At that, Gordon gave a humorless chuckle. "Carrion crows. They circle the chaos, picking at the wounded and feeding off the war. Raiding villages, ambushing stragglers, every battle gives them new ground to pillage."
For a moment, the table was quiet, the weight of the truth pressing down on them.
Finally, Liraeth exhaled slowly, her eyes firm. "That is the state of our Empire, Lord Lumberling. The Emperor guards his secrets, the Sengolio press our borders, allies and enemies alike chase after the cursed land… and still, we must fight. With what little we have."
Lumberling stared at the map, then back at her. "Then I'll stand with you. But know this, whatever lies in that Duskwind Field, if men are willing to kill thousands for it, we'll be stepping into more than just war."
Liraeth studied him across the table, her expression unreadable, but there was a faint curve at the corner of her lips, as though his words had confirmed something she had already believed.
