The Fires of Apollyon

Vikings on the Rise

Lukas was given the rank of Holden's second, and was dispatched to a sanctuary of the the Blackstone Legion, under the guardianship of the Iron Legion.  Its commander, Stone, was a conqueror who knew how to hold his ground, but even his brutal tactics couldn't budge the Viking invaders as his garrison was getting lower.  Stone looked over the side of the wall to see Lukas strolling into the courtyard.

"Blackstone! Where are my reinforcements?!" Stone shouted.  Lukas shrugged.  Stone facepalmed.  "Ughh...Is this a joke?  Alright, Blackstone.  Get the job done," Stone shouted as he watched Lukas draw his sword and kite shield.  Stone recognized the weapons of choice as those used by Black Priors.  He grunted approvingly as he went to reinforce a different area of his fortress.

Lukas charged the raiders and slaughtered them without mercy.  He carefully watched as Viking forces attempted to flank the defenders's position.  He ran to the old shrine along the edge of the fort's outer courtyard and began fighting Vikings as Stone's lieutenants arrived with troops.  Lukas pointed to the archer turret that overlooked the battlefield, which was currently under Viking control.  Lukas took off for it.  Stone ran up behind him and followed him there.

"Blackstone, you've got my respect.  Now, I've got a plan.  Once we got our flanks, all we need is a good offensive to push them into the woods.  Once there, my men can light the trees.  Cedar burns wonderfully," Stone said as he sent the head of his flail through the skull of a Viking.

"It's a good start.  I'll push them from the right, you take the left.  The soldiers can attack from the front," Lukas said as he reached the edge of the forest.  A Valkyrie, a female Viking warrior skilled in the use of a spear and round shields, stepped from the forest behind Lukas.  He sighed as he held his sword ready.  As she lunged, he dodged the attack and hit her in the back, the tripped her with the handguard of his sword.  She fell back on his shield and he swiftly slit her throat and dropped the corpse.  He got up and saw Stone and his troops routing the Vikings.

Stone stopped next to a Viking reaching for his sword.  He stomped on the Viking's hand, producing a yell of pain.  Stone let the heavy iron head of his flail drop as he spun his mace for a killing blow.  There was a short scream, before being silenced by Stone's mace crushing the man's skull.  Stone looked at Lukas, who had stabbed the end of his shield in the ground and was leaning on it.  "Impressive work, Prior," Stone said as he referred to Lukas's origins.

"Just doing my job," Lukas said.

Stone hung his flail from his belt.  "That was pretty good, even for a Black Prior.  I guess you're Cross's new second, the one who killed that snob that used to be his second.  You may want to work on getting used to fighting with just your sword.  Being a Black Prior paints a very expensive target on your head.  That's just my ten shekels," Stone said as he and Lukas walked back to the fort.

We routed the Vikings, but our problems keep coming.  Upon returning to Holden Cross, he told me that Vikings took over a Blackstone outpost.  Also, he said that there was a rumor of the worst type of enemies: traitors.  Members of the Iron Legion deserted and have set themselves against the Blackstone Legion and its mysterious warlord, who has yet to be seen...