Aace lay there, unable to move. The faint sounds of knights rushing towards him was the only thing he could sense. His vision was blurry, and his ears were ringing wildly. He heard one of the knights shout, "get him his sword!" but he couldn't tell who.
Once the knights got the sword to Aace, he was immediately healed. He got up, sheathed his sword, mounted his horse, and then he rode back to Lion's Point.
The knights took note of their king. He was suffering. They decided it was time they had a conversation with him.
When the knights got to Lion's Point, they were informed that Aace had locked himself in his chambers in the keep. They went to the keep and went to Aace's chambers where they found him leaning against a window looking down on the city below.
Sir Leo was the first to step forward:
"Your majesty, what are you doing? You've lost to Hannibal before, why is it different now?"
"Everything is different now," said Aace in a choked voice.
"Aace you can't keep lounging around. Hannibal won't stop until he has conquered everything you control."
Sir Steven then interjected with, "Aace, you are hurting. You lost. You couldn't beat him. But I'll tell you the same thing as last time. You cannot beat Hannibal if you fight like Hannibal."
"THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, STEVEN? HUH? WHAT ABOUT YOU SIR CHRISTOPHER, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?"
Aace fell into a chair, breathing heavily, tears streaming down his face.
"Be yourself, your majesty," Lord John interjected as he entered the room.
"You are not Hannibal. You are not Failer. You are Aace. You are the people's hero. You are the Great Challenger. You are the Unifer. You are the king. The people love you, so love them. Your knights support you, so support them. To be a king is to be the best you. That is how you will beat Hannibal. Take your anger and use it with the sword, not against. Use the magic you have learned. Use everything you have at your disposal. You are King Aace the Unifier, Great Challenger of Lion's Point, Lord Knight of the Knight's Company, the hero of Academy."
Aace was beginning to feel reinvigorated. He thought, then devised a plan to take Servinsrad, Fort Mudstop, and Dragonrock. They were going to win this time. "This time," Aace thought, "this time."
The knights had their orders. Sir Henry, Sir Simon, Sir Daniel, and Sir Leo were taking half of the army to Fort Mudstop. Sir Steven, Sir Christopher, Sir Nicholas, and King Aace took the other half of the army to Servinsrad Stronghold.
The first company arrived at Fort Mudstop, immediately beginning their assault. The knights and the army were cutting through each of Hannibal's men and if they were made of melting butter. The second company began their assault on Servinsrad, Aace leading them through. He cut his way through every soldier, decapitating, flaying, and chopping up each one. The knights all danced and fought, each one in both companies killing every soldier in their path.
Once they had taken both Fort Mudstop and Servinsrad, they sent word to every city, stronghold, and village to send their men. They where going to take the fight to Dragonrock. The armies met at the Misted Lake, where Aace gave his speech:
"Men of Graiigreald, we have been in this crusade for far too long. Thirty years ago was when this started, and we have won and lost. But no longer will we lose. We fought Hannibal at Draconia and defeated him so let's fight him in his own home and defeat him. Send word to every man who would stand against us and tell them, We are Graiigreald."
The men cheered and the roar of the sound drowned out every other sound. Aace looked on through the deadlands, towards Dragonrock, and swore that the city would fall, even if every man, woman, and child there had to die. Hannibal would not escape this time. This time, Hannibal would die.