa belts out, "You mean you guys weren't prepared for this war at all?"

"Hey!" Jack hollers, "A Nelvernian knight is always prepared to defend the kingdom! Even though I'm technically not a knight..." he readjusts his level of confidence. "Listen... thanks for trying to help I guess. I need to get back to what I was doing." Jack sheaths his sword and moves past the girl.

"You're not a knight?" Alissa pries, "You sure look like one. And fight like one." Alissa picks up her bow and follows him.

"Nope," Jack speaks solemnly, "I got demoted to pizza delivery boy. Now I have to protect a dragon, which recently got away from me, in order to be knighted again."

"That's... unusual," says Alissa.

"Yeah," he continues, "King Morgan isn't exactly reasonable. I saw him talking with a bunch of people in grey robes with red triangles painted on them. Then they tried to murder me!"

"What??" Alissa stops and shoots an arrow at an Axe-Knight that was sneaking up from behind. "The Dissenters are in the castle? This is terrible! We have to do something!"

Jack chops down an Axe-Knight that attempted to ambush him from his left flank. He turns to face Alissa. "Dissenters? So that's what they're called. Well, not to worry. I sent my buddy Monty to go suss out the situation. He'll take care of it." Jack continues walking and Alissa keeps after him.

Alissa explains, "Listen, the Dissenters... They're a cult of necromancers trying to-"

"SUSS," Jack interrupts.

"Uh... They're a cult of necromancers trying to find a sword called the Revenantial Blade that can allow them to enter the land of the dead. I don't know exactly what they're planning, but it can't be good considering they've destroyed my entire village in their mad search for it."