Chapter 892: The Swarm
Under the soft light of the fourth stratum, with a soft mist rising from the glittering blue waters on the shore, the might of the Colony assembled. They had gathered in strength before, huge armies of ant soldiers, alongside smaller groups of human and golgari, but not quite like this.
Half a million ants emerged from beneath the ground and sorted themselves into neat ranks. They blanketed the shoreline. Between those inmoving chitinous frames, no trace of sand nor soil could be seen, they were so densely packed. In the lead stood a sparkling insect, enormous in size it loomed over the others of its own kind, a commanding presence that dominated the field.
Ten thousand support troops were spread amongst the ranks. Other races who had taken up arms alongside the Colony, ready to fight, ready to die, so that the ants would triumph. Within each group a robed figure walked, blessing each warrior and exhorting them to greater devotion in battle.
It was a terrifying sight.
Rassan'tep retracted his sight from the scrying array and sank deep into contemplation. That despite being so young, the Colony could already muster an army of this strength and size was worrying. Their growth was faster than even he had considered possible, and he projected it would only increase. To deal with this sort of power, the ka'armodo would need to commit a large force, thousands of their own number, with set'sulah War Dancer support and sand golems.
They had none of that here, only the termite Colony they had grown and fostered against all custom.
It was ka'armodo monster engineering against what a lone creature had been able to accomplish without training or assistance.
He wasn't confident that they would win. In many ways, it didn't matter. He was only interested in what Anthony would become from this moment on. Would the promising young monster die in the fighting, his rise to glory stopped tragically short? Or would he survive, and grow all the stronger for being exposed to the heat of battle?
He had to see.
[You seem excited, Master.]
The voice of Ammon'sil rang in his mind and the elder shifted slightly to better see his faithful servant.
[Is it so simple to tell? I would rather not have my emotions read so easily.]
[Not at all, Master,] the set'sulah smiled, [only those who have known you for many years would recognise that gleam in your eye.]
Satisfied, the great lizard shifted back and once more engaged with the scrying array. The grand sight of the massed ranks of ants, so neat they appeared to have been painted in place, once more appeared before him.
[What are your thoughts on the upcoming conflict?] Rassan'tep asked.
[It is not my place to comment.]
[It is, when I ask you to.]
[As you say. I worry for your kin, Master. They are confident in their abilities and in those of their creations, but I worry that they underestimate the foe before them. The Colony has shown that it will adapt, take risks, make decisions on the fly. Just because countermeasures have been prepared doesn't mean they will succeed.]
[You are speaking most carefully,] the ka'armodo noted. [You can come out and say it. Hubris. Overconfidence. Arrogance. Pride.]
Each word emanated powerfully from the ancient creature, an ocean of contempt behind them.
[The curse of the old races has shown its face again. Just because we ruled this world once, does not mean we don't have to fight for it now. The Colony is young, ambitious and rising quickly. My kin here think they are the same, but the difference is stark.]
He observed the ants carefully, noting the various castes and their disposition.
[The Colony is hungry, but for survival, not glory. They seek to build, not to maintain. The youths who were sent here… they see themselves as chosen, and special, instead of manipulated and abandoned. When cold blooded and logical thinking is required, they have allowed themselves to grow too heated.]
In the distance, there was movement. Thousands of ants stepped forward with unnatural precision. Mages, each and every one of them. Minds in perfect sync, they began to draw and shape the mana around them. With so many mages working together in perfect harmony, a vast amount of energy was able to be moved, a veritable storm of mana forming across the shoreline.
Rassan'tep watched carefully as the bridge began to take shape. It was crude in form, but well suited to the task, he had to admit. Sturdy, dense, compacted, the bridge was almost a kilometre wide. They even went to the trouble of anchoring it to the lake bed, extending pillars downward before the waters grew too deep. The great lizard hummed in approval. If they were nothing else, the ants were solid builders.
Gradually, the bridge extended and the ants began to advance in blocks, the mages at the front, along with Anthony and his small retinue.
At the current pace, it would take them little over an hour to complete the work, if they remained uninhibited. Of course they weren't.
Rising from the fungus coated forest, spheres of potent energy began to rise. They hovered in the air briefly, condensing, before they were suddenly fired in a high arc. Dozens of shots were fired at once, the combined efforts of nearly all the ka'armodo who remained on the mountain.
Of course the ants were prepared.
Shields sprung into existence, one after the other, covering the bridge for its entire length. Rassan'tep didn't even need to reach out with mind to see the spells of his kin were under assault before they crossed the halfway point, the mana being siphoned away.
The level of cooperation shown by the Colony was staggering.
With so many mages at their disposal, they were able to distribute roles and allow each ant to focus on just one task. That in itself wasn't impressive, but the way they worked so seamlessly together without communicating left him in wonder.
The bridge building never stopped, not for a moment. The shields continued to be created and reinforced, the moment one fell, it was replaced. There were even whole batteries of mages just reaching out with their minds and pulling in all the ambient mana they could, making it available to the others to utilise. Selfless, relentless effort. That was the defining trait of the Colony.
When the bridge reached the halfway mark, there was a pause.
The barrage from the ka'armodo continued, the ants held it at bay, but did not advance. A chance for them to replenish their energy? Allow the ambient mana to restore itself?
Perhaps.
He cast his eye across the field once more. Tens of thousands of ants now packed the bridge, but curiously, it wasn't full, not completely. A curious thing, he hadn't believed the ants would be concerned with overcrowding.
Then something changed. The massed ranks of ants split down the middle and stepped to the side, clearing a narrow pathway through the centre to the tip of the bridge, where Anthony awaited.
They were making way for something? Or someone?
From beneath the soil, amongst the gargantuan roots of the Mother Tree emerged a column of steel clad ants. Hundreds of them, each encased in powerful, ornate armour that shone with a mirror polish. With solemn and implacable steps, they marched steadily forward as Rassan'tep watched with keen interest. Then something different appeared.
Carried on the backs of ten ants came… a tomb? Four burning torches adorned it. Gold and precious metals covered it in elaborate filigree. Carved into the face of it in excruciating detail was the face of an ant, and though their expressions never shifted, somehow Rassan'tep felt a sense of overwhelming… relief, and joy, and freedom…
What in the name of the Demon God was going on down there?