Commander Kendy looked over her assembled troops. One hundred and twenty paladins and seventy initiates in perfect, gleaming mail. Their weapons were honed to a razor edge and polished to mirror shines. White tabards with the stylized fortress centered on their chests fluttered in the faint breeze. The sight filled her with pride.

The excitement of a new crusade was palpable. With such great motivation her troops had prepared for battle in record time. Just under a day had passed since she gave the order.

They had gathered just inside the final gate leading to the haunted lands. The sixty-foot-tall outer wall loomed over them, casting a shadow over the gathering. Kendy refused to take it as an ill omen. These noble warriors would set out with her at their head and smite the evil growing like a tumor on the world. With such a fine and noble purpose how could they fail?

Some of the younger members fidgeted, eager to get underway, but the veterans stood stock still, like statues. These men and women had hard eyes and the scars of past battles. They knew some wouldn’t be returning covered in glory, but on shields carried by their comrades. That was an unfortunate truth in any war.

Kendy drew her sword and thrust it into the air. The blade burned with white fire. The assembled paladins raised a cheer.

“Friends and comrades,” she said. “We prepare to march for a glorious cause. Not for pleasure or gain, but to secure the safety of the kingdom and the innocents under threat. It is our sacred duty and we will not shirk it.”

Another cheer went up. Whatever she might say they all understood that success would bring great honor and fame to everyone involved. Perhaps it wasn’t appropriate for holy warriors to think of such mundane concerns, but they were still human and the quest for acknowledgment existed in everyone.

When they quieted Kendy continued. “This will not be an easy fight, but I trust everyone here to do their best. And if you do that we can’t fail.”

Another cheer.

Kendy conjured a white horse and swung up on its back. They’d fly most of the way before landing and approaching the enemy on foot. The energy required to maintain a mount might be the power you needed to survive the battle. The initiates climbed up behind the strongest paladins who would both carry them to the battlefield and protect them from the negative effects of the haunted lands.

She’d considered leaving those who hadn’t been chosen behind, but in the end decided to take them. The battle would be good experience for the young warriors. Hopefully when they returned a holy one would consider them worthy and a new generation of paladins would rise from the glory of this crusade. That was Kendy’s most devout hope as she flew over the wall at the head of her troops.

Kendy gasped as the evil of the haunted lands washed over her. It had been six years since she last entered the wastes. That time was to wipe out a band of ghouls that wandered too close to the fortress. She hadn’t been deep into the lifeless emptiness in thirty years and that scouting mission had resulted in five slain demons to only one fallen brother. A good day’s work by any measure.

She felt the new evil pulsing to the north like a rotten tooth. They would yank that tooth out before it poisoned the body. She smiled like an initiate even though she knew the darkness they faced. This was what it meant to be a paladin. To fly out and destroy evil wherever it hid. Perhaps that was why she so disliked Marie-Bell: the girl had the courage to go out in the world while Kendy dared only to do her duty and protect the fortress.

The commander gritted her teeth. No, if everyone did whatever they wanted no one would protect the pass and demons and undead could enter the kingdom at will. The loss of one paladin was a nuisance, but if others followed her example it would be a disaster. When news of Kendy’s victory spread they’d have more initiates than they knew what to do with. The Order’s future would be secure.

“Commander.” Zane drew her out of her musing. “Look.”

He pointed ahead of them. Demons had risen from the ground and were flying to meet the paladins. Kendy counted twenty. She couldn’t determine just how strong they were from this distance, but the paladins had the advantage of numbers. Pity they couldn’t fight on the ground like she originally wanted to.

“Have everyone carrying an initiate land and advance on foot. The rest of us will deal with the flying demons. Zane, you’re in command of the ground force.”

“Understood.” Though he didn’t sound thrilled, Zane began barking orders and directing his forces to land.

Kendy drew her sword and leveled it at the approaching demons. “Charge!”

Fifty of her strongest paladins rushed towards the enemy at her heels. Time to slaughter some demons.