All riders halted their gallop and faced each other, both companies looking like they'd just emerged from fighting in hell. It was already late in the afternoon, and only a few hours of light remained.

"General! We saw the fires and the smoke from hours away. What has happened??" Sun Xin questioned.

"The worst has happened, son. We were attacked, full force with no restraint or respite. I can't explain it, but the-the-these creatures attacked us at the dead of night. ...