RinoZ
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Chapter 639 - The Churn
🕑 Added 2020-10-25 10:51:12 +0000 UTCTitus stifled his grimace as he walked from the battlefield. To others who looked at him, he was as stone faced and unshakable as ever, but inside, he was tired. High stats and the superhuman abilities of a powerfully levelled Legionary were able to sustain him for a long time, longer than almost any other type of soldier on Pangera, but not forever.
A few days ago, by the Legion, only a few days? A few days ago the ants had escalated the conflict, no longer content to delay and cede ground. The rise in intensity had required that Titus and his troops match their fervour.
"Are you alright, commander?"
Titus recognised the voice of his daughter, and the concern that she had. She knew better than most that he hadn't rested in almost a week.
"Fine," he replied.
He heard a doubtful snort from behind him and nearly smiled. Morrelia had not learned grace as she aged, much like her mother.
"I didn't expect that you would need to fight so much yourself, isn't it a bit overkill for you to show up?" she asked.
Without turning, Titus gestured for his daughter to walk by his side. After a moment she was there, her hands resting easily on the hilts of her blades. Although she looked relaxed and confident on the surface, Morrelia's emotions were far from settled. Battling against the Colony was still something she couldn't bring herself to do, and fortunately, she hadn't had to up to this point. Even though Titus had entered the fight, even as one of his assigned guards, she simply didn't have any opportunity to fight, her father destroyed every ant he could reach.
The Colony had adapted quickly to his appearance on the field and began to avoid combat the moment they realised he was around, something Morrelia was more than grateful for.
"Time is against us in this campaign, daughter," he told her, "the insects are being careful, trying to force us to expend our strength and waste our time. Every day that passes, our supply lines grow longer, our Legionaries more weary, and for what? Are we even killing the creatures faster than they are replacing themselves?"
The Commanders hand gripped tight around the handle of his axe for a moment before he relaxed again. The spirit trapped within the raged without end but he crushed it with his will after a brief struggle. Whenever he grew frustrated, angry or tired, the foul beast would attempt to break him. Laughable.
"Unless we gain access to their nest and kill every Queen we find, we won't be able to make real progress. Once that's done we can take our time to hunt down and extinguish every individual."
Morrelia was silent for a moment.
"It doesn't bother you at all that they're sapient?" she asked, finally.
Titus raised a brow.
"No."
He placed a hand on the armoured shoulder next to him.
"They are monsters, born from mana. They are the children of the Dungeon and it is that which they serve. I'm surprised that I would need to explain this to you, of all people."
The young Legionary beside him didn't reply immediately and Titus continued to walk back towards his own lines at his usual long stride. Behind him, several squads were in the process of making meticulous checks over the defences the ants had just abandoned. No matter how many times the Legion foiled their traps and ambushes, the blasted bugs never stopped trying. He knew they didn't even expect them to work, they just wanted to slow down and exhaust his soldiers.
It would have worked too.
"I suppose I'm just not used to fighting monsters that can think and feel," Morrelia sighed, hiding her true feelings within.
He nodded. This was something every delver who achieved the strength to reach the lower strata had to deal with. Though rarely would anyone encounter it in the second strata of all places. Monsters became more intelligent, built societies, traded and formed relationships.
But it didn't change what they were, fundamentally. When the cataclysm occurred, the old Legion records showed that these supposedly 'peaceful' creatures had rallied behind the Ancients and helped lay waste to the surface. The Legion never forgot and never forgave. For them, the war had never ended.
"Not to worry," he told her, "you'll come to see the way of things, in time. Follow in the footsteps of the veterans and you can't go wrong."
He didn't notice the slight sigh his daughter released behind her helmet.
"I suppose so," she said.
When they returned behind the lines, Titus waved her away as he went to consult with the officers, leaving Morrelia with some precious time to her own thoughts. Though it didn't last long.
"Hey Morr!" called Myrrin who approached enthusiastically, "how are you?"
The berserker smiled to see such a friendly face.
"Tired," she replied, "where are you getting your energy?"
"Just got off break," the archer grinned, "rested and ready to go! They put five hundred of us back in camp for some shuteye. Seems like they want to make a big push before the reinforcements come."
Caught in the middle of nodding her understanding, Morrelia froze.
"Reinforcements?" she said.
"Yup," her friend cheered, "about time too! I heard the commander put the request in pretty much the second we landed here. Not sure how many are coming, hopefully another Legion at least. Then we'll be able to smash our way through these bugs."
Myrrin sounded particularly fierce by the end of her statement, revealing the depth of her antipathy toward the Colony, taking Morrelia aback.
"I didn't think you were so eager to kill them." she said, a little stiffly.
She got a 'are you crazy?' look in return.
"They're monsters," Myrrin said, "and my squad has lost two people to them in the last few days. Why wouldn't I want them dead?"
It was true. The fighting had grown more intense and even though the ants were being killed, the Legionaries were too. The grim rage within the Legion camp had only grown higher with each passing day as more of their members fell. The cumulative effect of her doubts and this new information was enough to make Morrelia feel ill. She needed some air.
"I'll catch up with you later Myrrin," she said, "good luck out there."
Myrrin tried to catch hold of her friend, but she evaded her grasp and slipped back amongst the rows of tents and out of side. The young woman stared for a moment, a worried expression written on her face, but turned back to her duties after a moment. Morrelia was tough as nails forged from larger, tougher nails. Whatever was bothering her, she could handle it.
Comments
ManguKing
You are correct, but this has been dragged for far 2 long. While she may be a hot headed person. At some point she should give out all the info she knows. I'm tired of morellia behaving like a little girl with 0 backbone
A person should never under estimate a family bond. With all this talk of how connected she is to the colony and village. I think the time line for her is forgotten. She grew up basicly in the legion "her family" but she was hurt when her brother died. So she went out to help in other ways. She helps the refugees cause it is what a legionar would do based on her internal moral code, but now there is a NEW sapient group of monsters helping one small section of humans. How can she overlook all of the huge red flags for humanity as a whole?
Nikita
Well, personally I agree with the Legion's phylosophy on 100%. You don't compromise with cockroaches, especially sapient ones, you destroy them. They're humanity's guardians, not monster races'. But the ants don't have to agree with that. In the end the winner will be the one who claims he's right and the defeated is wrong. I'm more worried that Morr'll get herself a treason
RinoZ
There's an element of becoming the thing that you want to defeat in the Legion. But their philosophy is pretty straight forward: Things born of the Dungeon should be destroyed.
RinoZ
What I've tried to show, (perhaps unsuccessful) is that she is reluctant to go against the wishes of her family after reuniting with them so recently. Her mother and father are highly decorated, highly respected soldiers who have dedicated their lives to fighting the dungeon. Her instinct to listen to what they have to say can't really be called wrong.
RinoZ
Are you trying to insult my wife in the comments of my story? Odd choice.
Claudio Costa
I still don't get why didn't Morrelia tell her father the truth BEFORE the war started. Now (after they started killing each other) she is surprised the legion hates the ants?! I don't remember her being this dumb/indecisive.
Khanalas
That's different, in Garralosh's chapter it was an external call: "But the one known as Garralosh had grown too strong, too fast. When the call had come, Garralosh hadn't realised what it was at first. It was vindication, triumph! Her long years of struggle, the lonely hunt, had finally borne the ultimate fruit! Recognised for the prowess, the bottomless strength cultivated with the broken bodies of fallen enemies. It had come too soon. No sooner had the announcement come, then a pull began to exert itself on her. Descend, descend, descend, descend! Every day, every hour, every second, the call tugged, an endless itch that demanded to be scratched."
Edgar maya
Seems like it’s turning to an Earthworm Jim episode 😂
Edgar maya
Khan alas, they don’t just get the urge to descend but because they need the denser mama to live
Edgar maya
Did your wife help write this one? Damn indecisive like a women. Makes the abysal soldiers look stupid and stubborn. Unable to show anything but anger
Grant
What really annoys me is that the legion is a bunch of hypocrites. They claim to want to kill anything with deep ties to a dungeon, but they also have ties to the dungeon where they can't even leave it for too long. The ants at least tried to save the human kingdom until their queen broke her word after the victory whereas the legion ignored the kingdom as it was destroyed. They did nothing to try and save the survivors, just wrote them off as dead. The legion sounds more and more like dungeon mobs with each chapter.
Khanalas
I don't think that line would work for any soldier in any war
Gonvas
The legion is angry for their losses. What about the colony? They are sapient too...
Anthony Romanov
With humans coming to fight with Colony. I need to have the Bird ride on Jim the Worm into battle! "My name is Bird and I ride on Jim the Worm!"
Rak87
Pretty much why I hate that fanatic legion, and also my prime suspect as to why the Bruanchii are rushing there and the Folk being quick to see the Colony in a positive light. That black and white vision the Legion got surely caused a lot of loss to the Bruanchii & Folk, and forming an alliance with the Colony might just be in their interests.
Rak87
As I commented in the previous chapter, it's weird that Titus hasn't made the connection between Anthony and the "mysterious mage". But that cat will be out of the bag as soon as the Antmancers appear with someone as famous as Beyn and the list of survivors Morrelia gave the legion. That will force Morellia to come clean or defect.
Apollo that sun person
I cant wait for the big reveal of Morrelia and Anthony’s relationship coming to light. GAH! I wish i could time travel to the future so badly right now. Also hope Morrelia does something next chap.
