Admortis awoke, sore but bounding with energy brought about by his new found conviction. As his dream mind had subconsciously anticipated, he'd been transported to his lair after collapsing immediately after the Hold Audience magic was cast. Even as he moved out of his metallic bed, he knew that he'd regret his speed and lack of care, but that wasn't even on his list of concerns for the moment.
He had to convince Tesonu to aid Hannibal.
It was too late for his clan, at least until he could organise a movement to free them from Sir Harry's heel. But it wasn't too late for Hannibal and his minions. They could be freed from their shackles. And only Tesonu could help.
He strode from his lair, muscles, cuts, bruises and mind afire. His gait was quick and steps long, and before he knew it he was past the corridor, through the secret door and in Tesonu's heart chamber.
"Master Tesonu." He spoke clearly with acknowledgement, but without emotion. For all that he knew he'd done the right thing, morally, the logistics of his actions had left much to be desired. He'd screwed the pooch, obliging Tesonu to launch an assault on Hannibal to free him, even though he'd not wished to be freed.
And so he did not elaborate then, for he knew it was not his place. First, he would listen.
"Admortis."
Tesonu's voice was not alone, for there spoke another from behind him. It was Crystice, who had a blank and essentially empty stare. Other than his name, she said nothing. Admortis did not turn to look at her, but he did lower his head in shame for what he had put her through.
"I do no know where to begin with you. You are one of my longest serving Creatures, and one of great loyalty, from what I can sense... and yet... so completely stupid and ignorant."
Admortis offered no refutation, for Tesonu's assertions were perfectly true. Admortis had followed his heart, before even the briefest of thought.
"What exactly did you think you were going to accomplish?"
"Forge an alliance. With Viviona. With Hannibal." His voice remained impassive, despite his conviction. He didn't need to give Tesonu any fuel against him just yet.
"So, you think that you, a small individual soldier in my dungeon, has the capability to decide who and what allies are needed or can be trusted? You think you can accomplish that better than I, even with such limited information?"
"No on all accounts, Tesonu. I acted before thought, moved when I should have consulted you." Emotion crept in, slowly, a mix of pain, regret and purpose. "My heart guided me, Tesonu. When I joined you, I'd abandoned my people to slavery, or a condition near as makes no matter. I sought a new purpose, threw myself to your will, and acted upon it, without knowing, truly, what I was doing, what you planned or what your actions meant. But I've changed since then. I must return to my people, to free them. And I can not, in good conscience, condemn those who are slaves to death simply because they find themselves forced to be your foe." He slowed, took a deep breath, and started again. "Perhaps you feel as I do. My one regret is that I did not ask you your feeling before I made move on my own."
Tesonu's voice echoed the room immediately in a thunderous roar.
"And yet, you still do not possess even a basic understanding of what you toy with! There are many more factors at play than you can imagine. Impulsive or not, even now you lack understanding of the true circumstances. If you did possess such, you would not even dare to do as you did simply did due to the sheer futility of it."
"Please, then, if you believe me at all capable of understanding the situation, inform me."
"Answer me this first. Would you dare betray me?"
Admortis paused for a moment, deep in thought. Had he not already betrayed Tesonu, if indirectly, through killing the guard Lena?
He raised his head as he spoke, a confident tone. "I stand for what is right, for freedom, and I stand against the heroes. If you are with me in these things, then I will never subvert your will."
"What matters to me is my own survival and the survival of those loyal or close to me. To that end, I must destroy whoever brands me as their enemy. The Heroes are not a force of good, nor one of evil. They're merely another side of things. To me, they are no different than another Keeper."
"Understand this. There are those within them that are corrupt, those who think their ways are true, and those who understand others and respect their different ways of life. Your concept of freedom is subjective, your generalization of Heroes being black and white. You may think, with your simplified mind and narrow perspective, that your actions are justified as you steal life away from your opponents, but if freedom is what you stand then you have no justification. By continuing on this reckless path and exercising your own will and concept of freedom over others, you are, ironically, destroying their freedom and thus your own reason for fighting in the first place."
The Guards you helped Viviona kill are an example of this. They betrayed not Hannibal, but their fellow 'Heroes'. Hannibal, by this point, is merely an extension of Sir Cedric. They viewed Cedric as corrupt and believed me to be the force that could end this corruption. That is why they did what they did, to assist my side and allow my forces to be able to carry out an assault on Hannibal's dungeon while his main forces were still recovering. I sought to request more information from them after the battle to see what else I could learn, possibly allow them to join me, but you know how that went."
Admortis soaked in all that was said. There was much that warranted response. Tesonu was right, not all whose opinions differed with his own were were inherently wrong or evil. Everybody had the right to self determination. But his master was wrong in one thing - nobody deserved the freedom to rob freedom from others. There is no irony in killing those complicit in slavery, nor are all those pitted against him enemies. Foes of circumstance, they are.
He did not give voice to these thoughts, however, for they were transitory in the face of one thing, relating precisely to the revelation he'd had in his dream.
"Master... are you absolutely certain that the guards intended to aid you? I was brought to Hannibal's dungeon immediately after, and there was no sign of dissent, no battle, no uproar, nothing indicating that anybody was upset or confused by the betrayal. Why would the guards act alone, so small a force? And I was tortured there for a time, by a fairy named Lucy. Viviona cut her down, and threatened to kill others, too. Viviona has power there. She resists the heroes, keeps Hannibal's spirit alive. I... I do not think that the guards intended to aid you, Tesonu. I think that they merely wished to kill Viviona, and end all resistance to the slavery they've imposed on Hannibal. Helping you was just an easy way to outnumber and overpower her."
"And yet, how would you know this? You, who merely charged in, sword first, and killed them without a second thought? How would you know how much power Viviona actually has? For all you know, you could easily have seen only what she or the Heroes wanted to see."
"With respect, Tesonu, I know what I saw. Even if the heroic command was happy to sacrifice a few of their own to deceive us, I assure you Lucy herself was not prepared to lay down her life, and neither could the command have anticipated or permitted that I be here to relay this to you at any point. Their losses, I assume, were heavy in the raid that freed me. No, if they wished to make us fear Viviona's might, they could have done so much, much more simply with far lesser harm to themselves."
"Perhaps you do not understand my point. There are still a great many factors that come into play that must be taken into consideration. These decisions and actions are to be left to someone who is permitted to such knowledge. Let me ask you another question. Do you remember the alliance I forged in the realm?"
"With the tentacle tribe?"
"You truly considered them an ally, didn't you?"
"I trusted your judgement in the matter." Admortis rolled his right shoulder, still covered in scar tissue from where a tentacle's head had wounded him. "But I was never very fond of them."
"Do you realize that they betrayed us?"
Admortis muttered a curse. This revalation didn't reflect directly on him, but if one alliance had already failed, Tesonu was undoubtedly less likely to forge a new one. "No, master. I did not know that."
"Had they shown themselves at your doorstep with reasonable and fair talk of an equally benefiting alliance, one that spoke of regaining a land lost to them as a result of Cedric's arrival, would you have trusted them?"
The goblin could see where this was going. "Trust? Not immediately, no. But one can use an ally without trusting them. If you remain brothers in blood for long enough... then there is room for deeper bonds."
"Perhaps that is one difference between us. I never once considered them an ally."
Though there was a pause, Admortis decided to let his master finish.
"I've existed for a great many years, and I've seen similar, seemingly neutral factions much like the Tentacle Tribe. They are hostile in defense of the realm they consider their home, and arrogant if they've held their existance for a long time. On the other hand, Dungeon Keepers hold a terrible reputation and are not beings most consider trusting."
"A good, recent example of this would be an event that occurred far south, where a Keeper sought to appease a Dragon, who refused as a result of a Keeper's reputation."
"Even though I was willing to uphold my end of the deal, I was fully aware that the Tentacle Tribe would never trust me, and so I planned for their betrayal, and prevented our entire army from being wiped out."
"Do you see what I'm getting at? I have access to knowledge beyond you, having existed for a great many years more, allowing me to make such decisions. You're merely a small force, an individual hailing from one of the countless Goblin tribes. What makes you so convinced that you have such a firm understanding of Keeper Hannibal and Viviona's situation?"
Admortis took a deep breath. He hadn't even dented Tesonu's conviction.
"Because I've seen her passion, her zeal to fight for her master. For that passion... has been my own. But Tesonu, it is clear to me that we've reached an impasse, so I ask you - what are your plans for Hannibal, for his minions? Will you even try to spare them? To free them?"
"Have you learned nothing from what I've told you?"
"Reason will not see compassion flee my body, Tesonu. I can not cease my empathy, nor wish death upon someone who has no choice in fighting me."
"Do you know anything of Hannibal's true self, or the magic that corrupts his mind?"
"Other than that he is an unwilling slave to the heroes, no. But surely that is enough?"
"Hannibal is essentially a typical Dungeon Keeper, one who is aggressive, arrogant, and seeks domination over all of Heavenarius. He views his Creatures more as tools than anything. He would have no allies, especially not with another Dungeon Keeper who he sees as mere competition for obtaining what he wants. How he got Viviona to follow him so faithfully is another matter entirely. But it does mean that neither of them, as things stand, can be allied with."
"The spell that corrupts him is complicated... but it warps his personality and reverses his characteristics, even altering his magic as a Dungeon Keeper. As happy and friendly as he may seem now whenever he speaks, it only reflects his true horrid nature."
"Do you honestly believe that if we restore him to his former self, that it will be of any benifit to us? Will he be so grateful that he will not seek to betray us when our guard is down?"
"I don't know Hannibal, and I'm willing to believe that he himself is not worth suffering to live, but what of his minions? Surely we have to assume that they are worthy of life, until proven otherwise?"
"And why should they be? A Keeper cannot do much without his faithful minions. It is his followers who drive Hannibal's will, who will be the ones that assault us in a bloody betrayal should we save him now. Viviona especially, as the extent of her loyalty is at a point where should she live and her master not, she would seek revenge upon his killer."
"Faithful minions? In what capacity? They're slaves. They may have joined Hannibal willingly, but now they can choose between fighting for the heroes or death."
"I'm referring to the heart of Hannibal's forces. They fight as ruthless as they do for a reason. If they really were nothing more than slaves to the Heroes, they wouldn't have the same kind of morale."
"Or maybe the morale is derived from Viviona, precisely why the guards betrayed her forces in an effort to kill her?"
"Then what difference would it make? They follow Viviona, who follows Hannibal, who is nothing more than an enemy to us. Both when controlled by Cedric and in his own right mind."
"Did you know Hannibal before he was enslaved?"
"I've encountered him briefly. It was not a direct encounter, but I've learned more than enough about him from trustworthy sources to know what kind of Keeper he is."
"We truly have nothing more to discuss, then, apart from whatever punishment you feel I deserve. But know that I will not kill Hannibal's minions. I will disarm them, I will remove them from the fight, but I will not kill them."
"Then perhaps it is time you take a good look at the person standing behind you."
Admortis turned to face Crystice, a sorrowful expression on his face.
"Everyone has their reasons for fighting. Hesitation due to sympathy for the enemy is a risk that can end in the death of yourself or your comrades. Are you willing to pay such a high price to preserve the life of someone who would see your death?"
"I've already told you what my desires are. I've found those loyal to me. I will not risk their lives for nothing. If you are unable to fight your hardest, then I will give you no place on the battlefield."
"Then pit me against the heroes, Tesonu! I will slaughter them with a vengeance, without hesitation."
Crystice's eyes turned away, unable to look directly at Admortis. She looked down sadly, for a moment, seeming uncertain of what to say. She suddenly looked up at him, fire burning hot in her eyes that gave her a look of authority enraged.
"That's not the point at all, Admortis! Don't you get it!? When I was at Hannibal's dungeon, I was nearly killed, by both Hannibal's Creatures and the Heroes! But then I was saved, I remember how hard they fought to protect Emmra and me. I wanted to think of you as someone special, someone who would fight for me, but how can I trust you when you're trying to save the life of someone trying to kill us!?"
Admortis' eyes were downfallen, and he fell to his knees, defeated. He could barely choke out the words through his sorrow. "How are you supposed to trust me? You can't. Everything I do, every time I try to help, I only make things worse. I tried to free my clan from burdenous taxes, and I got them enslaved. I tried to help Viviona, to get her to help Tesonu, and I only made the situation worse. I just want to help those who deserve help, or those that can't help themselves. You... you don't understand slavery. Hannibal's minions don't fight to kill you, they fight so they aren't killed themselves."
Tesonu's voice echoed around the room.
"And yet by attempting to find some way around things, some way to preserve Hannibal's Creatures, you merely give the Heroes an opening to exploit. That's exactly what they want. If we fall here, now, then how does that change the situation? Hannibal's Creatures are still enslaved, the only difference is that we'll either be joining them in slavery or joining the dead. Acting like this will get you nowhere. The best you can do is overpower Hannibal as quickly as you can in order to reach Cedric and put a stop to everything."
Admortis' face lit up with a glint of hope - but only a glint. "What of the slaughter in the interim? Could you not dig and bridge around Hannibal's dungeon... take the fight right to Cedric?" Even as he spoke, he knew the answer to his question.
"That would mean sending our forces out to die. They would be battling Harpeia on one front while dealing with Hannibal from the rear."
Admortis stammered, clearly shaken. "You're right."
Crystice crossed her arms as she looked away, anger hidden beneath her tone, "There's no way around this, Admortis. You have to accept that."
By way of answer, Admortis stood tall even though he felt feeble, his right arm over his chest, and gave a nod. "Yes, commander." He wasn't wholly convinced, but he'd be damned if he was left in the dungeon whilst others were out fighting, and he could feel sorry for himself, and Hannibal's minions, later.
"Fine then," Crystice replied sourly, "You should get some rest. And then... well, it is up to Tesonu what you should do." She refused to look at the Goblin, not even sparing him a glance.
Admortis turned to face Tesonu again. "Any final words, Tesonu?"
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I would like to remind you of your place relative to mine. You are a soldier. I am your leader. You are a fighter, I am the thinker."
There was a pause.
"Our army may be strong but it certainly isn't unstoppable. Against the forces of this realm, there simply is no comparison. The Tentacle Tribe alone nearly wiped us out. But it is because of my planning and strategy that I turned our foes against each other, by leading half the Tentacle Tribe into Hannibal's domain and trapping the other half here, where I wiped them out by exploiting thier biggest weakness, all while picking at Hannibal's defenses myself and resucing my captured idiots with only one fatal casualty."
"I have plans, Admortis. For dealing with Hannibal, Viviona, and his Creatures. What I don't need is my little Creatures running amok and interfering with said plans. Act out of line like this again, and I will begin to question just how much I value your so-called 'loyalty'. Dismissed."
Admortis left the heart chamber, not nearly as quickly as he had entered it. All of his energy was gone, and his torture wounds were now inflamed with pain. As he hobbled back to his lair, he was left wondering if Tesonu would prove worthy of his continued support, and how many innocents had to die before everything was all over. Will I be one of them? Who of my allies will fall?
The goblin entered his lair gingerly, and fell asleep quickly.
Meanwhile, Crystice remained in the Heart Chamber, alone with Tesonu. The Dungeon Keeper was focused on her, interested in and concerned by what she obviously had to say. Had she no words for him that needed to be spoken in private, she would not have stayed. Crystice had been looking at the entrance of the room, watching Admortis go, perhaps to make sure he couldn't hear what she had to say. She then slowly turned back towards Tesonu's beating heart, a clear hesitation in her motion.
"What do you think of Admortis, Crystice?"
Her eyes focused on the ground for a moment, before she finally looked up at him. That's when Tesonu truly became concerned. The look in her eyes lacked any sort of confidence or resolve, something that usually characterized her. She spoke slowly at first, but then began to speak up as she went on, "I don't think... that's any of my concern anymore."
"What do you mean?"
Crystice's eyes turned away for a moment, then focused back on Tesonu, "I'm retiring myself as your Battle Commander. I no longer wish to hold responsibility over the lives of anyone else, save for my sister and myself."
"I see... very well then."
Crystice looked up suddenly in surprise, "You have no objections?"
"Why waste the time? I can see already that you've made up your mind about this. Nothing I say will change your decision, regrettable and undesirable as it is."
Crystice looked down briefly, "That's right..." Crystice was silent for a short moment, not sure of what else to say. Then, she suddenly remembered something she did want to tell Tesonu and looked back up towards him, "I saw what you did earlier, when you spoke to everyone about the invasion. You tried to cover for me, by shifting the blame to someone else. That was... nice of you."
"I wasn't necessarily trying to cover for you, so much as I truly considered the fault of the invasion to be a direct result of their actions, or inaction as I said before."
"If only that were true..." Crystice replied, almost in a whisper at first before her voice picked up, "...but I separated the invasion army when I shouldn't have. Our forces weren't that strong to begin with, and when the smaller party was taken out, the larger invasion force had to battle on two fronts. It would have been the end of us. If the smaller invasion party hadn't woken up, or if they had been outright killed, we would have all been slaughtered. There could have been so many more deaths... just because we got out of there alive for the most part doesn't mean I did well. I was the one who put us in that risk, and it was your planning and foresight that got us out. If it were just me, we wouldn't have made it out. That's why I have to retire. I'm not fit for this. I just cannot be responsible for so many lives."
Tesonu was quiet for a moment.
"I know how you feel. Once, I was in your position, many years ago... I don't think you're as bad as you think you are, but there's no point in having a Battle Commander who isn't confident in her ability. There's really nothing else I can say on the matter."
Crystice lightly nodded, though she began to wonder exactly what Tesonu's early experiences were as a Keeper. She dismissed the thought, figuring it to not be any concern of hers. She gave one final word to Tesonu, "In that case, I will dismiss myself. I would like to spend some time to rest..."
Crystice turned her back to Tesonu then proceeded to leave the Heart Chamber.
"Crystice."
Crystice turned back, surprised, "Y-Yes...?" Suddenly remembering her manners, Crystice added, "Lord Tesonu?" She realized how awkward she must have sounded. She hadn't addressed a Keeper so formally in some time. To do so now was clearly an afterthought. Tesonu hadn't been getting the most personal with her but... she certainly felt closer to him with the way he spoke directly to her. The way he connected his very mind to her to speak in private made her feel like she was on a more personal level, and so she began addressing him as such but... she knew that needed to stop.
"What do you think of Admortis?"
Crystice was slightly startled by the question, "Wha... But I-"
"You may not be my Battle Commander anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't ask your opinion on something, as one of my Creatures. You've known Admortis for some time, perhaps longer than anyone else in the dungeon. So I think you could possibly provide some insight on his behavior."
"R-Right..." Crystice was quiet for a moment. She thought about him, about Admortis. She thought about what he said and the way he said it. She began to clench her fists, "I'm very angry with him. I don't think I could say anything about him that isn't hateful."
"So, you prefer to remain quiet rather than speak out of bias at this time of judgement? Very well then, you are dismissed."
Crystice didn't know what to say. She didn't know if there was anything she could say. She stared at Tesonu's Dungeon Heart for a moment before speaking softly, "Very well... Lord Tesonu." She then slowly turned and walked out of the Heart Chamber. Crystice wasn't sure exactly what she should do, it took a moment for her to be able to clear her mind enough to allow her to think. She's just a normal Creature now. A common Witch, spell castor and researcher. She should most certainly go to the Library. Why did she need to think about it at all? She would go to the Library regardless.
Crystice let out a sigh as she entered the Lair. She found Emmra still sleeping, so she decided to let her be. Crystice thought that perhaps, Emmra could help her research. She was sure she would enjoy it, having a chance to be close to her sister. Crystice knew that she, herself, definitely wanted Emmra to be close at this time, but she had no intention of waking her. Instead, Crystice simply moved on into the Library. She browsed aimlessly through the bookshelves for a moment as she tried to recall what needed researching, but only drew blanks.
Finally, Crystice remembered that Tesonu needed the Thunder and Destroy Walls spell. She picked up a book on the former and then moved over to her usual spot in the Library, by the northwestern corner where she could be alone. She sat down against the wall, opening her research book and began to quietly, if slowly, read.
Admortis Summary:
Post Summary: Crystice and Tesonu gave Admortis a STERN talking to.
Level: 5.16
Location: Tesonu's lair.
Status: Resting
Inventory: Not a Thing!
Health: 50% (healing in lair)
Crystice
Health: 100%
Level: 7
Experience: 72/110
Gold in Hand: 0
Gold in Lair: 1892
Equipment: None
Location: Library, Northwest Corner
Status: Researching Thunder
Efficiency: 70%
Summary:
Crystice spoke with Admortis and Tesonu, then Tesonu alone afterwards. She gave up her position as Battle Commander, then left to research.