"Any other concerns I should know about?" Soverick asked the rest.
"No, sir."
"Spread the word. Let the men start their final preparations. Then they should rest. We will set out at first light tomorrow. We will not be able to find time to rest in the coming days."
His order was sent out to the army. In this army, his words were the law. The army prepared vitality rations, equipment, and weapons. Then they slept. Vitality core stage refiners don't need rest but matching for 22 days straight carrying weapons and executing maneuvers will leave them needing sleep. So they slept.
Then they rose up before dawn. They finished their final preparations before the first light of a new day. As the sun rose from the horizon, the youths stood in formation, ready to do battle. The light of the sun illuminated them and what you could see were soldiers decked out in uniform armor. They were not the rowdy youths of yesterday, they were part of an army now.
