Chrysalis

"Was it really necessary to construct a council meeting chamber? We hardly ever have a meeting…"

It's quite nice too. They even have what appear to be ant specific chairs. They look like a padded bench in three sections, one for each of our body segments, joined together at the right angle for us to rest on them. Interestingly, this means that there's a specific chair for each of us due to the polymorphic nature of our colony. One size doesn't fit all when it comes to us. The chairs are arranged in a wide circle with a low round table carved from pure rock in the centre. Atop the table sits a flattened map of the dungeon engraved on the surface in perfect detail.

"I can't help but feel like this is more effort than was needed."

Since we entered from the roof, the walls are free from openings and host an incredible panoramic carving of the twenty, with myself featuring prominently, because of course. It's nice to see Grant is also given pride of place, her sacrifice remembered with a wonderful mural of her service to our family. Her death still weighs on me heavily, perhaps that's a large part of why I needed to get away from the colony after the battle. Don't worry Grant, I won't run away anymore…

"It's fine, isn't it Eldest? These meetings are usually important, right? Seems like we should hold them in an important looking place," Wills gives her thoughts.

"I can see what the Eldest is saying," Tungstant muses, "this space is close to the centre of the nest and could have been used for all sorts of things."

"Right? We can hold these meetings in any tunnel, no need to get fancy," I press.

"Well, I think it's nice," says Antionette as she settles onto her chair. "We need to be worthy of the space our family has prepared for us."

That's a good sentiment. A little hesitant, I crawl over my own seat and gradually lower myself down into it, allowing my not insignificant weight to fall on it. It's surprisingly comfy, allowing my legs to just hang loose, without any need to support the rest of me.

"I think it's important that we clearly assess our current situation," Victor leads off, "what are our threats? Where is the enemy?"

"It may be more valuable to understand where the colony stands as a whole, as opposed to focusing on our foes," Sloan disagrees.

start with," I say, "There's so much happening right now that I don't know about. The development of our knowledge, techniques and craftsmanship is way beyond what I expected at

members shifts and wiggles their antennae with glee, pleased

"we tried to draw every ounce of information from the humans that we could and adapt it to our

gesture to the walls with one antenna, "not exactly the sort

rest of the council shift slightly to take in the walls a little

be honest, most of us didn't really see the point of

group of carvers who decided to pick it up in earnest," Tungstant

idea why?" I'm

to one degree or another. Once the bar for aesthetics had been set, we were determined that it would uniform.

I'm uncomfortable with having so many images

What's the 'record'," Coolant

a written record

"Ooh" they chorus.

do that," Mendant

all down later and we can publish it in one of the central tunnels. That way anyone can read it," Bella

the heck is going on with the

air. "You all talk too much! So, after you left we took a whole bunch of new territory and expanse', you can see them here, here and over there." She raises up a leg to point at the map. "We got a whole bunch

"Wait, what?!" I shout.

The signs are there, at least. Shaped passages, footprints, noises… So,

to