The sun climbed higher, turning the Ash Plains into a field of heat and shadow. Pyronis's main corps advanced in tight formations, their banners flaring like molten veins. Scouts darted ahead, seeking weak points, while siege engines trundled forward, their iron wheels scraping the stone-strewn ground.
Veylara stood at the forefront of the Sunshadow Guard, her bronze armor gleaming even under the rising sun. Her command was absolute; every soldier moved with synchronized precision, every arrow loosed and every shield raised part of a carefully orchestrated plan.
"Archers to the ridges! Hold the lines! Cavalry, be ready to flank if the enemy pushes too hard!" she called, her voice ringing over the plains like the clang of a bell. The Sunshadow Guard responded instantly, forming a moving wall of steel and shadow that seemed to breathe as one.
Bao Bao watched from a small hill with Lyrin Thorne and the other generals. His Sunfire glimmered faintly under his skin, a pulse of readiness in every gesture. "Veylara holds the ridge," he said, pointing toward the Sunshadow Guard's formation. "Let them push against her lines. We watch, we measure, we learn."
Lyrin Thorne nodded. "The independent divisions are holding their sectors well. They're coordinating, responding to flanking maneuvers. Pyronis expected disunity; they will be frustrated quickly."
The first real clash erupted as Pyronis scouts charged forward. Arrows met steel; the Sunshadow Guard cut down intruders with swift, precise strikes. Veylara moved among her soldiers, raising her blade to deflect incoming blows, redirecting lines, and ensuring every soldier was protected. She was a living embodiment of discipline and strength, the Sunshadow Guard's heartbeat made flesh.
On the palace terrace, Saku gripped Naelith's hand tightly. Dust rose in columns where Pyronis and Firelonia met, and the sound of clashing metal made his small frame tense. "They're… fighting really hard," he whispered, eyes wide.
Naelith's hand rested on his shoulder. "Yes, Saku. But see how your father and Veylara lead. They protect their people first. Courage is not always charging forward blindly—it is knowing how to defend, how to control the battlefield, and how to keep everyone alive."
Bao Bao raised a hand slightly, letting a faint pulse of Sunfire ripple across the ridge nearest Veylara's position. The enemy scouts faltered, their ranks wavering as the sunlight glinted off the energy that only a Sunfire wielder could wield. He did not strike fully—this was a measured test—but the effect was clear: the Sunshadow Guard held fast, and Pyronis's soldiers began to hesitate.
Veylara's voice cut through the tension. "Push them back! Shield the lines! Remember your training!" Each command sent waves of coordinated movement through her elite soldiers, turning the tide of the skirmish in the Sunshadow Guard's favor.
Bao Bao nodded to Lyrin Thorne. "They're learning too much too fast for Pyronis to be comfortable. Keep tracking their patterns—every mistake, every hesitation counts. We will use it."
The plains shook under the weight of movement, the first volleys of Pyronis's army testing Firelonia's defense. But the Sunshadow Guard, led by Veylara, remained an unbroken wall, and the independent generals' armies adjusted seamlessly to Bao Bao's subtle guidance.
Saku's small hand clutched Naelith's once more, his eyes fixed on the disciplined lines below. "Will… will they win, Mother?"
Naelith smiled, though her eyes remained on the battlefield. "They are winning, Saku, because they fight together, because they are led well, and because your father is watching over them. The Sunshadow Guard is the kingdom's shield, and Veylara is its heart."
The first day of the Ash Plains battle had begun. Pyronis had tested Firelonia's defenses, and the Sunshadow Guard had proven their strength. But Bao Bao knew this was only the beginning. The war was far from over, and the next move would decide whether the western plains remained a fortress or a field of fire.
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