Chapter 34 - The misguided army

William rallied the tribe to fight harder than before. Swords clashed against shields as the Blades battled at the behest of the Inquisitor like rabid dogs. The tribe met the Blades with equal ferocity and painted the battlefield crimson at night.

John and Berg rode across the battlefield, tossing every last vial from Berg's bag. Explosions of light and flame tore through the Blades' ranks, clearing a path for the hunters to press their attack. They crushed the Blades' defenses, with John and Berg leading the Frosthold soldiers and hunters. Finally, they defeated the bulk of the Inquisitor's soldiers.

With the threat from the battlefield gone, William commanded the hunters to save the castle. Berg and John led their people towards the castle, and hunters and Frostholds worked together to save their families from the cavalry that Abigail brought.

As the Blades held their ground, vicious flames raged through the castle's gates. These are the elites, and they will not go down easily. Berg rushed to George's side, lifting the morale of the Frosthold soldiers. John's entrance with his hunters had the same effect on the rest of the tribe. Upon seeing them, Ingrid's grandmother hailed her tribe to fight as hard as possible, for victory was near.

Their renewed strength finally drove the cavalry out of the castle into the battlefield, where William and the rest of the army waited for them. Now it's the Blades' turn to experience what it is like to be crushed between two powerful forces. William raised Bane. He and the rest of his men lined up and rode into their final assault. John and Berg did the same from the castle.

Thundering hooves and stomps echoed through the frozen valley. The mountains witnessed the ferocity of William, John, and Berg, which resulted in the defeat of the rest of the Blades.

As the fight neared its end and the Blades' numbers dwindled, William noticed they were throwing themselves to their weapons. They plunged headfirst into their weapons, ensuring their deaths would conceal their identities, a grim act of loyalty or fear for the Inquisitor.

William shifted his tactics and ordered the Blades to be subdued to be taken alive. The Blades mistook this for mercy and mocked William's attempt.

Then William asked the hunters to return to the camp and round up the Inquisition volunteers and agents who were still unable to move.

"The battle is not yet over until the remaining side surrenders," William said to his men.

Per William's command, the Inquisition's agents and volunteers were brought into the castle. At first, they didn't understand why. Still, he assured everyone that his actions would end the battle from further bloodshed. As expected, the agents and volunteers were not cooperating and yelled that the tribes and Frostholds were why the Kingdom was suffering.

They were still under the Inquisition's spell, but no longer.

William asked the Inquisition if they believed every word that the Inquisitor said. They replied with an outstanding yes.

"The Inquisition has already captured those who allied with Pentalium!"

"Yeah! And they are rotting beneath the Forgotten Abyss!"

"The Inquisitor has done more for this Kingdom than the King ever has."

William listened and asked them to observe the faces of the Blades. One by one, they were unmasked before the Inquisition. For every mask that fell, doubts stirred in their minds. Keres, Lothe, Copperfoot, and Marlons are just some of the exiled families. Others who supported Pentalium who were arrested by the Inquisitor and condemned underneath the Abandoned Abyss are before them.

"The Inquisition has already captured those who allied with Pentalium!" a man in the crowd shouted.

His fellow supporters shared his confusion. Finally, it dawned on them. There in their contemplation was the serene answer of silence. The Inquisitor's betrayal could not be denied. The Inquisition agents and volunteers shamefully admitted their wrongs and surrendered.

The battle was won, and William, John, and Berg are hailed as heroes of this night. Celebration immediately began as the survivors hugged their loved ones. George gave John and William his tightest hug, proud of what the two had done for them. Berg, too, chimed in and claimed how lucky he was to witness the boys develop as men, a sight that Eldric would be proud of, too.

Ingrid's grandmother came to meet them and warmly greeted them. She prayed for a miracle and didn't expect to be answered so quickly and with familiar faces. She is also proud of what John and William have become.

While Berg and George returned to their people to put out the fires and tend to their needs, two hunters and a wounded Ingrid arrived at the castle. The sight of Ingrid's safe return led many hunters to honor William and John, calling their names with reverence in their native tongue and vowing to name their descendants after them.

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As the night deepened, the healers and her grandmother were busy healing Ingrid's wounds while John and William stood close to her. Ingrid is strong. They can see her body easing up to the treatment, yet the sight of their friend bruised before them still brings horror to them.

William is pleased that they won this battle, but he is troubled that the next fight will be more complicated than what happened. Undoubtedly, the Inquisitor will smear his name across the land as he travels back to the Capital. William doesn't care about his status or his image before others. He is more concerned about Tarwood and its upcoming battle. William imagines that the remaining Inquisition forces will march at Tarwood full force and will not stop until everyone dies.

John thinks the same and asks William what he will do next. Frosthold soldiers are tired, and many of the hunters are still wounded. None are in shape to travel and fight for their hometown.

"We do. They just need to remember what they are fighting for." William said. An answer that John didn't expect his friend to reply.

William cannot win this war unless the ex-Inquisition volunteers and agents fight for him. William shall guide them toward redemption if the Inquisition compels them through misdirected justice.

"Are you insane?! How can you command an army that barely knows you?" John pleaded with William to reconsider his plan, but it seemed his friend had already made his mind up.

"I can't force them, but maybe I can give them something to believe in," William asked John to stay with Ingrid, and he would do his best to convince the ex-Inquisitions.

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William arrived at the castle's courtyard, where their prisoners huddled around the fire. The hunters watched them like hawks, ready to attack if the prisoners tried to make a ruckus.

William stood atop the stairs overlooking the courtyard. He asked if they would fight.

Four thousand stepped forward. All of them were eager to set things right, yet fearful of being manipulated again, just as the Inquisitor had done. The shame the Inquisitor caused left them feeling useless.

The crowd sympathized with William's pursuit of justice, but most wanted to go home.

"There will be no home to return to if we don't stop Pentalium." William's words stir within their hearts.

"Then we shall attack the Inquisitor first!" another man in the crowd said with vigor.

"So you'd just attack him outright? What if he attacked us the moment we set foot near the Capital? How do you counter that?" William's question stumped them as none knew how to lead an army.

"We know the Blades were Pentalium supporters. This puts our families at risk. When you return to your homes, the Inquisitor will come for you. He paints you as the enemy and kills you to keep this secret hidden." William reasoned, and more people seemed to believe in him.

"Fight so no one will suffer the injustice that the Inquisitor has befell us. Fight against the Pentalium and push the darkness. Fight my friends! For our families! For our friends! For our beloved Kingdom!"

The crowd chanted his name. They believed in his words and conviction. From that night on, they placed their trust again to someone worthy, William. The ex-Inquisition agents and volunteers' hearts are filled with courage and determination. They immediately cast their old Inquisition flags and insignia and tossed them to the fire. They ride for William, and tomorrow, they shall depart with him.

Before William turned in for the night, he returned to Ingrid and saw George and Berg were there, too. They gathered around Ingrid and held her close. Their warm embrace brought joy in this freezing snow.

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At dawn, with the soldiers still preparing, William gathered with George, Berg, and John to chart their next move. They gathered in the castle's war room, where the window showed them the busy courtyard.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," George muttered, congratulating William on using his political speech to move the prisoners' hearts.

"They're not our enemies. They are just misguided. And speaking of guiding, I intend to lead them to Tarwood. I shall bolster our defense there, and I am sure the Inquisitor will want to silence me as soon as possible." William fidgets with his finger as his anxiety for Tarwood builds up.

"I assume you will bring the Blades," Berg asked. William nodded and said that the unmasked Blades would present their proof to the King, and he hoped this would force the other Blades to unmask before the people. William hoped that once they arrived at the Tarwood, the King or the Princess would be there with the knights and demand a cease to the battle. Only then can the Blades they captured stop the battle before blood can be spilled.

"Assume the Inquisitor is arrested. How many more Pentalium members are there left? Is another lurking in the shadows, waiting to take his place?" John questioned how long their battle against the Pentalium would take. William is unsure but knows he won't stop until all of them are gone, an answer that John supported and told his friend he would be there every step of the way.

The four then formulate their plan. First, William will leave for Tarwood and defend as many lives as they can. The Princess should catch wind of this, and the King or the knights will come to their aid.

"Don't rely on them too much. Maybe some of the knights are in the pockets of the Pentalium," Berg then claims he will stay to cook up batches of alchemical solutions. Yesterday's fight proves he will need more than one bag to take an army down.

"Then I leave the Frosthold castle and soldiers to you," George stepped forward and clenched his fists. He would concentrate on repairing the castle, and once the Frosthold soldiers were ready, he and Berg would arrive with their soldiers to defend Tarwood. "We owe you, William. We will not abandon you in your moment of need."

"Then I shall be going with you," John demanded, but William quickly stopped him.

"Ingrid needs you more than ever, John. Stay until she gets better." William urges John not to go yet, as many tribes are weary from the battle, and Ingrid is still healing. But John eventually relinquishes and promises that once they are ready, he and Ingrid will follow William with the tribe riding with them.

After finalizing their defense plans for Tarwood, Ingrid and her grandmother entered the room. Surprised that Ingrid was already on her feet, William and John helped her towards the table and let her see their plans.

"Thank you, William, for saving my life. The tribe will march with the Frosthold. We will be there for you," Ingrid said. She embraced William and then asked him to safeguard the tribe in Tarwood. Ingrid asked him to capture the Inquisitor's right hand for her.

"Once I am strong enough to lift an axe, we will be there, riding side by side with the Frosthold and giving that Inquisitor and his Blades the death they deserve," Ingrid said with her voice full of malice. She grabbed William's arm and asked if he saw the Inquisitor's right-hand man, Morgan.

"She did this to me," Ingrid said, tears filling her eyes and wrath forming. Her breaths were shallow, and her grip on William's arm trembled.

"I wanted to repay the favor", Ingrid claimed Morgan did this to her. Moved by the fire in her eyes, William promised he would bring Morgan before her.

Satisfied, Ingrid kissed William's forehead and blessed him to go in her stead until she could claim her target.

Before finishing their meeting, John gave William one piece of advice: 'Use the tar.' A piece of advice William will not forget.

As the rising sun parted the snowy sky, William led the ex-Inquisition back to Tarwood, and carriages for their captured Blades were with them. He looked on the horizon and swore he would end the Pentalium once and for all.