“The siege mages report that their charges are primed and ready, my lord,” Vont said, standing by Meztraxia’s side.

“Good,” Meztraxia said. “Any trouble with deserters?” He was primarily concerned with Nostlinum’s troops, but it was best not to say so here where others may overhear.

“A pair of soldiers were caught trying to leave the camp without permission, other than that morale is high, my lord.”

“What happened to those soldiers?”

“Already dealt with by their commanding officers, my lord.”

Meztraxia took a deep breath and nodded. Their preparations were complete; all that remained was to assault the city ahead. Atasimon had to know they were coming and Meztraxia’s army had been on high alert for any possible sorties by the humans or their gods, but there had been nothing. Whatever the goddess was planning, she seemed content to let Meztraxia come to them.

Even at a glance the city before them was considerably larger than the last he’d taken, yet Meztraxia felt not the least bit concerned. While their casualties were sure to be higher this time, he was certain of their eventual victory. With the heart, and the strength stolen from the goddesses, he had nothing to fear from gods or any other being in this world. If every soldier in his army was killed, then he would just have to destroy the city on his own.

Glorying in his power, Meztraxia conjured a beam of light which carved a furrow in the ground. Vont’s eyes widened, but he said nothing. That small demonstration alone was enough to strengthen Meztraxia’s resolve, yet he knew he was capable of so much more. He looked forward to his inevitable clash with the goddess of shadow and whatever divine allies she’d found for herself, then he would finally be able to use his power to the utmost.

“Vont,” Meztraxia said, “assemble the men for a speech before we begin.”

His aide hurried off to do his will, and as Meztraxia waited for his troops to assemble, he went over what he wanted to say in his head. Assuring the men of their victory was imperative, but it was also essential that he made them understand the importance of what they were doing. The soldiers who’d been with him during the last siege probably didn’t have too many doubts he needed to worry about; it was Nostlinum’s untried troops that he was concerned with.

If they faltered, they were sure to get themselves and others killed. Assaulting the humans’ cities was a great risk, and they could not afford anything that might jeopardise their chances. Even if he were to triumph on his own, it wouldn’t be much of a victory. Not for himself, or for the sake of rallying more soldiers to his cause. While there were many who were willing to die to see the humans destroyed, there were far fewer who would throw their lives away for the dim hope of seeing that accomplished.

Once his army was arrayed before him, Meztraxia took a breath and drew on a little of his stolen divine power to enhance the volume of his voice. “We have come here today to continue the great war our ancestors began more than a century ago, when our world was still whole. A great deal has changed since that fateful day, when our invasion first began. But one important truth has remained constant; peace and prosperity for ourselves and for our children, can only be won by shedding the blood of humanity. Only once the blood of every man, woman and child of that wretched race has been spilled can the living and the dead know peace.

He paused to look out at the sea of faces, wearing their bright armour and arrayed in formation. To his grim delight, naked hatred was reflected in the features of every man and woman before him. “We made war upon their world for the sake of surviving the death of ours, and they repaid us with an attempt at snuffing out our entire people. Even now they hoard their protective magics for themselves while we are left to suffer.”

Meztraxia made a sharp gesture and raised the volume of his voice further still. “I say enough! Never again shall they decide our fate, never again shall we suffer at their hands! We will wipe them from the face of this world, and make it our own!”

At his next gesture the horns sounded, calling his people to battle. A great cry sprung up from the assembled soldiers, drowning out the rest of the signals, but it didn’t matter; they all knew what to do. Meztraxia’s personal guard fell in behind him as he marched toward the city at the forefront of his army to bring death and destruction upon the humans.