More Offensives (Afina and Jaela; 84 days left)

[Anastasia]

"I'm tired of being manipulated," Velasca says, weariness creeping into her voice.

After a pause that drags out, "He was an elf. An unremarkable one, except that he hadn't broken under several days of torture. He refused to speak a single word to his torturers, even as they wrecked his body and took him to death's door. Curious, I had him brought to me when I heard of him. His aura spoke of goodness, but only the goodness of a peasant, a commoner. He did not speak under the greatest of magic I used to pain him,  until in my fury I went too far and inflicted a lethal wound."

Another pause. "He said to me: You are not a devil. Then he died, a smile on his face. Now....now I find it in mind, as I wonder - are your prophecies any more worthwhile? Am I merely trading one misery for another? Was that the influence of Moonbow, accursed lady of mysteries, her voice through a mortal pawn? Gilded words at the right time to exchange one cage for another."

[Corwin]

"Gods often work in mysterious ways. Could Sehanine Moonbow have made his suffering lighter through her power? Maybe, but she's not the one who put him through that. You did. The Triune would never allow a follower to be tortured where she could stop it with her power, merely to deliver some message at the right time. The Duke of Destiny might've gone for a convoluted plan like that, which is a good rule of thumb for what our side isn't doing.

"And misery? We can experience it since we're not puppets, but my misery never came from the Triune. And if, at some point in time, she would've caused me any, I was free to leave her service without ill will or punishment. I've already told you as much. So it all comes down to this feeling of being in a cage, doesn't it? And that's where your perception of Creation comes in. Absolutely everything in it is restricted in some way, even the highest of deities and the lowest of devils. You either make the effort to find the place that feels right, or you complain about not fitting in. Or go outside Creation and get eaten by tentacled abominations, to cover absolutely all the options."

[Anastasia]

"My options are few,' Velasca says sourly, "Even in a century, how much can I do?" Her gaze turns to Afina at that. "Is there any point if I'm merely buying time?"

[Ebiris]

"I'm glad I haven't been forgotten," Afina says with an eerie smile. "But I think I'll leave this in Jaela's hands for now. You and her seem to have a rapport going."

[Anastasia]

"Tell me," Velasca insists, "Would anything make you forebear your revenge?"

[Corwin]

"It's like one of those things that you know are bad for you and you'll regret, but can't help yourself," Jaela explains to Afina.

Returning her attention to Velasca, she says, "The final part you're missing is this - you need to take a leap of faith. Not as some juvenile test or to prove yourself, but because that's about the only way someone like you can turn things around. If you want to try and make amends and attempt to be a better person from now on, you need to do it without some pact-sealed promise that everything will turn out perfectly the way you want it to."

[Ebiris]

"How many lives burned when Lifasa fell, Velasca?" Afina asks right back. "How many have you tortured since? How much of the land have you despoiled? How many spirits have been perverted and denied their rightful place? Do you think you can balance those scales in a hundred thousand years, never mind a hundred?"

[Anastasia]

"...there's no point, then," Velasca finally says, gaze back on the flames.

Another pause, yet another. When it goes almost too long, "I know my own sins. I am not that far gone to forget my lessons as a child. What point is there to any of this if am to be obliterated? Afina has defeated the best we have, I have no illusions I can defeat her. After all, is that not justice for that to happen?"

As you talk, Velasca's gaze goes to your holy symbol. "You wear a symbol of a crusader, not a preacher. Even if you have forbearance, those who walk with you will not."

[Corwin]

"Fear it is, then," Jaela decides, looking disappointed. "Afina, do you want to aim at those outer fortresses, or try for someone else?"

[Ebiris]

"I'm happy to try, but our odds of actually finding Silvber at one are slim. Do you have any better ideas?" Afina asks, not getting any further into Velasca's pretensions of repentance.

[Corwin]

"There's still a point in the attack," Jaela muses. "If they're using it as a defense, they have to fortify it on principle. And if we knock one of the key fortresses out, the one in charge of them will either show up to defend it out of fear of punishment over failure, or will need to throw even more resources into fixing it up. Since the devil resources for Lifasa are finite, that should lessen them elsewhere. What do you think?"

[Ebiris]

"That's fine," Afina agrees. "Velasca, what can you tell us about Silvber? His tactics and habits?"

[Corwin]

"Does he explode when he dies?"

[Anastasia]

There's a long, drawn out silence. Velasca seems lost in her thoughts before she finally speaks.

"As far as combat goes or in general?"

[Ebiris]

"More strategically," Afina answers. "Yian gave us an overview of his proficiency with dark speech and hellfire."