Chapter 70: Council of Wounded Pride
In a distant stronghold draped in serpent motifs, the Golden Serpent elders convened. Their faces were shadowed, yet fury flickered in their voices. Recent failures—skirmishes lost, caches seized, cunning plans thwarted—stung their pride. The Ember Circle's structure and calm leadership had nullified many tried-and-true Serpent tactics.
Reports trickled in: a failed ambush in the forest, a repelled attack at the bridge, a thwarted supply operation. Their enemies did not panic or crumble; instead, they adapted and improved. The Serpents had tested the captains and generals, only to find them equal to every challenge.
An elder slammed a palm on the table, rattling carved cups. "They've grown too disciplined. Our old methods—poison, terror, infiltration—still hurt them, but not enough."
Another elder hissed, "They've taken what should have been weaknesses—multiple ranks, diverse units—and forged them into strengths. Their captains obey generals smoothly, and their soldiers trust those captains without question."
A third elder leaned forward, voice low and sharp: "We must hit them where they least expect. Find a flaw in their armor. If their ranks are so tight, perhaps we can break their unity from within."
They pondered subtler means: bribing a captain's aide, forging documents, sowing mistrust with carefully planted rumors. The Serpents thrived in shadows, and if brute force yielded little result, they would lean into cunning again.
Outside, thunder rolled. Within the lamplit chamber, the Serpents plotted, determined not to be outdone. They had underestimated how far the Ember Circle had come under Lyrus' calm guidance. Now they realized this wouldn't be a short campaign. They would need to evolve, to craft strategies as complex and disciplined as their foe.
Far away, Ember captains supervised training drills, generals refined contingency plans, and Lyrus quietly observed from the center of it all. The Circle's strength was not in numbers alone, but in trust, clarity, and moral resolve.
The Serpents would try again—new plots, sharper deceptions, deeper infiltrations. The Ember Circle stood ready, knowing the struggle would only intensify. Each step forward brought them closer to a reckoning that would test every principle and every bond they had forged.
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