Connor rushed down from the portal chamber, mentally summoning his crystal soldiers as he went. How could the paladins be here now? When he’d first sensed the mass of approaching energy he feared he’d gone mad, but Morana had confirmed it before running back outside.

“Trouble?” Damien asked as he flew past.

Connor ignored the hint of amusement he heard in the boy’s voice and flew on. The helpless had to find what small pleasures they could after all. He emerged from the cave entrance and, spread out perhaps a quarter mile away, was a force of knights in armor, all of them burning with holy light. Behind them he could just make out a dome protecting another group.

He frowned. Who would they have brought that couldn’t protect themselves from the dark energy of the haunted lands? It didn’t matter. If they couldn’t fight Connor would ignore them. In the sky above, more paladins battled with his new allies. Since his crystal soldiers couldn’t fly he’d have to trust the demons to handle their business alone.

“What now?” Morana asked.

“Now you lead your soldiers out to destroy my enemies like a good general.”

Morana stared at Connor and the hundred or so crystal soldiers behind him. “You want me to lead them? I can barely manage to get Big Eyes and Broken Fang to do what I want.”

Connor shrugged. If she couldn’t handle a handful of paladins under the best possible circumstances how could he trust her to lead his army in conquering the kingdom? “Just do your best. Think of it as practice.”

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“Practice?” she muttered.

The paladins were marching towards the cave, weapons out and shining with holy light. “Best get going. I don’t want them to come too close.”

“Right.” Morana pointed at the approaching enemies with her ring hand. “Attack!”

The crystal soldiers lurched forward and broke into a trot. Morana flew along behind them leaving Connor alone to observe the fight. It would be interesting to see how his crude efforts performed. The information would be of great help as he decided how to improve their shapes.

He glanced up and found the battle in the sky already over and most of his allies still alive. The leader clutched a figure in his massive hand and pointed it toward the soon-to-begin battle. Curious, Connor flew up toward them.

He paused a safe distance from the demon. “A prisoner?”

The demon’s high-pitched laugh grated on Connor’s nerves. “I just wanted the woman to watch her people die before she joined them. I’m surprised you’re not leading the battle yourself.”

The woman groaned. Dark magic held her eyes open so she couldn’t look away from the battle below.

“This will be a good test for both my soldiers and my general. Up until this moment all my plans for the crystal constructs have been theoretical. This is where the true test happens.”

“If they fail your plan dies with them,” the demon said.

“No, I will find a way to join the Horned One. If this doesn’t work I’ll try something else. But it will work. The crystal bodies are immensely strong when powered by demonic energy. My only real concern is their durability.”

“Oh?”

Connor nodded. Below, the two sides were separated by only about twenty yards. “When the demon spirit enters the crystal body it fuses all the fault lines creating a seamless whole. I’m curious to see if any residual weakness remains in the points.”

The paladin raised her head and glared at him. “How can you talk so calmly when scores of good men and women are about to die? Is there no shred of humanity remaining in you?”

“Little enough or far too much, depending on your point of view. Now be silent. It’s time to enjoy the show.”