[*]
His eyes were like black lacquer, flickering with the fire's light, dark and grim.
The youth's eyes were usually exceedingly clear, but now they seemed shrouded in a black mist.
After a long moment, he said in a low voice, "So it was a dead end."
He then picked up a steamed bun and handed it to Amy.
A silence fell, leaving only the CRACKLE of the sparks from the fire.
"Little General," Amy clapped her hands lightly and smiled at him. "Weren't you going to be loyal to the nation and swear to serve it until death? Why are you so afraid now?"
"If I had been born in a time of chaos, with no one but myself, my death would mean nothing. But now, with the country in peril, even if I'm willing to give my life in service, I fear it won't be enough to save a collapsing state."
