Chrysalis

Despite receiving the justice of my mother, I stoically endured her disapproving gaze for as long as I could manage in order to tickle grubs. Their joyful wiggles warmed my heart even as I quailed inside, anticipating another THWACK at any moment. In the end, I could only hold out for ten minutes before I slunk from the chamber, only to find myself in even more sacred territory, the egg laying room!

Victoriant and Antionette look up at me in surprise as I crawl down through a gap in the ceiling.

"Eldest! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know me. Just checking in on everyone and seeing how things are going."

"He's avoiding work," the Queen calls out as she enters the chamber after me.

The two younger Queens give each other a brief look.

"The Eldest? Avoiding work? Surely you jest Mother!"

"Such a thing is impossible!"

The two of them laugh together and I hasten to cut Mother off before she can destroy my reputation. What can I use to distract her?!

"Ah! Is that Aphy the aphid Queen I see? She's gotten big!"

It's true, in one corner of the egg laying chamber, a much larger than before aphid Queen is nibbling on some Biomass next to her own little pile of eggs, looking very pleased with herself.

"Yes, she evolved not that long ago," the Queen can't help but rush over to dote on her pet with pats and scritches. "I wasn't sure about bringing her down to this Strata, but in the end I felt a lot more comfortable when she's somewhere I can keep an eye on her. You do like to get up to mischief, don't you Aphy?"

"Chirrup!"

noise of delight as it leans

take care of the aphid young as well?"

as well as the hatchlings do, and each aphid will pay

is going well in the marsh

affection towards her

FOUR!?

when did we own that much territory?” I

all fired up every time they found a new expanse. I think they sent a thousand Soldiers into the Red Woods

A thousand?! But why?!

same," Victoriant confirms, "I think

they really were

members of the Colony are there, right now?" I ask. "The number can't be that

a moment of reflective silence as the

me. "I haven't been keeping count…

they've no idea. I can get a rough sense

the nest, someone must be

it off any longer. I limber

child?" The Queen asks, barely concealed

The work never

terrible thought," she muses before

firm! Alright then, time to head over to the core shapers, then I'll check in with the mages and teach them a few things. I

making all these carvings of me as well.

I need a mental break. Full of determination, I follow the scent trails to the core shaper workshop and find both Bella and Ellie hard at work. It takes a few hours but I'm able to demonstrate the new techniques I've learned and share all