"My Lord, we must prepare for the siege. The Knights shall soon be upon us, and if Riote falls to them, the dishonor it would bring will be unending. We must dig in and ready the battlements."
A tall and thin officer was currently addressing Ojero as he looked across the fields, noting the increasing size of the Avarian army. He was now taller, and felt stronger. Whereas he was once a small and thin child, he matured into a well built adult.
Recently, the Knights of Avar decided to send a large force North into the Kingdom of Riote. It was up to the Guestino family to defend the kingdom, and so the force was split into 3.
Orpham would take the main force and meet the enemy in open fields, father would go around defending the villages from the Knights, and Ojero would defend the capital.
He walked atop the walls, thinking deep on the coming battle. His white and gold armor gleamed, making him appear to be an angel from above. On his breastplate a great green hourglass was carved. At all times it appeared to be dropping sand into the bottom.
The soldiers all saluted as he passed, for they all respected him greatly. For the past few months, he had defended against multiple sieges successfully. His use of time magic during this time made him be known as the King of Time.
Just last week, he was seen jumping off the wall and into the battle to protect a few villagers who the Knights attempted to use as threats. They still remembered how he appeared to be everywhere and nowhere, as if time and space broke at his will allowing him to do whatever he wished without any kind of cost.
"Royance!" Ojero barked out, and a short rotund man wearing a very expensive officer uniform stepped forward and saluted.
"My lord, how may I be of assistance?"
"Report."
"Yes, my lord. We currently have 1,300 men in total. 600 swordsmen, 500 archers, and 200 mages. Most at the novice rank. We have enough arrows to defend for years, and food stores can last us till next spring."
"Any words from the front?"
The man paused before speaking, as if unsure how to explain.
"Speak soldier."
"Well, my lord, I have heard some troubling news."
Ojero's eyebrows creased at this. "What kind of news?"
"I have heard that the Lord of the Stars has met the enemy in open fields, and suffered a brutal loss. We are unsure of the total numbers, but there may be nothing left. We have yet to confirm the whereabouts of your brother too."
Ojero seemed to have stopped moving, not even his hourglass kept working. Time slowed down as his mind worked as fast as it could to comprehend that his brother, Lord of the Stars, could have possibly died.
It was an insane idea. Even in Avar, the Guestino brothers were feared. They were widely regarded as the Rulers of Reality, with their combination of time and space magic.
They had no weakness, par for Orpham's wife, Karina, but in combat they couldn't be bested.
Ojero slowly came back to his senses, and shook his head to clear it.
"Enemy force size?"
The officer kept his eyes down, understanding that Ojero would be in grief.
"4,600 my lord. 2,100 swordsmen, 900 archers, 600 mages, and 1,000 knights."
The news was like another stab of a knife into Ojero. They could handle a force that size, if not for the 1,000 knights. While Riote had mages of a good strength, Avar was renowned across the continent for their knights.
No one knows what they do to them, but a single knight could kill 100 normal swordsmen. The powerful ones even commanded powerful magic that they used to strengthen themselves and their blades.
The Knights of Avar have claimed the Kingdom of Riotes land for many decades, but never went to war due to Riotes alliance with the Everentile Empire. With the recent attacks of the Killer Time, they had to recall their promises of help to Riote.
They had little chance against a force that size.
"Prepare to meet them in the field. If we defend upon the wall, they will simply break it down with us on it and slaughter the city."
The Knights had a code, that they would never harm a citizen unless the enemy housed a force of soldiers in the town's area. So long as they did battle outside the city, they would respect their enemies bravery and therefore leave the citizens unharmed.
Ojero knew they would lose on the wall, and in the fields, so he might as well save the people of Litenvail City.
The officer looked at him with horror till he realized the situation. He then steeled his resolve, and saluted before leaving, already barking orders.
The entire force left the safety of the wall, and walked through the gate with their heads held high, knowing even if they die today their families will be safe.
Ojero led the force, walking on his own legs, not wishing to ride a beast that puts himself higher than his men.
They set up in ranks, making long rows in front of the city's main gate, looking across the field towards the great force of Avar.
The knights were easily noticeable. They rode giant horses and wore armor of pure white. They gleamed like tongues of fire, ready to declare their holy might.
Anger was growing in Ojero's mind, a chill permeating his bones. The thought that these were the murderers of his brother made him wish to kill them slowly, cruelly, methodically. Make them suffer every bit of pain for their audacity.
The battle was soon to start, when suddenly a man on a horse even bigger than the others marched forth. He was a knight, wearing their armors, but on his helmet there were 4 gems, all of blue.
The Knights of Avar determine rank based on gems in the helmet, each color representing something different.
4 gems of blue makes this man a very high ranking officer, possibly at the colonel level.
It wasn't too shocking to see a knight officer move forward, they usually led the charge for their men. What set this one apart was that he was pulling a chain behind him.
When Ojero saw who he was pulling, his entire being shook.
He saw Orpham, wrapped in anti-magic chains, being pulled like cattle.
His uniform was ruined, and he was covered in mud and cuts. Fury burned in Ojero, but suddenly went away. A familiar chill permeated his bones, as the temperature around him dropped a noticeable few degrees.
The officer raised his sword, and in front of both armies, let his arm fall.