Chapter 30: March

I took the lead on our march to the unknown. behind me are the Flesh Spawn rattlings, the five big one behind me and the twenty one behind the five. The haven't had the time to test themselves and they are eager for it, I too was curious on their approach on combat. The difficulty of teaching them tactics and strategies was a big question, they follow simple orders on command but will they be able to follow instructions on the heat of battle. Do I need to instruct them once in their life or every battle? So much questions left unanswered.

I didn't let them pick any skills or abilities for now, they don't have the mana to use it and I wanted to know what would best suit them before hand. I need to know whats options are available for each ability nature, so i could avoid the more useless one without spending my points, this was also a chance to see if everyone got the same options to choose from. So I'll be micromanaging every single points until I got bored.

The stroll through the forest was far safer than before. We have numbers and with that comes safety, I'm not sacred of anything this place has to offer. Unless we came across an army there was not much that was a danger to us.

Since we couldn't have a two way communication making them scout ahead was not really an option, so I did it myself. It will be a good while before we could communicate. The telepathic command was good but it was a one way communication and they had to be on within 20 meters for me to give them the command. It's biggest weakness is without a doubt the fact that they cannot communicate with each other.

I don't know much about rats but the ratlings are not exactly rat. I feel a familiarity with them but if any other rat comes across them, hundred percent they would fight. The only other outcome was one party ran away. They are not really social animal like rats, they are creature born of magic. Aside from me they much prefer to be the only one amongs them, all of them without exception want to be the only one who serve me.

The scouting I was doing wasn't doing us any good. It was a total waste of time so I joined the group and we continued on together. On the way I let them climb trees, pick fruit for me and all other stuff. They seems to be allergic to anything that was not meat despite me being completely fine with consuming meat. They are good climbers too, they could practically ran up a tree.

After many hours of our march we met finally met another animal. It was a lizard, not wanting to scare it off with our numbers, I went alone. The ratlings all looked at me wanting to fight it for me, but I know if i let them do it the lizard was just going to run away.

My part wasn't much I stealth my way as close as possible. It was sunbathing on a rock and when I got close enough I jump on him and drive my claws deep into his hind legs. The jump alerted it but it couldn't react in time, the ratlings were in command range so I ordered all of them to come to me fast.

I have them surround the lizard and let the one of the bigger ones one v one it. The lizard knew it wouldn't be able to escape with the wound I gave him so it squared up for a fight.

Much like I had expected the rat I ordered just ran up to the lizard and bite and scratch with reckless abandon. Here comes the moment of truth, I gave it a second order prioritise dodging over offence.

The rat jumped back, looking at the lizard from a distance. It tries to got close but with the lizard doing everything it can to wided the gap. Too scared to disobey me it was pretty much stunned. I was afraid this would happen, I told it to prioritise dodging and it did but instead of attacking and dodging incomming attacks, it stays at a distance and just watch it form afar, technically not getting hit at all was the best dodging.

I gave more instructions to the rat, now it still fight cautiously not wanting to disobey me, but it was actually fighting it now. I realised my orders were inhibiting it more than helpful. Yet I must continue, to scratch the icth of curiosity.

It continued on for a while, I gave it some freedom on the fight and sometimes take it away. Duck, jump a step back, a step closer and bite it in the head. Now loosen your grip and jump back, mantain the distance and now is your moment, gogogo.

I was controlling it like it was some fighting game. The rat was really enjoying it, far more than giving it vauge and contradictory but strict orders.