Chrysalis

We lay low in the Dungeon for hours. The dirt and stone that surrounded us meant that we heard nothing of our pursuers, even if they passed within ten metres of us. The constant warfare amongst the regular monsters remained constant, as it always way when they weren't brainwashed by some fat ass Croc.

Haaa. I really need to get back to the colony, all of this stress is giving me a potty mouth. Some down time might be nice.

[We need to get back to the village] Morrelia sent over our mental connection, catching me by surprise.

She'd been brooding and punching the walls in fits of anger during our stay here. I could tell she wasn't too pleased by what I'd had to say, who even knew if it was the truth. To me, it didn't really matter why an empire of elderly lizards was unleashing a Dungeon monster on their weaker neighbours, what mattered is that they had, and how we were going to cope with it.

[If we rush back to the colony, won't we just lead them straight there?] I protested.

Leading the horde and Garralosh down onto my family was not my idea of being a filial worker. I could already see the twenty, rolling their antennae with frustration at this new mess that I'd caused them whilst refusing to say anything about to me because I was technically the eldest.

[We aren't dealing with back kingdom hedge wizards now, Anthony] Morrelia growled at me. She was angry, frustrated, and it was making her a bit short. [They'll have scried out the entire south by now, since they know which direction we came from. Maybe they had done that even before we poked the hive with a stick. Point is, they will know about the village and the colony. They aren't going to leave them be.]

Gawd.

[A tiny little village and colony of harmless ants? Why would go to all that I effort?] I muttered.

Morrelia snorted at my use of the word 'harmless', I don't think she's buying just how innocent and loveable we are. Or perhaps she knows what we might be capable of…

[They came here to eradicate the people, I don't think they'll leave before the job is done. Besides] she added, [I don't think they'll want you or I to survive, given what we've seen.]

Makes sense. It doesn't really mean much if you have raised a secret weapon that nobody knows you can control, if someone has seen you controlling it.

Dammit!

outside of fleeing through the Dungeon, is to rally

repellent to her. Hey! I didn't actually consider doing it! As if I would leave the colony alone to

flee, they'll hunt us down eventually. I don't know a way that we

wilderness would put the colony at risk at just the moment we were beginning to explode in our potential. If we'd had an extra month then I wouldn't nearly be this worried, the number of ants

was we just didn't have the

the road to becoming proper warriors, but they weren't there

to get the heck out of here and

asked, her eyes

my strong point. I was thinking we could just bust out the way we came in and hightail it south. It's not subtle but it gets us there as quickly as

me for a moment before she threw back

accept monsters in the ranks] she chuckled,

not directly of course, but always mentioning it here and there. I know her father is a massive big shot with them, but what about Morrelia? She's

[So…] I began.

brother died

…

don't even have facial muscles on the outside! Still, what she'd

[How …] I began.

did not take it

the Berserkers case I wasn't going to get

break through the

most likely the horde will have returned to Garralosh' side. They can't have their monsters rushing around in the Dungeon forever, no matter that they can replenish their stock during the wave. Let's go with