Sunlight flooded through the shattered blast doors. Commander Novus lowered his smoking broadsword. He barked a series of rapid orders, fanning the human heavy infantry out into a wide defensive arc.
The Kingdom Knights locked their steel shields together, securing the immediate perimeter of the breach.
With the landing zone stabilized, Iron-Scale marched the main Vanguard column up the subterranean ramp. A million troops poured directly into the lower districts of Aethelgard.
The desert warriors established forward camps inside the abandoned marble courtyards. The heavy siege divisions rolled their artillery into position along the cobblestone avenues.
The lower city was a sprawling labyrinth of towering obsidian architecture. The wide streets stood completely devoid of civilian life. An eerie silence hung over the captured blocks.
Iron-Scale raised a hand. The entire marching column halted instantly.
