“...And the sea turned black from alien ships, it became stuffy in the sky, entwined with alien magic. Dust rose in the steppe, whipped up by thousands of feet. Nomads, the original inhabitants of these lands, retreated into the depths of the plains, to distant hills, to dry deserts. Through the treachery and wisdom of the imperial ambassadors, ancient treaties were broken one after another, and trusted allies turned away from the devir. The army approached the borders of the kingdom. Lord Devir knew how merciless the logic of numbers was, but he also knew the duty once assigned to his people by the creators of this world. Silent squads left the walls of the city, following their king and their destiny...”