The morning mist clung to the courtyard, heavy and cold. Kael ordered the men to assemble, but the formation was ragged. Shields hung low, blades dragged against stone, and eyes refused to meet his.
One soldier broke rank, not with words but with defiance. He stepped out, spear held upright, and planted it hard into the ground. The sound cracked through the silence.
"We drill until our arms break," he said, voice steady but bitter. "Yet the nobles sit in halls, untouched. Why should we bleed for them?"
Others shifted uneasily, some nodding, some looking away. The tension was no longer whispers it was standing in front of him, daring him to answer.
Kael walked forward, each step deliberate. He pulled his sword free and drove its point into the stone between them.
"You want to question command? Then test it. Stand against me. If you win, you lead. If you fall, you follow."
The soldier hesitated, then lifted his spear. The duel was swift with a clash of steel and grit. He lunged, but Kael sidestepped, striking the shaft aside. The spear wavered, and Kael's blade pressed against the man's chest before he could recover.
Kael's voice was calm, carrying across the courtyard.
"Strength without belief is hollow. You fight well, but you fight without fire. That is why you cannot lead."
The soldier lowered his weapon, breath ragged. He stepped back into line, and the courtyard fell silent.
Kael turned to the ranks, his gaze sweeping over them.
"You fear Tharos. You doubt me. But hear this: fire does not ask permission to burn. It consumes, but it also forges. I will not beg for your belief. I will prove it, every step we march."
Below, Tharos unfurled his wings, ember light spilling across the stone. The soldiers flinched, but none turned away. The beast's rumble pressed against Kael's chest, heavy and undeniable. Division is weakness. Shape it, or it will consume you.
Kael raised his sword. "Choose now. Follow me, or leave. But if you stay, you march as one."
No man moved. The silence was not rebellion this time, but acceptance.
As the mist lifted, Kael felt the fracture begin to mend. Fear still lingered, but it had been tempered. The soldiers had seen him stand, had seen him prove command not with speeches, but with steel.
Garrick's voice was low, almost grudging. "You gave them more than defiance today. You gave them unity."
Kael sheathed his sword, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The march would continue, and the fire within him burned brighter.