Chrysalis

"Hold the line!" Advant flooded the surrounding space with her pheromones.

"FOR THE COLONY!" The ants roared back.

BOOM!

Another explosion rocked the tunnel, sending Colony members sprawling in the dust. Healers rushed forward, antennae darting over the fallen, checking for pheromones indicating injury or distress. The medics had to be careful, too many soldiers were hiding their injuries, or at least refusing to acknowledge them.

Once they'd identified those in need, they pulled them back from the front line and began to administer emergency treatment

"Mages! Return fire!" Advant continued to flood the combat zone with instructions, trying to bring some order to the chaos. "Another acid barrage! Where's my artillery!?"

A team of ants pressed forward, collectively raising their business districts and unleashing a flood of acid at the enemies in the distance. With dust, spells, smoke and the acrid haze of acid filling the tunnel, it was almost impossible to see what was happening in the distance. Advant strained to see, frustrated by her inability to determine the enemy’s movements.

"They're advancing!" Called her spotter.

"Fall back!" she roared, "Give ground, steady pace! Healers to the rear!"

The ants organise themselves instantly, tiny bursts of pheromones flying between them as they communicate rapidly. Every member was constantly aware of where their neighbours were. Compound eyes, antennae firing with the scent messages, the Colony members were in constant communication with each other.

until larger soldiers moved to join them. Their wounded family members clung to their back with mandibles

Advant ordered and the gathered mages got to work

in the air. Great torrents of the stuff, drilling into the ceiling, softening the rock in places, splitting

It was subtle at first, one mage, then another twitched as if poked,

of them announced. "I've lost control

Pull back with

the tunnel continued to groan and shift above their heads. The powerful Soldier was the last to retreat, watchful for any pursuit, but none came. The Stone people had been advancing for a day, frustrating the Colony's attempts to hold them back. Somehow they were even able to overpower the ant mages and prevent them from collapsing the tunnels when they tried it. With their superior command of earth magic, it was even possible that they could drop the tunnel ceilings right on the Colony's

until they reached the next defence point, a joining of three sizeable tunnels to form one major arterial passage. The

and in need of healing, Advant led her group into the

more fighting to do," she warned them, "anyone skipping torpor will be sent straight back to the nest. Maybe you can explain to mother why you thought you knew better than to do as the Colony asked of

few ants got to experience, but all dreaded. Only the Eldest had demonstrated any capacity to withstand

another scent commented, "I might have to try that one on the

The mage looked exhausted, her antennae

on you," Advant observed, "it seems you're in

waved one antennae

I assume you know

"The tunnels not collapsing?"

The smaller ant nodded.

our strategy, but it has exposed a weakness. They are stronger than us when we fight them directly without bringing our advantage in numbers to bear. This goes for the soldiers as well as

not as if we didn't know