It still held stubbornly strong, though. The Obsidian River was huge and unforgiving, but the water held beyond those mighty walls could have flooded the entire plain, nourishing what the Serpents had incinerated.
“After this is done, we’ll need to find a way to increase the river’s level and wash away the Serpents’ destruction,” I muttered. “Nature needs to heal. Especially since we’re planning on draining their snakes.”
“Not planning,” Elysia said. “We’re doing it. Have some faith.”
“Viper, nobody is questioning your abilities. But the plan still has too many parts which could go wrong,” Zandyr said, before turning to me. “The dam can’t be controlled or destroyed by human hands. It does what it wants.”
“If only it would want to drown the army away,” I rumbled.
If those small cracks in the stones would have been just a bit wider…
“Ryker?” Elysia asked suddenly.
“Yes, Viper?” I asked, gaze now trained on the approaching snakes. One of them, the youngest judging by the greenish hue between his blue scales, tipped its head in the direction of the meadow, but didn’t approach.
He would have to be persuaded–which is why Myron was risking his life on the other side of the river.
Elysia’s mouth ticked upwards. She loved that hard-earned name of hers. “I really am sorry about Geryll. And that you’re hurting.”
Another stab of pain burned through me.
I wondered if I’d ever be able to hear his name without it.
“I know,” I muttered. “It’s hard.”
And it would keep being hard. But she was right.
We needed to win to protect every other soul which could fall victim to the Serpents’ rampage and avenge those who had already gone.
The question was how.
How to stop the army from advancing and destroying everything we held dear. Ruin more lives and birth more tears.
I thought about how Allie had cried in my arms, the ghosts of her tears mixing in with Geryll’s blood still fresh in my mind and forever imprinted into my leather armor–
I sucked in a breath as an even wilder plan than poisoning snakes entered my mind.
Zandyr noticed the shift in me instantly. “What did you see?”
“You said the poison can bleed out the snakes,” I said.
“Yes, if the deer will ever bother to eat our gracious offering,” Elysia grumbled.
I turned to Zandyr. “How close to the river do you intend on placing those bodies to raise the monsters’ temperature?”
“On the edge, we can’t risk going deep into the plains,” he said evenly.
Perfect.
“Kylian’s already raising the riverbank,” I said, the words toppling out of my mouth fast. “Tell him to double the height.”
“If that makes you feel more at ease that the snakes won’t pass as easily…” Zandyr frowned. “Why?”
“Because I know how we can get rid of the entire army in one go,” I said. “But, for that to even be a possibility, you’ll have to do something you’re very much against.”
“Which is?” he asked, already suspicious.
“Spit on your ancestors’ graves.”
