Formicea

 

After our talk, I spent an anxious day, waiting for what there is to come.
As Lord Stormheart couldn't give a concrete estimate, it's left up to chance if our weapons will arrive before the Koresoans start their attack.

But then I get a message to quickly come to the plaza.
This could be good or bad.
I head down to the large, iron gate that was delivered straight out of Valera, to serve as our entrance.
While there is a sense of urgency in how both humans and drones alike are moving, there is no dreadful sense of alert with them, which tells me it must be about the weapon delivery.
Upon entering the plaza we established where the enemy camp was before, I find both Liseti and Lord Stormheart awaiting me.

 

<There you are, Erys!> (L)

<Yes. I departed the moment I got your message.> (E)

<You should still strive to attend this kind of event on time. This delivery will arrive at any moment and you are unprepared.> (L)

 

So I was right.
Yet there's something I'd like to set right.

 

<Well, this wouldn't have been an issue if I had been informed on time. Surely you must have known earlier than this.> (E)

<Erys, it is not my role to keep you instructed about things that concern you. Now don't bother, as they're going to arrive at any moment.> (L)

 

Woah, did I offend her?
She seems rather prissy.

 

<But it still wouldn't have hurt to just tell me in advance.> (E)

<It would.> (L)

<Seriously? In what way?> (E)

<In any way your failing to independently make preparations of your own will affect your future hive.> (L)

<What has this to do with you not telling me about a delivery?!> (E)

<Because you, Erys, still haven't established a messenger network to keep you informed about occurrences in your environment. The extent one wants to learn about anything that happens varies very much from the individual princess, so I abstained from involving myself too much in your affairs. I even find it quite irritating to be expected to keep track of your interests in this regard. However, if you want to be informed, you can easily make it happen.> (L)

 

Liseti has this way of pointing out my shortcomings by simply letting me run straight into them.
Not the most amicable trait, given that she could at least mention them, but I'll give it to her that it makes me invested to fix them.
Even if just so that she can't rub them into my face anymore.
She's really a bitch in this regard.
Just who is responsible for having her turn out like this?

I choose not to engage any further in this conversation and just wait with the others.

 

"You said it wouldn't take long, but I still can't see any signs of the transport." (St)

<You can't? You humans and your meager perception. I see them just fine.> (L)

 

She does!?

 

"You do!?" (St)

<Naturally. They are just there!> (L)

 

She points for us, but initially, I stand confused, as her claw doesn't direct us towards the road, but the sky.
Which is when I truly become stunned upon realizing what I'm looking at.
A far distance away, there's a small black cloud.
At least, that's what it looks like from afar.
However, once you notice the odd movements and shifts at the edges you see it for what it truly is.

A large swarm of messengers, heading straight at us.

 

"Damn, I'll probably never grow used to this. I knew you said you'd get involved in their transportation, but I certainly didn't expect something of this degree." (St)

 

I was expecting as well some kind of trek of several carriages, delivering the ready-made weaponry, but this isn't the case.
Instead, there's a swarm of messengers carrying various objects of varying size right here.

 

<It's a convenient instance that Mother didn't require me to return the messengers she gave me control over to follow my strategy. It's another fortunate instance that you told me that one can set apart and recombine those weapons for transportation.> (L)

"So this means that each of these 'messengers' carries a single piece of the whole to set them back up here?" (St)

<Didn't I just explain so? They carry as much as they can afford during flight.> (L)

 

Given the numbers I see there, they probably can just switch out the carriers on the way.
Seriously, if anyone on the other side of the wall notices this, I'm pretty sure we'll hear Koresoan alarms any moment.

 

"I need to admit that it’s quite remarkable that you can just assign such numbers on this kind of task. It's an impressive feat of coordination." (St)

<It truly is. But it would be wrong to credit the messengers themselves. No, by all their abilities, this goes a bit beyond them. This is the doing of a princess who controls their formation through their pheromones.> (L)

 

A princess?
But who... Oh, don't tell me...

 

<Group one, three, and five, prepare for landing. Group two, secure the process. Group four six, seven, and so on, standby in the air. Wait till it's your turn and continue exchanging carriers.> (C)

 

Seriously, it's Princess Chera?
Doesn't she have other problems to attend to?

But it is her, leading all the messengers.
She's closing in, accompanied by thousands of flapped wings.
This is one of the examples why pheromone speech is convenient, as even through the noise, we can nonetheless understand her just fine.
Not that I'd appreciate what she actually says.

 

<Sister, for this kind of landing manoeuver I expected that a greater field would be prepared.> (C)

 

At this, Liseti emits a subtle, but complex set of pheromones that speaks of frustration, admiration, self-consciousness, and the conviction to do it right.

 

<But don't bother now. I can still manage with just this much. Yet keep it in mind for another time. One should never stop seeking perfection.> (C)

 

Damn, right now I begin to understand a lot quite a bit better.

 

<Seems like I arrived in time. From what I could gather, the enemy is close to concluding their preparations.> (C)

<Your coming is appreciated, sister. We will make good use of those installations.> (L)

<I see. I need to say, I was fascinated when I heard about those weapons. It might be good to install them at my own hive.> (C)

 

Sure you will.
I guess she'd take anything she could get against the Crusteans invasion of her hive.

 

<Unfortunately, we are in need of those, and maybe many more if possible, to fortify this structure. Is there even a need in your hive?> (L)

<Naturally not!! My hive does exceedingly well! It's even improving at a far better rate than usual recently due to some changes I implemented in its management.> (C)

 

Just how much can someone overplay an act?

 

<Changes? Would you elaborate? If they have a positive impact this might be valuable to share.> (L)

<Another time. Maybe. In the first place, I doubt they could be easily applied on a general level. There are a number of unique peculiarities which are present in my hive.> (C)

 

Yeah, like the fact that it's barely scraping by with all the issues that you allowed to fester there.

Suddenly, Chera glares at me.
Uh, did I think this too loud?
However, Liseti's dismissive demeanor tells me that there wasn't anything concrete for her to gather from this.

 

<Be this as it may. We should proceed. Or do you intend to idle much longer while your enemy prepares to attack?> (C)

<No, sister. Certainly not. It would be good to set them up as soon as possible.> (L)

 

She points at the wall while saying so.
I reckon she intends to make use of the larger piles that naturally came into existence during the digging effort.

 

<Then you should prepare elevated positions. Also, you, human. Assign qualified units to this task. My messengers are expectedly unfamiliar with the process.> (C)

"Of course. We'll do so as soon as possible. I'd propose that you allow personnel here on the ground to arrange the right parts together, so they make a whole and can be easier put together." (St)

<This sounds reasonable. Yet I want to confirm something.> (C)

 

At this, she turns around to the swarm and shouts.
Well, silently in pheromones.

 

<Diroen!> (C)

 

A moment later, two messengers carry a visibly distraught man to the ground.
Yeah, the way he hugs the soil tells me he isn't a fan of flying.

 

"This... was... terrifying!" (D)

<Get used to it. You need to stay by my side if you're supposed to attend to me.> (C)

"Y-yes, my princess." (D)

 

Poor guy.
If this princess chose him it's quite unlikely he'll ever get out of this arrangement.
It probably is only a question of time till she grows him a pair of wings.

 

<Back to the topic. Do you believe these ballistas and catapults, as you called them, can be built up there? I want to hear your honest opinion.> (C)

 

Oh, now I see it.
There's the string, the bowed holding array.

 

"The artillery? Yes, right. Hm, I would advise against doing so right away. The way I see it, we're lacking proper cover at those positions. This high up, they would be very exposed." (D)

<I see. That's a point. What do you have to say to this, Liseti?> (C)

<I was prepared to give the respective orders to remedy this issue.> (L)

<But you still didn't and continue to not do so.> (C)

 

Yeah, this really answers the question of who messed up Liseti's view on gaining experiences.

 

"Ahem, this was calculated. If we'd started too early, the enemy could anticipate what we're doing and would prepare to target the respective spots." (St)

<I understand. Nonetheless, this shouldn't be delayed any further. Liseti, assign your workers. Stone and applicant. We want this to last under enemy attacks.> (C)

<A great number of them belong to Erys.> (L)

<Then I hope she has the mental competency to read the situation and act correspondingly.> (C)

 

This princess was only here for a negligible length of time and already manages to get on my nerves.

Sigh.
Why me again?