Surrounded. The tree dwellers that lost all sense and reason and rushed at my ancestor's group had dug their own graves. Blindly rushing in without a plan... something that I did all too often had became the group's downfall.
What?
Why did I think that the battle had already been won? Was it because I knew the outcome, that my mother had been born on one of the World Trees? Or was it that my great-grandmother had survived until my time?
No.
It was already clear that they lost their advantage. If the arrogant tree-dwellers had remained perched atop the tree, it would have been a tough battle for the creatures of the meadow to win. Although those of the meadow had the population advantage, those that lived on the tree were stronger and they also had the height advantage over those of the meadow. Remember that bird with the corrosive breath that I had seen? Those that lived on the World Tree could have just used attacks similar to the corrosive breath that also covered a large area. Grouped together, if the creatures of the meadow rushed in, they would have been easily decimated.
The tree was also a physical divide and territory. It acted as a funnel and stopped the citizens of the meadow to use their higher population to their advantage. In fact, it was a disadvantage. Those that didn't live on trees their whole lives wouldn't know how to fight on one and even if they did know, physically, the creatures of the World Tree were larger and stronger. It was a lost cause. Limitation of movement, limitation of knowledge... the odds would be stacked against those of the meadow.
Instead of fighting an easily won battle, the arrogant and idiotic denizens of the Tree were pulled into a disadvantageous situation instead. But this whole situation couldn't have been made if my ancestor didn't make any sacrifices or laid out a trap with her commands. She turned unruly listeners into willing sacrifices. Truly an ingenious plan.
'My great-grandmother was a master tactician.' I confirmed to myself as I felt the force holding me in place disappear as if I had cleared some sort of unknown task.
Instantly I willed myself back to where the younger version of my great-grandmother stood.
She continued to smile as she watched the dust cloud grow larger and larger - as the beast sprinted deeper and deeper towards their deaths.
Suddenly, she stopped smiling and stared into the sky. Moments later, she turned and faced the bodies of the other leaders. Both big and small, they continued to gaze at my great-grandmother with either confusion, frustration, or anger.
"THEY TERRORIZED US AND WE COWERED." my grandmother began as she shouted, her yellow eyes glowing brighter as she did. "THEY KILLED OUR OWN AND WE COWERED." she continued as the faces of the other leaders grew darker and more menacing as she did.
"FOR YEARS, WE LIVED IN FEAR. LIKE COWARDS, WE CONTINUED TO LET THIS GO ON FOR FEAR OF OUR OWN DEATH, FOR FEAR OF REPERCUSSIONS! YEARS PASSED BY AND STILL, NO ONE ACTED. SO THEY WERE RIGHT. WE WERE COWARDS." my ancestor stated as I could feel the tension in the air continue to rise.
"TODAY THEY CALLED US COWARDS, THEY CALLED US WEAK. THEY LAUGHED AT OUR ATTEMPT TO SHOW THEM THAT WE CANNOT BE MESSED WITHOUT RETALIATION. BUT I LAUGH. I LAUGHED INSTEAD AT THEIR STUPIDITY AND ARROGANCE FOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE FALLEN STRAIGHT INTO MY TRAP. NOW WE ARE ON EVEN GROUNDS. OUT AND IN THE OPEN THEY ARE NOW SURROUNDED BY US. THEY ARE NOW SURROUNDED BY THE US WARRIORS WHO HAVE GROWN THROUGH BATTLES THROUGH WARS! THOSE BABIES THAT REMAINED CONFINED TO AN ALOOF LIFE ON TOP OF THE TREE HAVE NOT SEEN OUR STRUGGLES, THEY HAVE NOT FELT THE TRUE TASTE OF BATTLE THEIR WHOLE LIVES. AND TODAY, WE SHALL BRING THAT TO THEM. WE SHALL TEACH THEM A LESSON THAT WE ARE NOT WEAK, THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER KILLED ANY OF OUR OWN!"
The crowd around her roared madly in response. I felt my heart beating faster with her shouts as I too was riled up by her speech.
"SO GROUND TROOPS HEAR MY CALL! AVENGE THOSE THAT DIED AT THEIR CLAWS AND TALONS! DON'T LET THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO DIED TO SET UP THIS SITUATION BE WASTED. WE ARE AT THE TURNING POINT! THEY HAVE FALLEN STRAIGHT INTO MY TRAP. NOW, ITS TIME FOR A SLAUGHTER. CHANNEL ALL YOUR RAGE, YOUR HATE AND YOUR JEALOUSY. SLAUGHTER THEM! USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. SLAUGHTER THEM! FOR OUR DEAD SIBLINGS, RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND FALLEN ALLIES, SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!"
Red. The entire army of creatures that surrounded my great-grandmother glowed red as if the embodiment of their rage and frustration began to emanate from their bodies.
Soon they all began to move, unable hold in their rage, they charged towards their enemies. Those that could fly soon took to the skies as well. Looking upwards, my great-grandmother called out to them as they left.
"NOBLE CREATURES OF THE SKY. THE MEADOWS ARE YOUR HOME. SHOW THEM THAT YOU ARE MORE TALENTED, AGILER AND ELEGANT THAN THOSE LAZY UNGRACEFUL PRICKS THAT DARE TO EVEN LAY CLAIM TO YOUR DOMAIN. CRUSH THEM. KILL THEM. SLAUGHTER THEM. SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!"
Then she turned towards the dust could. With a face full of determination, she towards battle as well.
"ENCIRCLE THEM AND COLLAPSE! COLLAPSE! COLLAPSE ON THE IDIOTIC TREE DWELLERS! SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE NOT COWARDS!" the ancient snail shouted as she rushed into the battle.
"CLOSE IN FROM BEHIND COLLAPSE THE CIRCLE! WIDDLE THOSE BRAZEN BASTARDS DOWN INTO NOTHINGNESS!"
And then all hell broke loose once more.
Roaring the leaders that surrounded her began to echo her orders out as well.
"ATTACK! ATTACK! CRUSH THE ENEMIES! CRUSH THEM FROM ALL SIDES" they hollered. The eagerness and cries for battle spread through the crowds of meadow-dwellers like a tsunami.
...