Everything was set in motion.
The courtyard of the High Tower gathered one hundred elite soldiers, their armor polished and weapons ready. At their head stood Captain Jay, the Hawkeye, calm and focused. Saturn, meanwhile, had been tasked with overseeing the reconstruction of the broken wall alongside the Ironhearth Clan, the dwarves whose mastery of forge and rune remained a mystery even to scholars.
Lucian placed a firm hand on Jay's shoulder. "Take care of the men and yourself as well."
Jay nodded once. "You can count on me, my lord."
"Clear a path!" Lucian shouted, waving his hand.
The gathered crowd parted immediately. Moments later, the mounted scouts surged forward, hooves thundering against stone as they rode through the gates and into the forest beyond. Their mission was clear and dangerous
Lucian watched them go. And after some time his part begins.
While his elite forces ventured beyond the walls, Lucian was tasked with raising new strength, recruiting and training men as quickly as possible.
[Lady Valdrina – Perspective]
"HUH?! Who does he think he is?!" Lady Valdrina slammed her hand onto the table, wine sloshing dangerously in her goblet.
"Just because he commands the army does not mean he can do as he pleases!"
"And my lady," a soldier said carefully, kneeling upon the carpeted floor, "his request was approved, not by the ministers.. but by the Hand of the King himself."
"Ohhh, of course," she sneered bitterly. "I almost forgot, he is the Hand's precious son." Her voice slurred slightly from drink.
"Is there anything else you wish to say?" she snapped.
"No, my lady. That is all the news for today."
"Then get out of my sight—NOW!"
"Yes, my lady!" The soldier scrambled to his feet and fled, slamming the door behind him.
Valdrina trembled with rage.
He thinks he has power over this realm… Just because he is the Hand's son does NOT mean he controls everything!
"I will make him pay," she hissed. "For humiliating me before the king and the nobles."
He will pay!
[King Aldren – Perspective]
"I see," King Aldren said quietly. "Commander Lucian has begun his operation."
The messenger bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"You may leave."
Once alone, Aldren leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.
'He prepares not for glory, but for survival, the king thought. That alone makes him dangerous—and necessary. Lucian's resolve gave him hope—hope that humanity might yet stand firm in a world that seemed determined to crush it.'
'Still… resources were thinning.. I pray this will be his final request. The treasury cannot endure much longer.'
"Darling," a gentle voice said.
His wife approached from behind, wrapping her arms around him. "I can sense that you trouble yourself too much again"
Aldren smiled faintly. "If I hide behind these walls while my people fear tomorrow, then I am no king."
"I know," she replied softly. "Then let me stand beside you."
"Always," Aldren said, squeezing her hand.
[Lord Haldrix – Perspective]
'That son of a—.... He thinks he stands above us?!' Lord Haldrix's hands shook with rage. 'We are the ones who govern this kingdom. We control the treasury! And now he dares take gold without my authority?'
"He humiliated me," Haldrix snarled. "Before the king. Before the council."
His jaw clenched. "I will see him stripped of his rank," he vowed. "One way or another."
[Lord Thandor – Perspective]
Time passes so quickly…
My love… my wife… can you see him now?
Our little boy has grown into a man of steel and fire.
I promised you I would protect him—and I will, for as long as I draw breath.
So please… watch over him where I cannot.
[Lucian – Perspective]
I must rebuild our strength.
Even with my elite forces, I cannot afford to lose men one by one. If we do not replenish now, this kingdom will fall.
"My lord," a soldier reported, kneeling, "we have gathered volunteers from the city and the surrounding lands. Many are between sixteen and twenty-five… though some are older, up to forty."
Lucian extended his hand. "Let me see the papers." He read in silence.
'Four hundred fifty-nine volunteers!' His breath caught.
'This many… after everything they've seen?... But why would so many step forward now?'
'Goblins were dangerous, yes—but not cunning enough to breach enchanted walls with such precision.'
'Unless… Someone else is guiding them.' A chill ran through him.
"My instincts are screaming. Something is coming, and if I am not ready… This kingdom may not survive."
Humanity was already on the move, gathering every resource, every blade, every willing soul it possessed. Walls were rebuilt, men were trained, and plans were set into motion. Yet one question lingered in the air, unspoken but heavy in every heart... Would it be enough?
Only time would tell.