Olgoth watched the soldier closely. He was never more than a few men behind Kira. He seemed to have a friend who always was beside him, a bit portly, but good with a throwing knife. They sat together and whispered at the campfire, and also during the battle preparations.

He asked Kira if he knew him, but Kira said no. Olgoth dismissed the soldier as a fan, in awe, of Kira. But the way he walked, and the slight figure made him curious.

It was no time for mysteries! It was time to prepare for the battle. There is nothing more sobering than the thought of war. The men all girded themselves snugly in mail, plate, and leather. They tested the weight of their weapons in their arms as if they would have changed during the luncheon feast.

They formed a large company and with the sun at their backs, and Kira and Marduke at the rear also, they marched as one. When they were about 1000 yards from the fortress they could see their foes preparing outside of the fortress. The army crawled over it like ants.