Chapter 3 - Taking Guillume Mountain By Storm!

“Grand Inquisitor we heard strange noises of a struggle. Is everything alright in here?”

The 2 guards who were stationed outside the tent, rushed inside with their drawn swords as soon as they heard a voice screaming out for someone to die. Once inside, they discovered a dead messenger lying on the ground with a dagger poking through his back.

“What happened here? Did the messenger commit suicide?”

“It sure looks that way.” Assumed the other guard. Both of them stood there waiting for Ezeus to tell them what truly happened.

Rising gracefully from his lavish chair, Ezeus stepped over the corpse that was on his carpet and went by an altar where he had his holy book partially opened. He turned the pages until he located a verse that resonated with what he had just experienced.

“Yea though I walk through the valley of death and turmoil, I shall fear no evil, for you are with my, thy rod and staff, they comfort me. Amen.”

He glanced at the dead messenger and said to the guards. “This man has repented for wrongfully raising his weapon to strike down a devoted man of God. His soul has been released from the shackles of flesh and is now dwelling in the permeating grace of our lord and master.”

“Huh?” The guards stared at each other, expressing confusion. It wasn’t until Ezeus told them to get rid of the corpse that they snapped out of their daze and assented.

“Yes, Grand Inquisitor!”

After the guards carried the messenger’s body outside, Ezeus came out of the tent and issued a command to his followers. “Set a course for Guillume Mountain. We are going to purge this country of evil once and for all.”

“Yes, Grand Inquisitor!” The loyal followers abandoned the tents and began preparing to head out.

Ezeus was seated inside a royal carriage with 4 capable horses strapped to its reins. The driver who was sitting up front waited for the signal to go forth.

“Proceed onwards unto the path of salvation!”

When the order was finally given, an army of horseback riders was heading the trek followed by infantry of 200 men. The Grand Inquisitor was stationed in the middle of the army where flagmen were waving signs belonging to their designated denomination.

As they marched onward, they were chanting a mantra that was meant to strengthen their resolve in the face of evil.

“Latin berou kusanai!”

“Latin berou kusanai!”

“Latin berou kusanai!”

***

In the distance, miles away from where the Grand Inquisitor’s main army was marching, a fierce showdown between the army of holy knights and the worshippers of sorcery was nearing its climax.

Thus far, the crusaders have infiltrated the upper layers of Guillume Mountain where the entrance to the witches’ secret lair was present. Both sides suffered considerable casualties, however, by the grace of their God, the crusaders continued to unleash the wrath of their blessed silvers upon their cursed enemies.

“Don’t let them breach the inner sanctum!” The wounded witch commanded a legion of other witches who were in charge of a pack of exhausted werewolves who seemed as if their transformation would wear off at any moment.

“Don’t falter! We can’t afford for those hunters to get past us! Do what you must to delay them!”

The witches sent forth the remaining werewolves that they were contracted with while they remained behind and bonded together to create a magical barrier around the main entrance of their secret base. They were trying their best to sustain it for as long as they could.

A frightened crusader who was fighting on the frontlines retreated when he notice the incoming pack of werewolves and shouted, “Commander Dreylude! Those witches have conjured some sort of devil work that is preventing our troops from advancing into the grotto up ahead! And they’ve released a more deadly breed of cursed creatures that are cleaving through our ranks like stiff beef! At this rate they won’t be any of us left to fight the holy battle!”

“Don’t panic men. Stand your ground and fight to the last breath!” Commander Dreylude spoke gallantly to keep up the vigour and morale of his troops. However, when he took a gander at the frontlines and saw how his men were being brutally massacred, he too began acquiring a foreboding sense of defeat.

“Our Father who art in heaven, please give us the courage to triumph over the forces of evil …” Commander Dreylude had to start praying internally to reassure himself that he would never be defeated so as long as he put all his trust in God.

Receiving a divine spark of enlightenment, Commander Dreylude told the warriors on the front lines to retreat while he passed on a message to the archers stationed at the rear. When he recognized that most of the crusaders have made it to a safe distance, he gave the order for the archers to fire their silver tip and flame arrows simultaneously.

“Light those monsters up!”

‘Whoosh! Whoosh!’

Myriads of arrows were released from their tightly strung bows. Seconds later, countless arrows began to rain down on the pack of werewolves that were rushing down the mountain. The legion of arrows was not only penetrating the frightened cursed creatures but they were also impaling a few crusaders who had failed to retreat further away before the call was given for the archers to take action. Those men were noble sacrifices for the greater good. God blessed their pure souls.

Commander Dreylude said a silent prayer for their deceased comrade before commanding the archers to release another barrage of arrows. “Fire again! Those demons' furs are very tough and can withstand all sorts of attacks, so make sure that you hit their sweet spot after burning away their protection!”

More fire arrows were released during the second assault. This not only burnt away the protective furs of the cursed creatures but also set ablaze a vast portion of the surrounding vegetation. The summit of Guillume Mountain was starting to resemble a humungous bonfire, one that didn’t escape the searching eyes of the Grand Inquisitor and his army.

“We’re almost there! Guillume Mountain is already in sight!” Shouted the leader of the front army. “Look at those fireworks. By the time we get there, everything will be burnt to a crisp.”

“That is a very fitting outcome. It will save us the hassle of having to cremate all those bloody witches and their followers of evil. Isn’t that right, Grand Inquisitor?”

“Hm.” Ezeus Teppesh responded to his driver’s inquiry with a low grunt. He looked as if he wasn’t so please by the entirety of Guillume Mountain being set ablaze. His eyes carried a type of mystery that couldn’t be easily deciphered by a commoner’s mindset. He poked his head outside the curtains and conveyed to his driver, “Tell the main army to hurry on ahead. Our brothers might be needing our help.”

“As you wish, Grand Inquisitor!” The message was conveyed to the troops, thus they increased their travelling velocity to arrive at their destination faster.

***

Back at Guillume Mountain, the werewolves were scattering in uncooperative droves. Most of their furs have been burnt off which gave way for them to be easily affected by their bane element, blessed silver.

“The witches' dogs are on the run! Now is our chance to eradicate the spawns of evil forever! Forward crusaders! Forward!”

“Yeah! Our God hasn’t forsaken us!”

“March onwards in fate and let our enemies cower before our might!”

The crusaders received a hefty boost of valour that drove their armoured feet ahead further up the mountain to slaughter their unholy enemies. The tide of the war had shifted in their favour. While the supplementary forces were off hunting down the remaining creatures of darkness, the main army ventured into the grotto that was being protected with the witches' magic.

“This unholy conjuration won’t keep us at bay for long.” Commander Dreylude coupled with the other Commanding Knight observed the intricacy of the magical barrier for almost an hour before they made a decisive call for action.  

“Bring forth the Holy Cross of Archangel Zadkiel!”

As soon as these words were spoken, a group consisting of 6 strong men were coming forward while carrying a long and heavy cross on their shoulders. This wasn’t just a simple ornament crafted from blessed silver, white jade and purified gold, no, it was a divine relic imbued with the 7 seals of high frequency transmuting violet flame.

The mystical powers that this cross possess could not be utilized by a person who tarnished the basic commandments nor by men. Only a cult of vestal virgins could call on the powers of this divine relic for aid.

“Bring forth the children of innocence!”

After the big cross was placed upright in front of the witches’ barrier by the strong men, a path was cleared in the army for the arrival of a handful of young ladies who were being transported in palanquins.

The men standing close by bowed their heads slightly while assisting the noble women out of the palanquins. They were clothed in pure white which signified purity. These special ladies had taken a strict vow of silence to never speak a vain word unless it was for a noble cause, and what better cause was there than the situation they were facing right now.

“Stand ready!” The holy warriors stood guard over the vestal virgins as they gathered around the Holy Cross of Archangel Zadkiel to commence a liturgy to invoke its mighty powers.