Introduction: Empires clash. Cruel tyrants wage wars over land and power, leaving devastation in their wake. Vurun is utterly ruined, and with it the realm's supply of aethium. With the loss of the catalyst aethium, Vastrum's position has been crippled. Its enemies smell blood. Now the great empire of Rhakan stirs in the east, its smoldering anger awoken by an attempt on its newly crowned emperor's life. Meanwhile the Company sends its agents into the borderlands seeking a new source of the catalysts that power the empire's war wizards, stirring chaos. War is inevitable.Meanwhile, Dryden and the Bloody 13th have been stationed in the eastern colony of Ayodh, near the border kingdoms that lie between Vastrum and Rhakan. Soon a war will begin and the veterans of the 13th Dragoons will be drawn in. Dryden, Mar, and more return, but they face a new kind of war against a more dangerous foe. They survived the arid wastes and undead of Vurun, but can they survive the jungles of Rhakan and its strange and powerful magic?------------------------------------------------------------The Bloody 13th SeriesGrave of the BoldHand of the WickedThrone of the Cruel (ongoing)---------------------------------The chapters for this book are longer, as several people requested. As a result, I will be releasing chapters less frequently, I have not quite decided on a specific release schedule yet. I'll see how it feels as I go.I have also decided to write multiple character perspectives, which was the second most requested addition. My backers asked for Mar chapters, so they're getting Mar.Please consider supporting me. If nothing else, drop a rating or review if you enjoy the writing. Ratings are the simplest and among the best ways to show your support. As always, thank you for reading!...