The Commander in Chief

Ziggy leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Every troop movement you have laid out has been deployed.  At this moment, Alastaire is still at Topaz Palace and his troops are centralized in three major cities, Citrine, Emerald, and Amber.  His three sons are leading the troops in those areas." 

Erick nodded.  The old wizard Blackstone had told him as much the night he had visited the old man. 

Marcus had been the one sent to Topaz to handle his father's political affairs while Dominic went to Citrine and Blain had been deployed to Amber. 

Since Topaz had fallen, Marcus must have been sent to Emerald to take over that city in the same manner as he had taken over Topaz. 

Erick's eyes narrowed.  Of the three sons Alastaire spawned, Marcus was the real brains of the group.  The city of Emerald was in a critical bottleneck area between Aquamarine Lake and the Eastern Ocean.*  It would be an important battleground.