The General cracked a half-smile, trying not to look too anxious and confident. Jophu could tell, however, that he was about to explode he was so excited.                                                                                     "What happens if we can't herd the Patternists into the ruins?" he asked.
Jophu squinted his eyes in confusion. He hadn't even thought of this alternative. The General cleared his throat. "While you stall and attempt to think of the answer, I'll explain it to you. If Rayal's sons happen to avoid the dreaded ruins, their chances for survival become much greater. Between the ruins and Forsyth there is only flat land. This will give the Patternists the advantage since we will no longer be able to find that precious higher ground that allows us to see them before they see us."
       Jophu nodded. "So if we don't defeat them now, it may be a long time before we get another chance."
The General became more serious than Jophu had ever seen him before. "No. If we don't defeat them now, we will never have the opportunity to fight them again. If they make it to Forsyth and see Rayal, they will be stronger than ever. With the combination of Rayal and his sons, I fear their complete control of the Pattern may result in our extinction. We must defeat them now!"
       The regiments herded together and began to move behind The General with Jophu by his side. Their pace became faster as they moved in step with each other. Jophu had never seen so much strength in a herd of Clayarks before. Of course, he had never seen so many Clayarks together before either. There must be at least two thousand Clayarks behind him, he thought.
      The Patternists were now in their view. In a matter of moments they would know which way they would be headed. The General motioned for a quicker pace. They saw the Patternists turn and face them. They now realized that the Clayarks were within striking distance. General Kai ordered for the snipers to begin shooting in order to scare the Patternists into action. The Patternists began to turn.
"They're headed towards the ruins!" Jophu yelled. A broad smile came across The General's face. They both smelled victory. General Kai signaled for the troops to slow the pace. It was time now to put their plan into action.
      The General began to shout orders. "The first three regiments are to circle around to the south end of the ruins. The second group will cover the eastern section and the final three regiments will secure the northern region. Each regiment's snipers will post up at the highest ground and be ready in case the Patternists stray out from the ruins. For tonight, remain in your positions, no one sleeps."
As The General walked into his tent Jophu followed quickly behind. "Sir, why are we not attacking now?"
"If we attack now, we lose the advantage. The Patternists will sense us long before we can see clear enough for a good shot. We'll wait until morning and then strike at daybreak. Hopefully they'll be tired at that point and we will catch them off-guard. Right now, however, get some rest, you'll need it for tomorrow."
      Jophu strolled back to his tent. He noticed the other Clayarks playing games and telling stories around the fires. The spirits of the men were high. Jophu lay down in his tent. He hadn't realized how tired he really was until that moment. As he tried to think of the strategies for the next day's battle, Jophu drifted off to sleep. He dreamt of the coming victory of the Clayarks over the Patternists. He dreamt of the troops cheering him on after the battle. He dreamt of a wife and a strong son which she would bare. Suddenly he clutched at his heart and ripped at his chest. Less than a second later it was over.  Jophu simply dreamt.