Aace was meditating in his chambers before the seige when a mage came to him with a message from Lord John:
"I've been studying the works of King Plato the wise here in Academy. I have discovered a way in which battle itself will grant you knowledge and abilities, not just the blood of your foes. You can enchant your sword with magic for one use, and learn magical abilities by seeing them performed due to your bond with the sword."
Aace then looked into each side of the pommel, lion and wolf, and then he new. He had his mages cast various spells which he dutifully mastered. Sir Christopher then entered the mage room, stating "We are ready."
The Company met the marching army just before Eagle's Pass. They rallied their soldiers, and they gave their orders-Take Draconia.
Aace and the Knight's Company lead the army though the pass, and had the mages give the signal to Lord Piere to start artillery fire. They rammed the gates, and artillery battered until Aace enchanted his sword and swung, releasing a burst of magic that brought down the gate. They were quickly rushed by Hannibal's army, who had also recouped over his loss. But Aace was not going to let Hannibal win. He gathered the knights and charged for Hannibal. He absorbed the knowledge of every move the company, the soldiers, and Hannibal performed. "This time," he thought.
Aace came face to face with Hannibal and his knights, while he had his knights stand guard as well. Then the fight began. No longer was Aace fighting, he was learning, adapting, leading. He came to his dance with Hannibal. Hannibal made no effort to back off, he was all in. Each of their blows struck with the force of a thousand men, dodging, parrying, and dancing around each other. Hannibal believed he could use the same tricks, but Aace learned. Aace released a flurry of attacks, each intending to kill Hannibal. Then both Aace and Hannibal swung their blades and connected, causing a sound burst that killed a soldier. Hannibal tried to push through, and so did Aace. Aace then quickly parried the blow downwards, swinging upwards, striking Hannibal and taking his left eye. Hannibal quickly got up and ran, calling for his men to surrender. Aace then once again enchanted his sword a swung a wave of magic that killed st least a third of what remained of Hannibal's army.
The people reveled in their victory, as Aace prepared to rally the soldiers.
"We won, men. We took the most powerful stronghold in all of Graiigreald, and we lived to tell about it. So we can't lose it. We need to rebuild the stronghold and man it. We need to rebuild cities and fortify what we have. Hannibal is on the run, and I intend to keep it that way until we take Dragonrock Castle. I'm not stopping anymore. This is not a war. It is a Crusade to kill the false king, to kill the destroyer of families. We've gained to much to let it go. We will not slack off, we will not stop fighting, and we will never surrender"
The men cheered as Aace took one final glare into the distance.