The knights exchanged uneasy glances.
"Baron," one of them ventured cautiously, "are you sure that's wise? The power of that scroll—"
"—is exactly what we need," Geisler interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. "This is no ordinary enemy. If we hesitate, we're as good as dead."
He turned his attention back to the peak of the mountain, where the monstrous figure of Volk could just be glimpsed through the clouds of dust and falling debris.
"Enjoy your high ground while you can, creature," the Baron murmured. "Because I'm about to bring it crashing down."
With a flourish, he held the scroll out in front of him and began to chant the incantation inscribed upon it.
The air around him seemed to ripple, the temperature dropping sharply as a strange energy filled the valley.
The knights watched in stunned silence as the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.