by Inlo, Jeff
Hoping to avoid any contact with the foul creatures that had overrun his home, the delver planned a cautious and swift route through Dark Spruce that would ultimately bring them to Connel. He used his speed and his senses to scout ahead of the areas they traveled and to avoid ambush. He led the soldiers first to the north before he turned east. Avoiding gremplings dashing through the branches proved to be the most difficult aspect of the journey, but he managed to mask their travels, and eventually they ventured out from the trees and across the farmlands.
His was the first group of soldiers to reach Connel, but several others would arrive soon after, some coming from the south and others utilizing underground passages. The dwarves assisted in mapping out the safest routes and offered guides within the underground passages. Experienced scouts who were part of Burbon's guard navigated the trails from the south.
Upon arriving, the delver saw that Connel had already efficiently dealt with the flood of refugees from Burbon. There was no clutter of tents, no throngs of people littering the streets and alleys. It appeared that the city leaders managed to handle the great influx without issue or delay.
Ryson believed Enin was probably at the heart of such a response. The delver could almost sense the wizard's hand in managing the arrival of the displaced citizens. They were—when the wizard called Burbon his home—his neighbors, and Ryson knew Enin would not ignore their plight. The wizard's magical abilities gave him a unique perspective that could keep such a flood of humanity organized, and he had aided in such matters in the past.
With the help of the dwarves, sturdy housing had apparently sprung up almost immediately. Dwarf construction was not new to the city, and the sustained growth amazed the delver. It seemed as if nothing could stop the steady expansion of Connel's borders.
Ryson felt great relief in finding such a degree of organization. He knew it would help ease the burden of those who had to abandon their homes. They might have been overwhelmed by Connel's size, but at least there was a small level of order that they could grasp for self-assurance.
With Burbon's soldiers being assisted by Connel's own guard, the delver turned his attention to his own desires. He raced to Enin's home hoping to speak with the wizard. He quite joyously discovered Linda and Stomps waiting for him there along with Holli and Jure, as well as several of the wizard's dogs. He learned that Enin was indeed helping with the refugees and had personally seen to all their needs.
While waiting for Enin's return, Ryson revealed everything that had happened. It was not the first time he expressed the grave news. Back in Dunop, he had already told Burbon's soldiers how Sy Fenden had died, but that moment had been one of necessity, to inform the guard they had lost their captain and that they needed to follow new leadership.
Retelling the story to friends and family was a much more surreal experience. The images of the horde engulfing the town remained crisp in the delver's mind. When he spoke of Sy's final moments, it was almost as if he was back on the rooftop staring down at Burbon's southern gate. He tried to make Sy's struggle sound as heroic as possible, but his words rang sad and hollow. Reliving the events left him feeling crushed and empty, like the skin of some fruit drained of its juice.
All those who listened to his tale felt the pain in his words, and they suffered at the news of Sy's fate. A heavy silence fell over them all.
Ryson needed long moments to collect himself, as the retelling of the tragedy forced him to release a great deal of the emotion he had bottled up inside. He still did not wish to believe Sy was dead, but it had to be accepted and the full scope of events needed to be shared with others.
It was not simply out of respect for Sy, but for what the captain would have wanted. Sy would not have been interested in any memorial, but he would have demanded that Burbon not be forgotten. Okyiq remained in control of the town. That was a fact that could not be allowed to endure, and without Sy, someone else was going to have to lead an assault against the enemy goblin.
It was Holli who began to consider the information from a more strategic perspective. A well-stocked and fortified town falling into the hands of a cunning goblin and his overwhelming army altered the balance of power in the region. If Sy's death caused her emotional turmoil, she buried it with even greater efficiency than Ryson had done. As she considered the probable circumstances surrounding Burbon's fate, she revealed everything she knew about the current situation.
"There have been no sightings of dark creatures near Connel and no reports of raids in the outlying farmlands," the elf announced. "When the refugees arrived from Burbon, several scouts were dispatched to watch the roads and alert the farms to possible raids."
Speaking of Okyiq and his horde of creatures didn't necessarily ease Ryson's grief, but it gave him a chance to focus on more practical matters. He offered his own assessment of what they could expect.
"Okyiq probably won't have to raid the farms around Connel for a while. There was enough food left in Burbon to feed them for days, despite the size of his army."
"I believe he can keep his forces fed for even longer than that," Holli added. "If I were him, I would focus on keeping supply routes to the forest secure and eventually raid only the closest farms. He could keep his army in Burbon for several seasons before he had to even come close to Connel."
"I don't think he wants anything to do with Connel. He's part of that serp council. They made that deal with Enin. They're going to leave the city alone just to keep him out of it."
"Yes, it seems Connel is safe," Holli agreed, "especially when there are more inviting targets. Pinesway is much more vulnerable."
"That reminds me, Petiole appeared in Pinesway... and in Dunop."
Ryson went on to explain everything he learned from Queen Therese and to describe the growing tensions between the elves and the dwarves.
"This complicates matters as well," Holli noted. "Okyiq can use Burbon as a base of operations for incursions into Dark Spruce and Pinesway. He can attack almost at will. With his horde, he can inflict casualties on both the elves and the dwarves. This will only add to the strife."
"So you think that's what the serps ultimately want?" Ryson asked. "They're looking to cause some war between the elves and the dwarves so they can raid the forest, or Pinesway, or maybe even Dunop?"
"The serps could utilize a conflict between the elves and dwarves in many ways," Holli revealed.
"I've been thinking about that," the delver confessed. "I've tried to figure out what the serps really want, because they're the ones behind all of this. If we can just determine what exactly they're trying to accomplish, maybe we can stop them."
Holli did not wish to speak harshly to the delver, but she could not discount the flaws in Ryson's considerations.
"You think there is some end to this?" the elf asked. "I am afraid to say that you are looking at this in the wrong light. There is no ultimate objective. They are serp. They are about manipulation and control. They are consumed as much with the process as they are with the results."
"That may be, but they have to have a purpose."
"Purpose? Everything they do has purpose, and each plot in itself is an objective. They are not striving for some larger goal. The serps are maneuvering their victims to display their level of control. Each scheme is meant to be an exhibit of pure exploitation. You wish to know what they want? I can tell you. They wish to continue manipulating everyone around them. They are making the center of Uton dance, and they are savoring their success. There is no final goal for them. Everything they accomplish is a victory."
"A victory?" Ryson wondered, unwilling to give the snake-faced creatures any credit for the chaos they had caused. "I can see they've managed to turn things in their direction, but what have they really gained?"
"You are not seriously asking that, are you? You think they are trying to obtain some simple treasure or perhaps become rulers of some region? A serp can desire to be a conqueror, but to do so and remain serp requires that they become the hand
that steers the actions of others. They obtain victory through subtle means and they have already gained far more than any serp could have imagined."
"So they're not after anything in particular?" Ryson asked in near disbelief. He wanted to believe that everything was happening for some reason, even if it was only a twisted serp desire. To consider the events he experienced as nothing more than an exercise in serp manipulation left him beyond cold.
"Not the way you might assume," Holli explained. "In forming a council, they have already accomplished a task that most would think impossible. They are now simply building upon that success with one triumph after another. I can only guess that it has become an intoxicating experience for them. Look at what they have done. They have essentially defeated the most powerful wizard in all of Uton."
"They didn't beat Enin," Ryson protested.
Holli would not make excuses, and while the truth caused her disappointment, even pain, she would speak it plainly.
"Yes, they did. Enin will not act against the serps. They forced him to accept a truce of sorts on their terms, not his. He is unwilling to fight them. That in itself is a monumental victory."
"But it's not like they gained anything from it. He's protecting Connel and he's keeping the algors from getting into a war with the dwarves."
"A war the serps themselves threatened to start," Holli corrected the delver. "I understand your desire to defend Enin, but he was brought before the serps, as were we all. The serps gained everything they wanted from that meeting. They made not one single concession. Enin may not wish to admit it, but he has already lost to the serps."
Ryson began to understand. He saw the serps actions not in terms of gaining power or riches, but in the marked achievement of twisting others to carry out their will. It was true, they had essentially tied the hands of the wizard on their terms, and Enin walked away without a struggle.
"So they're just going to keep twisting things... forcing people to act the way they want?"
"Not so much utilizing force as it is using their guile. Yes, they amassed a powerful army that was able to overrun Burbon, but look at the specifics. Raising an army is certainly not a unique achievement for serps, but they placed an extraordinary goblin at the head of that army. The goblin actually considers himself part of the serp council. They may even treat him as one, but it is only to suit their purposes, another significant achievement. Okyiq might have been a threat to the serps, but now he is part of their schemes. Through him, they control the human town of Burbon and have access to the surrounding farmlands. No force can currently oppose them. Okyiq might have defeated Burbon, but he did it through serp manipulation. That cannot be dismissed."
As Ryson's comprehension grew, so too did his anger. If a person's life was defined by a series of choices, then what freedom existed if every decision was maneuvered by such sick and twisted influence? What the serps were doing was worse than stealing some precious object or bountiful treasure. They were pilfering an individual's ability to set one's own course in life. They were turning the occupants of the land into mindless puppets, and they pulled the strings.
He recalled his own decisions and wondered how many of his choices had been foreseen by the serps, and then exploited for their own advantage. Maybe when he refused to hunt down Okyiq, he was playing right into the serps' schemes.
"So the serps have been getting exactly what they've wanted all along," Ryson conceded. "It's all been one big game to them. You're right. They are making us all dance. Godson, it feels like they know what I'm going to do even before I do it. They're making a fool out of me, aren't they?"
"Do not make it sound as if you are the only one to have made mistakes. As sad as it is to say, look at how they have manipulated the dwarves and the elves. Queen Therese has been informed of the serps, and yet she continues to take actions that aid their cause and not her own. The same is probably true for Shantree Wispon. Both leaders may know exactly what is happening, and yet, they continue to act, not in their best interest, but in response to the manipulations of the serp."
Ryson could not deny the truth. He saw it for himself when he spoke to the dwarf queen.
"I know. I told Therese everything, even how Enin had been forced to give up a portion of his magic to Neltus. It didn't matter. She was still ready to blame the elves. What was worse was she was ready to go to war with the algors, even though she knew that's exactly what the serps wanted from her."
"And that in itself should enable you to see how the serps envision victory. They may one day wish to loot Dunop for all its treasures, but they will do so after Queen Therese has ordered every dwarf into a battle they cannot possibly win. Serps do not fight the wars, they setup the battlefield and connive others into making bad choices and defeat themselves."
Ryson's anger began to burn. The emotions he once stifled threatened to boil over. He thought of Sy and how the captain wanted to fight to give his soldiers an opportunity to escape, but Sy didn't simply sacrifice himself willingly. He had hoped to escape, but Ryson saw the truth. Sy never had a chance. He envisioned the serps sitting around their table in that large mansion by the sea. They were getting everything they wanted, and they themselves were far removed from jeopardy. The thought disgusted him, and he vowed not to allow it to continue.
"Okay, so the serps are winning by just making everyone else do what they want. If that's the case, then we need to start making different decisions."
"Making poor choices just to spite serps is as bad as being manipulated," Holli advised.
"That's not what I'm talking about," Ryson responded. "I'm talking about pulling the rug out from under them, forcing them to react to what we do as opposed to the other way around."
"What is it you have in mind?"
"We start with Okyiq. We can't let him get away with what he's done, and just as important, we remove him and his horde as a threat."
"I believe that is exactly what the serps would expect of us. Right now, they want us focused on Burbon. They know we cannot simply ignore Okyiq. We have to deal with him, and the serps know it."
"Not the way I intend on doing it. I'm not talking about raising an army and returning to Burbon. That's what Sy would have done, but he's gone. By removing Okyiq, I don't mean capturing him or forcing him and his army out of Burbon. I mean killing him. We remove Okyiq and that's the first step to their army falling apart, and it's something they would never expect of me."
Holli considered the plan, and at first glance, it seemed like a surprising decision by the delver. Ryson Acumen was not an individual that advocated such drastic measures, even with a foul creature such as Okyiq. There were, however, other considerations.
"I admit your idea may be unexpected, but I am not sure it makes sense. The serps are the ones in control of the horde. The loss of Okyiq would not mean the disintegration of their army."
"That's the point. I don't want it to make sense. If it made sense, the serps would be ready for it. I don't expect the goblins, shags, and hook hawks just to get up and leave when Okyiq is dead, but it will force the serps to fix the problem. We make them react to what we do. That's how we take back control."
"And you will be the one to enter Burbon and kill Okyiq?"
Ryson thought of the moment he found Okyiq's message outside of Burbon, when he looked upon the dismembered fingers of so many goblins. He recalled his conversation with Sy. Sy knew Okyiq needed to be removed as a threat. The captain even asked Ryson to perform the deed, gave the delver a chance to make his own decision. Ryson decided it was wrong to hunt the goblin down, but that was before, before Sy had been killed.
"It's something I should have done before."
"I see," Holli noted, understanding far more than Ryson would have guessed. Her initial response, however, was not a surprise.
"No, it cannot be you," she stated firmly.
"Why not?"
"Because it is not you. This is not what you are. I see in your eyes you know what has to be done, b
ut as I said, it cannot be you. I believe you have the strength, even the will, but it will change you, and I do not want that to happen."
Ryson was not ready to concede that point. He never wanted to kill, but he lived in a violent land. He valued life, but he would not allow others to callously destroy it. If there was no other way, he would take a life to save others.
"I've done it before. I've killed shags, even destroyed inferns."
"This is different. This is not about fighting to save others. This is a tactical move against the serps. It might also be viewed as justice, even vengeance."
"I'm doing it to save Burbon."
"Burbon can be saved in other ways."
"But this is the best way. We can't leave those monsters in control of Burbon. We can't just let Okyiq get away with killing Sy. And we can't allow the serps to cause any more suffering. This is what has to be done!"
"I agree, but it must not be done by you. I understand what you are saying, but you have to understand me. If you believe the serps are ultimately responsible for everything that has happened, then you must see that this may be just one more serp scheme. Yes, it is unexpected, but that is what serps do. They manipulate others. The strike on Burbon was as much an assault upon you as anyone else. They are hoping to make you respond. That much is clear to me. To get you to kill Okyiq would be their ultimate achievement. The delver that is known for his compassion will have been turned into a ruthless killer. Do you really wish to give the serps that victory? That would be a greater achievement than defeating the great wizard of Connel."
As if lightning struck the ground by his feet, Ryson realized how close he came to giving the serps one more victory. He knew Okyiq had to be removed, but Holli was right. It could not be by his hand. Despite everything that had happened in the past, he had always held to his beliefs, even argued with Sy over when it was necessary to kill dark creatures that threatened Burbon. And there he was, ready to give up on the very thing that defined him, just so the serps would lose. But in hoping to cause them defeat, he would deliver them a victory that would change all he was.