Okay, here's where it gets good. This is the long-awaited part where Ripred tries to take over the Fount with an army of lobsters. I've dropped a few hints that this was coming, which a perceptive reader might have picked up on.
The actual battle doesn't take place in this chapter, just the stuff leading up to it. At the time of this being published, I've already written most of the next chapter, but don't expect me to give that away just yet (muahaha). It was the most fun I've had writing this in a long time, for the last few chapters I've kinda been stuck in writer's block, so that was why I sucked (in my opinion at least).
Well, once the ice had been broken and the war started in earnest, it dragged on and on. Battles occurred quite regularly; reports flew in by the minute with the latest updates. Sleep became a faint memory for anyone in the War Cave. Although I longed to join the fighting, Rendflesh had explicitly forbidden me to. He was too afraid that another incident like that with the spinners would take place; that I would end up stealing all the glory and eclipsing him. Well, if Rendflesh thought that I was going to sit in the war cave while other rats did the fighting, he was sadly mistaken.
A month into the war, and we were in a stalemate. Both sides had suffered heavy casualties, but the war overall wasn't swinging either way. If I had been allowed to fight I might have been able to make a difference, I thought with frustration. Some of the battles we'd lost had only just been. I could have changed all that. Rendflesh's selfish pride would have us lose the war sooner than see me surpass him.
As the fighting wore on, Rendflesh grew more impatient. The mood in the War Cave was becoming harsh and irritable. With each passing day, I could see everyone's mood becoming grimmer, their faces gaunt and wan… and I could feel it happening to myself, as well. I admit that I'm not good company even at the best of times, but back then…
King Bloodsheen, on the other hand, seemed blissfully unaware that there was even a war on. Although content to lounge in his cave for the rest of his days, he was expected to check up on us occasionally. His visits to the war cave (flanked by his two attendants) were objects of scorn among the generals. Even Rendflesh treated him with badly masked derision.
It was on one such visit that my opportunity came. Bloodsheen was lying smack in the center of the war cave, like a great lump of clay that had been dropped on the floor with a splat. Our great ruler lay flopped over, his giant crimson belly spread across the floor in an almost liquid fashion. Occasionally his ears would twitch as he took in new information, but other than that he lay perfectly still.
I was slumped in a similar position in my corner, as far away from the other rats as possible. After so many days in the same cavern, their scent was unbearable. I suppose mine was, too. I hadn't bathed in several weeks, and my fur lay in damp, mildewed clumps. Try as I might to slick it down, it would refuse to cooperate. Not that it mattered. I was never one for hygiene.
The only rat present who seemed to even be alive was Rendflesh. Right now, he was explaining the war situation to an unappreciative audience consisting of Bloodsheen, myself, and the other three rats in the cave. As he spoke, he waved his claws about so violently that it was a wonder he hadn't put someone's eye out.
Besides me and the king (and his two attendants waiting at the doorway), Rendflesh's audience consisted of two generals (Raspclaw and Deathgrip) and the gnawer in charge of information, Rushlimb. Rushlimb was the rat who dealt with the most important Tree of Transmission messages. It was he who had sent out the message for all troops to gather in the Assemble Cavern, back during our war with the spinners. In real life, he was quite unpleasant to be around. Right now he was gnawing on a bone, sending a sharp scraping reverberating through the cave. It grated on my nerves, but I had the sense not to ask him to stop. Tempers were running short, and it might lead to a fight. I wouldn't want to actually have to kill anyone or anything like that.
Oblivious to our inattentiveness, Rendflesh made his way through a long oration about the cost of the war for gnawer families back home. "Seriously, if we don't come to some decisive conclusion soon, the conflict could drag on for years. And we just can't have that. The public is starting to lose faith. There's even talk of rebellion in some parts, as I'm sure you all know." He paused a moment, to let his words sink in.
"So," he finished with a note of bitterness in his voice, "What do you propose we do about it?"
"A full attack is warranted," said Deathgrip slowly. "We've been fighting in clumps so far. I'm sure if we all gather, we can paint a more imposing picture."
"Where shall this attack be?" asked the king.
"Well," Rendflesh said hesitantly, "Regalia is the best bet we have. We've got many troops in the area, but they've done nothing, and the humans grow lax. If we appear outside the gates, and pose a challenge, it might just take them by surprise enough to shake the city from their grasp. They shall fumble it, and Regalia shall be ours!"
"At last, something," said Raspclaw, and I could hear the relief in his voice and those of the other rats. Finally, we were getting somewhere! "So, when do we attack?"
"We must start the preparations at once," said Rendflesh. "It shall take several days, less if we rush it. But secrecy is the key. We can afford to take a little longer, if we keep this confidential for longer."
"So we appear and challenge the Regalians. Suppose they refuse that challenge?" I asked, and five pairs of eyes turned to me with extreme dislike.
"They can't refuse it," said Raspclaw simply. "Not when they know we'll end up killing them all if they don't respond at once. They have no choice, which is why it's such a good deal for us."
"Good," I said. "So it's settled. I'll be fighting, of course." My intent was for me to have to opposite effect, to assure that I would be banned from participating in the ensuing battle. I had other plans, things to do which I didn't need any of the other rats interfering in. I'd been thinking during my weeks in the War Cave, thinking and planning and scheming. The idea I'd had for a Trojan horse had expanded and deepened to form a cunning, sharp battle plan.
Sure enough, King Bloodsheen immediately said, "Of course you won't. We can't risk bringing you out yet. You'll remain behind in the war cave."
I thought I could sense some of the fear that I'd smelled so long ago, back when I'd first met the king and told him that I was a rager. I realized that despite his sluggish outward appearance, Bloodsheen was just as clever as Rendflesh… and just as dangerous.
"Very well," I said meekly, carefully keeping the sarcasm out of my voice. "I'll stay put."
Apparently this was the wrong thing to say, because Bloodsheen snapped, "And don't you get any ideas about sneaking off, or I'll throw you in a pit."
"Yes, your Majesty," I said, this time allowing myself more sarcasm.
…
The war cave was a busy place. It was easy for me to depart unnoticed. I did so later that day, right after a messenger had arrived and the other rats were distracted.
I'd be gone for a while, and the other rats were certain to notice my disappearance. Well, who cared? I wasn't their slave! It was none of their business if I wanted to make a journey across the Underland.
My journey was uneventful, for the most part. The most memorable thing about it were the war victims. I must have passed hundreds of dismembered corpses, strewn about the tunnels and caves in thick clusters, almost as if they had been placed there merely for decoration by some sick god. Humans, fliers, gnawers, and countless other species. I ignored most of them, but felt slight remorse every time I came across a large group of rats' bodies. I found myself having to continually suppress the feeling, to always remind myself that I was a rager and had no time for such sentimentalities.
The piles of bodies grew in number as I approached Regalia. Here the most serious fighting had taken place. Many of the tunnels were painted with thick layers of blood, turning rapidly brown as it dried. Outside Regalia, where the rats often went to feed off the humans' garbage, the corpses were layers thick.
Even if the bodies hadn't been there, I would have been able to tell that I was nearing Regalia. I kept out of sight and therefore didn't see it past the occasional glimpse, but I experienced it with each of my other senses. The city swarmed with busy movement, buzzing like an anthill as bats swooped and darted above it. The streets below rang with deafening noise as thousands of people coursed through them. Their noxious smell was almost overpowering, and I was glad when I had moved past the city and back into the blissfully quiet empty tunnels (as empty as anything in the Underland can be, in any case).
But not long after Regalia had been left behind, I found myself approaching another, smaller city, which I knew to be the Fount. Here lay my destination.
Finding the snappers was a cinch. Below the Fount, the river was simply teeming with them. After a while, I reached a cave where the current ran slowly and a good few dozen occupied the water. Most were resting on the river bottom, but a few broke the surface every now and then. They seemed barely aware of my presence, and it was only when I loudly announced myself that they began to take any notice.
"Greetings, snappers!" I bawled, and they began to scuttle about with slightly more movement. After several minutes, half a dozen at once surfaced and faced me, claws held out threateningly. I flopped down on the riverbank to show my good intentions, but I was not above muttering "Finally" under my breath.
"Snappers," I said in English (the default language of the Underland), "I come to make a deal with you. Do any of you know he called Tpacchslatskillt?"
The snappers turned to each other and clicked their pincers together in a consulting way. Finally, the foremost spoke cautiously. "I know him. He rests upriver from here."
"Good," I said, in no mood to deal with formalities. "I want to talk with him. Go and tell him that Ripred's here. The name should mean something to him. If not, say Wrathspur's pup."
The snappers clicked together for a while before the lead one said, "Why should we take you?"
"We are old friends," I said, which of course was a gross exaggeration. "I come to negotiate with him, and offer a deal to him."
"Deal?" asked the snapper. "What deal?"
"That's for me to know," I said, starting to get fed up with these stupid shellfish. "Now, take me to him or I'll bite all your pincers off." I remembered being afraid of Tpacchslatskillt's giant claws when I'd been a pup. Now that six or seven snappers were facing me and actually posing a threat, the claws meant nothing to me.
"Very well," hissed the lobsters reluctantly, and began to scuttle downstream. I followed after, trotting along the bank at a brisk pace to keep up.
We passed through several caverns, and finally reached another group of snappers. The ones I'd been traveling with dived underwater and started to converse with these in muffled clicks. Finally, one broke the surface. I vaguely recognized this one.
"Tpacchslatskillt," I greeted him casually. "How go the waters?"
"Well," he said. "How go them for you?"
"Not well at all," I said. "My father is dead. I have joined the gnawer army, which, as you must know, is engaged in a war with the humans."
"Indeed? You have joined them?" asked Tpacchslatskillt. "You must be far up, to be speaking with me as you do."
"Of course," I purred. "I'm a rager."
Tpacchslatskillt seemed taken aback. "A rager? Indeed?" he kept saying, in between short bursts of agitated clicking. "We of the river have heard no news of any rager."
"I suppose you wouldn't," I conceded. "The other rats are keeping it all very hush-hush. They want to keep me their secret weapon. But I've already helped win a battle against the spinners. Perhaps you've heard of that." I gingerly ran my claws over my throat, which still tingled where the spinner had bitten me.
"I have heard rumors," clicked Tpacchslatskillt. "A group of crawlers… you were the rat they spoke of? They did not give a name."
I felt a moment of pity for the snapper nation, relying on crawlers to bring its news. I couldn't wait until I was done with this and never had to see another lobster as long as I loved. But some things had to be done, and if it meant using snappers as a tool to ensure victory, then snappers it would have to be.
"I'm a rager, all right. And unless you want me to demonstrate my abilities on you, I suggest you don't argue the point. All right, here's the deal. The gnawers are going to attack Regalia in several days' time. This is a pretty big secret, by the way. By telling you this, I'm endangering my life." Well, I wasn't really in danger. I was more than a match for anything Bloodsheen could try to execute me with. But I would lose all standing and probably be cast out of the gnawer nation if it was found out that I'd told of the attack.
"The humans will be forced to defend their city," I continued. "While they are, I want to have an army of snappers ready to attack the Fount. None of the other gnawers know about my plan. They're too determined to ruin things for me to give me an opportunity to actually fight and maybe even make a difference. They see me as a threat, since I'm a rager. Anyways, the killers will be stretched thin. Virtually no able-bodied humans or fliers will remain at the Fount. We'll take the city in a single swoop. And if the army rushes to defend the Fount, then that's even better. They'll be leaving Regalia vulnerable, and the rat armies will ravage it in seconds. It's a win-win either way." Well, actually, there were several ways that my plan could go wrong, not least of which was the possibility that Rendflesh would find out and move to stop me. But of course I couldn't tell Tpacchslatskillt that. I had to sugarcoat everything, to get him to go along with the plan.
Tpacchslatskillt seemed to be seriously considering the offer, weighing the possibilities in his tiny crustacean brain. Finally he said, "How will we attack the Fount? It lies in an impenetrable cave."
Of all the stupid questions! And coming from a snapper, no less. He should have seen it right off, but of course, I had to spell everything out. I sighed and said, "The Fount is impenetrable in all ways but one. The river that runs down it is easily accessible by snappers, is it not? It'll be simple for a snapper army to attack from the river."
Even then, Tpacchslatskillt's pea-brain wasn't satisfied. "But you will be with us, will you not? How will you attack? The river rapids are too dangerous for any rat to swim."
I ground my teeth in frustration, barely stopping myself from calling Tpacchslatskillt every foul name I could think of. "Listen, that's not a problem. I'll just ride on your back or something. Anyways, you shouldn't be thinking about that. You're just supposed to recruit the army. Gather as many snappers as you can. Do whatever it takes to sway them to our cause. Promise them a year of free fish if you must. We'll need at least a couple hundred for the assault to be successful." I was acting under the assumption that Tpacchslatskillt agreed to the plan, which he never had. I hoped I could psyche him into agreeing.
"Yes, I shall, but-"
I cut him off. "Good. The rats won't be able to attack for at least ten days or so, so that gives you plenty of time. Make the most of it. Spend every spare moment recruiting. Meet me at the mouth of the river in the rats' land in… eight days, and give me a full report. We can form a plan from there."
"Very well," sighed Tpacchslatskillt, his resistance crumbling. I watched as he resignedly sank beneath the waters.
…
When I got back to the War Cave several hours later, I could tell I had been missed. I had no sooner walked across the threshold than I was accosted by every single general, as well as the king, each loudly demanding to know where I'd been.
"Shut up, shut up," I commanded them all, sweeping them away with my tail. "Can't a rat go hunting without someone sending the bloody army after him?"
Rendflesh narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Hunting?" he queried. "Why would you need to go hunting? You could have called an attendant to hunt for you."
"I'll tell you why," I said, lying smoothly (I had, in fact, fine-tuned my story beforehand). "I'm tired of this stupid cave and all the stupid rats in it. I needed to stretch my legs, especially-" here I cast a furious glance at the king "-as I'm not even going to be fighting. And besides, it's quite frankly none of your business if I want to go off hunting. You're lucky I'm even helping you fight your stupid war." By this time, I was in Rendflesh's face.
My artificial show of anger did the trick, and the rats backed down and left me alone. In fact, they did a pretty good job of not bothering me for the next few days, although that could have been because they had no time for me. The war cave was busier than ever as the rats prepared for their attack on Regalia. It was quite a job to plan an attack that big, even of you weren't also having to keep it secret. The war cave became a flurry of movement and action, like time had been speeded up tenfold locally.
It was quite easy for me, when tie time came, to sneak off to the river to meet Tpacchslatskillt. I waited for over an hour sitting perched on a rock at the river's mouth, where it poured into the great endless Waterway. I was just about to give up when a pair of feelers broke the surface, followed by those giant pincers and the segmented body.
"I've been working hard to recruit the snappers to our cause, Ripred," he said. "I managed to get several important ones over to my side, and we've all been trying to convince the others."
"How many have you gotten?" I asked.
"Many remain doubtful, but many others believe in our cause. I have had great success in some areas, and a fair number have joined me."
"How many?" I snarled.
Snappers aren't that good at counting, so Tpacchslatskillt probably wasn't beating around the bush with me. He spent several minutes adding up in his head before responding, "At least fifty and a hundred."
"That's not good enough!" I snarled, smacking my tail against the ground. "We need more. Our armies will be attacking in four days. I want you to have at least fifty and two hundred by then."
"I cannot-" began Tpacchslatskillt sadly.
"You can and you will," I said, pacing back and forth on the bank. "The gnawer's are departing four days hence, and I'll join you sometime that day. I want to find your army of fifty and two hundred waiting and ready to go by the time I arrive. You can do it. I know you can. So don't give me any more excuses."
"Very well," said Tpacchslatskillt resignedly. "I shall make an effort."
"Good," I purred. "Now, farewell."
"Farewell," said Tpacchslatskillt, as he sank back into the water, this time looking mutinous.
…
The rat's army was ready to go according to plan, four days later. After a frantic last minute effort by the generals, all was ready, prepared, checked and double-checked. Rats from all over the gnawer nation were assembling in the Assembly Cavern, but the generals themselves were catching a few minutes of much-needed sleep in the War Cave. They would be woken in a few minutes, so that they could be in the Assembly Cavern in time to lead the army, or, if they were staying, see it off.
Having done little work in the last few days, I was the only rat not tired enough to sleep. I couldn't have, anyways. Now was my opportunity to sneak off, before the generals woke up and the army left. I felt slightly bad about missing out on the whole grand hullabaloo of a seeing-off ceremony, but I had no choice. Who knew when I'd get another chance to simply walk out, like the one I had now?
I took one last glance around the war cave. The rats lay strewn like beanbags on the floor. I was sure to be missed, but Rendflesh would probably just think I'd snuck off to the battle. What could he do about it? Nothing. There was the chance he'd send someone to track my scent, but chances were that everyone would be too busy to care. Even so, I ought to put as much distance between us as I could.
There was such hubbub in the tunnels that I was able to sneak away from the war cave and out of the rat lands unnoticed. After that, I made good timing. I ran as fast as I could without unnecessarily wasting energy that I would need to fight. If there was even to be a fight. Had the snappers managed to gather enough soldiers for their cause? Was I, even now, running off on a wild goose chase? The thought made me lose heart, and I faltered.
Don't stop, I told myself as I ran, panting, through the tunnels of the Underland. Don't stop. Your world needs you. Your fellow rats need you.
My fellow rats… what would they say if I failed and returned home? What would Rendflesh say?
Don't think about it. Don't think about it.
I approached Regalia. Apparently, they had some notion they were about to be attacked, because they were hopping about with even more activity than before. I passed on the side of the arena, not the side of the fields, and I had to several times flatten myself against the wall to make myself invisible to the radar of a nearby bat. They and their killers were moving great stone slabs to fortify the arena's gates.
Did Rendflesh know that he was expected? Did Smiter know?
My feet pounded with the same rhythm. Don't think about it. Don't think about it.
I passed Regalia, and the city's sensations faded away. Soon they were lost, a mere memory behind me. Rendflesh's army must be closing in on the city by now. Would an equally powerful army of humans be waiting for them? Would Solovet be waiting for them?
I remembered Solovet, the very picture of power and discipline, raising her sword above her head…
Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Think about… think about…
Think about Father. Think about how he'd been killed by humans. Think about how I was avenging him now, finally. How long had it been since he'd died now? A year perhaps? Well, my revenge might be late in coming, but it would come all the same. I would strike the unsuspecting humans of the Fount a deadly blow, one that they would speak of for years to come.
My rager side took over, my feet accelerating, moving automatically. I turned my thoughts to the fight to come. Every step brought me closer to the Fount, to my quarry, to my prey. It was far too late to back down now. Even if I wanted to. Which I didn't.
I emerged on the bank of the river. Not missing a single step, I fell in alongside it. It rushed past me in the opposite direction, sending white foam spraying into the air, dampening my coat… I trotted onward, always onward. If it was too late…
I was so blind to the world that I almost ran into the form of Tpacchslatskillt as he scuttled up onto the riverbank in front of me. I skidded to a halt at the last moment, and only then realized how dreadfully tired I was. Stop it, I told myself. Don't be such a pup. There's worse to come.
"Come, gnaw-er, and see my army," Tpacchslatskillt clicked. I thought I could detect a smirk in his voice.
And innumerable forms rose out of the mist, hundreds and hundreds of snappers, filling up the river, some pushed onto the beaches. Tears of pride almost came to my eyes as I saw them, the hundreds of lobsters that made up my army. I hastily pushed back the tears before anyone could see.
"How many?" I asked Tpacchslatskillt.
"At least twenty five and four hundred," came the response. "We could not win over all, but many decided to join us."
"You've done well, Tpacchslatskillt. Very well indeed. Are they all ready to attack?"
"Yes," he said simply.
"Good," I growled. "As for me…" I surveyed the snappers before me and picked out one of the largest. "You. What is your name?"
"Rocchsnaanslocts, sir," said the snapper.
"Well, Rocchsnaanslocts, you'll be my mount for our trip up the river. I'll ride on you until we reach the Fount. There I'll do all my fighting on foot."
"Very well," he said hesitantly. He didn't look too happy about it, but what did I care?
I climbed atop Rocchsnaanslocts' back. This took several tries, but I finally managed to get a grip by digging my front claws in between his shell. A precarious hold. I lifted my rear paws up, and dug them in too. Now I felt comfortable with my grip. I looped my tail around the snapper's body for good measure, and nodded at Tpacchslatskillt.
"Go," he clicked in a single tap of his claws.
The army started forward.
Ah, little Ripred, so grown up, already leading his own army (sob). And it seemed like just yesterday when General Coilthroat could scare the heck out of him.
