Chapter 344 Planning is hard (1/2)

Our mission is divine. Pa.s.sed down through the centuries from our forebears who were fortunate enough to hear the words of the great one. To complete the circle, to finish the work that was begun but never completed. Only then can the path be opened and the way to a greater existence be made manifest.

What is this world, with its endless trials and monsters, but purgatory? This is not where we are meant to be. This is not a place where anyone belongs. Only at one point in history was it possible for our lord to reach out to us, to enlighten us to the truth. Our society was told many secrets which we recorded in the Book of Red Truth.

Since that initial communication, we have not heard from our master, but messages have been pa.s.sed through intermediaries and we know that progress has been made.

Nineteen is not enough. Twenty are required. There are those with potential out there, we have seen them, found them. If we can raise one up, lift it to the pinnacle that is required, then the circle will close and the way will be opened.

We are everywhere, in all nations and amongst all peoples. It is only a matter of time.

From the writings on the Red Truth, Author Unknown.

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Victor was struggling.

When she had first evolved into a General, she'd thought it would be simple. Despite all the lessons that the Eldest had drilled into her and her siblings, about tactics, about preserving lives, her instincts had been clear. Ants would fight as they had always fought: overwhelming through superior numbers and avoiding anything that didn't work on.

Even with her increased intelligence, it didn't seem as if that generic plan had any holes in it. When the Eldest had insisted that every ant, every soldier and worker, be given the utmost opportunity to survive, she'd listened but not understood what that would mean.

You couldn't throw ants at a fight until it went away if each of those ants needed to be preserved to the best of your ability. You couldn't adopt attrition tactics, when you were charged with preserving the lives of your soldiers at all costs.

And the thing that was most grating, the thing that gave Victor the most stress, was that she was starting to care. She'd seen it already in the others, in Wills most of all. Every ant in the colony would happily die for the sake of the family, but now they were reaching a point where they were not willing to sacrifice each other. This level of care and emotion felt alien and strange to Victor, but she feared it was only a matter of time before it spread throughout the colony.

Increased cognitive function had brought many blessings to the species but it also meant a s.h.i.+ft in behaviours and att.i.tudes. Victor just wished that they'd had time to learn these lessons without a crisis hanging over their heads.

”How's the word from the front?” she turned to one of her aides and asked.

The large soldier ant shook her body slightly, intimidated at being in the presence of one of her seniors.

”Yes, General! There has been a message from the scouts delivered in the last five minutes! The Kaarmodo acolytes appeared at the front line and began a spell offensive against our skirmish forces. We've had multiple accounts of the acolytes appearing from thin air, the scouts suspect some advanced kind of magic is at play.”

Victor winced. They'd been worried about that.

”Casualties?” she asked, not wanting to hear the answer.