Facing her troubles, Isabella was paving her way to earning her army by going against Thomas.
"Tell me, Thomas can you make a difference with 15 soldiers more? I believe it does, it is easier to sneak past the enemy with a single man alone. You should spare these poor souls their lives." Isabella spoke back at Thomas making critical remarks.
"Shut up!! Wrench!!" A soldier standing among the many lashed out, opening shouting his anger at Isabella. He came forward, showing his scarlet eyes and black hair along with a sharp chin in the illumination of the lantern flames.
Nobody stopped him, nobody wanted him to stop. The soldiers because they wanted her to be put in her place after calling them "poor souls.". While Thomas's mind sparked with a new idea.
All for different reasons did not interfere and the soldier kept speaking.
"What do you know about our work as soldiers? A coward runway like you has no idea what pride and honour means to us warriors who stand in the middle of the battlefield giving and taking lives for the sake of our nation." He spoke in a loud and clear noise.
Another soldier was about to interrupt him as precious time was being lost every second they talked but Thomas signaled him not to.
The argument needed to be finished right now to prevent more conflict down the line where trust and cooperation would be critical. Isabella needed to be leashed or she would let the pride get to her head and do something foolish.
"You think it is easy for us, to make choices about leaving people to die? It isn't, the feeling of letting the people you spend years with is not easy but we honour their deaths by saying that it was their choice to work for their nation and die for it. We are not weak and not poor souls who can't fight. You are no force of nature to tell our power our fate."
The soldiers took a moment to breathe, it was clear he had more to speak,
"Enough. I think you have taken enough time. I think she understands what you mean. Right?"
Thomas interrupted him, believing it had been enough to make Isabella understand that she was an all-mighty figure to know the worth of the men in front of her.
In a final vow to close the argument Thomas spoke,
"Those who work here those thieves choose it. They choose to work here with their lives at risk instead of being in prison. It was their risk and choice, if it kills them, then let it be. They failed the gamble."
Isabella could not say anything after that, it was true that thieves were staying here working for the nation it was a very big gamble which failed them, a gamble they took or at least she believed that.
What do I say? I cannot say anything about this.
She could win this argument; it was lost in every way. She failed the test and lost her possible army. It was all for nothing and she looked down nodding her head accepting her defeat and showing her acceptance.
A few soldiers stood tall and some smiled, they found pride in humbling an honourless enemy.
"All right then, it seems there are two places to go now. Then first we need to decide who leads the two groups as we move. I will be leading the gate group, and Jonas, you will be taking the other group alongside Isabella."
Jonas's eyes shinned was a second, he was given responsibility and leadership over a group for such a big task. While Isabella twitched her eyes, she knew the hierarchy. She was being put under Jonas instead of leading the group but losing the argument she remained quiet.
"Count the number of men, and split in 1 to 4. The larger group goes to break open the gate while the smaller group distracts the small group of attackers long enough for the larger group to join them. The main attack will happen after the two forces combine after the gate falls."
The plan was quickly made and worked upon, the group soon decided who was getting to which location.
The groups lined and organised themselves, weapons redistributed and final words were ready to be exchanged.
Jonas's group was given 11 men while Thomas had 30 men by her side. As she stood in the middle of the line, the men in her group looked at her with sharp gazes, hostile intent ready to end her life at the moment they thought she was something they disliked, her life was on Jonas's mercy.
Thomas on the other hand had planned this to make proper use of Isabella.
Cornering her eased making the situation emotional and argument not combat, which he had observed she was bad at controlling from her conversation with Jonas and her reaction after being praised but the planning ended there it was time to split and before that, he delivered the final words.
"Soldiers, I entrust upon you the fate of this nation, within this small city among the few of us it will be decided whether our enemy knows our secrets or not. The enemy wished to steal all that is dear to us and all that we stand for and I say, I won't allow it to ever happen." He did not raise his voice high and no soldiers war cried, they needed to be quiet.
So, today stand and fight with your honour and the will to fight at its zenith. The Four Stared Flag will remember both the survival of this night and those who will lose their lives will be immortalized in history and remembered with pride and honour. So, give away your all to this land."
The soldier smashed their feet on the ground splashing away the water on the ground and going in the attention position.
Thomas shook hands with Jonas as the departure began. Isabella looked at the other soldiers all focused and ready to fight for their lives…
"…." Among the many strong there was a pair of eyes which looked weak, the same as the eyes which asked her for help and the same which led her too. They were still sad. It was a soldier in her group and he no longer looked at Isabella, he instead turned his face when their eyes met.
I will kill him when I get the chance.
The anger flowed in her mind, she deserved thanks for trying to help me but instead, he was running away, he did not tell her that he was sorry.
"Huh?!" In a second's worth of time, Isabella's eyes fell on something different,
something very alluring and something that made her worry for a second but in the next second, it gave her trust and power.
The smile on her face returned and so did the confidence in a few seconds her mind chance once again.
I need to trust myself more. I can do this.
For the first in her life, she realised that she needed to trust herself.
"Move on," Thomas ordered.
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Finally, the millionth build-up chapter ends and now I can dive into the action freely. Thank you for your patience.
The discord is up and running- https://discord.gg/PuxqgXsk