As the sun rose in the east, the vast grassland awoke in the wind. Green waves of grass rolled toward the horizon, meeting the leaden-gray clouds.
The distant horizon rose and fell slightly, like the sleeping back of a Giant Beast. Amid this boundless stretch of land and sky, a massive army was slowly advancing—
The thirty-thousand-strong Aldo Expeditionary Force wound through the golden sea of grass like a steel serpent. At the very front marched the Light Cavalry personally led by Baron Andrew, the red flags of the Northwest Legion snapping in the wind. The cavalrymen warily scanned their surroundings, carbines swaying gently beside their saddles with every step.
Close behind came the main infantry column. The soldiers marched with steady strides, their bayonets forming a metallic forest that glinted coldly in the sunlight. The wooden wheels of the supply wagons rolled over the soft earth, leaving deep tracks behind.
The Forest Orcish auxiliaries moved among them. They wore uniforms similar to those of the human soldiers, though generally several sizes larger. They carried bows and arrows on their backs and broad blades at their sides, their amber eyes constantly sweeping over the distant waves of grass.
Even more eye-catching was the artillery column pulled by mules and horses. More than thirty cannons of various types were covered with waterproof tarpaulins, their heavy barrels emitting dull clangs as they jolted along.
On both sides of the army, scouting teams made up of militia from the Northern Three Territories spread out like feelers. Riding sturdy ponies, they sometimes vanished into the grass waves, only to emerge from unexpected places and use Flag Language to signal that the way was clear.
When the wind bent the grass low, it occasionally revealed bones buried among the stalks. They might have belonged to