Love it! But kill the word “was” before toxic blend….“Kill your darlings,” as Stephen King would advie. For ex. “They called themselves the Last Army, for they believed there would be none needed after them.” It’s passive voice and not necessary. There are uses of the word “was” later on (passive voice) that detract from the action as well. Do these edits and you have a 5 pencil piece on here.

Sorry for the long comment. I’m just so passionate about what you’ve penned here, that I want it to shine to its full potential. You are a very talented writer.

This is an amazing piece of writing. I love the tone that has been set in this, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.