It was hard to ponder just what would have possessed the Crows and the army they brought with them to do something as tremendously foolish as to start spreading dragon's bile in the city before defeating the denizens therein. But, I suppose, they had no reason to suspect that the people of Codul were willing to burn down their own city to destroy the Crows.

For a moment, the chaos and the screaming which rose up with the smoke by the city gates led me to the despair of believing the people of Codul had, quite simply, won the battle.

Until a fierce wind blew in, bringing with it dark clouds and sudden, torrential rain. The raindrops tore through the smoke in streaks, and the Hellish flames shrunk away from Heaven's tears.

Then, a white light cut through the smoke, and a figure appeared in the shape of a man, hovering over the Crows' army. I could not make out who the figure was, but I saw in his hand a long-sword wreathed in golden lightning.

From the chaos charged forth Sir Emeric, along with hundreds of other men on horseback, their shields raised in front of their faces.

"Nock arrows!" bellowed a voice from nearby.

The cavalry was charging uphill, ensuring that the horses would be exhausted by the time they reached the top, where the militia of Codul waited for them.

"Draw!"

Bows creaked as their strings drew back, preparing another volley of arrows.

I peered down at the charging knights, knowing that their shields would not block every arrow flying their way. Worse, while their horses were armored, they were not armored enough to protect them from such an onslaught. Countless knights would surely die the moment the arrows sailed through the air.

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In the distance, the figure of white light vanished.

Then, I went blind as it appeared just a few strides before me. I heard the sound of wood snapping. Lightning crackled and thunder rumbled. The people of Codul cried out in pain and terror. A blade sliced through flesh and sundered bone.

Then, the light vanished, and when my sight returned, I saw the Codul militia lying in ruins at the crest of the hill.

Just as Sir Emeric and the other knights reached the top and cut through the survivors like butter. Red painted the houses and streets of Codul.

Yet, at the crest of the hill, the horses reared back, throwing their riders from their saddles before trotting off to the alleyways to rest.

The knights rose to their feet, groaning and holding their aching backs.

"A Vermin!" one shouted, pointing his sword at me.

"Slay it!"

"No!" I cried, pulling on my chains. "Please! Don't! I'm human!" My voice was so gargled that I could not be sure if they understood a word.

The knights encircled me, staring at me with utter hatred in their eyes. Such disgust.

"Please!" I begged. "I want to live!"

"Don't hurt that one!" Sir Emeric shouted, limping toward me. "That's Sir Cristoff."

"Sir Cristoff?" one of the knights asked, incredulous.

"A Templar, like me," said Sir Emeric.

"How... how can you tell?"

Sir Emeric pointed off into the distance with his sword, at the figure clothed in white light. "St. Giradin told me. Sir Cristoff must not die this day. He has more work to do yet. Break his chains and give him a sword. He is to fight by our side."

One of the knights approached me with an axe in hand. With four powerful swings, he sundered the chains which bound me to the post. Another drew near and placed in my hands the sword of one of the fallen Codulites. "I don't envy you your fate," he muttered.

I opened my mouth to thank him, both for the weapon and for his sympathy, but before the words left my mouth, the doors of all Codul homes near us burst open, and out poured swarms upon swarms of Vermin, followed by waves and oceans of black rats.