Malachar approached on top of an enormous war elephant.

 

Infront of him stretched the largest army Ephus had ever seen. Half a million soldiers spread across the plains like a black sea. Banners from every conquered nation rippled in the wind. War beasts the size of houses pawed the earth. Siege engines creaked forward like moving mountains.

 

From Drakmoor's walls Sara watched it all.

 

She had taken her place at the wall with Palwin behind Captain Harwick and his archers. Her quiver was full of explosive arrows. Her hands were steady even though her heart was not.

 

"Begin." Captain Harwick's voice rang out.

 

The first wave crashed against Drakmoor's defenses. Arrows darkened the sky. The sound was deafening. Steel against steel. Screams of the dying. The roar of war beasts.

 

At the first hours, with the help of the Defenders, the balance favored Valdris. The small magical unit of the kingdom cut through enemy formations like a hot knife through butter. Han led them from the front, his enhanced fists shattering bones and armor alike.

 

But when Malachar's magical units started countering them, the balance began to turn.

 

Sara had spent all these months preparing explosives for the army. She saw good use of them now, raining fire on enemy formations. But she had better plans from the last time Malachar attacked.

 

"Palwin!" She called to her friend. "Just like we practiced. Open portals above them!"

 

"I will do it Sara!" Palwin's face was pale but determined.

 

A portal shimmered into existence high above an enemy siege engine. Sara dropped three explosive packages through. They fell like judgment from the sky.

 

The explosion was magnificent. The siege engine became splinters and fire.

 

But there were too many. She couldn't keep up.

 

Enemy soldiers poured up. Captain Harwick's archers shoot them down but more kept coming. Always more.

 

"Another portal!" Sara called. "Northwest cluster!"

 

Palwin's hands trembled with exertion. The portal flickered open. Sara dropped her bombs. Fire bloomed below.

 

But for every formation she destroyed, three more took its place.

 

The battle raged on.

 

Hour after hour. The sun climbed and fell. Bodies piled against the walls. The smell of blood and smoke filled the air.

 

Malachar's special units began their devastating attacks. Lightning crackled from mage battalions. The earth itself trembled under geomancer assault. Valdris soldiers died in droves.

 

The fake Aldric climbed to the walls to face Sara. His movements were wrong. His expressions hollow. A puppet wearing a friend's face.

 

"This is pointless." Aldric said. "Everyone in Drakmoor will die. If..."

 

Sara cut him off. "What? If we stop standing against a Dark Lord?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Aldric would never say that."

 

Aldric's face took a dark tone. His eyes gleamed with something inhuman. "I know you know. But that doesn't matter. Even if you hold on for days, eventually your food will end and you will give up."

 

"NEVER!" Palwin screamed.

 

Sara wanted to expose him right then. Wanted to call the guards and have this imposter thrown from the walls. But they were in the middle of a battle. And he was still gathering information for Malachar. Better to keep feeding him lies than to lose track of Malachar's spy network entirely.

 

With all hopes dimming, Palwin suddenly grabbed Sara's arm.

 

"It's okay Palwin." Sara tried to comfort her, assuming she was afraid.

 

But Palwin wasn't looking at the battle. She was looking at something far away. Something only she could see.

 

"Tom... Marcus..." Palwin's face was puzzled. Her eyes distant.

 

"What?" Sara asked.

 

"I can feel him." Palwin's voice was barely a whisper. "Tom. He's... he's close. He's coming."

 

Sara's heart nearly stopped. She looked out at the endless army below. At the death and destruction.

 

If Tom and Marcus were really coming, they were running straight into hell.

 

But right now, hell was all they had.

 

And any hope, no matter how small, was better than none at all.