CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Royce saw the sun creeping over the horizon and knew that the time had come. This was the day when, for better or worse, it would be decided. Around him, he could already hear the sounds of the camp rising, the people strapping on armor and readying weapons.
Royce strapped on his armor and slung the obsidian sword at his side, before walking out into the camp. Gwylim was waiting for him outside, moving in to step by his side, while Ember took flight from her perch atop a stack of spears. He could see the different groups starting to form up, ready to move to the battlefield, and he went toward his father’s tent, ready to help in any way he could.
When he got there, his father was already making plans, looking down at maps and moving blocks about. He looked up as Royce e
