DAY ONE OF THE INVASION - EASTERN FRONT - DAWN
Two hundred thousand soldiers appeared on the horizon.
The largest army in RECORDED history. Banners from twenty-three kingdoms. United. COORDINATED. Unstoppable.
I stood on the fortifications with General Helena, watching them ADVANCE.
"Final count?" I asked.
"Two hundred and seventeen thousand," Helena reported. Her voice was steady despite the ODDS. "We have seventy-eight thousand on THIS front. Another twenty-five hundred scattered across other POSITIONS. We're outnumbered—" She did the math. "—almost THREE to one."
Through the anchor connection—I felt the other twelve. TERRIFIED. Determined. READY.
*"Remember the vow,"* I sent through the link. *"No anchor powers. We fight HUMAN. We fight FREE."*
*"We fight STUPID,"* Kassandra's thought. But resigned. ACCEPTING. *"But we fight TOGETHER."*
The enemy reached arrow range.
"LOOSE!" Helena commanded.
Ten thousand arrows FLEW. Darkened the sky. Fell like RAIN.
