Chapter FourteenFrom just inside a thick copse of trees on the edge of town, Elzor watched the conflagration with a mixture of brotherly pride and pervading dread.
The original plan, set forth by Maxtar and Agedor, was for the Vandans to overrun the town, setting fire to every structure they came across. They had expected to meet minimal resistance from the town's defense forces, and after disposing of them, general chaos would ensue. The Warlord was very clear about preserving as much of the actual farmlands of Darad as possible—as his ultimate goal was expanding Vanda's borders to include Ghaldyn province, it would do him no good if the fertile land they acquired during this invasion was reduced to cinders.
However, Elzaria had spoken up, suggesting—rather vociferously—that a horde of
