Cain was a watchman in the Gofer fief's army. Normally, his job, however monotonous, made him tense, afraid of any shadow or noise in the nocturnal valley.
However, the calm of that night was a clear sign that something was wrong. And it was when an arrow pierced the veil of darkness in front of him, striking his left shoulder dead-on, that the certainty that this night would not be like the others became evident.
Torches illuminated the valley; war cries, pleas for mercy, arrows, and blood suddenly painted the night with horror.
A trumpet sounded in the camp, giving a belated warning about the ongoing attack.
Elite squads tried, without success, to contain the uncontrollable advance of the enemy army.
Attacking soldiers descended the mountains, galloping on swift mounts. The front of the army was on the verge of collapse, due to the chaos of the lightning attack.
The first rays of dawn brought light to the chaotic scenes unfolding in the valley, illuminating the HQ, which from the center of the camp, was watching the growing battle.
— Gentlemen, we have no option but to send in the siege machines! Prepare the catapults, we can't let them surround us!
The outrageous order surprised everyone.
— Lord Arvyn, are you serious? Sending in the siege machines now that our soldiers are aligned with the enemy is condemning a third of our army to death!
— And what do you suggest we do, Lord Telos? Wait for them to surround us?! Don't you understand the need for sacrifices to prevent their advance and encirclement?! I was tasked with ensuring this army's victory, and I will do so at all costs!
The animosity was palpable in the air between the nobles. Born into a common family, in a world where rulers had the power to kill dozens with a wave of a hand, Lord Telos was not one to resign himself to the status quo. Proof of this was his arrival at the highest position a person without a noble education could achieve in life.
The tension didn't last long. A roar reverberated throughout the valley when a crack hundreds of meters long appeared in the sky at dawn. Everyone stopped, unable to continue the carnage in the face of such a demonstration of power.
A dark gray chasm writhed within the rift, and as the two armies watched, the uncomfortable feeling that the abyss was watching back grew with each passing second, which seemed like hours.
Taking one step at a time, a figure emerged from within the chasm. It grew and became clearer as it approached. When the last steps were taken, everyone could see a man with dark skin and long braids falling over his shoulders. His dark gray cloak covered light gray linen pants and a shirt. His silver eyes stared at everyone on the battlefield below.
Khaled had arrived at the valley.