Chapter 75 - Echoes of Failure
The stone-walled cell was dimly lit, its air thick with the chill of mistrust. Though unchained, the group sat quietly, aware of the weight of suspicion hanging over them. The rough stone beneath them scratched against their travel-worn clothes, and the heavy silence was occasionally broken by distant footfalls echoing through the corridor.
Commander Tesfaye Getaneh stood at the entrance, arms crossed, his brow furrowed in a mix of irritation and uncertainty. His uniform, though crisply worn, was damp with sweat at the collar. A long scar ran down the side of his neck—old but still angry-looking. His hand rested on the hilt of his curved blade, as if it gave him balance in a kingdom tilting out of his control.
"I don’t care who you claim to be," he said sharply, voice echoing against the stone. "Nuri? Never heard of it. And you show up with warriors dressed like legends and expect a warm welcome? This reeks of Adal trickery."
Khisa stood slowly, his height commanding attention, his calm presence cutting through the tension like a blade through fog. His eyes were steady, his voice collected.
"As I said, let me tell you about Nuri," he began. "And what we plan to do to the Adal Empire."
Tesfaye snorted, but he didn’t interrupt.
"We are a rising kingdom from the south. Built from the ashes of the people we’ve lost to slavers and their schemes. We don’t claim to be powerful yet, but we’ve seen the cost of waiting. So we fight. And we free those who can’t fight for themselves."
The soldiers standing behind Tesfaye exchanged murmurs, one young guard whispering, "He speaks like a general." Another leaned closer to his comrade, eyes narrowed. "And those warriors... they don’t move like ordinary folk."
"They have women in their ranks—they must not be that great," another muttered under his breath, trying to sound dismissive but with a hint of doubt.