Chapter 43: Before The Guild
Grandmaster Li’s voice, when it finally broke the stillness in the room, was not loud, but it filled every corner of the room. It was a low, resonant murmur, like stones grinding together at the bottom of a deep river.
"Ning Que." The name hung in the air, an accusation in itself. "The formal charges have been read. You stand accused of gross insubordination, of willfully disobeying a direct order to stand down. You are accused of leading your team into a battle they were not equipped to win. And you are accused," he paused, his ancient eyes locking onto Ning’s, "of failing in your most sacred duty as a leader: to bring your people home. We have heard the preliminary reports. Now, we will hear from you. Explain yourself."
Valerius shifted, his voice cutting in like a shard of glass.
"With all due respect, Grandmaster, what is there to explain? His orders were clear. He ignored them. A Hunter died. The facts are not in dispute."
"The facts are rarely the whole truth, Valerius," the Grandmaster countered, his gaze not leaving Ning. "I will have his words. Speak, boy. What possessed you to believe your judgment was superior to that of the Guild’s command?"
Ning’s jaw was a knot of tension. His hands, clenched at his sides, were slick with sweat. He forced them to relax, finger by painful finger, and met the Grandmaster’s stare.
"It wasn’t a matter of superior judgment, Grandmaster," Ning’s voice came out rough, scraped raw by grief and anger. "It was a matter of no choice at all. Your orders... they came too late."
A Hunter with a face like scarred leather scoffed.
"Too late? The command was issued the moment the Behemoth’s energy signature was confirmed. Your comms were active. Don’t insult this Council with lies."
"I’m not lying," Ning shot back, his voice rising. "Your intelligence was flawed! You thought it was forming miles from our position. You thought we had time to retreat and regroup. But it was already there. It rose from the blasted earth not two hundred yards from our camp. By the time the order to ’stand down’ crackled over the comms, we were already fighting for our lives. Linx was already engaged."
He took a ragged breath, the image of Linx’s final, defiant stand burning behind his eyes.
"What would you have had me do? Tell my team to drop their weapons and run while one of our own was being torn apart? Would you call that leadership? Waiting for a piece of paper to tell me it was okay to save my friends?"