lose faith, knights!” said General Sanere from the other side of the hill.
“Amen!” shouted Endil.
“But there’re too many of them!” cried a soldier nearby.
As quickly as the words left his mouth, a Malinorian warrior stabbed him through the chest. Tanel tried to focus as his aching arms protested against the impact of an enemy knight’s sword.
“Lord, do you want your people to die at the hand of our enemies today?” he asked.
A deep, authoritative voice echoed over the battlefield.
“Knights of Malinor, halt!”
It was Ittonifer.
Almost instantly, the fighting from both sides ceased.
All of Ittonifer’s men froze and faced their leader.
Tanel swallowed as Ittonifer and his ten guards approached the battlefield. General Edandir and Jalarn were standing with them, bound by their hands.
Panic surged through Tanel.
“Dear God,” breathed Endil.
Ittonifer’s jet-black stare flashed at Chrissa. For a moment, it looked as if he were going to say something to her. Instead, he looked away.
“Warriors of Malinor, behold your traitor,” said Ittonifer.
His hand motioned toward Jalarn as his booming voice echoed across the misty field.
“Your former general turned his back on me and everything that this empire stands for. He chose to side with our enemy”.
A former Malinorian knight that was standing next to Tanel gasped.
“It can’t be,” he said.
Tanel could barely believe it himself. He looked at Chrissa, who gaped in obvious shock.
“My once trusted and highly favored general has turned his back on our lord and attempted to kill me in my own castle. Alas, the fool is now at my mercy, and you all know that I have none.”
“No!” cried Chrissa.
Her voice was mostly drowned out by the deep laughter that rumbled throughout the massive Malinorian army.
“It is clear that Sanctus has lost, but before they all die, I want them to witness the death of their beloved General Edandir.”
The masses fell silent.
“God help us,” Tanel breathed.
“And you mice that dared to leave my army and join up with them will suffer the brunt of my wrath. Yes, I have a very special death planned for you, but first I will rid the earth of this worthless worm.”
Ittonifer unsheathed his powerful broad sword and stalked over to his nephew. The guards forced Jalarn to kneel. Jalarn bowed his head. He had clearly defied their lord, but Tanel wondered if he had surrendered his life to God, the true king.
“Oh God, this can’t be happening,” said Chrissa. “I need to go down there.”
Tanel gently extended his arm in front of her as she stepped forward, shaking his head.
Ittonifer’s angry voice punched the air.
“Look what you have given up, Jalarn! Now you are a loser like the rest of them. When you die, you will have nothing.”
He glared down at his nephew and punched him in the mouth. Jalarn spat out fresh blood, but said nothing.
Chrissa covered her mouth and choked back a sob. Tanel placed his hand on her shoulder.
“Remember, God is on our side,” he whispered to her.
“What about his?”
Ittonifer stalked over to Edandir and kicked him so hard in the back that he fell to his knees and slammed into the mud, face first.
Fury rose from Tanel’s belly. How dare he treat a respected general that way? Only Malinorians treated their enemies like that.
“Looks like you shouldn’t have turned your back on the prince all those years ago. Look where your new belief has brought you, fool,” said Ittonifer.
Tanel spun around and faced Endil.
“Let’s go,” Tanel hissed.
Endil shook his head.
“It will only make things worse, lad,” he said.
Tanel gritted his teeth. They had to do something. They were about to die anyway.
Ittonifer rolled Edandir over with his boot, then spat in his face.
“Stop!” cried Chrissa.
“You try doing that again, devil worshipper, and you’ll regret it!” shouted Endil.
Endil lifted his mace angrily.
Ittonifer’s demoniacal glare went to the formidable knight of Sanctus.
“Big talk for one that is vastly outnumbered. I will keep you in mind when I am deciding who I will order to be hung, drawn, and quartered!”
“You have no quarrel with him,” said Edandir.
“That is for me to decide.”
A line of warlocks marched toward the armies. The robed men appeared eerie in the thick mist that shrouded the field. Edandir already knew what Ittonifer intended to do. He would use their sorcery to torture his captors before sending them to their deaths. What a mess.
Lord, if it is Your will for us to die today, I will do so willingly, but I just ask that You spare my army the pain and agony that the devil wills for them to