The beginning of February promised clear skies, shallow streams, and a gentle breeze. Splendid sunshine fell upon the Apa Plain, bringing life's hope to the fertile fields. The warm wind caressed the mountains and forests, coaxing delicate new buds to poke their heads out from lofty treetops. In the rivers of the South, juvenile salmon had just hatched from their eggs, frolicking in the fresh waters of the streams. When they grew big enough, they would return to the vast ocean in the West to begin a new cycle of life.
But when the wind traveled eastward to the city of Apachigan, the scenes bursting with life vanished abruptly, replaced by the stillness of death and destruction. The surrounding farmlands lay withered and yellow, the villages desolate, trees felled, and wildlife scattered. The formidable military city of Apachigan had been besieged in desperation for nearly three months.
