[No spoilers] The Battle of the Eastern pass is the biggest set piece battle. All the South’s forces make a stand at a place rich in military history. The area is described in the book: “The mountains that ranged across the center of Ceniac Island flattened out to a rocky plateau for a mile before descending into the ocean. This was the eastern pass. A hundred-foot-wide mound rose thirty feet above the plateau. Ancient kings had built a fort on it from which archers could shoot.”
This is a payoff moment for the readers who have look forward to the mighty armies clashing in a decisive battle.
The North are augmented with tens of thousands of disciplined Merconian soldiers. They have two senior fire wizards and an array of more junior battle wizards. They have their superior malga-metal and they total about 120,000.
The South have half that number of men, but they are highly disciplined and are protecting their homeland. They also have a fort from which archers can shoot with relative impunity. Any Northern wizard who dare show their power would immediately find themselves targeted by the archers. The South also have the only heavy cavalry. King Alrad himself will lead the battle with all the great Southern generals to advise and coordinate.
In this battle we get to see Unmind unleash his full power. We see the role of Bestich as Unmind’s mentor, defender and some hitherto unspoken bond.
The much feared Southern heavy cavalry get the chance to do a full charge at the enemy in the open. Delicious!
Obviously I won’t say who wins and how or why, but the book is still available for download for a couple more days.
The final edits won’t change any plot points, it’s all about readability and grammar. Please check back on April 2nd for the official release.