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Chapter 155: The Server Story.

"My system was flawless. Impenetrable. Strict, orderly, and meticulous. My spies were all about, innumerable, telling me every single thing that went on [...]"

-TheCacklingCactus, Reflections

Fiver was one of the few rabbits at silflay. He soon noticed Silverweed hopping over to him.

-"Do you want to hear something terrifying?" the pale rabbit said.

Fiver remained calm. After all the visions he had experienced over the seasons, maybe whatever Silverweed had seen wouldn't be so terrifying after all.

-"Did you have a vision?" he asked.

-"No. It's about the phone Pipkin brought here."

This revelation, however, left Fiver anxious.

-"Did it bring the White Blindness?"

-"No, it's nothing at all like that. It won't kill us, or make us sick."

-"What's so terrifying about it, then?"

-"The phone can be used for many different things. One can contact virtually anyone else, or obtain information on just about any subject, or play many games."

-"I still don't understand what's terrifying."

-"While the phone has many great uses, it's also a giant spying machine. It keeps track of so much personal information about the human it belongs to, which is then used to influence and manipulate."

-"Oh, now I see." Fiver shuddered. "Maybe we should destroy it, so it doesn't spy on us."

-"I don't know if they would be interested in spying on us, but it may not be worth risking it. As soon as Leo's back, we should probably destroy it."

The two remained silent as they continued their silflay. Hickory and Marigold were further away, encouraging their daughter. She was carefully sniffing the grass, seemingly unsure what to do with it, despite her parents encouraging her to take a bite. Fiver soon noticed Silverweed staring at them.

-"Worried about their future?"

-"No, not worried," Silverweed confessed. "That would be pointless, since it wouldn't change anything. I'm just...aware."

-"How bad is it?"

-"They both want what's best for their daughter, but are in no condition to provide it. She too may need to be adopted sooner or later, even if that would just wreck them even further."

Fiver hugged Silverweed once again. There was little else he could do, under the circumstances.

As soon as Woundwort had retreated to his burrow after training, Vervain went towards the Speaker's burrow. He had wanted to speak with her ever since Orchis' revelation while on patrol, and now he would finally be able to discover the truth.

The Speaker was still as creepy as ever, as most of her face remained concealed by the skull; Vervain did his best to look away.

-"Why are you visiting me, Vervain?" she asked, keeping her eyes close.

-"I want you to tell me everything you know about Nepenthes."

-"Nepenthes? I have not heard that name in seasons."

-"What can you tell me about it?"

-"It is a long story. One that many have forgotten."

-"I want to know everything."

-"Everything?"

-"How many times do I have to say it...EVERYTHING!"

-"Very well. Just to warn you, however, it really is a long story."

Long ago, there was a creature called The Server. The origins of The Server are unclear. Some say that it was created by humans. Others say that it was Frith himself who blessed the community with The Server. There was also a creature called the Red Angel. It is unclear why they called it the Red Angel, since it was not red, but orange, like fire. Some say that it was made of fire.

The Server greatly improved the Nepenthes warren, although it was not the only warren that benefited from it. Other such warrens included the Zorn-Eleer warren, SilverInlé, Frith-Hain Warren, and a few others for the more adventurous ones. Let us not forget Nú Beatha, the former enemy of Nepenthes, at least temporarily. Most warrens that did business with The Server also encountered the Red Angel at some point, although a few chose to reject it in favour of the Three-Legged Thing, the Far-Away City, the Other City, or the Providers.

The warrens working with The Server had great runs for a long time, until disaster struck. The rabbits made other discoveries and moved away from The Server. In desperation, the elil tried to keep it going, but it was not enough. The Server expired.

-"By 'expired', do you mean it died?" Vervain asked, looking momentarily at the Speaker.

-"No, I mean it expired. If it had died, I would have said so. I do not make things needlessly complicated."

-"You don't make things needlessly complicated?" Vervain looked away once again. "Do you ever hear yourself talking about the law?"

-"I am taking time out of my busy day to tell you a story that nobody else has even thought about in seasons. If you are displeased, you may leave now."

-"No, I really want to hear the rest! Please!" Vervain's tone had changed from annoyance to desperation.

-"That is what I thought. As I was saying...

After the expiration of The Server, the history of Nepenthes is hazy. Some say it still exists, in the shadow of The Server. Others point to the fact that the spiderweb of freedom signified hrair errors, before it too expired. Some of the rabbits living there maybe moved to new warrens, or died. Even I do not know what the final fate of those involved. The only way to know for sure would be to visit.

-"How can I visit, if I don't know where to look?" Vervain asked.

-"Orchis knows. If you ask him, he may agree to guide you."

-"HE KNOWS WHERE IT IS!?" Vervain stamped in frustration. "Why in Frith's name didn't he tell me?"

-"I cannot help you there, as the behaviour of Orchis tends to be illogical. The only solution is to ask him."

-"That's exactly what I'm going to do now."

Without waiting for the Speaker to reply, Vervain ran out of the chamber. The doe, meanwhile, stared straight ahead.

-"You may find yourself regretting this," she said, despite being fully aware that nobody was there to listen anymore.

Woundwort was in his burrow, nibbling a carrot. Shale and Feldspar had not brought back a lot of flayrah, but it would be enough for the day. He would have to send someone else for more later. In another corner of the burrow, Lady May was eating another carrot. Woundwort had tried several times to get closer to her, but she always moved away.

-"I still don't understand why you're being so nice to me," she said, taking a break from the carrot.

-"Like I said, we have more in common than you might think," Woundwort replied. "I too used to live in a hutch."

-"Why did you leave? Was it because the human realized how ugly you were with that eye of yours, and decided you were useless?"

-"I couldn't care less what that human thought. Besides, my eye was fine back then. I left to pursue my own destiny. I was born in nature, and that is where I deserved to spend my life."

-"If you had stayed, you would still have your eye and you would be less ugly."

-"But I wouldn't be powerful."

-"Nice priorities." Lady May rolled her eyes.

-"I have a proposition for you, that I hope will make you happy," Woundwort said, ignoring the insult.

-"What is it?"

-"How would you like to become my queen?"

Lady May stared at Woundwort, hardly believing her ears.

-"Your what?"

-"My queen. My mate."

-"Ew! Why would I want with an ugly rabbit like you?"

-"Think about it. This glorious warren...we could rule it together. It's certainly better than you training that frail little body of yours into that of a warrior."

-"Absolutely not! I'll never be your queen!" Lady May became nervous. "I hope you won't force me..."

Woundwort sighed.

-"I won't force you, but I will give you an opportunity to change your mind. Until then, you stay here, and I will be training those idiots above ground."

-"Again? Didn't you spend all night training them?"

-"I did, but they're still not good enough."

Woundwort had hardly left the burrow when he was faced with Vervain.

-"General, with your permission, I would go on wide patrol today."

-"Again? Didn't you just came back from one?" As he finished his sentence, Woundwort realized that he was almost imitating Lady May. Or maybe she was imitating him. Either way, the odds of her reconsidering seemed good.

-"Yes, well...there's another lead I wish to explore," Vervain quickly improvised.

-"Which is?"

-"Uh...the flood...it washed away all tracks and scents! So...if I find anything, it means it's very new! We won't have to worry about finding ancient tracks that lead nowhere!" Vervain was making it up as he went along; fortunately, Woundwort did not seem to realize this, and took Vervain's words seriously.

-"Very well. You may go."

Vervain excitedly ran over to Orchis, who was combing his ears on a nearby pile of trash.

-"Come with me, Orchis!" he said, excited. "You're taking me to Nepenthes."

-"What makes you think I know the way?" Orchis asked, without looking at Vervain.

-"The Speaker said so!"

-"Oh, I see you did talk with her, good for you. I must warn you, however, my memory is hazy, I may lead you to the wrong place."

-"Is your memory REALLY hazy, or is this another pointless test?" Vervain buried his claws in the dirt, preparing for the worst.

-"It's not a test. It has been many seasons since I last visited it, I am telling the truth."

-"You better be. Now let's get going."