Listening to every word Teresa spoke, his eyes, hidden beneath deep brows, were as sharp as steel tempered by fire, firmly fixed on the holographic map with those four glaring, crimson coordinates like festering ulcers.
He didn't respond immediately, instead unconsciously rubbing his rough, scarred and calloused fingers over the scabs on his beard, until his fingertips turned slightly pale.
"Ha... Four... Four poisonous nails... ruthlessly driven into the heart and lifeblood of this damn continent..."
He finally spoke, his voice hoarse and deep, like two rusty pieces of steel grinding against the sandy ground, each syllable carrying the fatigue and smell of gunpowder from battles fought on the front line.
He turned slightly, his gaze like cold spikes piercing the grave face of his adjutant Agni beside him—a human officer usually calm and steady, now marked with worry and deep, alarming dark circles.
"Mother Earth... Agni!"
