Chrysalis

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Dammit, Vibrant! NO! It's going to take us a while to get there, okay?! We're moving as fast as we can already. We can't go any faster than this. Just think of something else to talk about!"

A moment of blessed, blessed silence descends amongst our group as we run through the tunnels. My pets and I are all here, along with Vibrant and her whole posse, several hundred ants at this point, as well as my twenty 'shadow helpers.' This is the advance group of powerful troops that I've chosen to take on a push further into the depths of the Dungeon. A special mission, in a sense. If the warning given to me by Corun and Torrina is true, then there's likely to be more settlements, cities, probably larger ones than Rylleh, below us. My suspicion is that the next closest path of attack is likely to be from deeper in the third strata or perhaps even in the fourth. The Colony needs to get its eyes as deep as possible and we will be the vanguard of that.

I still feel a little useless. Although I think this work is necessary and that we're the best group in the Colony for the job, I have to say that the real work, of building the nests, rearing the young, developing the culture and taming new territory, you know, actually constructing the kingdom of the Colony, is being left for the others. We’re just off to fight and snoop around. It kind of fees strange to consider my family as now large enough, and powerful enough, to be taking territory and building something that is closer to a nation than a family. But hey, hard to keep a good ant down. Can't really fault them for being the industrious, powerful and all around awesome collective of kick-ass insects. They gonna do what they gonna do.

As the Eldest, it's my duty to oversee and support them as they grow! Not to inhibit their dreams and desires!

"Are we there yet?"

Vibrant! Aren't you evolved now? All grown? You're a leader, you have your squad that follows you around and all that? You have a position on the council!

I've always been like this! Why? Do you think there's some reason for me to change? I've just kept on doing things the way I've always done them! It's been working

Somehow I'm doubting that. I take a moment to have a look at the group of ants that is dutifully following along in their

my words before catching herself and checking to make sure Vibrant hasn't noticed. Vibrant, of course, hasn't, as she's too busy nattering on and flicking her antennae in every direction as new scents make themselves known to her. Sigh. I honestly thought she'd grown past this stage. Perhaps all the organs and mutations she has that emphasise speed are just making her experience moments of relatively normal movement as painfully slow? I

you been doing lately? I can see that your group has grown in size again. How do you recruit members, anyway? They just show up out of the

the first strata is blue! Do you mean they come from the first strata? I suppose so since that's where we're all raised. Not me though! I spent a lot of time on the surface when I was a hatchling, didn't I? I mean, I don't need

"I do."

This is exhausting.

it's just a saying that refers to… never mind.

they can join the group and I always say yes, because, why not? We're ants, after all! We're happier and more

humans who didn't necessarily enjoy the company of other people. I mean, as a human I frequently tried to get people to enjoy my company, but I don't think I could say I was successful. I mean, my parents certainly didn't like spending time with me, given the whole abandonment thing. I guess not all humans enjoy company? Personally, the ant vibe is good, now that I'm more accustomed to it. The more of my siblings there are, the

you don't have any criteria or

"Yep-yep!"

my attention toward the smaller ant I noticed behind us and she tenses immediately,

tell me, what made

To my knowledge, another champion is yet to be born in the Colony, but it's only a matter of time. The more we understand them and the way they work,

considers my question seriously for a

that aiding and assisting Vibrant would be the best outcome for the Colony and for myself. I believe I made the