Chrysalis

The hammer of anvils and the searing heat of metal surrounded Smithant on all sides and she couldn't be happier.

"How do I manage this part?" another carver scuttled up to her and asked.

"Ah, the folding? It's like this… " she explained the process with care and demonstrated some of the techniques on her own workbench as the other ant watched with laser-like focus.

"I understand," the carver nodded, "I'll make an attempt and return to see what you think."

So saying the ant ran off to her own workspace and soon another anvil was ringing in chorus along with the others. It felt so nice to have helpers! It was only weeks ago when she was labouring on these projects by herself! Only weeks? It seemed like a lifetime ago. After breaking through with her Skills and forging the first suit of enchanted ant armour for Leeroy, she'd managed to receive the blessing of the Eldest and, suffice to say, the word of the most important ant in the Colony went a long way toward getting approval.

With more resources at her disposal, and the help to make use of them, the armour workshop of the Colony was now a small thriving community of armoursmiths, dedicated to their profession with the sort of unflinching fanaticism that came so naturally to the ants.

Filled with pleasant feelings and eager to return to her own work, Smithant was more than a little irritated to hear a clamour and rush and a horde of ants descended into the workshop, taking up space and hauling what appeared to be heavy sacks filled with the unmistakable tinkle of metal on metal. At least they were interrupting her for something worthwhile, she grumbled. As long as there was metal involved, she was interested.

"What has got you lot so riled up?" she demanded as the cavalcade of ants flooded into her workspace, covering every inch of the walls and ceiling, taking up defensive positions.

scent, "the generals are a little nervous about this stuff and wanted

"Tungstant?"

poking and prodding at the bags on the ground with her front legs. It was quite rare for the council members

working on the defences of

council member shook her antennae and kept prodding at

of this stuff, obviously. I've been told what we have here, but I haven't actually seen it. Come on over here and let's have a look, I'm so curious to

having so many of her siblings crowded into her private work area.

possible that scouts and miners had

angled lumps hidden with the bags. Where the heck did the Colony even get bags from anyway? Tungstant noticed her

help carry stuff. One ant, even a carver, can carry a heck of a lot in two bags slung over the carapace. Now help me get these

to recognise the bottom of the unfamiliar container and upend it to send the precious contents tumbling out onto the floor. The moment the gleaming plates of enchantment encrusted armour hit the floor, something magical happened, something remarkable, unexplainable and unfathomable. It

she

"What… what have you…"

an almost tender softness as her mandibles clacked together rhythmically. If she noticed this strange behaviour, Tungstant didn't seem to pay it any mind. Indeed, she'd been

mages have swept over and analysed them to