Nightmare Crusade

Chapter 8 - Trial by Fire

The four knights peek around the pillars they hide behind at the menacing Axe-Knight fortress towering before them;  a cylindrical bowl-shaped work of stone which gradually increases in width from base to spire. Massive iron spears jut from the spire, draped with red and black flags. Lengthy battlements crown the summit. A curved bridge stretches over a trench surrounding the perimeter leading to the main entrance that is being guarded by two Axe-Knights.

Alissa aims around the pillar and expertly launches an arrow into the eye socket of one of the guards, who immediately folds over and dies. Before the other can react accordingly, he meets a similar fate.

"I believe it is time to totally penetrate their defenses," Wuggles suggests.

Monty strolls up to the main doors and knocks. A squatty axilione answers the door.

"Uhh... Hello?" he says before noticing the dead bodies behind Monty. "Um..." He promptly slams the door shut.

The four knights wait a moment. Then Monty steps back as both doors open, revealing a heavily-armed battalion of Axe-Knights all staring back at him, ready for a fight.

"Now, now," Monty assures them, "We're just here to talk."

One of the soldiers step through the crowd right up to Monty's face. "You slaughtered our finest guards and you have the testicles to knock on the doors of our great fortress and try to talk with us? And did you forget we're in a war with you? What is there to talk about??"

Wuggles speaks up, "We're here to partake in a diplomatic discussion, possibly bringing an end to this uncivilized feud and bring peace to our great kingdoms."

"Your troops are getting destroyed out there," Monty elaborates further, "You have no chance of winning. So, let's just call this off, alright?"

The Axe-Knights all look around at one another with varying expressions. Then suddenly, they all step to the side, clearing a path for a very beefy-looking Axe-Knight. The brute slowly shoulders past his men and stands before the intruder.

The brute speaks in a very deep, but congested voice, "The War? We can't be losing! We outnumber you Nelvernian scum!"

"Well," Monty states, "That hasn't helped you the last fifty times you tried to attack us, but... I see your point."

Alissa stands beside Monty and speaks up, "Look, I think we're all tired of fighting. Can we please just stop all this senseless violence?" Making an effort to seal the deal, she pulls a beautiful, snow-white flower seemingly out of nowhere and hands it to the muscular Axilione, who examines it solemnly.

The brute shakes his head. "But the man in the red robes said he would let us have your castle-" He cuts himself off and glances around them. "Wait a second." Then he faces back at the crowd of axe-knights and begins counting them. After a moment, he turns back to the quartet and counts them as well. "Ha!" he exclaims, "I have you now. Attack!!!"

The Axe-Knights thrust their weapons in the air and cheer in unison.

Monty groans, "Oh god dammit."

***

Freezing winds whistle through every crack in the mountains, forming a haunting melody which serenades the unearthly wasteland. In a gap between twin cliffs, the wanderers of the Inferno sit around a crater with a small flame emitting from it.

As a precaution, Quorthon takes one final glance around the corner. "Alright," he begins, "As you realize, I haven't been entirely open with you. What I'm about to say will be hard to comprehend but bear with me."

"I'm listening," Jack responds.

Quorthon stares at the ground for a bit in contemplation. Then he pulls his mask off and looks back at Norman. His eyes are visibly tired.