"The oni are marching for us!" a squire screamed, bursting through the doors of the training hall. "The... The oni..." he bent over, placed his hands on his knees and heaved air in.

"Calm down, boy," Galdwin said as he uncrossed his arms and walked over to him.

Everyone in the hall stopped sparring with each other to listen.

"Now, tell me what the scouts told you." Galdwin placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Revvil and the others watched with intent. Had the oni taken Le'Dria? It'd only been four months since they arrived at the city and began training. Most of the soldiers still weren't ready. Revvil guessed those very soldiers shat themselves hearing that the oni were about to attack already. However, no amount of training would ever prepare them for a real fight, much less against an oni.

The boy's entire body shook, and his skin was unnaturally pale. He stood and it looked as if he might continue onto his backside and pass out. "A force, about one hundred strong, marches from Le'Dria towards our city as we speak."

Galdwin lifted his hand from the boy's shoulder and began to pace in front of him. The boy's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell forwards and crashed into the floorboards.

"They're probably an expeditionary unit meant to test our strength," Galdwin said to himself, ignoring the fainted squire and stepping over him. Two of the other knights rushed in to pull the boy from Galdwin's path as he mulled over his response to the demons. "If we answer in equal numbers but don't engage will they consider us equals? No, they'll just slaughter us and assume we're weak."

He looked to the soldiers in the hall. His own knights lined the hall, instructing groups of about twenty recruits each. The hall stretched at least a mile long and stunk of sweat and dried blood. The very stench had marinated itself inside the wood flooring from the generations of recruits that had trained in the hall.

Galdwin shook his head. There was only one answer to this assault. "How many soldiers do we have ready to fight, including these recruits?" Galdwin asked, turning to one of his knights.

"About five thousand, Knight Commander."

"Fucking abyss, that's all?"

"We've lost a considerable amount of our men to The Red Hand, sir. The eradication campaign King Artemis ordered last year bore a sizable toll on our military might."

Galdwin grumbled to himself as he chose his next course of action. "We'll need to send at least a thousand to meet these oni. We must show them we can fight them with ten to one odds and hope they don't call the bluff. Hopefully, if they think they're outnumbered, they'll retreat back to the hole they crawled out of."

"Knight Commander, sir," Revvil said, approaching Galdwin before placing both his feet together. He balled his fists, snapping his right arm upwards across his chest and the other behind his lower back.

"At ease, soldier," Galdwin stated. "What do you want?"

"My brothers and I would like to volunteer to be part of the force that answers the oni. We have prior experience fighting them. But if I may, sir, I'd like to request that we be granted audience with the king to plead our lost brother's life."

"I already told you of your brother's fate should we find him, dwarf!"

Revvil furrowed his brow. "Surely the king can repeal that decision?"

"He could, but why should you be granted an audience for doing the job you signed up to do?"

"Because we are volunteering! That's four less lives that will weigh on your conscience should we be killed!"

"That's right!" Tamlick shouted, stepping forward. "I may have sword an oath to defend this kingdom, but I've held an oath to defend my brothers far longer! I'll not-"

"Tam, shut it!" Bertel grabbed him and pulled him back. "Let Revvil deal with this."

"But..."

"You make a fair point dwarf. I'm sure, in your ages, you have upheld that oath far longer than you've undertaken this one." Galdwin sighed. "I'm getting too old for this shit," he muttered to himself. He uncrossed his arms and placed his hands at his hips. "Come with me. The four of you." He said as he made for the door.

Revvil and the others followed Galdwin as he brought them outside. The training grounds rested a day's journey north from the city of Lockshi'Ria. The castle's towers glittered in the midmorning sun. It was the only thing visible from the mountain top the hall was dug into other than the barren granite peaks that made up the Spine of Tallenheim.

Revvil's heart quickened as all four lined up outside the door to the hall. They all folded their hands behind them and stood as tall as their short statures would allow. Four months of combat training and military etiquette being ground into their heads had made the stance second nature. Revvil looked to either side of him at Golag, Tamlick, and Bertel. All three of them either chewed at the inside of their cheek or avoided eye contact with the Knight Commander.

Revvil snapped back to the commander when he heard him sigh once more.

"Given that your numbers are so few, yet you'd still risk your lives for our kingdom, your valor deserves some recognition. I will grant you this one favor to plead the king should you return."

Revvil and his brother's hearts filled with an uplifting warmth.

"However," Galdwin continued and their hearts sank a bit. "This is the only favor I will grant you. After this you will obey my orders no matter the outcome-without question or condition-is that clear?"

"Yes, Knight Commander!" they all said in unison, snapping a salute.

"I would make one more request of you four, though."

"And what is that, sir?" Revvil answered.

"Your gaggle rode here in a wagon meant for trading did you not?"

"Aye. We were merchants before this, sir."

"I thought as much. My knights told me how you lent your cart to those in need along the road." Galdwin turned to the cityscape below. He stared at it for a moment. "You four know the Garden well. I would have you take your wagon and some supplies ahead of our March. The Garden will be red with blood at the end of this war, and I want to make sure it is theirs that darken its rivers."

"And how would traders assure that outcome, sir?" Revvil asked.

"Your supplies will be traps. You will mask as traders like normal to any you may meet on the road. Find a ground that favors us and lay the traps. We will force them into a position not advantageous to them-"

Galwdin snapped his fist shut.

"-and slaughter them!"