[The Next Day]
The sun rose blood-red over Third Line's fortifications, painting the battlefield in shades of crimson and gold. The morning air carried the scent of smoke from Second Line's fires and something else—the lingering magical residue of yesterday's contamination spell.
Commander Elric stood atop a commandeered on top a huge rock crafted by his mage which was approximately four hundred yards from Third Line's walls. The structure had belonged to a settlement merchant before the siege began. Now it served as Elric's command post, offering elevated view of the entire battlefield.
Beside him stood his senior commanders and the Four Heroes.
Lieutenant Thorne was reviewing final troop positions on tactical maps. Captain Marcus supervised artillery crews positioning twenty catapults for bombardment. Major Aldrich—a grizzled forty-year veteran who commanded the army's heavy infantry—checked equipment with professional thoroughness.
And the Four Heroes.
