Morana flew at the head of her army. She glanced back at the hundred and thirteen crystal constructs stomping along behind her. Every once in a while a streak of red lightning ran through one of the soldiers as the demonic spirit shifted, making itself more at home in its host.

Fang and Eye were in the lead; she’d developed an odd fondness for the slightly misshapen creations. It was a small army as such things went, but she’d put them up against ten thousand normal men and be perfectly confident of their victory. Back beyond the constructs, just in sight, the darting shapes of ghouls trailed them like sharks behind a fishing trawler. Disgusting creatures, but maybe she could find some use for them.

In a satchel at her side rested the black urn. If they ran into sorcerers Morana would make short work of them before sending unconscious bodies back to add to Connor’s collection. Between the urn and her crystal soldiers Morana doubted anything or anyone in the kingdom could stand against her. They were going to do it, her and Connor. They were going to change the world.

After marching through the night the mountain pass appeared in the morning light. It really was narrow. Morana had flown over it twice, quickly, and with her power suppressed, but seeing it up close at ground level made the size clear. No wonder the paladins had never failed to repel an attack.

Her eyes crinkled in delight. There’d be no paladins to stop them today. After they seized the fortress Morana would have liked to move straight into the kingdom and begin subduing the population, but Connor had ordered her to wait and she wasn’t foolish enough to disobey. Besides which a little over a hundred soldiers wasn’t enough to pacify an entire nation no matter how strong they were.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

The moment she crossed into the shadowed recess of the pass the weight of the haunted lands vanished. It was a relief to her in one regard, but a curse in another. Without the corruption to feed them, the demon spirits would be weaker. Of course weaker was a relative term. They were still far superior to any forces they were likely to encounter.

The first wall waited only a little ways into the pass. Morana stopped and stared. The gate was plugged by an immense stone and unless her eyes were playing tricks, someone had fused it to the wall. She couldn’t imagine the paladins had dropped the stone before they left. What sort of idiot would seal their own entrance?

She squinted. Four figures walked along the battlements. Morana had been so intent on her soldiers and her plans for the fortress she hadn’t been focused outward. Now that she concentrated she could sense a paladin, a warlord and two middling sorcerers. Not the most awesome force ever assembled, but more than she expected. She shrugged. Another quick battle would be good for her and her troops.

At Morana’s mental command the crystal soldiers stopped. She flew up even with the battlements, but stayed a safe distance away.

“Surrender and I’ll let you run away.” It sounded like something Connor would say which pleased her.

The beautiful blond warlord spat over the edge of the wall. “March back wherever you came from and we’ll let you live.”

Morana couldn’t help laughing. It was the most ludicrous threat she’d ever heard. “Have it your way. But don’t say I didn’t give you a chance.”

She flew back to her soldiers and ordered them to attack. She would overwhelm these fools and complete her mission.