"Think of life as a game child. Every step millimetre you slide, every decision you make will affect your outcome - the number of skills you will acquire, the amount of strength you can collect, the followers you will amass. Everything is determinant on your decisions. Where you'll be down the road is determined by what you do now. That is why I believe in both karma and balance. Those that didn't follow my orders got what they deserved. A timely death."
Her words weren't wrong. The majority of the creatures that had disobeyed her orders have all perished. But something just didn't feel right in my mind. Her words just didn't make sense. 'Who was she to determine what was right and what was wrong? How can a snail determine the fates of others?' I asked myself. 'Karma and balance don't hold in those situations.' I confirmed. As I continued to watch the one-sided massacre in front of me, more and more contradictions began to appear in my mind.
'If life was was balanced and our choices determined our futures, then wouldn't all the negative karma amassed from letting comrades be bad?' I questioned myself. '... wait... but it was the tree dwellers that attack first. Without reason, they terrorized the creatures of the meadow, so wouldn't the loss of battles and the war be the correct outcome?' I questioned. Scenarios similar to those blazed through my mind as my doubt grew. Seconds passed and I continued to think as hard as I could about it, but I ultimately couldn't determine the answer.
'It's more complicated than the ancient snail had described.' I concluded just as the battle ended and the scene froze once more. Cries and roars of triumph echoed through the fields as the victors of the skirmish were clear. The creatures of the World Tree had won.
Peace returned to the meadow.
Instantly taunts rose out from the crowd of victors as they began to praise themselves.
"Ha! Watch those cowards run! Run! Keep on running we'll chase and kill all of you. We will make you into an example that those that live on the tree will forever rule over you all."
A roar of cheers ensued as some beasts decided to dig in on their prize. The corpses of the fallen while others smeared blood over their bodies and faces in an attempt to look more intimidating.
The temporary peace only lasted for a second as new shouts arose in the crowd.
"LONG LIVE THE TREE, KILL ALL THOSE THAT OPPOSED US"
"KILL THEIR LEADER! KILL THE SNAIL!" on started to chant. And soon it caught on. "KILL THEIR LEADER! KILL THE SNAIL!"
Having their morale raised to a maximum numerous beast started a mad sprint as they charged towards the location where my ancestor was positioned.
Suddenly she stopped and turned around.
"HOLD!" she shouted out. The group that was around her were all compliant. Those that disobeyed and were disloyal to her were dead or had already fled.
Slowly my great-grandmother began to change. Her stern face softened and she began to smile. Creepily it changed seconds later as the smile enlargened as her eyes glowed bright yellow.
Then she did something unthinkable, especially in the middle of the battlefield.
She began to laugh. It wasn't just any laughed. Loud and obnoxious, she laughed hysterically as the other creatures around her took a step back in caution.
"Has the leader gone mad?" One of them asked another.
Whispers continued to breeze through the crowd as they stared at my great-grandmother and the dust cloud that was forming in the distance.
"Has she gone mad with fear?" another answered as they began to shake as if they had signed up for the wrong camp and that they realized that they shouldn't have listened to my great-grandmother from the beginning.
'... I don't get it.' I thought to myself as her ancient voice boomed in my head once more.
"Child. Do you think I was afraid? Do you think I was going to continue to run? No child. I laid out a trap and those tree-dwellers fell straight into it. Child, do you see it yet? My trap. Do you see the turning point of the battle?" The voice asked as I was dragged high up into the air before my head was pointed downwards without my control.
I saw them. The positions of the creatures of the meadow and the positions of those that lived on the World Tree were crystal clear.
She was right.
The bait for the trap was set.
And they took it.
Everything happened as my ancestor had planned.
And because of her schemes... The war had already been won.
...