The army marched steadily through the city streets, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls as they moved toward the keep.The windows, doors were closed, and the roads empty with no people in sight.
As they passed through the final gate leading out of the city proper, the landscape opened up into an expanse of green fields. The land between the city and the keep stretched out like a soft, untouched carpet of grass, the only interruption being the dirt road they followed.
For a moment, the soldiers almost forgot where they were, their eyes briefly taking in the tranquil surroundings. But the calm belied the intensity of what was to come.
Once they reached the base of the keep, Alpheo signaled for his men to halt. The sound of their march faded into silence, and the soldiers gathered, their eyes fixed on the towering structure ahead. Alpheo surveyed the scene, his eyes sharp, measuring the defenses of the stronghold.
"Jarza," Alpheo called,
