Originally posted at BryantDrive.

In the days after the Second Battle of the Great City, the forces of Saban lay scattered and forlorn, and their defeat by The Angel and his minions weighed heavily upon their hearts.  And The Great Saban took what remained of his Army, and he returned to the Promised Lands, and there he lay in wait for his time to come again.  And though rumors spread throughout the land that he could never again build an army that matched the splendor of The Grand Army of the Sabanic Empire, His Darkness would hear none of them, and he worked tirelessly to reform his forces to a strength greater than the world had ever seen.

And so it came to pass that word reached The Great Saban that The Angel had left The Great City, and in his stead he left a great general from lands close to that place from whence Saban himself was born.  Long had this general commanded his army, and many victories had he seen, and many powerful warriors had he commanded.  The Pit Bull had he once led, whose cruelty was so great that the magistrates of the land had imprisoned him, and countless others had also donned the purple tabards which symbolized the general’s lands.  And The Angel told him, “Do not believe the rumors you hear.  I have met the Great Saban in battle, and his power is as the legends say.  One day, I shall meet him again, but not this day.  Saban and I must take different paths before we meet again.  Gather your forces here, and he shall march to meet you, and you must do justice upon him.”

And the spies of Saban heard this news, and they hurried to the Dark Lord to tell him the news.  But as soon as they came before him, yelling, “Oh Great Saban, dark tidings do we bring!” he raised his hand, and their tongues were silenced.  “I know the tidings you bring, relative to the general in the Great City,” spake he, “and I know that my people expect me to meet him there with the Grand Army.  But the Grand Army shall not meet him, for The Great, who was The Great Youth, we have not, nor do we have the Warrior of the North, for they have taken a voyage upon the sea, and they have not returned.  I shall not march without them, aight.”

And the peoples were greatly troubled, as The Great and the Warrior of the North had long before gone upon the sea, and no one knew when they would return.  Just when it seemed that no greater wrong could come to the Grand Army, news reached the Promised Lands that one of Saban’s most veteran warriors had met a highwayman, and his coinpurse he would not part with, and the highwayman had run him through with his rapier, and the warrior’s blood was spilled.  But Saban came before the people, and said, “The warrior whose blood was spilled shall return, and you shall think your eyes deceive you, relative to him being strong and healthy still, but I say to you that he shall be whole again. “  And two days later, the veteran warrior returned, an the people rejoiced saying, “Great warrior, we thought your blood was spilled!”  And he said to them, “My blood was spilled, but so mighty a man am I that no coward highwayman can stop me!”  And the people rejoiced again, because the bravery of the warrior was surely greater than the cowardice of the criminal.  And the Great Saban emerged and told them, “This Warrior’s bravery is now known to you, and he shall lead us when my other warriors return.”  And the people knew it was true, for the warrior’s bravery bathed him in glory and honor.

That same day, after night had fallen, drums rang out from down the road, and the people rushed out to see why the drums were beating.  And when they saw the figures coming down the road, they fell to their knees in joy, for it was The Great and the Warrior of the North.  “RETURNED FROM OUR VOYAGE ON THE SEA,” said they.  “WE COME AGAIN TO FIGHT FOR SABAN.”  And they stood together with the veteran warrior and Saban, and all the Army gathered round them.

And His Most Unmerciful Excellence surveyed his forces, and he spake to the peoples, “As I have said, never again shall The Grand Army march.  The Grand Army is no more, and their swords are dulled and their helmets hewn.  Stands here The Exalted Army of the Sabanic Empire, and they shall lead us to victory once more.”

And the people cheered, and The Exalted Army marched east to meet the foe that awaited them there.