In the Shadows of the Mountains - Chapter Twelve: The Spoils of Cruelty

The smell of smoke and decay lingered in the air as the Crusaders arrived at the village, now nothing more than a charred remnant of what had once been a home to innocent families. Alexander, Sir Edmund, and Gautier rode in silence, their expressions darkened by the sight before them. Bodies lay scattered across the ground, faces frozen in horror, their lives stolen by the merciless force of Tariq’s men. The village was eerily silent, the only sound a faint, mournful wind sweeping through the ruined buildings.

Alexander dismounted, his gaze fixed on the remnants of a family clustered near the village center—parents and children alike, their expressions frozen in terror. His heart clenched, a mixture of sorrow and fury settling within him. “This is the work of evil,” he muttered, his voice filled with disgust. “No God would condone such barbarity.”