"Power is nothing without the heart to wield it, and the law is empty without those who choose to follow it willingly."
Niko, who had witnessed the silent, profound exchange, waited like a blade honed and sheathed, patient, already calculating the angles the moment the Bond finished speaking. There was a language between us that required no syllables; she was the only other person alive who could read the tactical cadence threaded through the intimacy. Her fingers twitched with rune-thoughts, ready.
I spoke the summary plainly, stripping the raw data into commands. "The Castle is scheduled to be hit by a focused anti-structure artillery strike at dawn. Vorath's command is mobile Iron Peaks coordinates."
