Eagle Peak rose above the northern frontier like a giant wall of stone.
Holden stood at the base of the mountain, looking up at the enormous fortress built into its slopes. The place was even more impressive than the images Maeve had shown them aboard the jet. Huge watchtowers stood along the winding road, while armored bunkers and cannon positions had been carved directly into the mountainside.
Thick grey clouds covered the summit, hiding most of the central command structure from view. However, Holden already knew what was waiting up there. With the information Maeve had gathered, his 10,000x processor had helped him study the mountain's layout and identify its most dangerous defensive positions.
Twenty-eight enchanted cannons.
Five thousand soldiers.
Two hundred trained war-beasts.
And somewhere at the summit, Commander Zahn, a Rank 4, 2-Star cultivator who had spent years mastering military warfare.
It was quite the welcoming committee.
