Chrysalis

Is this some form of ritual suicide now?! Offering oneself up as Biomass for monsters? Or have the people decided to cast off their elderly as a sacrifice to appease the mighty ant kingdom? The older people are the most scrawny among you! If you want to offer Biomass then at least throw in some fatties!

Wait! What am I thinking...

Seeing some workers descending towards this person, ready to defend the hill, I rush down to head them off. There is something about this old woman that’s making my antennae twitch. The way she has approached, so deliberately and with her hands in the air. It’s clear that she came here to find the colony, otherwise she would have run away at the first sign of us, surely? Raising her hands in the air is the classic sign of intending no harm, though how she expects a colony of monsters to know that is beyond me.

So the question remains, what does this human want to find and approach us for? Try as I might I can’t come up with anything at all.

As she sees me approach and warn away the approaching workers she breathes a sigh of relief and her manner becomes a little excited. She was looking for me? Does she recognise me? Perhaps she saw me in the church... I don’t remember her being there but I didn’t spend a whole lot of time taking in the crowd.

Her face does seem vaguely familiar though...

When I draw near and stop the old woman also ceases her steps but keeps her hands in the air.

I stand still and watch patiently.

Taking a deep breath the lady seems to settle her nerves before she squares up to me and then ... begins speaking.

....

.......

I can’t understand you lady! Can’t you use mind magic or something!?

For several minutes the lady attempts to speak to me, earnestly pleading about something, gesturing passionately with her hands, pointing at the colony, pointing back towards the town.

...

a colony of monsters?! As in, just talk with your mouth?! Internally I’m shaking my head at this crazy behaviour. If I wasn’t a reborn human this lady would have been ripped to shreds and eaten

way to

the old woman with my sudden movement such that she leaps back in fear, once again thrusting her hands

...

to eat you!

my antennae to tap the back of my carapace. She seems confused at first so I repeat the gesture. The light understanding dawns on her face and she resolutely places her hands in front of her and waves them back and

really have any options here

the old woman with my antennae and then pat my back. When she

picture this time. I’ll keep going until

for Crinis to grab and shift the little blob up to my head next to Vibrant, who chitters at my pet, unhappy with her space being cramped. Crinis simply waves a few tentacles around

secured I head over to the ant hill, climb up the side and then descend into the main shaft. Worried that the old woman will fall as we start our vertical journey I make sure to tilt my body as much as possible and extend an antennae for her to grip, two courtesies

near the entrance to my chamber and prod the human until she climbs off and then I follow in

to how this is going

inside she goes completely still with shock seemingly not believing the evidence of her own eyes. It’s a fair response really, you

womans’ hands between her own. Having her hands gripped by her own Queen seems to overwhelm my new guest and she falls to her knees and lower hers head in respect

respected as she claims? Or maybe people just fear royalty in general in this socially

to get the Queens attention I point to the old woman’s head and then at my own, repeating the gesture a few times until the Queen manages to take my

to connect this person and me with mind

to say she understands but then shakes her

What the heck....

for a minute before I feel the familiar and crude touch of her

is ten times as hard as connecting oneself. If you like, I can speak to this citizen myself and then communicate

least I’ll get the message but I’m a little cautious the Queen might omit

translate in real time. If I believe information has been kept

demand. [I am not used to