"We're losing sunlight. We should just go and complete the mission ourselves," said Paul, the scout who was on the same team as Glade. "The rest can just wait here and heal. By the time we come back they'll be well enough to accompany us back."
"What if something attacks us while you're gone?" shouted their teammate, feeling completely aghast at the notion of being abandoned.
"You're not doing anything here. Create defences, hide. If all of the injured work together, I'm sure you'll survive," Paul said dismissively.
Nero watched all the drama from the side. He was beginning to regret his decision to help everyone. It felt like he had been assigned to care for a group of children.
"I think we should just head back. This whole thing is a mess," said another boy, who was rocking back and forth on the ground, his arms wrapped around his knees. "They didn't even give any training for this. They're just trying to get us killed."
"If you just wait a bit, the healer can just heal all of us," pleaded another girl.
"No can do," said Adam, the hammer wielding healer, who looked pale and out of breath. "I'm already on the verge of aether deprivation. I need rest, I can't heal anyone for now."
Nero rubbed the bridge of his nose as the rest of the recruits burst into an argument, all talking over one another. This had been going on for a while now.
Wendy was sitting beside him, looking bored, her eyes constantly scanning the area around their camp. Charles, who was sitting just beside her, also looked bored, though he was playing with some dirt under his nails. Henry had gone out to see if there was water nearby, but since Nero didn't let him go too far, he should be back soon.
"They can protect the wounded till we get back," Paul suggested loudly, which suddenly brought the whole argument to a pause. Everyone turned to look at Nero, and then the rest.
"Oh, good of you to think of me," Nero said lamely. "Please, do tell me how I can serve you."
Just in case any of them had a frail understanding of the concept of sarcasm, he didn't give any of them a chance to respond.
"But on a more serious note, since you cannot decide on a plan on your own, allow me to present you with the only two viable options you have. Please, don't try to come up with better ideas. You only have two options - at least if you want any help from us."
"You're blackmailing us," said Paul, looking angry. "You asked us to team up, and now that we need help you're blackmailing us to listen to you."
Nero closed his eyes and sighed. Kids.
He was trying to be diplomatic. After all, everyone was on the same level right now, so he couldn't be forceful. They had no obligation to listen to him.
But his problem, Nero realised, was that he was trying to be reasonable with a bunch of unreasonable kids. It was bound for failure to begin with.
When he opened his eyes once more, his demeanour changed. Nero liked to think of himself as friendly and approachable. That's how he was in school. But maybe, that's not how he should be in the army.
"I think everyone has gotten a little too comfortable with me," Nero said, his voice only slightly deeper, yet somehow it gave everyone chills. Whether it was Charles or Paul, whether it was Taylor or Adam, they suddenly felt the air around them change. The hair on the back of their necks stood up, as if their bodies were sensing great danger.
Only Wendy stayed unaffected, though no one noticed the way she subtly lowered her arms so that it would be easier to access her sword and blade.
"Since you weren't here when I last said it, let me reiterate. Do not blame others for your own mistakes. I am not your nanny, and I am not responsible for taking care of your mess. If I have offered to help at all, when you've shown yourselves to only be liabilities instead of an asset of any kind, then you should be grateful, not resentful for my help.
So if you want my help, you only have two options. If you're unhappy with them, feel free to go on as you wish. But then do not come for me to help - taking care of you is not a part of my mission directive."
Nero spoke slowly, making sure to properly enunciate each word so that they would understand him. For reasons no one could understand, despite the fact that he did not raise his voice nor was he forceful, Nero appeared much more frightening than even when he held a spear to the other girl's throat.
Seeing that there were no objections, Nero began to elaborate.
"The first option is that you give up. In that case, I can help escort you all back till you are safe and can retreat to the camp yourself. The second option is that you choose to continue with your missions, but still request my help. In that case, I will help ensure everyone here completes their missions, but simultaneously, everyone must obey my orders.
From now on, what I say goes, and at the first sign that any of you want to disobey, I will just leave you to survive on your own. Now choose, what do you want to do?"
Absolute silence hung in the air as everyone considered his proposal. There were some, like Paul, who wanted nothing more to tell Nero to leave. But it was an uncontested fact that if they didn't have any help, they would not survive long. Even though it was still before noon, and a long day was ahead of them, they did not have enough time to heal, complete their mission and return.
How the hell had their situation become so bad in just the first few hours?