Silence. I was beheld with wide eyes and raised brows. Yet, I did not look away from the old woman standing before me. Her eyes studied me with a mixture of pity and something else. Regret, perhaps.
"I am. But that is not why I ask you to join us in battle. I do not have the right to lead your people into a war that may claim their lives. I know this. Nonetheless, I ask that you place your faith in me. I have fought the Démenci. I killed the Mad Dog." My eyes flickered. "And I have felt the loss of war time and time again. In this era of peace, can any of you say the same? The Démenci regarded Emperor Scélérat as a god, and many will strive to bring his vision of Aeshivar to life despite his death. If you value this land at all, you will join me in defending it."
No one said a word
