The Adder tightened his grip on his lance, nervously shuffling his weight from one foot to another. The banners of the five nations flew from the fortifications behind them, as members from all the grand companies lined up, forming ranks, deeper than the soldier had ever seen. But even the additions of the Doman forces, all the way from across the sea, wasn’t enough to quell the sickness in his stomach.

Across the trenches, were Garleans. And Garleans were numberless.

All of this might, the entire Alliance, what was it compared to the Empire? Compared to magitek, compared to the monster that was the crown prince? They’d all heard the rumours of what had happened at the parley, the Emperor declaring his intentions of blood. They were all going to fight, they were all going to die, it would all be for noth-

It was the movement that caught his eye, a tall head, ponytail and dreads bobbing, an easy gait carrying her forward as she headed up a small Doman unit. She wasn’t greeting people, there were far too many of them for that, but she was looking around, meeting the eyes of everyone she could, a confident, easy-going expression on her face.

His grip on his spear slackened a little, he could breathe a little easier, the knot in his stomach was bearable. 

Garlean’s might have all that. But they had the Warrior of Light on theirs.

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