They marched three days later, and after walking for another three days they finally saw the Ku Kang Camp from far.

It was a frightening sight, with an oppressive plateau facing them with fast waters surrounding it.

Because of the horseshoe river, this place has become an impenetrable fortress.

That doesn’t mean that the Frosthral army were holed up in this place without doing anything while believing they will always be safe.

As their camp were seldom challenged they had a lot of free time to fortify the plateau, refining it with uncountable layers of protections with bricks, steel, runes, and all kinds of stratagems. This means that while the highland acts like a great wall of a fortress, it is unwise to treat it as a conventional barrier.

For one, siege machines would be far less effective on bulwarks that rests on soft soil and bedrock.

When a hard object strikes a piece of hard plating it aims to do two things: Penetration and Demolishing.

The layers of runic steel that the Frosthral Feudal State had stacked up on the plateau’s sides over the years had made demolishing it into a long and tedious undertaking.

Piercing the armoured exterior also causes little damage to the Ku Kang Camp, when instead of hiding behind walls, their soldiers are technically living on top of the walls. Yet, at the same time, they are not unsheltered. They do have a military stronghold with a just-as-fortified roof, situated at the northern half of the plateau. It is like a tremendous bunker that allows soldiers to scoot back underground in case of a heavy air raid.

Besides the traditional archer towers, archer platforms, the Ku Kang Camp is also filled to the brim with cannons. The plateau’s body isn’t just a lump of soil and rocks, but a well-tunnelled megastructure that held incredible amount of weapons accumulated over the years. This means that they can counter both land and air strikes.

Granted, most of those weapons are ancient and outdated or poorly pieced together due to the Feudal State’s lack of a powerful economy to back up their expenses but just staring at the heavily fortified stronghold was enough to deter most armies.

Besides the manmade fortifications, the natural terrain is no less treacherous. The only way up the plateau is by travelling between the grounds below the high grounds and the churning river and walk to the opposite end where the river bends. Over there is a gate which leads to the only path up the cliff to the plateau.

It is straightforward, but when the army is trapped between a cliff and fast waters, they are asking to be decimated.

Another option is to build a bridge across the fast river directly to the gate at the north side while weathering attacks. Of course, it is possible, but no less difficult than the first method.

Kairos offered them a third option, and that is to build a bridge directly up the plateau. He did not reveal the way to do so but with his reputation on the line, everyone trusts him.

Just as they saw the stronghold, the Frosthral soldiers also discovered such a large army approaching.

The camp had long been in a state of full alert and all the guards are in position.

The strange thing is, they are not in the usual formation where archers line the south wall to pick off the attackers until they eventually give up after losing great numbers.

This time, joining the archers is a battalion of warriors. Although each soldier is equipped with a beast-horn long bow, they are still in the way with their cumbersome armour.

Don’t see that defending a siege is only placing soldiers on the walls, the amount of activity in that limited area is overwhelmingly high.

While the archers are firing, there will be countless soldiers moving along ammunitions, replacing tired men, passing along food and water, or simply removing the dead.

Having heavily armoured men around will only slow down everyone’s pace.

Of course, even without armoured footmen, it doesn’t mean that the walls cannot be defended when an enemy scale it. There are piles of long pikes left around solely for that purpose.

“COMPANY HALT!” Esley shouted when they were just a day away. When the message is carried out, he said, “We will wait here until the supplies catch up, then we shall march with decorum.”

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With this, their army shall approach with a display of great confidence and maybe unhinge the enemy a little.

It will take around half a day for the first wagons carrying food and water to catch up, and with this free time on hand, Kairos made a suggestion, “Commander Esley, with your permission, may my brothers and I use this place to take our oath?”

An eyebrow raised on Esley’s face and a small smile on his lips, “To officiate your brotherhood?”

Kairos nodded.

“Well, here is certainly a good place in full view of two armies. But, it might send the wrong message.”

To take an oath together before a battle could be a show of resolve… or displaying uncertainty in surviving the coming fight.

If those as strong as Kairos or Tommy are concerned with staying alive in the upcoming chaos, the rest will have more reasons to fear.

Kairos smiled knowingly, “We’ll be careful.”

…..

At the same time, two groups of hooded people met in secrecy within a ran-down wooden hut with ancient timbers and a musky smell. Of course, the scene within this building is far different than its exterior.

“We will leave the rest to your hands.”

“Don’t mess up.”

“Leave it to us.”

“Our loyalty is unquestionable, we will not fail.”

“Good. Then we’ll leave the rest of Snowdrifts in your hands.”

…..

On a raised platform, five young men knelt before an altar made of a solid block of gold. Upon the gold the first boy placed a bowl made out of rock, the second one filled it with water, the third added salt until a thin layer of crystal rested at the bottom, then the fourth placed a freshly lit firewood that offered a sweet smelling aroma, and the fifth carefully set the bowl upon the smoke and fire.

The thick stone ensured the flames merely heated the water but was far from causing it to boil. The boys were careful that this is so for each item in their ceremony is symbolic and must absolutely be perfect.

The basic items are now in place: Gold, Rock, Salt, Firewood, Flames, Sweet Incense, and Still Water.

Next, the eldest in their group will offer his blood.

Tommy stood up.

He had been the elder brother in their group all along, protecting the rest of them.

He cut a fingertip and let a drop of blood fall into the water.

The second person was Alan. He was the previous captain of the group, a natural leader, chosen by his brothers by reason of his great empathy.

He understood their hearts more than anyone else and cared for them as a partner of their souls. He stood at the front with Tommy shielding the younger ones, he joined Jim in youthful merry, he shared Edward’s secrets and never breathed a word to another, and he is easy-going around the burdened Kairos to share his yoke.

The next one who went up, by the insistence of the rest, was Kairos. Although he isn’t the oldest by age, he is the wisest by deeds.

The fourth person was Edward. Pacifist by nature, yet the last person anyone dared to offend. Few could understand is he quiet and calm like a tranquil lake or the silence before a storm.

His enemies feared him, his friends love him just as intensely. He is known to be the sensible and matured one in his group, yet at this moment, he openly wept like a child while laughing heartily as he dripped a single drop of crimson blood into the bowl.

The last one who took his turn was Jim.

The youngest by both vibrance and age. Affected by his brothers, his eyes teared and his breathing ragged as he let his blood fell.

When it is done, there was an exchange of wine. Each of them had prepared a different drink that they mixed for this ritual.

The five of them knelt back down holding a cup where they toasted to each other and to the heavens.

“I Tommy, Alan, Kairos, Edward, and Jim, come together as brothers. May the heavens attest to our will and assent a bond eternal. May our paths forever converge and our hearts as one. To drink to each other’s victories and face the world together!”

They drank till leaving a last sip, then Tommy as the eldest brother collected the remainder. Jim the youngest brother took out a slab of meat.

Alan the second brother dipped it in the salt water where their blood mixed.

Edward the fourth brother smoked it with the fumes from the lit firewood.

And lastly, Kairos, the third brother massaged the collected wine into the meat.

They sliced it into five thin pieces and placed down on the heated gold.

The meat are all touched by a thin layer of liquid gold by the time they are roasted, then they were promptly eaten.

Gold cannot be tarnished, by eating it, they hoped their bond remains the same forever.

A rock bowl symbolises the strength and foundation of their relationship.

Still Water meant peace, without any rife in their group.

Firewood meant self-sacrifice, where they will always be willing to give up their lives for each other.

Sweet fumes are an offering of love.

Flames brings warmth, light, and most importantly it consumes the impurities that may come into their group.

Wine and meat denotes good-will and good-times for each other and for the future.

And finally, through the meat they consumed, the blood of each brother that is preserved by the salt of the earth shall continue to flow in each other’s veins.

…..

The enemies saw their ceremony, and it brought a great stir into their ranks, for everyone now knows that Kairos and his brothers have arrived.

Facing against someone who had overturned a great many impossible situation, the common footmen still suffers great trepidation.

What the Ku Kang commander feels about the situation is unknown to anyone else, but there’s no doubt that he will experience a sleepless night with his subordinates’ shaken morale.

Unfortunately the place where the ritual is taking place is too far to disrupt. Any attacks they launch can be easily seen, and even their reserved War God Tattoo suicide team are not near enough.

As if fully aware of what their enemies felt, the Saint Empire soldiers marched methodologically, more akin to a parade than entering a battlefield. This is the intent that Esley wanted to deliver, and it pissed off the Frosthral troops to no end.

When their soldiers are just out of reach, they reformed into a blitzkrieg formation and charged.