"Are you sure that you aren't responsible, Eldest?"
"What are you talking about, Sloan? I've been the soul of caution out here. All of this can be blamed on the plant. How are we supposed to know that the kaarmodo and the bruan'chii are having some sort of dust up?"
The general flicks her antennae in irritation.
"We'd heard that there might be something of the sort going on, but we never expected that it would matter to us. Even though the kaarmodo sand empire is close to the former border kingdoms, we haven't done anything to provoke them, so we never expected them to act so aggressively toward us."
"Seriously though, what's the issue between the tree and the lizards? What could they possibly be fighting over?"
"From what we've been able to gather it has something to do with resources and land in the fourth and fifth strata."
I stare.
"How in the name of heck are you able to figure that out? We haven't been anywhere near the fourth stratum!"
"We have our sources, Eldest."
I eye the smaller ant.
"You want to act all mysterious now? Fine. So what's the plan?"
"The Colony is still restructuring and expanding above so we want to avoid a major conflict if at all possible. We need to defend the garden until the grove keeper has arrived so we can learn why the mother tree has chosen to reveal herself to us at this time."
"That makes sense. I'd love to know what's going on inside her head. How many are we up against?"
to learn, there aren't actually that many kaarmodo in the
don't expect that many to come, but it could
"Right."
How many
"Ten thousand."
be tier four, with a good chunk of tier
going to
minutes. I left with them and rushed ahead to get here first. There
see that everyone
right then, I'll go and take a sticky beak at
"Eldest…"
not going to fight anyone! Yeesh.
to the general and step down from the rock we stood on, scuttling down the side to rejoin my companions below. It's barely been an hour since the garden grew and already we're in this mess. I have
living rafts and float along the flood waters, their entire Colony clinging together, with their queen in the centre of the mass, in order to survive. We
Do you think we're strong enough to take on an army of
time we faced one, master. I believe you
strong as I am.
[V-very well… master.]
in on this one? And please don't
short pause I hear the
will not,] he says, [I do not seek to
around anyway, just
Which reminds me.
company. Make sure you keep your wits about you. Pitched battles are a
get a reply, but I know
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