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.

...

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 without getting her message across at

a way

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

...

going to eat

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

have

I poke the old woman with my antennae and then pat my back. When she doesn’t

time. I’ll keep going until she cooperates! So she may as

in fright when I lower my body down so she can climb on. At the last moment I remember to extend an antennae back for Crinis to grab and shift the little blob up to my head next to Vibrant, who chitters at

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

stop near the entrance to my chamber and prod the human until

as to how this

completely still with shock seemingly not believing the evidence of her own eyes. It’s a fair response really, you wouldn’t expect to find your Queen inside a giant

speaks hesitantly and reaches out with a trembling hand towards my prisoner who speaks warmly to our new guest and clasps the old 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

claims? Or maybe people just fear royalty in general in this

head to get the Queens attention I point to the old woman’s head and then at my own, repeating

person and me with mind magic so we can

to say she understands but then shakes her

What the heck....

before I feel the familiar and crude touch of her mind

way. Connecting others is ten times as hard as connecting oneself. If you like, I can speak to

ponder this. At least I’ll get the message but I’m a little cautious the Queen might omit some details. Trust between human and monster

and translate in real time. If I believe

Queen looks somewhat angered by my demand. [I am not used to having my honour questioned in this