She ordered the falconers to dispatch the signal, not to retreat, but to advance.
Malika didn't look back at her advisors. She focused on the horizon, where the smoke of burning villages stained the sky. queen_malikamp4
She descended the stone steps, her armored skirts clinking. As she reached the center of the gathering, she drew the blade, the metal catching the setting sun. She ordered the falconers to dispatch the signal,