"We gathered at their doorstep and surrounded the ancient tree."
Millions of bodies surrounded the tree as I flew by them. I was pulled towards a particular body, a particular snail, my great-grandmother.
Standing on top of a tall root she looked down at the hundreds of thousands that had gathered. The others leaders were there as well. Patiently, they waited behind her. She was the leader. Standing tall, creatures bigger and more powerful than her stood in protective formations around the group while they waited for her call - for the war to begin.
"The preparations are complete." A snail shouted as he threaded through the crowd towards my ancestor. "Should we begin?"
"No." my great-grandmother replied sternly as she looked across the thousands of bodies ahead of her towards the ancient tree. With a clear view of the target ahead of her, she continued to observe the creatures that were on the ancient tree.
Thousands looked back at her and pointed. Their sizes were humongous compared to the other creatures. A result of feeding off of the fresh fruit of the World Tree. They laughed and smiled as if they were watching a baby stumble and fall over cutely. But deep down their smiles were menacing as if they taunted her to come closer - to attack them.
Suddenly I heard a screech in the skies. The enemies of my ancestor decided to take the initiative.
Whomp. Whomp. Whomp.
The sound of large wings flapping in the air filled my head as different creatures left the tree and soared into the sky me.
"Quick, we zzz...zz.. attack now?" a mantis-like creature asked from the crowd as it flapped its wings giant wings as it scratched its two scythe-like arms together as it moved its jaws. Slobber began to form as it stared into the skies. It was clearly ready for an aerial battle with the inhabitants of the World Tree.
"No. Hold." the ancient snail replied.
It tried to hold itself back as it rocked back and forth as the flying creatures of the World Tree lifted themselves higher into the air. The mantis continued to rock until finally, it bent down its legs.
Bzzz.
It jumped as its wings buzzed as they fluttered.
Unable to sit still, the mantis flew up in the air as other mantises followed its lead and rushed into the air behind it.
"HOLD!" my great-grandmother yelled out, not towards the mantises in the air. No. To the other creatures that prepared to take off after them. "HOLD!" she shouted again, this time her eyes glowed bright yellow as she stared them down. Although many creatures heard her shout, other's ignored her or didn't hear at all. Seeing the mantises take flight, the followed.
The ancient voice of my ancestor boomed into my head once more as she narrated over the situation.
"You would think that this was an act of insubordination. That it was out of my calculations. However, I had already expected it. I knew that they would jump in. Hastily we banded together a team of creatures over two years. I knew that there were those that wouldn't take orders and I knew that they needed to weeded out. Luckily, they did well. They acted like cannon-fodder and made my plan better than I expected. This is my second lesson child, sacrifice is needed to weed out the weak and insubordinate."
I continued to stare at the scene before me. Flying creatures emerged from the group on the ground and tried to launch themselves in the sky only to be met by a flurry of attacks. Talons flourished, beaks pierced flesh as blood rained from the sky. Immediately starting at a height disadvantage the creature of meadow were hunted down as the creatures above them mercilessly tore them apart.
A one-sided massacre.
"Let us go, we can save them." another winded creature begged, its eyes looked upwards in concern as more and creatures dropped from the skies and splattered all over the ground.
"HOLD!" my ancestor stated as she continued to stare upwards as she watched. But a few just couldn't watch as they too took to the skies.
Minutes passed as the morale of the creatures of the meadow began to drop steadily. Whispers of doubt began to circulate. "Is our leader insane?" "We came here for a war and all we got was a show. A show of cowardice as we watch our comrades die." Similar lines of speech reverberated through the crowds as my ancestor listened to her own words and held under the pressure.
More minutes went by as the creatures who didn't lesson to my great-grandmother were slaughtered. Those that turned-tail and ran away were ruthlessly hunted down.
They had all died. Every one of them.
Taunting the onlookers below them, the giant flying creatures of the trees glared down.
"Puny beings, bow before your gods and maybe we will decide to eat you later." the giant four-winged bird that I had seen before called out.
Others soon followed its lead.
"Look at your leader cower in fear, unable to act. You idiots follow a snail. A snail out of all creatures. Go back to the meadows you peasants and we'll look the other way."
Insults rained as did something else.
'Disgusting. Just disgusting.' I thought as the creatures below them were showered in... by-products.
As the heinous actions continued, the lost morale of the meadow creatures seemed to reverse. In actually, it climbed as their rage and hatred for those that lived on the World Tree grew. Their heads continued to move between my great-grandmother and the creatures. They had a tough time holding back as their anticipation for battle continued to grow.
"Heeeeeh." Sighing, the ancient snail took a deep breath before she spoke.
I anticipated that she would now choose to start the battle while the moral was high. But she didn't.
"RETREAT!"
"What?" a wave of questions spewed from the crowd around her as even the other leaders that were near her began to question her actions. I knew that it was hard for sure. Having prepared for a war, for revenge and suddenly retreating without fighting was hard to do.
"TRUST ME. LISTEN TO ME, THIS IS PART OF THE PLAN. RETREAT! USE FORMATION TWO! RETREAT!" She repeated as she turned around and knocked her shell against a gawking snail nearby as she did.
...