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.

time! I may have caused Garralosh and company to come down

loomed above, still so much larger than myself. Her chamber still rests under the surface level, within the Dungeon, which necessitates her guard to be constantly on-alert, seizing monsters the moment they spawn from the walls, subduing them and more often than not bringing them to the Queen to kill, feeding experience and

things that came up whilst I was away. Nothing

waggled with frustrated

much the moment you walked

Ouch.

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

only too happy to take the bait. Her

Aphy would be at risk here in my chamber, she is currently positioned with the brood under the watchful

see your pet has brought

It’s nice to have someone be your devoted companion. I only had to think

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

"it will be

I’ve reminded her of all the good work I’ve done, it’s time

"So about this core..."

THWACK!

Ouch!

antennae descended on my head. Even with all

to make use of this

but held my

to need another for a long time. I promise you I will obtain more of these cores for myself before I need it, but right now there is nobody in

The Queen wasn’t convinced.

survival, they will need to be as strong as possible. I am the only Queen in

lost. In truth, I suspect that

and I’m not going to back down this

I will stand forward and fight. There is no other ant in this colony who is close to matching me. What we

to go along with my idea. Why is it so hard to convince this particular

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 is relieve the nerves of the workers, none of us want to lose you and it will give us comfort to see you

that not only was the Queen watching me in her careful way, but so where her guards, all of them facing me

right, Mother" one of

a boon to the

third chipped in, standing directly