Bab 211: Split up.

Ryan burst forth from the hole, his lithe form landing with a dancer's elegance upon the earthen floor. As the spear he wielded vanished into the sky, he wasted no time in striding towards the assembled Knights.

"That is irrelevant," Ryan's voice was firm, an unyielding edge to his words. His eyes blazed with a mix of determination and frustration as he continued, "My friends have taken up the mantle of safeguarding this village, a duty that should also be yours. So, how about instead of shaking in your boots like little girls, you rouse up and, I don't know… lend a hand?".

Commander Glixa's reply came, a mixture of resignation and exasperation lacing his tone, "We're caught in a bind, torn between defending against the Lizard men and keeping the civilians from harm's way. It's an impossible balance to strike." The response from the other knights hung in the air like unspoken worries, an eloquent silence that underscored the challenges they faced.