Chapter 779


    Members of the little alliance gathered around above Shadysands Burrow. Three Squeaks began to address them. We <em>have</em> to do something about the lions. They werent after us out of desperation or anything. Theyre just hungry for power.


    Youre right, said the chief of Shadysands Burrow, Pondering Hum. We can dig our burrows deeper, store more food


    That doesnt help our allies, though, Deep Purr pointed out. The captain of the guard gestured to the warthogs. They could be targeted by the lions as well. Even our newest ally could fall to sufficient effort on their part.


    The hippo Contented Grunt nodded her head. Sharp teeth will tear my flesh in sufficient quantity. Unless I be stronger.


    Do you think the eagles are at risk?


    Clever lions could climb to your nests, if they were motivated to do so, Three Squeaks confirmed. But you might be best at watching from afar.


    Echoing Cry red broad feathers. Until I learn archery. Then I will be unstoppable.


    I meant eagles in general, Three Squeaks shook his head. Anyway, hiding away wont be good enough. Tunnels big enough for the warthogs would be difficult to construct. And any sort of defensive thing would take too long. The lions might start picking us apart tomorrow, if we are careless. One scare likely wont be enough.


    -----


    After the alliance made their initial ns, Three Squeaks found Anton on the hill. Master, you are back! He began to exin everything. Then he asked about the lions. What do we do about them?


    If they want to hunt you, then you must stop them, Anton confirmed. If you could construct walls they could not pass, it might be sufficient. But you have neither the time nor the capabilities at the moment. And simply surviving can be easiest sometimes, but it isnt always correct.


    So we have to fight them, right? Three Squeaks asked. And kill them?


    If they have no remorse- true remorse, not regret at having failed their ploy- and especially if they seem likely to try again, then you must. If ites to battle, killing is the safest method until your enemies are subdued.


    And what then? What about their cubs?


    Anton crossed his arms. It is a difficult question, Anton replied. Are the cubs at fault for the actions of their parents? Mostly likely not. Not mainly, at least. Yet if they survive they will likely seek revenge upon you. That is if they survive, which they likely will not. Death may be a mercy. The other question is if all of the pride is involved. Have they sought to devour others developing their natural energy as well, knowing they could think and feel? Or perhaps it is simply that one part of them.


    How can we find out?


    I would suggest espionage. Anyone confident in their stealth and ability to flee. If they find themselves to be in private, discussing their ns will happen naturally. And as they tend to live out in the open instead of in burrows there are plenty of ways to sneak closer. If you are careful.


    Anton didnt mention the fact that he was listening to the lions at this very moment. What he heard certainly didnt seem like it could lead to any sort of peaceful resolution.


    Its dangerous to fight and kill them all, Three Squeaksmented. Because we can die too.


    Thats right, Anton agreed. It is always possible for your side to be the one that loses. For every victory in battle, there is a loss.


    We could scare them away, Three Squeaks said. They must be afraid of death too. One already died.


    They might be even more afraid of death than you, Anton pointed out.


    Three Squeaks scrunched up his face as he thought about that. Why? he asked, but he wasnt actually looking for a direct answer. Is it because they expect to prey on others?


    Exactly. There are few threats for them most of the time.


    They only die to the bigger creatures they disturb or alone to packs. Or things in the water Three Squeaks said. Theyve never been afraid of something smaller. Like us.


    But now, youve injured one. Though the most likely first response isnt fear. Or at least, it wont look like it. Aggression, particrly against you, is quite likely.


    ... Maybe I should ask Echoing Cry to carry me. Or! Three Squeaks got excited. Or I can make them chase me! If I am in the right ce I can run through the rocks towards the river and then bam! Contented Grunt pops out!


    Yes, a tactical approach will be beneficial for you, Anton agreed. A few generations of this, and Anton would find these hardly different from humans.


    And then we kill some and chase away the rest. They will go away and then, Three Squeaks pondered, Theyll eat something else. Not us. But maybe people <em>like</em> us. I dont want that.


    Youll have to decide, Anton said. The risk to yourself, or to others, which is worse?


    I dont know, Three Squeaks admitted.


    Exactly. Its very difficult to know. That was why he had to get strong. Though personally Anton erred on the side of risk to himself, it wasnt entirely selfless given the possibility of retribution.


    -----


    The Great Queen learned many things from the insects she was living around. Among other things was that the distinction between stick and leaf was entirely arbitrary. Normally, they would be different species adapted to look like something in particr but for this group, it was based around how they developed. More often than not it was intentional, keeping a bnce of various options so that they did not reveal themselves via overpoption.


    Their ability to adapt wasnt limited to their growth period. If they had sufficient food avable, they could transform from one configuration to the other, shedding exoskeleton and rearranging their bodies. There was a time they were vulnerable during this, more than normal, so it was a rare urrence. It was an easier process for them to change coloration- from that of living leaves to more like dead leaves, and between various shades of brown depending on which nts they wished to feed.


    The group tended to name themselves after their preferred meal, which also tended to influence their looks as they had to survive around such nts. Leaf of Common Oak in Early Spring was one of those most interested in learning from the Great Queen. How about now? a nearby leaf moved. Common Oak was getting better at hiding her energy, and if standing still the Great Queen couldnt pick her out only through sight. Though there was very little chance of her hiding her energy so perfectly the Great Queen couldnt pick it out.


    Yes, very good, the Great Queen expressed with motions and smells. When still, you are almost undetectable via sight. And your energy is bing more in tune with your surroundings. However, you are still easier to spot when moving, both visually and with your energy. Your motions are too jerky and unnatural. If you pped along with the rustling of wind and then simply did not return to your previous orientation perhaps you could make your way along slowly.


    You know much. Especially for one who does not hide.


    I dont need to, the Great Queen admitted. Not anymore, at least. But I still can. Observe. The Great Queen tipped a leaf over her. For anyone directly watching, it didnt appear that impressive but with no natural energy to reveal her she was effectively gone. She didnt stay long, since it was mostly to prove a point. In the past, I used another method to hide.


    What was it?


    Simply being very small. The Great Queen scratched a little mark on a stick. This is the size I was born. Now, I am longer than a palm.


    A what?


    The Great Queen had subconsciously used her own sign. It is a more relevant measurement for humans which I am used to interacting with. A palm is part of the end of their main grasping appendages.


    They must be quiterge.


    Larger than most things here, the Great Queen said. Much more than the birds and other predators that worry you, at least.


    They sound dangerous.


    Their size isnt what makes them dangerous. But the danger is also what makes them great allies. Even if other humans want to wipe us out.


    Why?


    Because we are a danger to <em>them</em>.


    That doesnt make sense, Common Oak admitted.


    They can squash us. Except for myself, any of us could be squashed by the mostmon human. But to fight, they use natural energy. And we bypass that. The Great Queen snipped some of the natural energy around Common Oak to make her point. The leafy insect trembled.


    Mutual threats. There must be much death.


    At the moment, we only live with humans who ept us. And when the wares, our soldiers will leave behind our colonies, safe to continue on, and fight along side our friendly humans to repel the enemies. The best way to not get killed by a threat is to not make it want to. So we are part of them. And maybe there will be others from this ce that will be part of us. It certainly looks that way. Already, there are prey working with predators to fight against other predators.


    How strange, Common Oak said.


    It is highly desirable. As much as you can adapt from leaf to stick, there are limits. Others can be something more. Things you could never dream of. And with cultivation your body and energy can grow strong in ways that are difficult to believe.


    Despite having built up a rapport with this group, the Great Queen knew that her own effectiveness would soon diminish in terms of actually empowering them. But one who knew about cultivation of energy and nts would be quite beneficial to these insects. They just had to want to meet Anton, and they likely wouldn''t be drawn in by the promise of nibbling on ascension energy.


    That said, before they made that decision the Great Queen did have some ideas for what they could aplish with teamwork. Bridging a gap betweenrge trees would only take a dozen or so longer stick insects they should be able to hold sufficient weight for that to be an option. Though in truth it was more effective for the much lighter ants, natural energy provided some options.


    -----


    Xugryke. That was the name that had been uncovered for the system through significant digging. A system with satellites still patrolling the extremes, clearly quite capable of using technology. And yet, they were no more.


    Unlike Jinrisa, it didnt seem to have been the result of outside forces. But neither did it seem to have been the result of a civil war. The damage hade all at once, somehow involving thes moon suddenly crashing into one side of the. Or rather a much stranger result than that. Only part of it, somewhere around two thirds of it torn away in an indescribable manner and syed over the below.


    Ruteras scientists were most interested in the investigation, and using their technology and personal energy they investigated everything they could. The moon couldnt have crashed into the, because there should have been scarring from entering the atmosphere. There were burn marks on some of it, but that was localized to where there had been obvious fires on the after the fact.


    From everything that could be seen initially, it seemed as if two thirds of the moon had just deposited itself on the below. Not in a peaceful manner, but it didnt <em>crash</em> into it either. However, whatever caused that incident had resulted in rubble from the moon covering a huge swath of the. What followed, ording to the investigations, was a rapid copse of the interconnected systems of the as massive disaster abounded.


    Food production and transportation broke down. Production of key technological parts immediately halted, buried or otherwise inessible. Millions dead instantly perhaps more. And while the addition of a small percentage of thes mass didnt necessarily seem that relevant, it happening all at once had caused massive instability innd.


    The cause remained unknown for the current moment, but they were still sifting through the rubble on Xugryke itself and the small pieces of the that seemed to have ended up with the remaining partial shell of the moon somehow.


    Xugryke was just one among manys and systems explored, though not many were both so interesting and worrying. It was an unfortunate reminder that more dangers existed than simply that of invasions from the upper realms- or even conflicts between groups in the lower realms.


    Slowly, the knowledge of the border regions was expanding. From that, ns could be made about how to resist iing invaders that would be carried past by the tides of the world. And though they hadnt found more humans just yet, they expected to find some eventually.