Leda frowned once inside the room with the iron door. Days without access to sunlight, without news or hope from the other end, the soldiers clung to their faith in Ehedus, to their faith in the Multana Lord, their leaders, and comrades. Even with lamps alight, the room remained shadowed and grim. The exchange frustrated Leda, the very idea of greater responsibility amidst greater chaos. He rubbed his eyes and walked towards the only table in the room, shooing away those nearby.

[Can you hear me, Daiden Lost?] asked Leda, without words.

[This works without the spell of concealment, then?] remarked Daiden, causally. [We should’ve done this sooner. It’s convenient.]

[No, no, not convenient!] snapped Leda, immediately. [We don’t have the numbers to close the breach…this, you’re…we’re just going to have more blood on our hands this way.]

[I’ve worked a way out with Captain Deng,] said Daiden. [Our odds are better with them than without them. Allow me to address the situation, won’t you? I have a plan.]

Leda folded his arms and frowned again.

[Listen, how about this?] pled Daiden, with a nervous smile. [That game I promised I would play? Let’s keep doing that. It’ll keep things interesting between us as well.]

[You’re starting to see a bitter side of me…] revealed Leda, honestly. [I don’t particularly enjoy that. Go on ahead. Allow me the privilege to evaluate your plan.]

Daiden coughed a little, clearing an itch in his throat. He waited until Captain Deng moved to his side and read the room with a sweeping gaze. He memorized their faces, their expressions as well – doubt, fear, despair, everything. It plunged his heart into turmoil, just as Leda had predicted. But Daiden embraced the responsibility, riddled by a cocktail of emotions, but also with self-affirmation.

“If there’s ever a time to make a mark…Sand King aside, this is where you continue it,” thought Daiden, encouragingly. He cleared his throat again, holding the attention of the room. His lips mouthed the words first, then bellowed. “We…are…fucked!”

The soldiers froze as an immediate response, more so with the silence that followed. Daiden pressed into his past in that moment, seated for dinner, his father on one side, mother on the other. He remembered the daily news – global leaders and politicians alike, visionaries even. He remembered speechcraft. With a deep, elaborate breath, the Godvildian trainee lulled the audience, the soldiers into a state of urgency.

“Scattered…” clarified Daiden, strangely. He took another step forward. “We are fucked without coordination. That should make more sense. But we are fucked because we’ll need to return to the entrance, where we left an Acri-led horde…to eradicate them. We are fucked because I scoured my path towards this room, and trust me when I say, that there are a lot more of them than there are of us. You know this. You know this!

“Soldiers of the Multana Earldom, I stand here to request that you cede command over to me. Allow me, alongside Captain Deng, to lead you to your families. We are not going to hide. We are not going to falter. And most of all, we are not in the business of sneaky shit…”

[You have quite the mouth on you,] interjected Leda, stifling a laugh. [Crude, aren’t you? I always did suspect it though. But this? Oh, this is a treat!]

[Ah, shut it!] quipped Daiden. [They need a speech to get their blood boiling. I’ve been where they are…and hope, well, hope isn’t always the answer.]

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[Daiden Lost…] said Leda, slowly. [What is the answer, then?]

[Hope is when they expect someone to fix their problems for them,] said Daiden, simply. [I want them angry, enough to want to fix this mess themselves.]

In a smile, Leda conceded the conversation and leaned onto his chair.

“Yes…we don’t want to be boxed in from both sides,” said Daiden, lowering his voice. Some of the soldiers pushed ahead to the front, ears strained but with a firm expression. “As long as it takes, we’ll ration our supplies and move from one horde to the other, until the breach.

“We’ll fight, rest, recuperate, and fight again…until we reach the breach! Until we close the breach!”

Watching a few soldiers nod in agreement, Daiden straightened to a posture of authority. “Comrades, my friends, do you believe in me?”

It didn’t work, not at first. The soldiers stuttered into a non-response, taken aback by the question. But Daiden earned support nonetheless, from the person standing next to him.

“Yes!” said Deng, in a roar. “We believe!”

Daiden continued without a response from the other soldiers, louder this time. “In worship we strengthen! In worship we walk the path of blood!”

Each word, with emotion, stronger than the last. Daiden rested his voice while Deng followed. The two cried the prayer out loud once more, in unison this time. And by the third, the soldiers joined as well. Once, twice, thrice together, until Daiden retreated to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

[Good enough?] asked Daiden.

[Entertaining for sure,] admitted Leda, with a shrug. [You now have them boiling with morale. Great! What are you going to do next?]

[I told you I have a plan…] reminded Daiden. [And you could help as well, you know?]

[Think of me more as a key to an open door,] said Leda, smirking his way into a toothy grin. [A key can’t do much more than, well, lock a door.]

Daiden shook his head at the priest. He then turned to address the rest of the room. His mind tallied the faces in front him, in terms of responsibilities this time. He worked with the Multana Captain to separate the soldiers by the weight of their armours, their preference in weapons next.

“Van, Brine, Stem,” called Daiden. His eyes shifted to their equipment first. “Armoured lightly, weapons…daggers, short swords…good.” He consulted with Deng on his selection of soldiers as well, before addressing them. “We’ll treat this room as our starting point and return to the entrance of the dungeon. You’ll be deployed ahead for reconnaissance. First, find a space we can use for open combat. Once we establish a camp, the three of you will be responsible for kiting the hordes to us.

“We’re going to hunt them. Not the other way around.”

Daiden then turned to Deng. “Shields and spears, how many of your soldiers can manage that?”

“All of them,” said Deng, proudly. “Including me, about twelve prefer the spear as their weapon of choice. The three soldiers you chose to deploy as scouts, you know their preferences already. They’re fast, light on their feet. Good men!”

“That should be fine,” said Daiden. He swayed to one side, arms folded, and in thought. “The other five?”

“Swords, as is tradition in the Multana Earldom,” said Deng, immediately. He waited a moment, and then guessed. “You have a formation in mind already…”

“That depends,” said Daiden, honestly. “I’ll need you to manage your selection of soldiers for the shield and spear. But let’s discuss this in greater detail after a few minutes. I’m ironing some things out in my head right now. I hope that’s fine.”

With a nod, Deng acknowledged the recommendation.

“One other thing…” said Daiden, suddenly. “This is a large dungeon. And every soldier stationed here is either part of the general patrol, or the protective detail for Gis, the Butcher. You mentioned this.”

“That is correct,” confirmed Deng.

“How many soldiers are usually stationed here, in total I mean?” asked Daiden, curiously.

Deng’s face darkened from the question. He felt his stomach twist with guilt, for choosing to hide during the thick of the outbreak. “About a hundred, each shift. I can finish your line of questioning for you. There were about two hundred soldiers in here when the breach opened.”

“Well, that’s good news in a way,” said Daiden, with a smile. “We have an opportunity to add more soldiers to our cause then. You’re familiar with this dungeon, yes? We should start by focusing our search for spaces such as this room first.”

“You…you’re a good man, Daiden Lost!” said Deng, respectfully. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you…”

Daiden watched the Multana Captain bow and walk away to further their preparations. “Ah, I forgot to think about it from his perspective…”