William paused, his face wearing a very serious look, one that was impossible for such a kid to have at such a young age. His eyes seemed to hold the weight of decades, piercing through the youthful faces of his peers with a gravity that demanded silence.
"If you don't," he began, his voice dropping into a low, sombre register, "then the survival of your clan will be under a huge test here. I won't force anyone, nor will I try to order you around using any authority. I want each and every one of you to make such a decision by yourselves. You must decide if you are clansmen or just children hiding behind a stone. The fact is…"
William paused when a mighty explosion rang out far behind the battlements, violent enough to cause the entire ground to shake. The sound was followed by the sharp, metallic tang of ozone and the smell of scorched earth.
