The Fanged Skull of Lord Styrax presided over the centre of the balcony, facing into the valley, flanked on the left by Lord Celao's Bundled Arrows and on the right by the Ruby Tower that was Natai Escral's family crest. Opposite the Fanged Skull was the Runesword of the Knights of the Temples, unadorned by any personal symbols. Amber frowned when he saw that: did the Knights of the Temples not use personal crests, or had Cardinal Sourl's position changed recently?

Below each crest was a long table, forming a square that did not meet at the corners. Litse servants busied themselves setting the tables for a formal meal, and Amber's heart sank when he counted the number of places laid at Lord Styrax's. Unless Lord Larim joined them, something he doubted a mage would willingly do, Amber thought he knew who would be filling that seat.

As though reading the soldier's mind, Lord Styrax pointed towards the nearest of the open stairs, where a servant was watching them, long golden hair tied neatly back and a set expression of welcome on his face.

'Your clothes have been taken to a room; go and make yourself presentable for lunch. I don't believe Cardinal Sourl has arrived yet, so you have a little time.'

'Yes, my Lord,' Amber said. He looked up at the sky, trying to discern the position of the sun.

'It is time, yes,' Lord Styrax confirmed. 'The army will have arrived by now.'

Amber nodded. 'Doesn't do a man's appetite much good,' he muttered with a sour expression before bowing and trudging off.

'These are the sacrifices we make,' Lord Styrax called after him. Amber didn't dare turn and show his expression to the lord he worshipped.

Put it out of your mind, he thought to himself, there's a job to be done.

A deep bellowing voice echoed through Fist, causing Major Teral to jump with alarm. He looked up from his soup, for a moment not hearing the words, as more voices took up the cry, confusing the message even further, but the urgency was unmistakable. Teral was on his feet and reaching for his swordbelt before he translated the words in his head. 'To arms, to arms!'

Major Teral was Farlan by birth, and had only just arrived in Akell two weeks ago with his legion – this was his first day as duty-commander. Once in the corridor he had to pause and wait for the calls to come again, panic clouding his memory as he tried to remember which way led to the upper station. Already he'd got lost three times in the rabbit-warren of corridors filling the Fist, the enormous fortress that was Akell's forward defence.

'Major!' yelled a voice behind him. Teral whirled around to see Sergeant Jackler barrelling towards him. The bearded old sergeant had adopted him years ago as an officer in need of a guiding hand, to the profit of them both, and it had since grown into an unshakable loyalty. 'Bloody Menin Army at the gates, sir!'

Jackler turned back the way he had come, Teral close on his heels as they headed for the upper station where they would be able to get a good view of them.

'Are they attacking?' he yelled as Jackler battered soldiers out of the way, clearing a path for Teral.

'No, bastards just sauntered into view!' Jackler called back. 'Tells us why those scouts were late reporting back.' He added with a pitiless laugh, 'won't bother putting them on report now!'

Teral didn't reply as he followed up the stair and out onto the upper station. The highest part of the Fist was half-full of soldiers already and he had to fight his way forward to get a decent view.

'Jackler, get the enlisted to their stations,' he shouted, roughly elbowing past men there to get a look. Leaving Jackler bellowing behind him, Teral reached the far edge and pushed his head cautiously through the crenellations.

'Piss and daemons,' he whispered, eyes widening at the sight before him.

'Cocky bastards, ain't they, sir.'' Jackler laughed behind him. 'No urgency, no assault squads formed. Looks like they're expecting us to just open the gates right up!'

The force with the Menin standard at the front wasn't the biggest Teral had ever seen, but as he looked at the three groups forming up outside bowshot range he realised it didn't need to be. There were at least two legions of heavy infantry standing in neat ranks, their long pikes waving in the air, with another two legions of lighter troops behind. The mass of cavalry on the left were led by the legendary Bloodsworn, all sporting the Fanged Skull of the lord they worshipped. But it was the right flank that frightened him most of all: a dark crowd of figures too large to be human lowed and roared, their noise louder than the hooves of the rest of the army combined, and beside them a regiment of heavy infantry screamed with manic delight, all the while waving enormous polished steel shields above their heads. Teral didn't have to be close enough to see the blades fixed on the edge of the shields, and he barely noticed the cadre of mages behind them.

'Oh Gods,' he breathed, 'the Reavers, and minotaurs too.'

'Good thing they ain't attacked yet, then!' Jackler said cheerfully. He pointed at the infantry with the massive Menin standard. 'Look, flags of parley. Probably come to surrender to us, sir!'

Three horsemen broke away and headed towards the Fist: two Bloodsworn, with the blood-red Fanged Skull painted onto their black breastplates and shields, and a nobleman between them, brandishing the white banner. He was taller than the knights escorting him.

Thank the Gods; someone I might actually be able to negotiate with, rather than that blasphemy of a creature that's Styrax's favourite general, he thought, thankful for small mercies.

'A white-eye?' Jackler asked, noticing the man in the middle was towering over his companions.

'That's ornate for a white-eye,' Teral remarked. The red, white and blue livery made a very obvious target, no matter who escorted him. He looked blurred, but Teral was Farlan and knew it wasn't his vision that was at fault. 'The man's wearing ribbons,' he exclaimed. 'If he is a white-eye he's enough of a peacock to rival Suzerain Saroc.'

'That'd be Duke Vrill then,' Jackler advised. 'They say he's Chief Steward to Lord Styrax.' He paused and with a laugh added,

'Imagine that: Chief Steward Lesarl with a white-eye's temper.'

'Lesarl's viciousness surpasses that of any white-eye,' Teral said sourly, 'but you're right, that must be Vrill. What does he expect us to say? He must realise there's no man here ranked above colonel; all the commanders are meeting his lord!' He pushed away from the wall and headed for the stair, Jackler on his heels. 'There's no one here authorised to negotiate surrender, and why else bring an army here?'

'Talking would be better than attacking the Fist,' Jackler pointed out.

He was right, Teral realised. Even with the terrifying troops the Menin had, the Fist was a hard place to take at the best of times – and reinforcements had just arrived for the Akellan defenders: four legions of Knights of the Temples from Canar Fell and Aroth, most of the Order living under Narkang's rule. The Order had considerable resources and much land at its disposal, and it ensured its troops were all well supplied and trained. Its armies were spread over a dozen or more city-states, in the charge of select generals, and they all maintained a reputation for martial excellence.

They had planned to re-supply at the Fist and continue on to Raland, a key city-state controlled by the Order, but Sourl could not have been more delighted to receive them. The politics of the Order were complicated, but it never boded well whenever a general welcomed troops under his superior's colours.

'What's he going to say to persuade us to give in?' Teral yelled over his shoulder as they reached the bottom of the stairs and made for the fortified gate-house, the only entrance on that side of the Fist.