A Knight's Resolve, Part 2

The army marched forward into the realm of Archwizard Ixiel, carried in spite of fear by faith in the Knight Aveline. For her part, Aveline did her best to maintain the appearance of effortless poise beneath the low, silver sky. Shield-bearers, armed with heavy enchanted shields, were deployed to the front line and protected the vanguard as a walking wall. Hawk-eyed archers strode behind them, glancing in every direction for signs of attack.

The fortress of Ixiel had once been a bustling mountain city. Still loyal to the Kingdom, it overlooked the eastern-most port in Valerius from high atop tall coastal crags and proved an enduring center for ocean-borne commerce. But now, ancient stone walls once filled to brimming with mongers and hawkers and merchants were home only to blinding snow. Beautiful statues, carved from the mountain, were overgrown with dead weeds and bore witness to lonely winds and the echoes of arms and armor. From what Aveline could tell, the great city of Monticolus was deserted, bereft of the living.

Suddenly, the shield-bearers stopped in their tracks and brought the column to an immediate halt. Ten meters ahead, tall obsidian slabs stood scattered in the abandoned city street. Each about the height of a man, their faces were as smooth as glass and appeared as though poured on the spot and polished to perfection.

The Knight Aveline had little doubt the blocks were conjured by Ixiel for some nefarious purpose. She dismounted and removed her helm. The shield-bearers parted as she approached the mysterious objects. Transfixed for a moment by their stark beauty, Aveline moved her gloved palm toward one. A strange heat emanated from within. Neither snowflakes nor light found purchase on these statues. Around the base of each, the frigid snow had melted faster than it fell. Bare cobblestone ringed them all. And no matter how one squinted, nothing reflected on their featureless darkness.

Aveline commanded the gawking legion not to touch the blocks under any circumstance, but the warning was unnecessary. A repellant, foreboding aura emanated from each of the black statues. Their presence made Aveline and her soldiers even more uneasy. As she returned to her horse, she could see many among the ranks glancing nervously at one another. The Knight shouted to continue the march.

The shield-bearers advanced and the soldiers picked their way through the obsidian blocks. Minutes passed, then hours, and as the Knight’s army continued on toward the heart of the city, the blocks grew more numerous.

Finally, the crowded streets gave way to an enormous courtyard. In the center of the wide expanse stood a single, peculiar structure: a massive, obsidian cube, composed of the same mysterious material as its smaller companions. Hundreds of the statues surrounded the ominous building. In its face, two giant doors were thrown open to the elements. No light shown within.

The raging snow storm buffeted the army as Aveline peered into the darkness. A whisper of intuition assured her their quarry waited inside. Small squads of soldiers were deployed to encircle the building, while the vanguard, composed of Aveline’s most loyal combatants, drew close and awaited her command. Aveline ordered hundreds of torches be launched ahead of their advance into the obsidian structure. The small lights flickered in the dark, revealing black space on every side. The Knight gave the word and her division advanced into the cube.

After the steady cold outside, the warmth inside was deceptively inviting. Aveline warned her followers not to be lulled by the cunning comfort of this place. She implored them to remember her pledge and the heroic sacrifices of those who had fallen.

But not a moment after these words were spoken, a monstrous roar reverberated off the walls. From out of the gloom stepped a gigantic creature, its figure draped in swirling gray shadow. Obsidian armor was illuminated from within by an incandescent human form at the center of the monster’s chest. Six glowing red eyes dotted the dark head atop its colossal body. Together the group had faced many of Ixiel’s abyssal servants, but none as imposing as this one.

With another rattling cry, the beast dropped to four clawed feet and charged the 2,000 seasoned fighters of the vanguard. There was no time for commands, but the Knight was confident the army would hold. The torches on the ground were extinguished as the behemoth hastened forward.

Aveline drew her sword and watched as the shield-bearers moved into defensive formation before her.

A Knight's Resolve, Part 1

Decades ago, during the Last Great War of Valerius, mankind fought for its very survival against evil creatures summoned from the abyss by corrupt human servants. The leader and most powerful of these betrayers was the Archwizard Ixiel. A foul sorcerer consumed by hatred and a lust for immortality, Ixiel dispatched his minions to abduct countless humans and sacrifice them in service of his fiendish magic. He believed that smothering the world in darkness would herald the return of Tyrannus: an ancient demon once repelled centuries ago, but still determined to exterminate humanity and feast on its souls.

Young King Aurleon, presumptuous leader of men and ruler of the Kingdom of Valerius, decreed that for his heinous acts, Ixiel must be stopped and his work destroyed so that no one could again threaten mankind. The Knight Aveline, renowned for her skill in battle and most chivalrous of all the realm’s warriors, was chosen to lead an army of an unprecedented 30,000 soldiers from every domain in a final attempt to eradicate the sorcerer Ixiel. Though naturally talented in the arts of war, Aveline feared she may fail and reluctantly agreed to undertake the mission. The future of mankind depended on her success.

For several months, the noble quest fared well. The Knight Aveline carved a path through leagues of dangerous wilderness and cunning enemies, leading the way for King Aurleon’s united army to follow. Each village and city they liberated from the oppression of Ixiel rejoiced to find that heroes still existed. Many sang the praises of the fearsome "Azure Knight," ever clad in her blue cloak and wielding an invincible sword. Aveline’s legend grew.

Finally, in the dead of winter, the righteous crusaders discovered Ixiel’s last bastion, the fortress city of Monticolus. Huddled together around massive bonfires in sight of the city walls, the Knight and her advisers made preparations to march on their objective. The hunters’ prey was finally in reach. They made their way up the mountain, and though the horses occasionally slipped on snow or ice, resistance was light and the vanguard was never pushed back. But a shadow of fear crept within the Knight’s heart as the army approached the walls of the Archwizard’s stronghold.

Aveline’s fear was amplified when, contrary to her expectations, the army was not showered with arrows and sorcery and torment. Instead, the enormous fortress gate was lifted before them by an unseen power, as if to welcome the army inside. No riders emerged to treat, no servants appeared to make excuses. No twisted creatures summoned from the void barred the Knight’s path. Suspicious of Ixiel’s behavior and expecting a trap, the Knight selected several of her best scouts, paired them with a contingent of soldiers, and sent them to report on the state of the fortress and its inhabitants.

Hours passed, but nothing was heard. None of the scouts nor any of the soldiers returned. The great Knight Aveline was uncertain how to proceed. Without a clear idea as to what resources Ixiel had access or forces he still commanded, Aveline knew the best course of action was to lay siege to the fortress. Marching into mysterious circumstances put the loyal men and women of her army in peril. But the winter only strengthened its cold embrace on the soldiers, who were eager to see their mission completed. There was no telling how long the season might last. Time, with the quest’s potential for success, was quickly dwindling.

The Knight’s advisers implored her to rush the fortress while the army was still able and willing. If the Knight and her army did not succeed here and now, there would be no obstacle left in Valerius to halt Ixiel. The sorcerer's mad attempt to summon Tyrannus would go unchallenged. Although she feared executing such a reckless strategy, it seemed there was no other way. Who knew what torments awaited humanity should they turn tail now? The Knight instructed her advisers to ready themselves and their men for the next day’s battle. The soldiers sharpened their blades, feasted heartily, and prayed to their gods for strength.

The snow fell hard as Aveline mounted her horse at daybreak. Starting at the rear of the column, she made haste to ride through the ranks and join with the vanguard. A glimmering example of endurance and fortitude, the Knight's grim calm and stoic demeanor inspired awe in the gathered warriors as she passed. She could feel their eyes on the armor she’d spent the night polishing, the enchanted sword she’d honed to a razor edge. Her azure, fur-lined cloak billowed in the wind and her indomitable mount breathed steam as it stamped impatiently.

Less than 10,000 warriors remained, brought together despite politics from across Valerius's fractured domains and linked to one another like siblings in their common goal. Though they had faced monsters before, there was no way of knowing what fate awaited them in Ixiel’s keep. Treacherous wraiths responded to Ixiel’s every command and spells of unimaginable power could be conjured in such an evil place. Walls appearing innocent could be inscribed with hidden magic, floors riddled with undetectable traps. Without any information, countless unforeseeable horrors could be lurking.

The same uncertainty that afflicted Aveline was magnified ten-fold in the hearts of her soldiers: It could all end here, nothing more than a ruinous error of judgment. But so long as the Knight Aveline rode before them, the soldiers would fight with honor. And so long as the soldiers followed her, the Knight would lead them to the glory they deserved. She made this pledge aloud to the army gathered before her and the soldiers eagerly whispered the words to one another. For a fleeting moment, Aveline wondered how many could survive the unknown within?

She found her answer in the collective, booming war cry of her army. Shouts echoed off the bastion’s walls and back down the mountainside. Men and women, all hardened fighters, gave in to exuberance and thrust their weapons overhead in salute. Never had Aveline heard or seen them so resolute and jubilant. With that frenzied acclamation, she vowed that whatever the outcome, each of them would live on as legends. She would survive, if only to sing songs of their steadfast bravery.

The Knight turned from her men, pointed at the fortress city, and shouted to advance.