Now Arc had a means to directly influence the minions. The first thing he wanted to make was a patrol through the second layer to intercept potential intruders.

He started by marking a suitable path. The symbol Arc devised for 'patrol' was made by overlapping two curves and a horizontal line, like this: ')('. He then made 'points' along the tunnels by writing that symbol, a route identification number, and a '»' symbol showing the direction of travel into a box on the floor. (A good coat of mucus varnish sufficed to keep it from being rubbed off by accident.)

Arc made two patrol routes for now, one passing by each end of the tunnel Kat's shrine was in. Next was the task of getting minions to actually patrol them.

The minions had seemed receptive to following stuff on sticks, so Arc decided to try making war banners. Two long and thin fungal rods lashed together and one large tanned rat hide (with instructions written on the back) did the trick well enough. Or not... Arc's minion instincts told him it was still missing something.

But for the first time, Arc had someone to consult with. He called in his patsy, Scrooge. Thankfully Scrooge had some experience in leading minions and was thus able to partially understand what Arc was trying to do. He helpfully suggested asking the 'prayhed' to 'blessify' it.

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Rocky was much more comprehending. In fact, he was much more comprehensible as well, apparently making the attempt to match Arc's syntax when speaking to him. Had Rocky's intelligence increased recently? Arc reflected that he might not make for a bad conversational partner, so long as the topic of religion was avoided.

Rocky listened patiently to Arc, examined his prototype, and asked what the instructions written on the back meant. After considering for a while, he sent some minion acolytes away to gather a few things, a pulled a small rat out of a cage. Its squealing was suddenly silenced; its blood used to make paint.

Arc's writing was compact, so there was plenty of space left over on the back of the banner. Rocky made several pictograms on the back, the largest featuring the number of minions Arc had written moving in file and attacking a giant. When the acolytes returned bearing trinkets such as pretty rocks, dried fungi, and rat skulls, bones, and claws, these were added as well.

Rocky declared the banner done, and handed it to an acolyte. He gave a short benediction that basically amounted to "let fate guide your way", and sent the minion out the door. Arc stayed just long enough to start construction of the second banner before returning to the shrine.