Interlude: When it All Comes Crashing Down

[Minerva]

"This is ridiculous."

"Such a great speech and yet Mister Borean still can't handle these trifling pests. And now there's a dead beast too. If he can't put a stop to these beasts, who's to say he can protect us?"

"I don't know, but if Nire can't handle this, well, then maybe... maybe it's time for a new beast to take over."

Booming thunder crashed outside the walls of the Crater, but it did little to deafen Nire Borean's ears to the criticisms of his guests. The lynx sat leaned over in his chair with his paws folded upon the flat of his desk, the words echoing in his head as he waited for word from his guard.

In the corner of the room, Blasio sat in his own chair, nibbling patiently on the ends of a twig, while Commander Nix waited by the door. The pine marten frowned, her claws coiled like serpents around her swordhilt.

Chuckling, Blasio broke the silence. "You're going to frighten Nire like a kit the way you're choking that sword, Maiden," the beaver said with a smirk towards the marteness.

"No harm in staying prepared," Nix said.

"I suppose not." Blasio rolled the twig in his mouth. "Knowing you, though, I'd hardly be surprised if you turned that sword on your master once FTN came knocking on that door."

As the lynx's cold stare fixed upon her, Nix narrowed her glare towards Blasio. "Don't you dare question my loyalty, Timberfell. I'd never ally myself with child murderers." The marteness turned and met Nire's gaze. "You've sent guards to check on the prisoners... and my son?"

Nire only nodded, returning his eyes to the door. A few moments later, somebeast knocked rapidly on the frame, and the lynx's ears perked up. "How many was that? Six?" he asked quickly.

"Yes, sir."

"Open it."

Nix kept her paw ready on her sword hilt as she unlatched the lock on the door and pulled it open. Three guards, a rat, a weasel, and a stoat, strode into the room, the lynx keeping his eyes fixed on each of them as they made their report.

"Master Nire, sir, the stables were in flames before we got there and the boars have all scattered in panic. Some of them are still in the Crater but most of them have fled towards the mountains or into Northvale," the stoat, taking up the front, said.

Nire grimaced. "Has anybeast been hurt?"

"Aye, sir, there were a few guards who-"

"I don't care about the guards!" The room nearly shook from Nire's shout. "Is anybeast from Northvale hurt?"

The stoat tugged at the collar of his uniform. "I- I don't know."

"Don't you think that would be important to find out?" Nire snapped.

The lynx clenched his teeth as he thought of the destruction the escaped boars would cause to the town. No doubt, if he did nothing, then there would be a panic and many innocent beasts would be hurt or killed. Nire scowled and slammed his fist against the flat of the table. He was playing right into FTN's paws, but what choice did he have?

"Organize a party of guards and handlers and go into Northvale. Take as many sleep darts as you possibly can and get those creatures under control before they have the chance to kill somebeast. Do it now."

"Aye, yes, sir." Nix stepped to the side as the stoat saluted and beat an urgent and hasty retreat towards the door.
Nire looked to the other two guards. "And you two. Are the prisoners safe?"

Nix turned her ear to the two guards as they glanced towards one another, then to Nire. "Aye, they're safe."

"But they also weren't there. There's not a trace of any of the young 'uns. They're gone."

"What do you mean, they're gone?" Nire growled. The lynx noticed Blasio shift in his seat, and a light betray itself in Nix's eyes.

"Escaped, sir. Apparently FTN already came and snuck the lot of them out."

"And how do you know that?" Nix said, putting a paw on her swordhilt and narrowing her gaze at the weasel.

The guard turned to the marteness and returned her glare. A moment later a sly smile crept on his snout and he turned back to Nire. "Because... not all of them got away."

Nire folded his paws on his desk. "Go on."

The weasel nudged the rat beside him and the rodent left briefly, returning seconds later shoving a bound pine marten in front of him into the office. Nix's heart skipped a beat as she met the eyes of her son. "Marik? No."

The young marten said nothing to his mother as he willingly walked to the center of the room, keeping his eyes fixed calmly on the lynx in front of him.

"I would have expected your spawn to be smarter than to be a traitor, Nix," Nire said flatly, standing from his chair with a knife in his paw.

"Nire, please," Nix begged. "He's still a child. He's young, he's foolish and gave in to that group's bloody lies."

"And yet, my hostages are still gone!" Nire screamed. He turned to the young marten and stepped towards him with the blade. "Where are they?" he growled.

Marik met the cold eyes of the lynx fearlessly. "Like you said, they're gone. Safe, away from you, where you can't threaten them ever again. Those leashes you once held on their parents, they're gone."

Nire pressed the point of the knife to Marik's neck. "Not all of them." The lynx looked towards Nix.

The marteness looked back to her son, terrified and frozen.  "Mom," Marik said, "you can end this right now. Just draw your sword. He won't do it. He's too much of a coward to bloody his own paws."

As if the words were blade themselves, Nire flinched. He recovered and scowled. "You're not the first to say that, so, perhaps it's time I prove everybeast wrong..." Lunging forward suddenly, Nire dealt the young marten a hefty blow across his snout. Marik's unbalanced footpaws gave way under him and he fell hard to the floor. Nire was already over him, and both marten's screamed as the lynx delivered a hard kick into Marik's crippled back.

Panting, Nire grabbed the sobbing Marik by the scruff and dragged him back to his feet, pressing the knife back to his throat.

"Now, do you think I won't kill him?" he shouted at Nix. "He's right. You can end this now and, if you care about your son at all, you will. You're to remind FTN why you're called the Iron Maiden. Bring me Lady Eve's head."

"Mom," Marik rasped. "Draw your sword... and fight."

But Marik's hope fell as his mother trembled and turned away from him towards the door. "I will. I know whose fault this is," she said. "Nire, I'll bring you more than her head. Just don't hurt him, please."

"Mom, you can't mean..." Marik trailed off, staring dejectedly at the floor. "You're such a coward."

Nix's paw froze on the door handle for a moment, then she turned it and shut the door behind her.

"The wonderful thing about cowards, Mister Marik," Nire said, "is that they know how to survive." The lynx gestured to the other guards. "Prepare a cell for this traitor. If he escapes, it'll be on your heads, not his." Marik looked to Nire in disbelief.

The guards started forward but Nire stopped them with a raised claw.

"Oh... and if you'd do the same for Blasio Timberfell."

It was the beaver's turn to be surprised. Nearly leaping up from his chair, he raised a brow at the lynx. "What- what are you saying, Nire. What's the meaning of this?" he choked.

"You lied to me," Nire said simply. "You told me FTN planned to kill the children, and yet, now I'm hearing they spirited them away. The Monster wasn't lying was she?"

"Nire, I'd advise you to reconsider," Blasio said. The lynx eyed him with fury as the guards continued to advance on him until, a moment later, the beaver sighed. "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this, Nire. Bariston, if you would."

The weasel guard, Bariston, nodded at the beaver. Immediately, he drew his sword and drove it deep into the other guard's back, sputtering a geyser of blood from the wound. In the corner of the room, both Marik and Nire gave startled yells as the guard gurgled in pain before slumping forward lifelessly upon the carpet.

Seconds later, Nire recovered from the shock of the murder he just witnessed and looked towards Blasio in a newfound fear. "You..."

Blasio pulled a fresh twig from the inner pocket of his vest and set it into his mouth. "You should really pay your
beasts better, Nire. Otherwise you may find them on some other beast's payroll."

"What do you want," Nire growled. The lynx pushed Marik away from him to the floor, and brandished his knife defensively in front of him.

"Relax, Nire, you can put that away," the beaver said with a gesture of his paw. "I'm not some FTN beast here to bring justice upon you or any of that nonsense. What I want is simple. I want the Crater."

Despite his fear, Nire couldn?t help but smirk. ?And why would I do that??

?Because, as we speak, all of your slaves and gladiators are mobilizing, readying themselves to hunt you down. And what have you to defend yourself with? A split army- a quarter of which are mine- a mad pine marten, a spider, and a knife. Face it, Nire, you?ve already lost this battle,? Blasio said. The beaver paused before smiling slyly. ?Of course, it doesn?t have to be that way. You could still win this battle if you wanted to. All it would take is a word.?

Nire stayed dead silent as the beaver continued. ?I have a total of five score beasts helping FTN as ?volunteers.? At a word from me- and a signature from you- I could very easily have them turn their blades against FTN. It?d be quick, simple. Not a one of them would see it coming, the gullible fools. And, I?m sure that Northvale would celebrate such dangerous terrorists being expunged from their city. I?d take the credit though, of course, and I?m sure the beasts of Northvale would herald me as a bloody hero, heh heh. The beast who succeeded where Nire failed. My pockets would be filled for life.?

?No.?

Blasio stared at the lynx in disbelief. ?What? No??

Nire snorted. ?I?d never give away the Crater. Especially not to a passionless beast like you. You?d only hold care for the coin, not the sport. The Crater would crumble with you in the Podium.? The lynx shook his head. ?No. I built this place with my own paws. I saw it rise. If it?s to fall, I?ll see that, too, but it won?t be without a fight.?

?Whether you win that fight or not won?t matter, Nire,? the beaver spat. ?If you say no, the Crater will crumble regardless. I?ve made sure of that.?

In the corner of the room, Marik looked wide-eyed at the beaver and at Nire. ?What?s he talking about??

Blasio pulled a slip of parchment from the inner pocket of his vest and tossed it lightly at the lynx. Nire caught it with ease and folded it open, his eyes scanning over the words scrawled upon the surface and then the four names and stamps signed at the bottom. ?You forged my signature,? he observed, folding the letter closed. ?So, that?s your plan? You?ve made a dam ? I assume you were the one who destroyed the pumps then??

?Of course.?

?Beasts are going to die,? Nire said. ?I take it Aroway will take the fault for that??

?Him and FTN, yes. So filled with rage at the Crater that they purposely rallied Northvale to be their expendables? knowing it would soon collapse. Despicable.? Blasio smirked. ?If any of them survive the collapse, it?ll be with nooses around their necks. Especially after everything else they?ve done.?

?Everything you?ve done!? Marik shouted.

?I don?t know what you?re talking about,? Blasio said with a smile at the bound marten. ?I was just as panicked as everybeast else. But, in fact, I stayed brave, and I pulled several beasts from the destruction.? He looked back to Nire. ?It won?t take me long to rebuild the Crater. And with you and FTN out of the picture, I?m sure I?ll be welcomed as its head.?

Nire flicked the parchment back at the beaver?s feet. ?I wish you the best with that, Timberfell,? he scowled. ?But, until then, the Crater remains mine, just as it will remain mine when this is over. So, what do you say to that? Do you plan to kill me?

Blasio shook his head and gestured for Bariston to put away his sword. "No. No. In truth, I respect you Nire. What you've built here is truly impressive. I'd have trouble sleeping for the next night or two if I did you in. But that won't stop FTN of course and, by the end of today, I'll be the Lord of the Crater regardless of what you do. Give it some thought. If you reconsider, find me."

Without another word, Blasio left the seething cat alone in his office. The beaver smiled to himself as he strode down the corridors of the Crater, his eyes glinting over the old banners and dusty arches. Everything could use a fresh coat of paint, he knew, but that could wait for later. The Crater was his, now all he needed to do was wait.