A lone figure stood on the cliffside. The sun was rising in the distance. Below, an army marched to the sound of drumrolls as they chanted. Words echoed over the valley, mixing with the howling wind. 

The knight put his hands on the sword as the wind pulled on his blue cape. His helmet hid his face, but his body was tense. He remained unmoved as he stared into the distance. 

Another knight joined him. “They are coming close.” He was taller than the first knight. On his belt, there was an engraved bear’s head. “Aramor, are you sure this is the best way?” 

“This is the only way, Guillemont.” The first knight snapped. “He is coming. No matter what we do, his army will enter our land. Our homes. That choice was taken from us.”

“Still. All those people… they’re depending on us.”

“This will be the first time he is opposed by a force this large. He is used to getting his way and everybody rolling over and dying at the mere threat of his appearance.”

“If you are so certain, why did you send Reynar away?” The head of Guillemont’s hammer hit the ground next to the sword. 

“The pup just got married. Besides… should we fail, he will be the one to carry the creed of our order.” 

“Heh. That boy… Do you want to trust him with rebuilding everything? He didn’t even pass his trials yet. Does he even know the oath?”

“No.” Aramor sighed. “I guess I’m a hypocrite, but… like you said. He’s just a kid. What difference could he make?” 

“What difference does anyone here make?” The big man countered. “Against Him there is little anyone can do.”

“Maybe Vilfor will cook something up. Or Cadalis pull a trick from her sleeve.” The smaller knight turned to look at the tall companion. “And if worse comes to worse, we will die standing with steel in our hands instead of on our knees with a collar slapped onto us. Are you having second thoughts?” 

“Heh. You know me, Aramor. I will march into hell with you. I just wanted to check if you knew what we were doing.” 

“Honestly… I’m not sure. But the choice was taken from us long ago. Right now, we are the only thing standing between the Eagle’s Rock.”

“And we will stand until legs give under us.” Another knight joined their talk. His helmet had a pointed end and a set of horns standing in the back. 

“Altaran. Decided to join us here?” Guillemont’s hearty laughter echoed from under his helmet. 

“The others will also come here soon. Cadalis said that she had seen the army not even half an hour away. Their vanguard will show here any minute.”

“Good. All that waiting was getting on my nerves.” A knight in golden armor joined in on the banter. “I will never understand how can the two of you just stand still for hours on end looking into the distance.” 

“Maybe if you did, you wouldn’t keep trying to pick up a fight with the wandering mercenaries on every turn, Daraadil.”

“Shut up Silthor. You have no right to speak, given how many a maiden’s heart you’ve stolen.” 

Another several knights joined the group. Now all sixteen order members stood side by side with Aramor, looking over the cliff. 

“They are coming.” The white-haired woman without a helmet spoke. She pointed her shortsword into the distance. 

Indeed, far on the horizon, a group of riders crested over the hill. Soon, more followed. Just as the Order’s army filled the valley, the horizon was soon lined with riders. The light cavalry of Khayon’s endless armies charged at the soldiers who met them head-on. Spears pierced the horses as a volley of arrows covered the sky. 

While the horsebound soldiers engaged the army, slowly more and more enemies appeared on the far side of the battlefield. 

“I don’t know about you, but that seems like a perfect moment to join in.” Daraadil joked. He turned to face his companions and saluted before taking a step back. He plummeted off the cliff. Silthor soon joined him. Then the others followed. 

Most knights stabbed their swords into the cliffside and allowed the magical blades to slice through the stone to slow their descent. Only Vilfor, the armored mage, chose to instead gracefully fall as his robes billowed to the wind. 

The battle raged on. Soldiers faced countless enemies. The dark army supported by undead soldiers tried to march over the brave defenders, but they were met with zealous opposition. 

Then, the knights entered the fray. Vilfor’s spells annihilated entire groups of opposition as lightning bounced between metal armors. Flashes of light caused the skeletal soldiers to turn into dust. 

Guillemont’s hammer caused the steel armor to shatter under his powerful swings. His shield withstood countless blows as the healers got the wounded away. 

Silthor and Cadalis were but a blur as they rushed from one enemy to another. Each of their strikes was calculated to get between the armor. Every attack felled another soldier. Every cut sent another undead to restful eversleep. 

Aramor looked over the battle a moment more. The two armies were in a deadlock. Even his faithful knights were not enough to make a true difference. But the enemy army was unable to progress.

For the first time, the unending march was halted. 

A small smile graced his face under the helmet. Taking a step back, he then dashed off the cliff, letting out a loud whistle. 

A hoofbeat sounded nearby. A brilliant black stallion with a golden mane arrived. The majestic beast ran on the air as each step sent golden sparks flying. 

“Storm!” Aramor called. As soon as the horse got close he grabbed the reins and put himself in the saddle. “To battle!”

The horse ran above the battlefield. Aramor’s sword sliced through the enemies as he charged past anyone foolish enough to get into his range. As Storm broke through the enemies’ ranks, the soldiers cheered. Many raised their swords and banged their shields as they renewed the attack with restored vigor. 

While the battle remained in a deadlock with both sides having more soldiers than was able to meet. 

For a moment, Aramor let himself believe that they had a chance for victory. 

An oppressive aura was felt across the battlefield. Khayon’s army stopped fighting. 

The deafening silence permeated the battlefield as a new person entered the battlefield. A lone dragonborn stood on the hill. The army separated as he marched down. Even his allies kept away as he descended into battle.

Whispers began to echo between the soldiers loyal to Aramor.

“An inquisitor?”

“They sent someone like him with the army?”

“There is no hope…”

“That’s Nihilus, the leader of the Inquisition!” 

As if by a spell, the morale plummeted. Where it was so high just moments ago, now the soldiers were about ready to flee. Even Storm reared in fright. Aramor managed to rein his mount in, but he had to admit even his confidence was shaken. 

A horn echoed across the battlefield, followed by more calls. 

“Soldiers! Comrades!” Aramor called. His sword drawn high, he let out a pulse as magic enveloped the blade. Flashes of gold lightning burst from under Storm’s hooves. “Fear not!” His voice boomed with the strength of hundreds. “Steel your hearts and grasp your blades! The battle is not yet lost! Fight! Charge forth!” The sword pointed at the enemy commander. “Shields! Form line! Archers! Draw! If you give up, then all sacrifices will be in vain. Step forth! Step forth and fight! Till the last breath leaves your chest, fight! Win! Conquer!”

Cheers echoed from a selected few, but the spell was broken. Soldiers rallied with their commanders. The army shifted into a defensive formation. Arrows once more clogged the sky. 

“By this sword, I swear!” Aramor called. The knights of the Order followed him. “To stand unwavering in the face of danger. To fight with my all heart. To never back down. Step forth! No surrender! No regret!” An aura of light surrounded each of them. “I here swear that neither pain nor fear will hold me back!” Any soldier touched by golden light saw their wounds close and all fatigue leave their body. “The day of reckoning has come! The heaven’s torn open and all hell’s loose! This is the final judgment. By my name, Aramor Von Löwengraf, we stand united!”

“We stand united!” The other knights echoed.

“This is it! The final charge! Prove to heavens that there are no cowards here, only soldiers!” 

“In the name of our Grandmaster!” Guillemont called. “March forward!” 

Slowly, the wall of shields advanced. On the side, cavalry broke through the ranks of the enemy and began to slaughter their soldiers. 

Through all of this, Nihilus merely observed. 

“Pathetic.” His voice cut through the battlefield. “Soldiers? I see no men before me. Only lambs willingly coming to the slaughter.” 

With a swing of his sword, half of the left flank was annihilated. The ground turned to magma and fires burst all across the battlefield. Vilfor’s hastily raised barrier blocked part of the attack, but it was only a delay. With a flap of his wings, Nihilus was on the front lines. Each strike sent dozens of men flying, usually in pieces. With every move, he was death incarnate. Bursts of fire, lightning, and acid slaughtered soldiers just as effectively. Burning aura permeated his very being and anyone who remained in his vicinity soon was set on fire. 

“Resist all you like. It will only make your death all the more pleasurable!” He laughed as a soldier charged at his back. With a spin, the (foolishly) brave man was cut in half, along with anyone near the dragonborn.

A silvery flash struck at Nihilus. Red and blue swords parried his attack just as he was about to execute another soldier. 

“By all means. Allow me to entertain you, ashbrain.” Silthor joked. 

The Inquisitor caught Daraadil’s sword in his gloved hand just as the knight tried to cut him from behind. At the same time, he kicked the other warrior away. He was about to cut down the gold-armored man when Silthor returned with yet another series of quick strikes. 

Nihilus slammed Daraadil into the ground with enough force to crack the hard ground. Fire burst from his fist and enveloped the golden knight. 

There was a puff of smoke as Cadalis appeared above him with her sword aimed at his neck. Her blade touched the scaled skin and managed to cut enough to draw blood as his wing slammed into her and knocked her away. 

“He is mortal!” Balthazar called. His glaive flashed as he charged at the Inquisitor.

Nihilus deflected his attack with little issue. A single slice cut the offending weapon in half. Then, he pierced the knight with enough force to lift him from the ground. 

“Even dragons can die. But it does not matter how much a flea might bite… it will never bring down something it cannot comprehend.” 

The knight shook his head. “Has anyone told you that you babble too much? Also…” He coughed up some blood that seeped between the grates in his helmet. “Your pride shall be your downfall.” With that, he jabbed his knife into the arm holding the sword. 

Furious, the dragonborn sent the body flying away. He then pulled out the dagger and tossed it to the ground. In the chaos, Cadalis snuck behind him and tried to jab him in the lower back but with a backhand slap he sent her flying back. 

“Scales of Judgement. The sage descends into a valley of shadows. I call forth the power of ancestors. Fireball!” As the spell words left his throat, a massive orb of flames gathered in front of him before flying at the army. The explosion lit up the battlefield. Like the second sun. In that second all seemed lost, only to reveal Guillemont standing in front of the terrified soldiers. His shield was shining with silvery light. Those standing behind him were unharmed.

With speed no one would suspect a man his stature, Guillemont rushed toward Nihilus. His hammer swinging. 

“Once more! Unto the breach!” He rallied. 

Vilfor materialized hovering nearby. His staff floated before him as he kept firing shots of lightning, fire, cold, acid, and energy at Nihilus. 

An arrow threw from a distance, striking the dragnborn in the chest. It failed to pierce the armor, but force already got him staggered.

The sound of thunder echoed across the battlefield as Aramor charged, with Otton and Morrivar at his sides. Swords in their hands shone with the radiance of their conviction. Nihilus’ sword blocked each of their strikes as they passed him. With Aramor being the last to strike, he tried to outsmart the Inquisitor. Instead of aiming for the torso with a wide cut, the knight thrust forward. The dragonborn blocked with the flat of his sword but it made him take a step back. The surviving knights cheered. Their happiness quickly turned to hesitation as with a single strike Storm’s hind legs were mangled beyond recognition. 

Aramor rolled to soften the fall. He got up only to see Nihilus send a torrent of flames at Cadalis who tried again to strike at him when he was distracted. A red eye turned to Aramor and the monster grinned. “You will all die.” 

“You first!” Guillemont charged. As Nihilus sent beam after beam of red energy at him, they all splashed harmlessly on his shield. When the big knight got close, he raised his hammer to bring it on the dragonborn’s head. His opponent tried to block with the sword. 

The shockwave from the two weapons meeting blasted both men back. Aramor was helped by Otto as he got up. He donned his shield and prepared to join his friend. 

“This is getting desperate,” Morrivar warned. He and Otto got off their horses to fight on foot. “Maybe it’s time to retreat.”

Aramor looked at the battle. It looked like their forces were winning and Khayon’s army was being culled. “Not yet. If we manage to force Nihilus to retreat, the battle will be won.”

“That man has never before so much as stopped.” Otto joined in. “We made him bleed already. We can do it!” 

Without further discussion, Aramor dashed forward. Despite his heavy armor, his steps were unimpeded as he joined Guillemont in the heat of battle. 

Nihilus caught another arrow and crushed it in his fist as his sword parried Aramor’s swipe. At the same time, he stepped around Guillemont’s attack and delivered a punch to the big man’s chest. 

Morrivar’s trident slammed into the ground next to the battling warriors. The two knights of the order slammed their shields into the ground and hid behind them. Clouds gathered above the battlefield. 

“Let there be lightning!” At the knight’s call, the sky lit up. As if the god’s fury, Lightning fell onto Nihilus. The dragonborn tried to jump back, but he found his muscles locking in place. A quick glance showed Vilfor struggling to maintain the spell. 

At that moment, his world became pain. When sight returned to those around him, they saw the Inquisitor on his knee, panting heavily. His black armor was singed in several places. Small sparks still jumped between different parts. 

“The dogs will feed on your bones.” 

“What, your mother forgot to feed your dad again?” Guillemont laughed as he brought down his hammer. 

Nihilus’ hand shot forward. A terrible sound of metal crunching under his claws filled the ears of his comrades. The big knight was paralyzed in place. An orange glow began to seep from every chink in his armor. Then, he burst into flames. 

“Your turn.” His sword pointed at Aramor. 

“Morrivar…” The knight growled. “Sound the retreat.”

“Took you long enough.” His companion sighed before blowing into the horn. Soon, his call was repeated by bannerets all over the battlefield. 

“So… how do we do this?” 

“We fight. Until he dies or we no longer draw breath. If nothing else then for our fallen comrades.” Vilfor joined the surviving knights. 

“I tire of this farce” One moment, Nihilus was still by Guillemont’s fallen body, the next he was in front of Otto. The young knight blocked the attack and drew a dagger to stab his enemy. He never got a chance as a follow-up strike cut his arm off. 

Morrivar and Aramor rushed to help their friend as Avana finally took her chance. She dashed from the sidelines with her twin spears. Nihilus parried her strikes. That was until he was once again frozen in place as a purple aura surrounded him. Vilfor slammed his staff into the ground. Chains shot from the ground and grabbed the dragonborn who struggled against the spell. That left him open. Avana’s spear pierced his lower right side and came out his back. Blood poured out of the wound, painting the bronze spear red. She jabbed the second spear into his tight, pinning him to the ground. 

“Now!” Vilfor called. 

Aramor left Otto’s side where his healing power cauterized the young knight’s wounds. He dashed at Nihilus. The sword in his hand began to shine with holy power. The blade neared his enemy’s head. In seconds, the leader of Khayon’s inquisition would be dead. 

“You are unworthy.” A burst of energy sent the knights flying back. A wall of force originated from the downed inquisitor and slammed into all Order members. 

Aramor’s shield slammed into the ground, digging in. He held his ground. 

None of the others did. When the dust settled, Aramor saw Morrivar’s body splayed on a rock, his head twisted. Otto, whose wounds were just patched was now bleeding out in the distance. His chances for survival were nil. And Avana got impaled by a stray spear left by a dead soldier. None of the other knights were alive. 

Aramor faced Nihilus. The latter was in bad shape, but the Grandmaster wasn’t at full strength either. 

“All those who defy the Inevitable will die.” 

“Step forth. No surrender. No retreat. I here swear that neither pain nor fear will hold me back. The last judgment has come.” Under his helmet, Aramor’s eyes glowed with holy light. 

Without haste, without regret. Words on his sword glowed as he brought the blade down on Nihilus. In response, the black warrior’s sword met the strike. The force of two fighters meeting on the battlefield sent dust rising in the air and caused sparks to fly. Coat of the nearby corpse caught on fire. 

Aramor then bashed with his shield to push the Inquisitor back. While his opponent was distracted, Aramor brought his sword for another slash. Nihilus barely recovered to deflect the strike. 

The two exchanged blow for blow, parrying or blocking the other’s attacks.

To break the impasse, Nihilus tried to fly into the sky. His wings flapped as he launched himself from the ground. 

Aramor’s hand shot forward. He grabs onto Avana’s spear still sticking from the Inquisitor’s tight. With a herculean effort, he pulls him down. Then, while the dragonborn was still in shock at the knight’s stubborn resolve, he slammed him into the ground. The spear was driven into the dirt, temporarily pinning Nihilus in place. 

“We stand united…” Aramor drove his sword down, aiming for the spot right between Nihilus’ wings. The warrior tried to break free and twist away from the attack. 

A single wing fell to the ground, separated from its owner. 

Golden flames danced on the wound, consuming the draconic skin. 

Nihilus swiped blindly at Aramor. The strength behind the attack sent the man flying several steps back. He then tore the spear out of his tight and picked his sword up again. 

“Know that everything you did today was for nothing.” Despite the blinding pain of holy flames consuming his skin, Nihilus still moved with inhuman speed as the flap of his single wing propelled him forward. 

Aramor deflected the swing of the dragonborn’s sword with his shield, but he missed the spear coming at him until it was too late. Avana’s spear pierced his armor and sunk into his flesh. 

“Even your comrades contribute to your demise.” The Inquisitor taunted. 

“By this sword, I swear…” Aramor began to recite. “To stand unwavering in the face of danger. To fight with my all heart. To never back down…” He brought his sword down on Nihilus, who simply stepped back. “Step forth! No surrender! No regret!” With a burst of speed, Aramor was in front of the Inquisitor again, with his sword low to the ground. The next moment, he was struck at the man’s chest with all his might. 

Blinding light filled the battlefield. Silver and gold warred against an orb of black flames. 

In the end, Nihilus and Aramor were both on their knees. The latter had a spear and a sword going through his chest, but the former was not unharmed. A massive, ugly wound went across his entire chest. 

“You die in vain.” The dragonborn growled. 

“No… You’ve failed today.” Aramor allowed a hint of mockery to color his voice. “Today the whole world has seen that you can be stopped. That you bleed and die like anyone else. And that they don’t need to fear you.” 

Nihilus grabbed his sword and with a kick, pushed Aramor off. The knight fell to the ground with a gaping wound in his chest. 

As the inquisitor began to trudge away, he spotted the Faithful Watcher on the ground. Furious, he kicked the sword away as a last act of spite. 

“The day of reckoning has come…” Despite his wounds, Aramor began to whisper. His strength left him to the point he could not even speak properly. “The heaven’s torn open and all hell’s loose… This is the final judgment… By my name, Aramor Von Löwengraf, we… stand…” The last breath left him before he could utter the final words of the oath.