Within the valley, the members of the three forces were snoring softly, dozing, or sleeping soundly. Very few remained awake, and even the one or two cautious ones slowly closed their heavy eyelids beneath the cover of the Potion Mist.
Everything seemed so perfect. From the moment the Death God Guards entered the valley, the outcome seemed destined. This sneak attack would have been a classic had a terrifying rumble not ruined it.
Rumble...
Just as the Death God Guards passed through the passage into the valley, a fierce gale sprang up from some unknown corner. The wind was so violent that it first snapped a small tree halfway up the mountainside. A strange butterfly effect followed, one link leading to another, until it inexplicably caused a rockslide.
Millstone-sized rocks plunged straight into the valley along the green, moss-covered cliff face. The noise was earth-shattering. Even the mercenaries sleeping in the Potion Mist suddenly awoke as though facing a formidable enemy, grabbing their weapons first before looking to see what had happened.
Edwin, a part-time but exceptionally accomplished apothecary, knew full well that only a relatively mild sedative would escape the notice of experts. Just as he was smugly certain of victory, the rumbling completely shattered his plans. Looking at the mercenaries stationed in the valley as they took up their weapons and scanned their surroundings, then at the Death God Guards entering the valley, Edwin could only suppress the urge to curse and first give the order to attack. "Charge in! Kill!"
Both Edwin and Loretta knew the moment the boulders began rolling that this change had made a flawless sneak attack impossible. Cursing inwardly, they gave the order to charge, but their eyes kept sweeping over the area where the gale had arisen, their minds filled with a