Debrief Meeting

A silence followed, heavy and suffocating. 

"Understood."

The word carried the weight of reluctant acceptance, a truth he had to bear but could not afford to linger on.

"And these summons?" he asked as his gaze flicked to Boy, his tone unreadable, neither dismissive nor acknowledging. But there was something in his eyes- a weight of consideration, as thought he was trying to piece together what Darius had seen in him.

"He carries the commander's final messages, sir," the soldier spoke.

And hearing that, Boy spoke to the feline to drop the crystal ball which it did and it was revealed to the High Commander before it brought it back into its mouth.

Callen's expression remained unreadable, but he turned around, motioning for them to follow as he spoke, "Then we debrief in full. Now."

The group moved swiftly from the teleportation chamber, their footsteps echoing against the polished stone floors of the Grand War Hall.

The atmosphere grew heavier with each step as they approached the main war chamber, a vast circular hall dominated by a massive strategy table etched with enchanted maps and tactical plans.

As they entered, the officers took places around the table, and the tension settled like an unspoken weight upon their shoulders. 

The head scribe of the stronghold stepped forward, clearing his throat before speaking, "High Commander, I will report all that was witnessed at the stronghold." 

All eyes fixed on him as the scribes at the table began to use their magic to write down whatever he was going to say.

He continued, "The battle was relentless. The enemy forces pressed harder than anticipated, their formations tight, their strategies brutal. In the first hour, the first line of defense was being forced back with alarming speed, unable to withstand the sheer pressure of their charge. We were losing ground rapidly."

He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts as he continued, "But then, something changed. The Fourth Legion of summons were called and sent out by Commander Darius. At first, it did nothing except barely slow down the enemies as they were scattered and uncoordinated. But after about fifteen minutes of them being summoned, the momentum began to shift as we were able to push them back. The summons suddenly began to fight with more purpose, and the momentum turned."

His eyes flickered toward Boy as he said this but he did not elaborate as he continued with his report, "The first line of defense did fall eventually but it took about an extra hour and we were able to take a considerable number of enemy troops with it. Their advance slowed, their ranks thinned and we believe that we might be able to hold the stronghold if we kept it up at this rate."

He then exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening into fists, "But then everything changed the moment they summoned a dragon."

A murmur rippled through the room, officers shifting in their seats while they glanced at one another in disbelief at the account that the head scribe was giving.

"Describe it," Callen ordered, his expression darkening while he began to look at Boy in a different light now. 

"The dragon was massive, unlike anything I have ever seen on a battlefield. Black scales, large enough that arrows shattered upon impact… Its wings darkened the sky. From how it acted, it was clear that it was not bound by its summoner as it acted with purpose, as if it was choosing its actions…"

Callen's fingers curled into a fist, "And Commander Darius?"

The scribe's voice grew quieter as he turned to Boy, the room remained silent, waiting.

"Commander Darius saw him- this one," he nodded towards Boy, "It was this summon that led the other summons and even managed to critically injure the enemy general and critically injure his summon."

"Commander Darius saw him wounded, yet still fighting with the feline summon next to him. The enemy had begun closing in, preparing for the final blow. At this the commander cut through the battlefield and carved a path straight to the summon's side."

 At this, an intense wave of loud murmurs rippled through the officers as many of them, including Callen, turned towards Boy, their gazes shifting from skepticism to something deeper…

Curiosity, calculation, and amazement.

The scribe had described him, as the one who had turned the tide of battle among the summons, made them look at him differently. 

"The Commander saved this summon and killed the enemy general but it was then that the dragon broke out. I do not know what the commander said during his final words but I know that he spent his final words with this Hyena," the scribe continued before a more downcast yet proud expression appeared on his face, "Commander Darius fought like a man who had already made his peace, as if nothing else mattered but ensuring that he would use all the means at his disposal to take out the great beast. The last I saw of him was him rushing into battle with the rest of the army after he gave a wonderful speech, rallying back motivation to all the troops."

A heavy silence settled over the room. Some officers clenched their jaws, others lowered their gazes, and a few barely suppressed their grief. One officer muttered, "This battle has cost us one of our greatest commanders…" 

Callen remained still for a long moment before finally speaking, "His final words?"

The scribe hesitated, then looked towards Boy and the feline, "They are most likely in the recording crystal."

Callen's gaze sharply shifted to the feline, his eyes narrowing. He took a slow step forward, and as he did, the air around them thickened. His presence pressed down like an unseen weight, a suffocating force of sheer authority.

The feline flinched.

"That crystal holds the commander's final words. It belongs to Eldoria," Callen spoke with no room for negotiation.

The feline's ears flattened and its posture wavered. The weight of Callen's will was overwhelming, demanding submission, and compelling obedience. It found itself beginning to subconsciously move towards Callen.

Then, a low growl rumbled through the chamber.

Boy did not move, but his presence surged outward- somehow, despite the overwhelming weight of Callen's will, he was able to act on his own. 

His mind locked onto the feline as he passed along one simple message, "Do. Not. Obey."

The feline tensed, resisting the pull of submission. A sudden shudder ran through its form as Boy's voice in its mind suddenly shook it back to self-control. It straightened once more, its golden eyes, though still wary, met Callen's gaze without breaking.