With my elites all standing before me, I finally felt like I was home. Shemira was the first to speak. "Welcome home! Have you comforted your mate enough to finally give us the time we want?"
"She's been given an opportunity to rest for the rest of the day," I replied. "I don't mind giving her an occasional opportunity to stop taking care of the greater majority of the minutia involved in running a country and establishing an Empire. Regardless, it's my time to speak with all of you, as I've been told there are needs that require my attention. First, you, Shemira, speak."
"As you command, Zaaktif. The Kha have generally become more obedient and pliable. However, they struggle to live in this confined space without constantly injuring each other."
"And that's a problem?" I asked.
"In general, no. I wanted your input before I made any decision. If the Kha and Khatif wish to throw themselves at each other until the hierarchy is fully established, let it happen. The issue is what I can foresee. If they're constantly vying for position, then they'll be unwilling to obey in times of combat while these hierarchies are in a flux. With the war, the Kha and Khatif need to be entirely obedient. There cannot be unrest as the battles begin, however unlikely that may be."
I flared my frills, and my immediate reaction was to say that it wasn't a worry, given that the war wasn't going to start back up until the next winter, but there needed to be some measure of order to the opportunities presented to challenge superiors. Otherwise, with all of the hatchlings that I was planning to add to my armies, there would be no order to be found when the war began, because very few would be willing to accept leadership as they were in their most impetuous and impulsive ages. Another option would be to take that path of advancement from my people, but I'd never so cheapen my people's instincts.
"We have time to sort this out, but what have you found as possible solutions thus far, and what is your plan to keep this from happening moving forward?"
"The current plan is to set aside several days every season to allow for the ambitious and confident to approach their betters and fight for the position of leadership." Shemira replied without delay.
"Not several days." I interjected. "A single day. If they can't make it work on that day, they can wait until the next. Any of my people incapable of making the time to issue the challenge or waiting for the next opportunity to do so don't deserve leadership anyways. I wasn't the only Alpha in my brood, then I wasn't the only Alpha in the swarm, and I didn't challenge Redael, he challenged me. Patience to strike when opportune it necessary, as you yourself know, Shemira." She ducked her head in acknowledgement of the playful jab. "There's a single day per season, once in the winter, once in the spring, once in the fall, and once in the summer, four times in a year, and if they cannot find an opportunity to challenge their superiors in that time, then they will not lead."
"As you command, Zaaktif." She bowed and stepped back, allowing the next to speak.
I shifted my gaze away from Shemira after she acknowledged my words, looking to the next of my people who wanted my assurances. After looking between themselves, Took strode forward. "The hunters will need to know what it is that they should hunt. I've heard that there will be ants that we should and others that we shouldn't dispose of, and to do so, the hunters need to know the difference. Also, with the thickfeathers return to the south, the wyrms will be more active once again. What little we know about the Misti Hawar leads us to the knowledge that they revere the shadow beasts. Shall we leave off hunting them while the Misti Hawar are giving us this time to rest? Or have we already offended them so completely that they'll refuse to give us any chance to rest?"
"If our captives are to be believed, then the Misti Hawar will withdraw completely in the next month. I don't want to give them any additional willingness to leave off of their plans to give us more time to gather ourselves and our forces. If they see us hunt one of the shadow wyrms they'll be absolutely positive that we are more of a threat than they already think we are. Their arrogance and underestimation of us is our greatest tool right now. Leave the wyrms alone, only drive them off if necessary."
"Yes, Zaaktif. I will make the command." Took bowed low, her massive frame filling the space nearly as much as Brutus's. Then, once she was out of the room, she let out a loud, high-pitched squeal that was as near to a whistle as the Saharliard capable of. I flicked my tail and turned my attention to the rest. After several seconds, Percral strode forward. He bowed his head before saying, "The military needs to be more organized."
"Does this relate to what Shamira was asking? I need more detail." I clarified.
"No, I would call them entirely unrelated. As it is now, every single one of the inhabitants of the Empire are willing to be—or will be easily forced—under the control of the military during times of war. If that is going to be the case, there needs to be a better support structure, built around organizing those who do not regularly patrol with the army or militia, but instead are focused on the other aspects of the establishment of your Empire."
I flared my frills several times in response, pondering over the answer to that question. "It's not a bad point. Different from what we've seen of the other races, every single one of you Nievtala's chosen is willing to march into battle when called on. Even so, in order for an Empire to exist, there must be more than soldiers."
With an idle finger, I picked between my teeth, a small piece of chitin stuck there. With another moment's thought, I asked, "Doesn't every organization and group of the Empire already have built-in hierarchies and sections of leadership?"
"Yes, the voice of my Goddess." Shraal answered with a deep bow. "Nievtala has demanded our utmost devotion to order, under her, under you. The Unbroken Blade has worked tirelessly to ensure that every walk of life understands their place."
"Then we have our answer. In war, fighting is but a small part of what is necessary to succeed. Foire and Silf will have their Sik'Tal carrying messages across the battlefield, Sybil will have her assistants coordinating every part of the information sector, and Ytte will be the main point of contact for all of the Kha'Tal. If, in combat, those who are not members of the army or the militia are needed, they will be under the command of those whose caste and calling is leadership and warfare. Otherwise, they will continue to follow their own command structure. I trust those who are the leaders to be able to lead their people better than those of other casts, unfamiliar with the processes of their fellows."
Percral flared his frills as he bowed, turning on his heel to go out to begin preparing the various members of the leadership within the army to know how best to coordinate with the eager, if less trained, members of other casts.
I turned my attention to Ytte and Shraal, the ones whose concerns I was currently most interested in. "Tell me. Why are we all here?"
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