all things to dust return but you keep on

Hazel wouldn’t admit it aloud, but it was clear: the praise left her glowing. A small smile on her face, and something straighter in her posture. Though worried she’d let him down, his words were a balm to her slightly bruised ego. She couldn’t help but find comfort here.

The Warlord’s offer surprised her, maybe a little. Hazel had lost the fight, but she’d still be promoted. Her green eyes shone with a little excitement, a little childlike wonder. “You told me once, that day on the beach, that to become the General I needed to be a Lieutenant first.” Hazel’s choice was clear in her mind. She stood straight and proud, resolve never wavering. The Armada had given her a future, and now she’d be a part of theirs.