“Awake!” Gersius yelled as he rushed across the camp. “Awake and into battle formation on the north!” Other voices cried out in response, and there was movement from the tents, but it was much too slow. The night captains came running, looking for the cause of the alarm, and Gersius quickly explained the situation.

“The Doan army is nearly on us!” she shouted. “They advance from the north at great speed. Rouse your units and get them into formation, or they will die in their beds!”

“But my lord,” one of the men said as he looked at the quiet night. “We have scouts out for several miles and a line of sentries.”

Gersius knew that time was now precious, and he turned on the men, determined to make his point clear. “You and you men will assemble on the north of the camp now!” he shouted using the dragon voice as his eyes began to glow red.

The captains made no further protest and ran off to wake their units from their slumber. Gersius ran on, shouting his alarm and waking as much of the camp as he could before heading for his own tent. He raced into his tent and went straight for his armor. How could the army have crossed so many miles of open country so quickly? Lilly said they were using magic to aid their advance, but could Lilly be wrong? Could he afford to take the risk of a second Greenwall disaster on a colossal scale? Thayle came running into the tent as he buckled his armor and went straight for her own.

“How can they be here?” she cried as she hastily dressed.

“I do not know. I do not know how the enemy moves so slowly for weeks and then crosses huge distances in a day!” Gersius growled. “We have to assume what Ayawa said is accurate, and they are using a weave to cross the distance.”

“Could she be wrong? Thayle asked.

Sarah burst into the tent and quickly began throwing all her jewelry onto the bed.

“Sarah!” Gersius called out as he tightened an arm plate. “Is there any way Ayawa could have misunderstood Lilly? Could there have been confusion somehow?”

Sarah pulled her dress up over her head and hastily threw it down.

“You have been in the dream many times. You know full well the two of them can speak as plainly as we are. The only way Ayawa could be wrong is if Lilly was wrong,” Sarah stated.

Gersius nodded and pulled a plated glove on. They had to assume Lilly was right, and the largest of the Doan armies was about to take them by surprise. Visions of the Greenwall massacre haunted his memories, but he quickly put them away. This was not the time to relive past failures. For the sake of the empire and the home he wanted to build, he had to win the day.

“How far away did she say it was?” Thayle asked.

“No more than a few miles and already marching in formation,” Gersius replied grimly.

“How could she know their position so accurately?” Sarah asked as she helped Thayle into her armor.

“Lilly has said the wise ones like to brag of their superiority over the empire. They must have told her about the impending attack,” Gersius growled. “They are so certain they will win that they don't fear mocking Lilly with it.”

“It will take us over ten minutes to rouse the entire camp and nearly as many to form lines,” Thayle said. “If they attack in force before we are ready, we will be slaughtered.”

“And we have no idea how long Lilly had to wait before she was able to send the warning. They could be in sight of our tents this very moment,” Sarah added.

“I know!” Gersius said as he tried not to hear the sounds of men dying as he was haunted by his past.

Sarah hastily wrapped her red robe around herself as she put on a face of determination. “I am going to the ring to change. I will circle above and look for rival dragons. If you need me, just let me know.” She hurriedly ran out of the room, leaving Gersius and Thayle to finish dressing.

“What if they do have dragons?” Thayle asked. “What if they outnumber Sarah?”

All of those worries were pouring through his mind as Gersuis struggled to get into his armor. It was no easy task to buckle and strap everything into place, and the process couldn't be rushed. Still, he shared the same worry that this attack would likely be led by dragons. He had formations designed to deal with a threat from the air, but they were half asleep and would need time to form. If the dragons attacked now, his camp would be an easy target. Sarah could only do much, and if numbers were on their side, she would likely fall in battle.

“We should still have time,” Thayle said, trying to instill some hope. “All we need is a good ten minutes.”

Gersius tried to tell himself that the warning had come soon enough and it would all be alright, but his hopes sank when a voice called out that the enemy had been sighted. He took a deep breath while grabbing his sword and shield, then ran from the tent, desperate to get his men into formation. He raced across the camp, passing men who were hurrying to join the forming lines. Already he could hear the chanting of the Doan echoing over the hills as their collective voices instilled terror in the camp. He broke the tent line to find his army in disarray, as less than half of the soldiers were present. Those that were here struggled to build formations as many of the units were waiting for their officers to arrive.

Gersius knew that time was precious, so he took command, showing his soldiers that he was present and would lead the defense. Unfortunately, there was no time to make proper formations, so he opted for a solid wall to hold the Doan back as long as he could.

“Look alive. Pressed Lines! Heavy infantry front in three ranks!” he cried. The air was filled with a strange rolling shout as dark forms appeared on the hill. Gersius felt his heart sink to see the sheer mass of men pouring over in well-disciplined formations. In the remaining hours of the night, they looked like waves of black water rushing down to wash them away. They would be on his sloppy lines in less than two minutes, and what he had would never hold them back. He heard the screams of the men dying to the bandersooks in the Greenwall and realized he was about to suffer that fate again. What he needed was more time, but he didn't know how until he felt the power of the red dragon flying overhead.

“Sarah!” he cried over the binding link, desperate to act on an idea.

“Gersius, there are far more of them than we thought!” she cried. “This has to be the largest Doan army, and they outnumber us.”

“I know, but we have to stall for time. I need you to fly up behind our lines and do that ring of fire trick you did in Calathen when we spoke the city for the first time,” he insisted as more soldiers hurried to join the lines.

“What? Why?” she called back.

“Think about what Lilly has taught us; they revere dragons. I want you to light up the dark sky with your display and show them we have a dragon. I am hoping it will cause them to pause and give us time to get our lines in order,” Gersius explained as the Doan rapidly closed the gap.

“I understand. I will circle around and come up behind you,” she replied calmly, but he could feel her tension over the bind.

Gersius turned back to the line of men to see the state of his army. They were scrambling to get in place, and more had arrived, but it wasn't going to be enough. The Doan were less than forty seconds away with weapons leveled for the attack. What he needed was time but not to panic his own forces. He reached for the dragon voice, speaking loud enough to be heard over the battle roar of the Doan.

“The dragon Sarah is going to light up the night sky overhead!” he cried to the assembled soldiers. “Do not be frightened, and do not look up!”

Thayle arrived and saw the horde bearing down on them as Gersius felt her fear over the bind. “Dear Ulustrah,” she muttered as he felt her hopes die and her final thoughts go to her egg. He was about to offer her a word of comfort when the night suddenly turned to day.

With a thunderous roar, Sarah flew up just over the assembling army of the Dragon Knights and spread her wings wide. She breathed her fire and wove it into the glowing ring around her framing her in a display of terrible power. She glowed like a goddess in a halo of fire, her form dazzling all who saw her. Gersius nearly cried when the Doan army froze in its tracks, unable to look away from the awesome power of the dragon.

“You are brilliant,” Thayle cried as she witnessed the halt of the Doan. Her face was pale, but she looked at him in awe of his tactical genius. “You got them to pause when they had the advantage. You may have just saved us.”

“Let us hope it is enough time,” Gersius replied.

Precious seconds ticked by as Sarah held her pose as long as she could, then took to the sky again, sailing up and over the heads of the Doan, roaring with all her might. They watched her pass over them as they stood in silence, giving the Dragon knights time to prepare.

Gersius counted ten seconds, then fifteen, then thirty. Around him, lines of men began to thicken, and the front line of heavy infantry composed of mixed priests and regular military closed its gaps. Almost a full minute later, new cries and shouts began to emanate from the Doan. He could see them pointing spears and axes at his army as the effect of the dragon wore off. They still didn't advance, as if waiting for something to happen in reply to the display. Thirty more seconds passed when a great roar of anger swept over their army, their patience finally waning.

“Are they waiting for their dragons to respond?” Thayle asked.

“I have no idea,” Gersius said as the second line of his dangerously thin ranks formed. Behind it, the women of Ulustrah were forming into tight groups, creating the battle pockets he had drilled into them on the march. He saw the dove shields behind them, taking proper formations before moving to the flanks. If he could hold this line long enough, his army might actually manage to take the field properly.

The Doan surged forward with a maddened cry, presenting ranks of spears as they closed the gap. Gersius stood like a god with red eyes burning as he raised his sword toward the enemy and called his army into action.

“Hammers!” he shouted, and out of the darkness came a hail of orange lights, racing out to meet the Doan. The hammers of Astikar cut through the front ranks, sending shattered men to the ground with grievous injuries. Some of the hammers were intercepted by the red shield of light, others blocked by men calling on divine strength of their own, but it still took its toll.

The army was nearly on them as Gersius held his sword out, his eyes locked on the closest Doan warriors as the third line of his defenses began to thicken.

“Barriers!” he shouted, sending the women of Ulustrah into action. Female voices went up in song as a wall of interlaced green disks formed ahead of the Doan hoard. They crashed into the barrier, shattering spears and blunting their mad attack. The women had been instructed to make the walls in pockets allowing small gaps between them. The Doan formations broke on those barriers, but the blood-lusting fools ran through the gaps in staggered masses.

Gersius smiled as the hours of practice he instilled in his army paid off. Despite the ambush, he had control of the battlefield for the time being. They might outnumber him, but he had managed to get enough of his army in place to put up a cohesive defense. Now all he had to do was keep control and force them to meet him on his terms.

The first Doan warrior crossed the last ten feet of ground, running at Gersius with a serrated axe. He stepped forward and silently cut the man down with a single swing while glaring defiantly across the battlefield. Dozens more made it across, and frantic battles broke out up and down his lines. Gersius used his dragon sight to see the situation clearly and decided to exploit the Doan’s hunger to reach his lines.

“Saw blade formations. Push for the barriers!” he cried and led the charge. His army moved as one, forming a series of triangular spikes made of walls of shields. The Doan foolishly ran into the gaps where they could be attacked on three sides and were cut down like grain at harvest. Gersius was in the tip of a spike, his sword glowing red as he unleashed his might on the Doan. He stood out among the soldiers, his silver armor and red eyes shining like a beacon to the enemy that wanted his head.

“Advance!” he cried, and the wall surged forward, pushing for the green shields of the women of Ulustrah. He assumed the Doan would put their best fighters in the front to shatter his lines. Instead, Gersius would grind them up, pushing for the magical walls and showing the Doan he was one who would gain ground. It also allowed the thousands of soldiers still running for the lines to form up and take their proper places. All he had to do was keep the Doan tied down and unable to use their numbers to their advantage.

Then the battle changed as a twisting red light streaked across the battlefield. It lit up the scene and slammed into a soldier of the empire, blasting a hole in his armor. It was followed by dozens more as the Doan weavers opened up, using their magic to attempt to break his lines.

The walls of green shields winked out almost as one as the women of Ulustrah shifted to intercepting the magical attacks. All across his lines, red explosions occurred as the weaves impacted blessings, causing flashes of light. Some of the bolts made it through, but the number was kept to a minimum. However, the women of Ulustrah soon found themselves the focus of attacks as spears began to rain down on them. As a result, women were forced to build a shield overhead to protect their formation, limiting the number trying to intercept the weaves.

Gersius fought like a champion, standing side by side with his men. He was proud to see blessings of Balisha being deployed as the Doan fought back savagely. The priests of Astikar continued to pour out hammers, doing the best they could to thin the enemy. Red lines of light began to streak from his side as his weavers finally deployed to resist the enemy. They were there primarily to handle dragon attacks, but no dragons had appeared thus far. He surveyed the scene as his advance had done exactly what he hoped, pushing Doan into a thick mass where they could barely maneuver.

“Entangle!” he cried, and the women of Ulustrah responded, their voices changing as they focused on growing tangling brush. As soon as the front ranks of the Doan began to struggle, Gersius ordered a withdrawal. His army had practiced this maneuver many times, and his men quickly dashed back a good ten yards and formed a solid wall of shields.

“Sarah, now!” Gersius called over the bind.

A great dark shape dived out of the clouds, racing for the tangled mass of the Doan army. She made no sound save the great inhale as flames danced between her teeth. She opened that fearsome maw and lit up the battlefield once more, spraying a line of flames across the Doan as she raced over them. The sound of men screaming was horrifying as hundreds burned in the flames. The scent of the carnage was foul, but Gersius held his ground. Thayle rushed to his side and told him that Mingfe was here to take command of the women of Ulustrah, and Shadros was on his way back from scouting.

“Tell her to have him fly high and look for other dragons,” Gersius replied. “He is not to engage them. I want to know if he sees them.”

Thayle ran off to relay the information as Sarah banked and began to climb away. Red streaks rose by the hundreds after her, filling the sky with a hail of deadly fire. Clearly, the Doan no longer considered her an object of reverence, and she would get no second chance to make such an attack safely.

Gersius took a moment to breathe as a wall of fire now separated the two armies. He had done all he could to buy precious time, and now most of his army was on the field and ready. Still, despite the losses, the Doan outnumbered him, and he had played his most important asset by using Sarah so early. He now had to win by force of arms and hope the sheer volume of weavers in the enemy camp wouldn't outlast his blessings.

“Heal and recover,” he commanded, sending the priests of Velous into the field to recover fallen soldiers. When the flames died, he would order another advance and press forward so his wounded could be easily recovered. It was a terrible tactic to keep healing wounded men and pressing them back into battle, but he had no choice. If he was going to win this fight, he would need to use every ounce of divine power he could muster.

“I have told her,” Thayle said as she returned to his side. “She will let us know if he communicates anything.”

Gersius nodded and turned his gaze back to the flames that were rapidly dying when a dark object flew overhead. A stone, the size of a man, came rushing down and slammed through a line of men crushing armor and bone alike. A second stone tore through a rank of the women of Ulustrah, causing terrible cries of horror and pain.

“What was that?” Thayle yelled as a second stone struck another group of women leaving several dead in a single attack.

Gersius focused on the flames, desperate to see how the Doan were attacking him. The night sky was just now beginning to give way to the Dawn, but he needed little light to see the danger that now threatened him.

They were easily eighteen feet tall, with the appearance of a man dressed in black mail over their chests and metal plates on their legs. Each one of them had two ugly heads with disheveled oily hair. On each head was a single eye, and even as he watched, one of them hoisted a large rock the size of a man and hurled it from fifty feet beyond the fire. It crashed through the flames and tumbled through his lines wreaking havoc on his unsuspecting men. Another stone sailed in, and several green shields rose to meet it, but the size of the stone and the strength behind it shattered them and passed through harmlessly.

“Ettins!” Gersius cursed.

“Ettins?” Thayle gasped. “How?”

“Maybe the same way they control bandersooks, or maybe they paid them. It doesn't matter how. All that matters is they are here,” Gersius said.

“You have beaten ettins before. What do we do?” Thayle asked as she panicked.

Gersius felt the tide turning as the fire now prevented his own men from reaching the new danger. The monsters could use tremendous strength to throw deadly boulders from relative safety. Still, weaves and hammers raced in to try and menace the foe, but it wouldn't be enough. Gersius needed a way to stop the hail of deadly stones, and he suddenly had an idea.

“How far can you project your chains?” he asked Thayle, turning on her quickly.

“How far?” she stammered.

“I need to know if you can reach those Ettins?” he asked, pointing to the danger.

Thayle glanced over the fire and tried to make them out as another rock sailed overhead, missing most of the lines and falling harmlessly in the rear. She struggled to bite back her fear as she did her best to judge the distance.

“I, I think so. But they are so large. With my sword and dragon power, I might be able to hold one, but none of the other women will,” Thayle replied.

“Can they hold one for just a second?” Gersius asked as he took her by the shoulders. “

“What good will a second do?” Thayle asked.

“Thayle focus. Can they hold one for just a second?” he repeated in a calm voice that gave her hope.

“Yes, any of them should be able to hold one that long,” she replied as her confidence began to grow.

Gersius stepped aside so she could see the enemy and searched through the dwindling flames.

“There, that one that is picking up the rock. When he goes to throw it, I want you to shackle one of its arms just for a second and then let it go,” Gersius instructed with a pointed finger.

Thayle nodded and began to channel, preparing to shackle the creature even as it hoisted the rock over its head. She began to glow slightly with green light as her focus narrowed on the creature. Gersius was making up a tactic in the heat of the moment and quickly needed to get the plan to the women of Ulustrah. He used the dragon voice, calling loudly to Mingfe, who was busy trying to reform her battered lines.

“Mingfe and daughters of Ulustrah,” he yelled, causing the women to look at him. He pointed to Thayle as she raised her hands and demanded they watch her. “Watch Thayle!”

The beast flexed its arms and started to swing the rock over its head. Green chains suddenly raced out and grabbed one of the creature's arms, freezing it in place and causing it to lose its grip on the stone. The chains released immediately, but the ettin had lost control and momentum. The stone crashed into the Doan soldiers in front of it, causing them to wail in pain.

“Just like that, do not try to hold them. Just don't let them throw!” Gersius commanded.

Mingfe turned around and began barking at the women. “Every fifth priestess is to focus on the beasts! The rest of you keep blocking the spears and weaves!”

Green chains began to race out, and the hail of stones ceased as the fires dwindled away.

“You are the greatest general in history,” Thayle said as the dark forms of the Doan began to test the flames.

“Great generals don’t get ambushed,” he replied coldly.

“You didn't get ambushed. You met them head-on!” Thayle cried defiantly. “And even as I nearly panicked, you kept your calm and pushed ahead. You saved this army.”

Gersius looked at her with eyes full of sorrow. “Lilly saved us. If it wasn't for Lilly's warnings, they would be in the camp slaughtering men in their bedclothes.”

Thayle swallowed and turned her eyes back to the Doan as the fire died away. They came rushing forward with a great howl, and Gersius shouted more orders.

“Priests free!” he yelled, turning the priests in the line loose to use their powers at will.

Orange hammers flew all around him, and men were crushed under weapons wielded by divine might. Still, the walls of the Doan were much thicker than his own, and despite his initial tricks, they still outnumbered him greatly. He had no choice but to allow a second attack from the dragon flying high above.

Sarah dived out of the sky, the darkness no longer hiding her as the sun slowly rose. Red streaks raced up to meet her, and Gersius could feel the impacts over the bind. He slashed through the wild men before him as green chains raced out, tripping up more ettins. Sarah passed over the lines scorching them as she went, but her fire was cut short as dozens of bolts slammed into her body. Gersius could feel holes being punched in her wings as she yelped in pain and turned back up into the sky.

“She can't keep doing that!” Thayle yelled as she sliced through a man's armor.

“Sarah!” Gersius called over the bind. “Drop behind the lines. The priests of Balisha will heal you!” He looked up momentarily as she flew overhead and was horrified when it began to rain red.

“This is her blood!” Thayle cried as the shock took her for a moment. “She must be terribly wounded!”

“Thayle, focus!” Gersius yelled. “We have planned for this. She will be fine!” He knew they had indeed planned this, and as part of his battle formation was a group of young priests from various faiths. They were too underskilled to be on the front lines, but all of them could heal. He knew that pressing the dragons into a fight with the Doan would lead to them being injured, so they planned a safe place for them to retreat and be recovered.

A Doan with a two-handed hammer slammed into his shield with a battle cry. Gersius felt the impact through his armor and gritted his teeth to ward off the man’s great strength. He called on divine power and used the shield as a ram slamming into the man and throwing him back. The man fell into the others behind him, causing a small hole as he tangled them up.

The Doan were now bunching up on his front, and fighting was frantic all over the lines. There were men piled on men, and he could see priests of Velous dragging the wounded back and laying them in a line before others who were praying and healing as best they could.

He could renew some of his men turning wounded men back into fighting men, but he could not keep up the pace forever. When the priests of Velous tired, the women of Ulustrah would take over with healing. When they tired, the wounded would stay wounded, and his lines would finally begin to thin.

A deep growl echoed in the air, and an ettin raced in. The beasts were tired of the chains and had decided to wade in with clubs and take the battle to them more directly. Gersius saw an opportunity to rally his men and show them the enemy could be beaten. He met the monster head-on, calling on divine power to swell his strength. With the dragon knight shield raised high, he blunted the monster's attack, then breathed a line of freezing cold, driving the Doan beside the beast back.

The Ettin closed on him again, and the Doan gave it a wide berth leaving a gap that Gersius exploited. He called to Balisha, creating a silvery dragon's claw that raked the monster's side, causing a howl of rage. In anger, it whirled about, desperate to smash him with a club that was like a small tree. Gersius ran right for it, divine strength bolstering his might as he blocked the club with his shield. His feet were pushed back by the tremendous blow, but his might won out. The beast was unable to recover from the sudden stop of its weapon, and Gersius lashed out. He cut a deep gouge in the beast's armored leg plates, the sword of Astikar cleaving through the armor with ease. The monster stomped at him as he got too close, but Gersius easily stepped aside from the clumsy feet.

He was inside the reach of the club, cutting at the beast as it tried in vain to kick him away. A second swing at the same leg sent the monster tumbling to the ground. Gersius was on it in a moment, even as a red bolt of daghost bounced off his armor. He put his sword through one of the heads as the other howled in rage. It flailed desperately to throw him off, but Gersius rolled away. The beast tried to rise, but Gersius used his frost breath and focused on the remaining eye. It howled as it clutched a hand over the frozen eye, the other hand flailing so wildly it battered the nearby Doan.

Gersius was forced to abandon the wounded beast as the Doan surged around it. He fell back into his lines only to see that other ettins had charged across and were wreaking havoc on his men. One of them was nearly on Thayle, but the beast staggered as vines wrapped up its legs, and Thayle surged forward to deal with it. He turned as the wounded Ettin raced at the line he now stood behind but then stopped and gripped at its left face, an arrow sticking out of its eye.

Ayawa let loose arrow after arrow sending them into the face of the creature, making it stagger back under the hail of deadly accurate bolts. Behind her came the other archers, putting their bows to use and raining death on the foes.

Two Ettins working side by side plowed into the lines a hundred paces from him, and he saw them buckle. He grimaced as he went to join the fight and meet the Ettins head-on, but then he saw Sarah.

The ground shook as the massive dragon ran up on the lines in terrible glory. On her back was her saddle, and in it was a single rider. She leaped over the lines of men as they fell away from the towering monsters and barreled into the Ettins. They were large, no doubt, but Sarah in dragon form was thirty feet tall at the shoulder, and a single powerful claw was more than enough to pin one to the ground. Her jaws clamped over the arm and side of the other, and with a quick thrash of her neck, she dragged it over and threw it to the ground.

The man on her back stood in the saddle, tied in place by ropes. His shoulder-length hair waved in the breeze, and he wore a dark cloak. Skilled hands moved in a practiced dance, and a line of red fire raced out, slashing into the Doan around Sarah.

“That’s Tavis,” Thayle cried as the Doan army fell away from the enraged dragon.

Gersius looked up to the man who feared to use his power as he collected flames from the air and hurled them at the Doan. Sarah was untouched by his fire and loosed a blast of her own, dealing death in a wide arc before grinding another ettin underfoot.

“I told you this was a good idea!” she bellowed when her breath was done.

“You are the only one on the battlefield who is not in danger if I lose control,” Tavis shouted.

“If you begin to lose control, just tell me, and I will carry you deep into their lines!” Sarah yelled back as she reared up to claw at another Ettin that raced in with a spear. She lifted a wing to shield Tavis as spears and weaves were focused on the man on her back. She took the painful hits to protect him and roared in angry defiance.

“Where is Shadros?” Tavis cried as he sent a wave of fire into the nearest ranks of the Doan.

“He was out scouting for this army like I should have been,” Sarah replied.

“So he won’t be here to help?” Tavis cried as a red bolt raced by his face.

“I doubt he even knows we are under attack,” Sarah replied just before taking a spear to the leg.

The Doan were over their shock and poured at her in terrible waves of rage. Weaves, blessings, and conventional spears were hurled at her as she used her size and power to drive them back. Tavis put all his skill at fire weaving to use, calling down flames to break up any large groups and keep the Doan moving.

Gersius was grateful for their arrival but worried about how this would affect Ayawa. Tavis wasn't holding back, and though Sarah had been training him, the danger of losing control was very real. They could have prepared for this better if they had more time, but he had no choice now. He quickly surveyed the battlefield to see that the Doan were using their numbers well. He could see entire formations in the back row shifting right in an effort to go around his lines and flank him. If that were to happen, he would quickly be overwhelmed.

Sarah waded deeper into the enemy taking serious wounds but inflicting far more. She wanted to be careful to keep her flames away from the empire lines. She didn't dare take to the sky again and give so many weavers a clear shot at her. Her best option was to wade into them and force them to fire on their own people if they wanted to risk it.

“Sarah!” she heard Gersius call through the binding of their souls.

“What is it, my husband?” she replied while sweeping a wall of men aside with a powerful swipe of her claw.

“I need you to make a wall of fire to your right, and I need Tavis to hold it up as long as he can,” Gersius replied.

“How long a wall?” she asked.

“As long as you can make it. The Doan are coming around our flank. I want to shift the men on the right over, but that will open a hole in our lines. You and Tavis must hold that gap, or the battle is over.”

“I understand!” she replied and moved to take action. She slammed a claw down, crushing a man, and let out another torrent of fire to push them away to buy them space.

“Tavis, Gersius says our right flank is falling. He wants me to create a barrier of fire to the right so the men there can shift over. He needs you to keep it up as long as you can.”

Tavis could see the truth of the situation as he looked over the battle from Sarah's back. The Doan were spreading out across the lines and were now starting to come around the sides. They were being met head-on by the priestesses of Ulustrah supported by batteries of dove shields. If those women fell the Doan would begin to sweep down the line destroying the army in minutes.

Gersius wanted to shift his entire center to the right and engulf those units, but that meant a hole in his line. That hole would be filled by a wall of fire, giving Gersius room to mauver and forcing the Doan to stretch thinner.

The tactic was sound, but the danger was in holding the line. In order to keep a fire burning, Tavis had to pull on the weave, channeling the flame through himself. Unfortunately, the longer he held up the fire, the more he risked losing control. He thought of Ayawa and Gedris and their dream of starting a family. Both his wives were pregnant with his children and looking forward to settling down. He wanted this vision more than anything but realized they had no choice; the army was flanked, and he was the only one who could help.

“Make It as long as you can. I will keep it up!” he yelled.

Sarah took a breath and lifted her head high. She sprayed a red line of fire across the ground, and Tavis began to chant in tones as his eyes fixed on the line of fire. He fanned it and made it higher, standing like a wall that stretched nearly two hundred paces. He saw the soldiers of the empire cut down the few remaining Doan and then abandon their position, hurrying to reinforce the flank. All he had to do was keep control, and the battle might not be lost.

“How long can you hold that?” Sarah asked as she lashed out with both arms throwing men into the air.

“As long as it takes!” Tavis yelled back in a strained voice as he fell into concentration. The battle was far from won, and he had to hold the gap while gambling with his control of the fire. If he lost control, Sarah would be the only one left to tell the tale of what happened.