Moonlight indifferent, the night sky hanging low, large bonfires rose inside and outside the training field, dispelling the shadows of the mountains. The King held a feast in his camp, entertaining the great nobility from the South.
Across the vast training field, fires were scattered. Samurai sat in different small circles according to their units, cooking their usual fare. And at the center, around which everyone was gathered, there was an exceptionally bright bonfire, that of the King and his nobility.
Xiulote sat at the head, surrounded by more than a dozen armored personal guards. Even though it was a night banquet, he hadn't removed his armor. The nobility sat below him, their escorts all dismissed. And outside the large circle, hundreds of elite warriors stood solemnly, each clad in copper armor, holding long spears, silent and imposing.
"I have returned from my northern campaign and led the army southward, intending to reorganize the South."
