First Lieutenant Darvik opened his mouth but couldn't say anything to counter First Lieutenant Verayth. Instead, he turned to the Major.
"Major, you have protected the southern part of Erevos your whole life. You stand as a symbol of strength and military discipline. Surely you would not attest to First Lieutenant Verayth's insane plans… Surely you would never put the people you have protected thus far at risk of certain death."
The oppressive atmosphere returned as Darvik questioned the Major. The other fourteen people and First Lieutenant Verayth went quiet and waited patiently for the Major's response.
Depending on the decision he made at this very moment, they could either retreat, allowing the enemy to take over the southern part of the continent in its entirety, or hold their ground and fight to the last man.
The Major lifted his teacup, his sharp avian brown eyes scanning the room. His movements were deliberate and oppressive.
After taking a slow sip, he set the cup down with a soft clink and finally spoke, his voice steady and decisive.
"I joined the army as a boy, barely old enough to lift a rifle. The Second Great War had just ended. The enemy retreated, not because we won, nor because they feared us. No, they left because we weren't worth the effort. They saw no value in us, in our homes, our lives. We were just numbers to them, resources to be harnessed and discarded at will."
His gaze lingered on each person in the room before settling on Darvik, his tone turning sharper.
"Tell me, Darvik, if you were given the choice, the chance to fight for your people, to decide your own fate instead of having it dictated by others, wouldn't you take it?"
Darvik stiffened, his lips parting to respond, but no words came. The Major's penetrating gaze held him in place like a wolf staring down prey.
The Major leaned back in his chair, his expression hardening.
"Because I would. And I know First Lieutenant Verayth would as well. This isn't just holding a line like a bunch of boy scouts… It's about standing for something greater. It's about dignity, about showing that even if we fall, we do so on our own terms. But I hope the rest of you... at the very least, consider what that means."
Verayth clenched her fist until her knuckles creaked. She understood the pain in the Major's words, the cost of war. She had felt it too, the weight of loss and the burden of fighting when there was nothing left but the fight itself.
"In that case, it's settled then… We will begin mass recruitment of anyone ranging from the age of fifteen to seventy. Recruitment notices will be sent to the nearby villages, cities, and even within the camp itself. Within one month, they will be properly trained and prepared for the final battle for the Black Ash battlefront… Who's there?!"
Verayth suddenly called out in the direction where Elijah was eavesdropping, her body moving before her mouth even closed.
Elijah's eyes split into slits as Verayth's penetrating gaze zoned in on his direction. His heart skipped a beat, and panic surged.
Without a second thought, he turned and ran, desperation driving him forward. His legs burned as he pushed himself faster, each step taking him further from the camp and the threat of being caught.
"They'll execute me for eavesdropping. They'll definitely treat it like espionage. I'm dead if I'm caught."
Just as he made it out of the camp, a sudden force slammed into the back of his neck. His world tilted as pain shot through him like a bolt of lightning.
His breath caught, and his body jerked off its feet, crashing to the muddy ground in a position he didn't think his body could get into.
When he opened his eyes with a muffled grunt, Verayth was all that stood over him, her eyes cold and sharp.
"It's you?"
Elijah spewed out the mud that got in his mouth and rose to his feet, wiping his face with the back of his arm.
"First Lieutenant Verayth."
Verayth's eyes once more became cold.
"What were you doing spying on a confidential meeting between higher ranking officers? Are you an enemy spy or just courting death?"
Elijah smiled sinisterly.
"Would you believe me if I said I was doing neither?"
"It didn't look that way to me."
Elijah took a leap of faith and stepped forward instead of backward. Of course, it was only because he knew stepping back would trigger an aggressive reaction from Verayth, which he really didn't want at the moment.
"Well then, you can die now. A traitor who betrays his own kin doesn't deserve to live."
With little effort at all, Verayth grabbed Elijah by the collar and lifted him into the air, her eyes staring daggers into his.
Elijah chuckled lightly, throwing Verayth off her game for a split second.
"Well, look at you, giving yourself an excuse to murder the guy who can't even defend himself. If I were a spy, I definitely wouldn't have been stupid enough to get buried by piles of corpses during the last attack, don't you think?"
Verayth's eyes were still as cold as ice. Clearly, she wasn't convinced.
"You look awkward even for an Umbral kin. Tell me, where are you from, and who are you exactly? Then maybe I might be feeling less murderous right about now. And a word of advice Elijah, I will definitely know if you're lying to me."
Elijah was already starting to feel his collar choking him, but he still forced himself to respond. Elijah knew lying was not an option, but telling bits and pieces of the truth could definitely throw her off her game.
"Well, actually, I'm human."
There was a short moment of silence before Verayth released his collar and grabbed his neck, strangling him with her bare hands.
"You're lying to me."
"What the fuck, no I wasn't. What's with this crazy chick?".