War breaks out in the far north, as the Empire's oppression of the mountain people results in a terrifying backlash. With the one competent leader in the Northern Garrison assassinated, the ignorant garrison commander flings the troops headlong into a highly defended, mountainous position, with disastrous results.  Ikta and his friends are kept as part of the reserves for now, but it won't be long until they're thrust into the war as well.
and the Aldera religion and
 spirit worship are unrelated,
،وكان دِين ألديرا وعِبادة الرُّوح غير مرتبطَين
und die Aldera-Religion und die Geister-
verehrung nichts miteinander zu tun haben, …
y la religión Aldera y los espíritus
no guardan relación,
y la religión Aldera y los espíritus
no guardan relación,
e davvero la religione di Aldera 
non ha alcun legame con il culto degli spiriti,
и религия Альдеры 
не имеет отношения к культу духов,