Chrysalis

THWACK!

HIYA!

SNAP!

The moment I entered the Queen’s chamber, a powerful antennae came flying at my head. This time though, I was prepared, I’d thought ahead, inspired by Morrelia’s thoughtfulness I had anticipated how my reception would begin.

Thus it was that I stood upside at the entrance, clinging to the roof with one of my mother’s antennae clasped between my own. Sword catching is for fools, antennae catching is a whole new level.

"Hold on a second, mother! It isn’t like you to be hasty!" I appealed.

The Queen’s eyes lay on me like a weight, peaceful, serene, but heavy.

"I see you have brought a gift for me child" she replied evenly.

I tried to shrug my antennae whilst still gripping hers and largely failed. I wouldn’t weaken my hold just yet, in case she felt I was being particularly foolish.

"Oh this old thing?" I deflected, "there are so many of them up on the surface that I’m starting to think they don’t hold any value at all. Why, I almost feel bad giving you something of such low rarity."

"In that case" mother answered, amusement rippling through her voice, "perhaps it would be best if you kept it for yourself."

Dang it! Operation downplay the core was a failure.

"Is this the kind of welcome you give to your child who was away from home, slaving away as a scout in dangerous territories for the colony?" I try a different tack and divert the conversation.

I may have struck a chord with mother on that one, since she retracts her antennae from my grip before she responds.

"Welcome home child. I am, of course, very pleased to see you, even if I am concerned at what mischief you might have caused whilst you were away."

Oh, she’s definitely amused now. I reply whilst climbing down the wall to the chamber floor, hoping to put myself on more solid ground.

"You wound me, mother" I say reproachfully even as I sweat inside.

isn’t my fault this time! I may have caused Garralosh and company to come down this was

seizing monsters the moment they spawn from the walls, subduing

that came up whilst I was away. Nothing we can’t handle..." I

waggled

had assumed as much the moment you walked out

Ouch.

haven’t seen her about?" I wondered, trying to

bait. Her

be at risk here in my chamber, she is currently positioned with the

see your pet has

It’s nice to have someone be your devoted companion. I only had to think of the ever loyal Crinis resting on my back to remind myself of the security a devoted pet brought to the

she’ll be able to add her own eggs to the brood chambers"

nodded happily, "it will be so

work I’ve done, it’s time to bring her attention back to

"So about this core..."

THWACK!

Ouch!

on my head. Even with all of my upgrades, that still

make use of this

but held my

you I will obtain more of these cores for myself before I need it, but right now there is nobody in the colony who can make use of this core as much as

The Queen wasn’t convinced.

I am the only Queen in this colony right now, but there are two others who

humble or if she just genuinely doesn’t understand what it would mean for the colony if she were lost. In truth, I suspect

disagree and I’m not going to

fight. There is no other ant in this colony who is close to matching me. What we need isn’t more battle potential, we need the strongest Queen possible to act as our beacon of hope, our bastion of strength and

to go along with my idea. Why is it so

suspect that you will be again. In truth, giving you this core will increase our fighting potential the most, as well as increase the future growth prospects of the colony. You have to accept it. Even if all it does

ran out, for the first time I noticed that not only was the Queen watching me in her

one of them

would be a boon to the colony" another

a third chipped in,