Demons on Their Knees (13)
The guards manning the north gate of Apenzel exchanged startled glances at the heavy rumbling echoing from the Vurn Mountains.
"What the hell was that? See anything?"
A soldier up on the palisade peered beyond the coniferous forest and shrugged it off. "Looks like an avalanche."
"Yeah? Should we close the gate then?"
Most trolls were nocturnal, sticking to caves or abandoned mines, so they rarely showed up in broad daylight. But the ones ousted from territorial disputes sometimes roamed the open wilds—and those bastards would flee avalanches straight into the city.
"Better safe than sorry. Can't be too careful."
The guards agreed and started shutting the north gate. Just as it was halfway closed, the soldier on the palisade spotted something and yelled.
"Something's coming down!"
The guards froze mid-motion and whipped around. Bursting through the conifers at terrifying speed was a massive black shape hurtling toward them. It was a horse engulfed in black flames.
"Wh-what the...?!"
The guards paled when they saw the rider's face. It was that out-of-towner who'd headed into the mountains at dawn. They'd been ordered to treat his return like a troll attack. Already spooked from last night's commotion, they screamed.
"Shut the gate! Get in quick!"
The gate slammed shut, and multiple crossbows from above locked onto the man and his mount. One bolt fired straight at him as he entered its sights.
"That crazy bastard...!"
In a blur too fast for the eye, the man snatched the bolt barehanded from horseback. The guards gawked, jaws slack in disbelief. He flung the bolt aside, stood tall in the saddle, drew his sword, and aimed it at the palisade. A beam of light shot from the blade's tip, shredding the wooden barrier like paper.
For the first time since settling this frozen wasteland, Apenzel faced an unprecedented invasion. The north palisade, prime target for troll raids, had been reinforced over years into a taller, sturdier barrier than anywhere else. It had never been breached, even by the fiercest northern trolls. The troll skeletons littering the northern plains proved it.
But today, that mighty wall crumbled in a single strike.
The shockwave hurled guards skyward; they crashed through nearby rooftops. Massive timber shards rained down like hail, sending horrified citizens fleeing their homes. Those who emerged stared in stunned horror at the massive dust cloud billowing where the palisade once stood. Dark gray storm clouds rolling in from a formerly clear sky amplified the apocalyptic sight.
At the same moment, the low wail of the troll-alert horn blared.
"The palisade's breached! Run to the shelters!"
Terror-stricken citizens bolted with screams, clueless but panicked. A black horse burst from the dust cloud, tearing through the chaotic streets.
Startled by mysterious explosions and the horn, the guild master leaned out the second-floor window of City Hall.
"What the hell?! What's all this racket?"
"L-look over there, sir...!"
The guard captain and soldiers outside pointed north, stammering. The guild master turned—and nearly stopped breathing. Palisade pillars, uprooted at the base, trailed dust as they scattered everywhere.
"Trolls...?!"
"Get down!"
Tree-trunk-thick pillars smashed into City Hall. The stone walls buckled under the barrage, one side collapsing entirely. The wooden roof caved in, a pillar spearing through to embed beside the guild master.
"Gahk!"
"Ring the bell! All guards to the north gate!"
A soldier dashed to the rooftop and tolled the emergency bell.
DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG!!
This bell signaled trolls breaching the city—summoning every guard and armed citizen. The elderly, women, and children headed to pre-designated shelters near City Hall.
Bell tolls, shouts, and screams overwhelmed the guild master; he clutched his head in panic.
"North side's breached! Trolls... trolls are coming! Mobilize everyone—rebuild the palisade now!"
From his half-ruined office, he barked unheard orders, mind shattered by this unprecedented crisis.
"North! To the north!"
Hastily gathered guards and citizens rushed north—but halted short. A massive horse wreathed in black flames charged straight at them.
"Hah! That's...!"
The guard captain recognized the rider and drew his sword. "Halt! Stand down! Stop him!"
Guards and citizens brandished weapons indiscriminately, blocking the road. The rider stood in the stirrups like a mounted acrobat. Just before collision, the horse stopped; he leaped high from the saddle, soaring over their heads to smash into City Hall's second-floor wall.
When Bertrand pulled that stunt, Pelle was sure he'd lost his mind. What the hell does he think he's doing, body-slamming a building barehanded?!
But her worry was unfounded. Bertrand burst through the wall into City Hall, the impact shaking the entire structure violently. The quake staggered onlookers; an old building like this couldn't withstand such force. Pillars and walls tilted inward—the whole thing collapsed.
Dust and debris exploded outward. People coughed, retreating. Pelle soothed her Hell Horse and backed away; as a demon, it obeyed her well.
"Heh... that young man's no ordinary human..."
The old man behind her muttered.
Bertrand emerged from the choking dust, dragging the battered guild master by the scruff.
When I hauled the guild master from the rubble, I thought he was dead and felt a twinge of disappointment. But he cursed and struggled at the sight of me, so I relaxed and slammed a fist into his gut. Quieted, I dragged him outside.
The plaza before City Hall was ringed by guards and citizens keeping distance, weapons ready. Behind them, others fled into a sturdy building—probably the shelter.
"Release the guild master. Or we'll have to use force."
The guard captain stepped forward, voice stern.
"This bastard tried shoving me into troll territory. You know that. He staked his life on it."
"I know no law allowing life-staking deals. It was illegal from the start—no validity."
"From that upright tone, you're no backdoor appointee. Though now you're just a ass-wiping lapdog groveling for him."
The captain's face stayed stone; impressive restraint with so many watching.
"Insult me all you want. Release him, leave the city. We won't pursue damages."
"But I'll hold you accountable."
"Accountable for what?"
"Killing the father of the girl he dragged off to make his wife."
This time, emotion cracked through—the captain's face twisted. After glaring unpleasantly, he spoke slowly. "That was ages ago. An unfortunate scuffle..."
"So it is true. Even in a frontier town, I half-doubted such madness."
His non-denial cleared it up: the guild master and captain led a faction terrorizing the city, unopposed.
Fine then.
"Summon every citizen to the plaza. I have words for them."
"Can't talk this out, I see."
The captain leveled his sword gravely. His men gripped weapons, murder in their eyes. I scanned them before speaking.
"I smashed that palisade. Fighting me is suicide—drop your weapons. Do it, and you live. Refuse, and you die."
Outraged shouts erupted.
"Shut your bullshit mouth! Think we're scared of demon tricks?!"
"We're northern miners who've battled trolls our whole lives!"
"That bravery didn't stop the guild master's tyranny? Drop 'em now. I'll gift this city freedom."
This is your last warning. I always give a chance to live before killing—and end those who kick it away.
"Outsider punk, who are you to spout off about our affairs?!"
"Fair enough. Your funeral."
Lightning flickered within the dark storm clouds overhead, low thunder rumbling. Flashes gathered above the city center. People pointed skyward, murmuring at the unnatural display.