At the same moment Brand's group was ambushed, the Cruz line, overseen by Sir Hoson, was battered by torrential rain and shrouded in darkness. Riding his War Dragon through the forest alongside his monk soldiers, Hoson muttered under his breath, "It's damn near haunting. Those Eruein can handle this weather, but once is enough for us!" The monk soldiers chuckled softly; Hoson was from the warm northern slopes of Kruzimarl Mountain and couldn't acclimate to Ambeser's damp and chilly season.
The War Dragon beneath him stood over three meters tall, its iron armor weighing half a ton, the era's most common mount for Heavy Cavalry. Each of its steps seemed to make the ground tremble slightly, leaving inches-deep muddy pits in the boggy woodland.
