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Chapter 670 - The Siege pt 16
🕑 Added 2020-12-13 10:15:27 +0000 UTCCoolant looked out from her perch next to the upper sally port of the great gate and felt nothing but confusion.
"Do you want to go tell him, or should I?" she said to Sloan who was clinging to the wall next to her.
The general shook her head, bewildered.
"I mean. They have to know, right? There's no chance that they don't know."
"I assume they know. I mean, what are the odds the two forces aren't communicating to this extent?"
"Almost none, surely. Such a lack of organisation in our foes would throw our plans way out."
"Hasn't this thrown them way out anyway?"
Sloan hesitated.
"That's… true."
The two of them looked out in silence for a few more moments at the totally unexpected scene before them.
"What do you think we should do?" Coolant asked, her scent as calm and unruffled as it always was.
"I don't know!" Sloan fretted. Why would these idiots perform this sort of moronic action now of all times? It didn't make any sense!
Once again that strange, undirected mental communication washed out over them, rippling through the ambient mana in the air and into their heads.
[Bring the reincarnated one here, or this one, a friend of that creature, will die.]
Just inside the first gate, a procession of golgari stood with one of their own forced to kneel on the ground at sword point whilst an elaborately armoured figure reclined in a chair next to him, watching all that occurred with an expression of detached boredom. Next to them a trio of mages worked together, supposedly sending out the mind magic communications.
"They have to mean the Eldest… Who else could they possibly want?" Coolant wondered with some interest.
"I have no idea, but the Eldest isn't here. There is almost a zero percent chance that they don't know that! Surely!" Sloan said. "… We have to talk to them."
"What, why?" Coolant asked. In her opinion, if one of the golgari wanted to kill another golgari for some reason, why not let them do it? One less for them to fight when they made a push for the gate.
"If the Eldest is involved, there might be some element at play that we don't understand," Sloan sighed. "Anytime something weird happens, it's usually to do with the Eldest."
Coolant could only nod to that. It was true. For whatever reason, the Eldest gobbled down trouble like a Queen taking in Biomass. The end result was something good, but the appetite appeared to be endless.
"So you want me to reach out to them?" Coolant offered. "I'll need to move a little closer, I don't think I can extend a mind bridge that far."
"I'll arrange an escort."
The general scuttled away and had a thousand ants ready to escort the mage closer to the enemy in a matter of seconds. Coolant had a thought though.
"Do you think a thousand may send the wrong message?"
"What do you mean?"
"They have a total of.." she counted quickly, "eight golgari over there. If we walk closer with a thousand, might they think they are being attacked?"
"You think a thousand is too many?" Sloan rubbed the top of her head with an antennae. A thousand didn't feel like many to her. Then again, she was an ant. "I'll send a hundred."
The mage nodded. A hundred should be fine. Shortly thereafter a procession of a hundred an one ants cautiously advanced toward the golgari delegation, ready to flee at a moment's notice. Sloan had considered things carefully and the delegation contained a healthy mix of mages, for raising shields, scouts, for detecting foul play, and soldiers, to hold the line in the event the others needed to retreat. Once they had covered half the ground toward the first gate, they very obviously stopped and parked themselves for a moment. Acting with great caution, Coolant wove together a mind bridge and extended it toward the trio of mages in the golgari party.
[I greet you on behalf of the Colony,] she started off formally, [I have come to clarify exactly what it is that you want.]
The stone-people all communicated with each other for a long moment before a reply came back.
[The reincarnated ant. We want you to bring them here so that they may duel the High Blade Balta. He wishes to expunge the shame the creature has cast upon his house with his own hand.]
Coolant was rather taken aback by this. This guy came all the way out here chasing the Eldest? For what? Some imagined insult? She couldn't possibly comprehend the meaning behind such actions, but she didn't let her confusion show. True to her name, she remained calm.
[When you refer to the 'reincarnated one', you refer to the member of our family who was captured by your people? Large? Shiny carapace?] Better to be sure.
More conferring.
[That is correct.]
Nice to have that confirmed.
[You are aware that the individual you refer to is currently engaged in fighting your allies on the other side of the nest?]
[We are.]
…
[It will be difficult to bring the one you want here to this place,] Coolant said, which was putting it mildly. There was battle going on! Did they forget that?
[We believe the reincarnate will not want this individual to perish. His name is Granin and he knew the monster we want quite well.]
In all likelihood the Eldest would not want this golgari to die. Surely not even these invaders would be so foolish as try a gambit such as this if they weren't at least somewhat competent. On the other claw, there was precious little chance the Eldest would be able to extricate themself from the battle with the Legion. Feeling somewhat deflated, Coolant bade the enemy farewell and returned to Sloan at the gate. She rapidly explained the situation to the general who pondered for a moment.
"We will need to consult those two. They might know something that can help sort this out."
Comments
Drew Lim
no update :(
Lee Ortiz
battles in real life were also won over stupid reason, like painting stupid cats on shields so they enemy wont attack. the level of pride and devotion to costume(not sure not googling the right word) and ego is outstanding even today.
Bunny Waffles
“I see how it is. We agree to single combat and of course you can still use your enchanted sword, but I bring a single massive flying fortress and suddenly it’s ‘treachery’ and ‘against the spirit of the agreement’.” – Dread Emperor Perfidious
Melancholyforus
That’s not a good idea
Moises Meza
Huh... I searched "dumb*ss" on the dictionary and a golgari noble appeared... this level of animosity for fictional characters worries me... but also golgari=dum dum
Moises Meza
I remember RinoZ saying it was just a side project that won't really kick off for a while... if ever. As far as I can tell the side projects get updated like once every 3 weeks or sum. But I don't want to speak for him.
Tyrunex
Just ask Titus to be the referee for that death match. He will like to get to know the reason for that war.
Anthony Romanov
I think Colony is aware of it and Colony doesn't care as Anthony is an ant and the Eldest. They consider what he is now as all ants were grubs before.
Anthony Romanov
High Blade wants one on one battle but Colony fights one vs thousands. That going to be a long discussion what considered "one" on "one".
Maradrax
I hope Anthony just yonks Granin or decapitates the High Blade quickly. Also I want the Golgari to have to bend the knee to the Colony during the monster wave or be exterminated.
matticide FOWD
Fuck yeah. Pumping out chapters like a madbeast. Rin0z is love, Rin0z is life. FOR THE COLONY! ....also, that necromancer story is hecka good. Are there plans to continue it?
Runaway_Cactuar
"uhh... we're in the middle of fighting for our lives at the moment?" "I don't care. My honor is more important" Coolant is just gonna make them wait outside for hours like the idiots they are
hhhhhuie
I'm gonna be disappointed if Anthony rushes there to save him, and in turn sacrifices many more ants on the Legion front
Aertheron
Something needs to happen because if Anthony needs to choose between his family and Granin the choice seems obvious to me.
Johnny Todd Smith
I'm not sure they'll care. Whatever he was before, he's an ant now.
Yeno Memevig
Well I guess it's time for Anthony to have the old 'I'm a reincarnated human from another planet' talk with his mother and sisters..
Johnny Todd Smith
If Anthony is able to get to Balta and fight him, then win (which is questionable) then he may be able to parley that into an uneasy peace between the colony and the Golgari. Another way to ease the pressure on the colony besides the Braunchi. Well played Rinoz.
Jason Gariando
What an absolute retard. No wonder the golgari society is regressing.
BRIAN
Ah yes, the confusion of talking to a rock-for-brain meathead. I know this feeling well lmao.
