The Hellfire Legion marched through the Portal in perfect formation, seen off by envious, cheering citizens.
Reporters followed the troops, with the Goblins providing logistical support behind them.
Then eleven Blue Dragons rose above Free City and flew north.
There were no better bodyguards than Blue Dragons.
At first, Annan had worried the family dragons would not stir for so little money. But whatever the Dragon Father and Dragon Mother had told them, every dragon was fired up.
They looked ready to risk their lives for that 100 Gold Narls.
Annan sat in Olmedo's Office, waiting for good news from the front. Unfortunately, the Orr Empire had backed down too quickly. Otherwise, this offensive could have put considerable pressure on them.
Had they realized that and withdrawn first?
Broken clouds drifted over the Hills, casting shifting patches of light across the ground.
A gray tide covered the land, surging south.
More than ten li away, beyond a low ridge, a shaft of sunlight fell on a military formation that gleamed cold as metal.
"They're here." The wind thinned Adjutant Locran's voice.
Femi stood on the highest lookout rock. The tassel of the Magic Musket slung across his shoulder hung against his chest like a row of tiny gallows.
His gaze swept the distance. There was no Ratfolk Priest in sight.
Without a commander, the Ratfolk were just greedy, stupid beasts. The only question was how to wipe them all out without taking casualties.
He did not see the Rat Tide as a threat. That was not arrogance. Even Annan could not claim to understand everything the Hellfire Legion had become, much less Femi himself.
On paper, the five-thousand-strong Legion had "only" 250 Professionals. But the remaining 95 percent were no ordinary people. They did not have to work. They