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.

...

colony of monsters?! As in, just talk with your mouth?! Internally I’m shaking my head at this

a way to get

movement such that

...

to eat

use 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 forth.

really have any options

my antennae and then pat my back. When she doesn’t immediately move I repeat the gesture even

until she cooperates! So she may as well just

my side and starts 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 my pet, unhappy with her space being cramped.

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 I had neglected to offer

the human until she climbs off and then I follow

to how this is going to

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

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 lower hers head in respect before the protesting

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

antennae above my head 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

this person and me with mind

say she understands but then shakes her

What the heck....

the familiar and crude

two individuals in this way. Connecting others is ten times as hard as connecting oneself. If you like, I

the Queen might omit some details. Trust between human and

her speak her story to me and translate in real time. If I believe information has

not used to having my honour questioned in this