Lined outside the gates were sixteen thousand soldiers, divided into two groups. To the left were fifteen thousand soldiers directly under Varic, who was supported by a field arcanist I knew little of. Meanwhile, on my side were a thousand soldiers, and I was supported by Field Arcanist Luthor and his disciples—Robert and Kylie.
While our soldiers had different leaders, they all gathered outside the gates with tens of thousands of civilians packed behind, waiting to hear my big speech.
The soldiers on the ground and on the walls all had their eyes on me. Everyone knew the stakes were high in this fight, and their survival rested on my shoulders.
Should I fail to live up to their outrageous expectations, it was game over for all of them—because this was practically all the soldiers the capital had left.
More than ever, they needed a Messiah.
