Chapter 816: 816

Sometimes Isaac Bird had questions for himself. Such as ‘how the heck did he end up preparing to assault the land of demons alongside a massive army of ant monsters’, or ‘should he grow a full beard or just stick with a moustache?’.

The latter was probably not as difficult to answer as the former, but each was worthy of careful consideration. ‘Take each problem, one at a time,’ as Ma used to say.​​

“How long do you think they’re going to make us wait here, captain?” Margun asked from beside him.

Isaac resisted the urge to lean over and spit. He wasn’t a country boy anymore, he had to set the standards for his men. If Morrelia didn’t tolerate spitting in the ranks, then he wasn’t going to either!

He turned to his lieutenant with one brow raised.

“You really that keen to be gettin’ your hands dirty Margun?” he drawled. “I don’t see what the rush is, they put us up pretty damn well right here, all things considered.”

It was true, the Colony had been more than generous, as was their wont, with the accommodations for the human contingent of their war machine. Actually, not just humans, he corrected himself. After the volunteers started to flow from Rylleh there were a few non-humans amongst the ranks now, including a couple of golgari, displaced from their home kingdom.

“You aren’t wrong there, Isaac. My feet are just getting antsy I suppose. How are you so relaxed, knowing what’s about to happen?”

He laughed.

“I don’t understand how you’ve got the energy to be nervous, Margun. They’ve had us doing drills and patrols until we drop ever since the wave ended, and it’s not like that was a happy fun time! If they weren’t busy building all this setup around here we’d still be at it I wager. Rather than all your fussin’ I suggest you put your feet up while you have a chance.”

The other soldier just stared at him.

“We aren’t talking about a patrol through the tunnels here, Isaac! We’re invading the third stratum! You know, the place full of the crazy strong demons? That doesn’t worry you?”

Sometime people couldn’t see the woods for the trees. Another one of Ma’s favourite sayings and her wisdom was as true today as it was the day she passed it down to him.

With great patience, Isaac straightened himself and clapped one hand onto Margun’s shoulder, as he gestured behind the man with the other.

“Take a look over there, my friend. Tell me what you see.”

Margun rolled his eyes.

“Oh come on Isaac, I’m not in the mood for another of your ‘lessons’.”

Isaac frowned.

“You’ve come over here and bent my ear with your plops so you’re going to right well listen to what I have to say. Now, out with it.”

“Fine.”

With a weary sigh, the other man turned and beheld the very thing they’d been staring at most of the day.

“All right then,” Isaac continued with satisfaction, “tell me what you see.”

“I see the Colony doing a ton of building and stuff. They’ve been at it for days now, Isaac.”

The former captain of the guard slapped a hand to his forehead. That’s it?

“You don’t see anything other than that?” he asked incredulously. “Bunch of ants building stuff. That’s it?”

Margun rolled his shoulders uncomfortably.

“I don’t know what you’re after here Isaac, you know I’ve never been the sharpest tool in the shed.”

“It ‘ain’t nothin’ to do wit’ bein’ smart,” Isaac drawled, forgetting to control his accent, “and all to do wit’ payin’ attention.”

He took a moment to master himself.

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“You see a bunch of ants building stuff. Alright, fine. How many do you see.”

“I dunno. Couple thousand, I guess.”

“Seems like a lot, right? Do you know how many build sites like this one there are?”

“I think there was ten? One for each of the guard companies?”

“Bingo. Ten of these. What does that say to you?”

“That there’s… a lot of ants working?”

“Right. And what are they building?”

“Staging grounds for the invasion.”

“Correct again. Now, there are ten of these staging grounds being built. Let’s ask another question, how many ants do you think would fit into this one?”

Recognition was slowly starting to flicker in Margun’s eyes.

“Around ten thousand, more or less, I would say,” he said slowly.

“Which means that the big bad demons you’re talking about are going to get hit with an invasion of a hundred thousand, give or take, monster ants along with ourselves. I’m not sure if you’re a betting man, Margun, but I know where I’d be putting my money.”

Having made his point, Isaac turned back and sat down on the porch that had been constructed around the outside of the barracks. The Colony had gone above and beyond with the facilities, as they always did, and the comfortable beds, spacious rooms and constant supply of tea, with sugar, was a luxury that he’d seldom been able to afford working as a guard in Liria.

“In my opinion,” he sighed as he leaned back until his head was resting on the wall, “the demons are in for a world of pain. They might be powerful monsters, but I don’t think they’ve seen anything like what’s comin’ for them. From what I hear, the Great One is already down there kicking up a ruckus. Chances are there won’t be anything left but smoking ruins by the time we turn up.”

“The Great One?” Margun raised a brow. “You a believer now Isaac? I didn’t take you for the type.”

“Aren’t you from Rylleh? You didn’t see the big guy go to work?”

“I didn’t see for myself, no.”

“If you had, you might be a little more respectful. If they want me to call him ‘Holy ant of king mountain’, I’ll doff my cap and play along, and you’d best do the same. Don’t go stickin’ your foot in the plops if you don’t need to.”

Having passed on his final wisdom, Isaac Bird closed his eyes and let his mind drift until sleep claimed him. The Colony would work him to the bone soon enough, he was sure of it, so in the meantime he’d get all the rest he physically could. He floated away into dreamland with the image of a particular Legionary in his mind and a soft smile on his lips.