Snippet #1490205

A voice rang over the camp as Duran walked in the rain towards the training grounds.

"Good morning. This is your general speaking. Those of you who do not have hauling, packing or preparatory duties are to refrain from any strenuous activities for the day. We need you well rested for tomorrow's march. That is all."

"Well, you heard the man, Goma. No training tonight." He spoke in a disingenuous voice, as if he was looking for an excuse that had without warning presented itself. So, tomorrow would be the day, would it? It seemed too soon, as if this was just like the last march: a casual stroll into a deadly trap. Nevertheless, there would be no better way to die, fighting the dragons and their cultists. The alternative was a slow and painful death through any number of dragon-related causes. He marched slowly back to his tent, and in no time flat, he was asleep.

---

The next day was crystal clear. The rain had cleared up over night, and Duran took it as a sign that, hopefully, there was somebody or something watching out for them. In reality, he probably should have thought the other way around. A particularly nasty storm would probably ground the dragons, or at the very least hinder their direct intervention in a fight.

As he made his way into the portal room, he noticed it was more than just his unit. Other commanders were apparently under Wrath's command, something that Duran didn't know was going to happen. In retrospect, it made sense.

Duran took his place in his own unit, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Lamian cleric of his unit slither in with a black eye. Duran stared for a moment and began to open his mouth.

"So, what happe-"

He was instantly cut off by Sarish.

"I don't want to talk about it." said the cleric in a low tone. Immediately, Duran saw a tail brush up against Sarish's own tail, and tracked it back to Iriana, the only other Lamia in the same unit. It didn't take long for the dots to connect. He held back a snicker at the thought that Sarish was man-handled by Iriana.

It wasn't long before the portal began to glow, and opened. Duran felt a pit in his stomach even before they entered the portal. At Wrath's command, they advanced.

Upon reemerging from the portal, the pit in his stomach easily grew, and Duran stifled his urge to vomit on the legionnaire in front of him. As he recovered, he took a long look at the area they were in. It was normal for him to observe his environment as a druid, and he didn't like what he saw. Below, there was a valley surrounded by cliffs. This screamed ambush to him. He had been told on several occasions that the dragons and their cultists would not know of their attack, but he was also told that The Children couldn't use magic, and that appeared to be a lie judging by their previous encounter. Further down the way, the valley gave way to verdant grasslands. He began to have flashbacks once more to the last battle they had been in. What's more was that this terrain didn't provide any particular advantage to the druid. There were no trees, meaning no ambushes, or use of the materials he had hoped to take advantage of. The sky was crystal clear, which would make it all the more difficult to summon a potent bolt of lightning. It seemed to him as though he probably should have spent the previous evening shape-shifting like he had prepared himself to do. It would probably be the only thing that would be very effective for him today.

Duran took a deep breath to clear his head as the rest of their forces made their way through the portal.