He paused and scanned the line again, locking eyes with a few of them. "you're the wall that holds when our assault teams need to fall back, give them time to regroup. You hold the enemy back when things get chaotic and reinforce the line. Without you, everything falls apart."
The orange-banded soldiers exchanged slower, more solemn looks. Their job wasn't the most glamorous. But it was the most important when things went wrong—and they all knew it.
Aiden then turned to the final group, which stood in a tight formation toward the rear. Unlike the others, they wore one of two bands—green or gold. Their numbers were smaller, but their presence was no less significant.
"These last two squads," Aiden said, "you are our backbone."
He gestured to the group with green bands, each marked with the coiling symbol of an azure dragon.
