Hearing the order to salute, Baines had no choice but to obey.
'They're just arriving now?' Baines blinked. Vole had spoken like they'd already arrived. 'Then, how did he know?'
Whoooosh…
From the skies, specks appeared, growing larger by the second until they became more visible.
About three-meter-long beasts with thick, red scaled hides and thundering wings, ridden by armored warriors.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One by one, they landed. Dozens turned to hundreds, and hundreds to thousands.
The Darkan Family.
Just like any other family, their humble beginning as descendants of an ancient red dragon. However, as descendants, they were meant to be dragons, but they turned out to be humans. To remedy the dilemma, the ancestor gave his descendants other dragon eggs, in hopes to resolve the situation.
Instead, the family turned into a dragon-knight family. As the name went, they were specialized in fighting with dragons, meaning they were aerial based fighters. Along the way, they also became a power under the empire and earned two suns.
Two massive dragons landed in front of the gathering. These dragons were almost twice the size of the dragons that landed earlier.
DOOOM. DOOOM.
After releasing a thunderous roar, the riders dismounted.
"Welcome, Lord Darkan," Commander Dinkret bowed respectively towards the towering man.
Lord Darkan was a tall and bulky man. He was red-haired with red beards. The air around him was powerful, and his aura was oppressive. But it wasn't his stature that gawked the crowd.
7th star.
Even Baines stiffened. Other than Martos, whose level he couldn't yet confirm, this man was the strongest he'd seen.
"Dinkret?" Lord Darkan smiled and greeted after seeing a familiar face.
"You must've had a long flight. And welcome, Lady Tasha." Dinkret also bowed to the woman behind with a light smile.
With beautiful flowing red hair, gorgeous curves, and a pretty and indifferent face, she was the woman referred to as Tasha, the daughter of the darkan family head.
'4th star,' Baines noticed, then looked back at the Darkan family head.
"Hahaha," Lord Darkan laughed at the atmosphere, until his gaze finally landed on Baines, who didn't flinch beneath his presence. "And who is this one… so unshaken under pressure?" His voice showed surprise.
"He's the most talented of the recruits," Commander Dinkret replied recognizing who he was referring to.
"Fifth star? At such an age?" Darkan's voice held disbelief. The talk also seemed to have also attracted Tasha's attention as she looked at him.
However, with his scarf covering his mouth, she couldn't get a full view, but her interest was piqued.
Dinkret quickly pivoted, "Lord Dinkret, we believe an attack may happen today, please we will fill you in," while leading the Darkan's lord away, leaving the two sides glancing at each other.
...
Later, in the Darkan residence...
After a few hours of meeting, Lord Darkan was with his daughter, relaxing in the living room.
Whoosh…
A figure appeared kneeling before them.
"And?" Tasha asked, glancing at the figure.
"His name is Jin, and was recommended by Vole Malakar, who claims to have trained him."
"That's all?" Tasha asked, unimpressed.
"T-There's more," the figure said. "Since arriving, he's said to have mastered the techniques, formations, and strategies of all three legions. It's said he even created one." the figure didn't seem to even believe the information he was delivering.
"What?" Lord Darkan's eyes narrowed.
The figure quickly added, "He defended it before a panel. The report said his knowledge even gave them insight."
Father and daughter shared a long look of shock, unbelief, then an unspoken conclusion forming.
Before they could speak further—
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
An alarm shattered their conversation.
The two shot to their feet at the call. The bell signified something.
The outliers had arrived, just like they had predicted.
Subordinates rushed in after the other and orders were given as preparations were made.
...
In the barracks quarters, the call to arms echoed everywhere.
The new recruits hadn't even settled when they were made to gear up and appear before the pyre vanguard center ground.
Several foots moved, orders were given, and within thirty minutes, an orderly line was formed by the soldiers. New recruits were stationed to the back of the line.
Baines also had his armor on, scarf wrapped, cloak, and mounted on his war horse.
Soon, over a hundred thousand soldiers on war horses were formed in the assembly yard, facing a grand platform.
Atop it stood the Grand Commander of the Pyre Vanguard, Wastin Ploot. His form was battle hardened and his 7th star presence that towered the whole army as he began to speak,
"Lately, we've had little skirmishes between the outliers, and now it seems they even learned how to form allies," he roared. "They think they can break us. But what are we?!"
"THE VANGUARD!!" A thunderous reply.
"I SAID—WHAT? ARE. WE?"
""THE VANGUARD!!""
"OPEN THE GATES!" He roared.
DRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMM
A colossal metal door that led outside the last front rose, revealing the snow-covered plains that stretched unto an unknown depth.
In the far distance, shadows could be seen rumbling toward them like an avalanche. No one needed to be told. These were the enemies, and a bloody battle was about to occur.
"MOVE!!"
Commander Ploot led the charge, and the vanguard stormed out.
Five hundred meters away from the gate, his voice rang out again:
"FORMATION 2: INFERNAL CHARGE!"
Like a well-oiled machine, the army shifted into a flaming arrowhead of a hundred thousand.
Riders and horses burst into flame, melting the snow underneath their feet and undeterred by the pain from the heat. Among the reasons warhorses were used, was to beat the cold and turn it into an advantage. Another was to match against their terrible enemies.
Minutes later, the distant rumbling shadows became visible. And their number, at least three times the pyre vanguard and still coming.
"WE HAVE MOMENTUM ADVANTAGE. CRUSH THEM!!!" The Grand Commander raised their momentum, raised his lance, consuming hundreds of outliers in his flame.
Soon, the blazing formation of the Vanguard collided with the enemy line.
BOOOOOOOOOOM
The battlefield erupted in chaos.