Chrysalis

The Legion advances to where I lie convalescent, still recovering from my grievous injuries. The only blessing I can see is that the one man army who cut through half of the gate is no longer in the frontlines, replaced by a wall of armoured bodies that hold their weapons and shields with perfect discipline. Once Crinis has pulled me clear, the Colony continues their barrage and a horde of my siblings sally forth from the gate to surround me.

"Get me back behind the gate," I squeeze out, "we didn't plan to take a stand here."

The ants around me don't respond at all and I wonder if they smelled what I had to say at all.

"H-hello? You need to either move me behind the gate or leave me here. What the heck are you doing?"

"Eldest, I mean this with all my respect, but please shut your pheromone hole. We're trying to heal you and you need to stop moving."

Who was that?! Mendant?! Where the heck do you get the nerve to speak to me like that?! The healer looks completely unperturbed, as if an enemy army wasn't closing on her position with each passing moment. Are these ants crazy or what? We can't fight here, we'll get slaughtered! If I can't be moved, then just retreat to safety, I'll fight my way out! This won't be the last you see of me! Before I get the chance to insist, the ants have already formed ranks around me, hundreds turning into thousands in mere seconds. I quickly realise that they aren't going to give me up.

[Crinis! Can you move me again? Through the shadows?]

[I can't master, I'm sorry. It took almost all of my shadow mana to get you this far,] she sounds panicked.

[It's going to be fine,] I reassure her, [my face is almost back together, see? I'll be in biting shape again in no time.]

her twisting herself into mind bending, non-Euclidian shapes that I'm certain are formed of more dimensions than there should be in

onto Tiny. I get the feeling there's going to be a scrap in here

humans have marched forth from the gate to squeeze in amongst the much larger bodies of the soldiers and scouts in the front ranks between me and the Legion. The priest himself has a short spear gripped in his one good hand which he waves back and forth with frantic energy as he bellows words

reach. Even I can feel it, giving strength to the limbs I still possess and filling my heart with courage. It doesn't help that the Vestibule continues to whisper of the ant's desire for battle, to make the enemy pay for the

think that will go

be moved yet?" I whine to

antennae twitch and I swear by my Mother that she

right now. No, you can't be moved," she tells me as she continues

This is going

as the Colony and its allies press forward to allow more room between the fighting and me. Are you kidding me?! The battle right in front of the gates and I'm not even going to be able to participate?! This must be some sort of joke. I'm tempted to ask if I can move yet but

the Colony,] I ask her,

heavily injured, Master. You need me

you to protect my family more. Go on, Crinis. Do this

of immitigable darkness shudders once before lashing out with tentacles that drag her deep into the shadows of the tunnel roof. Before long she has vanished from sight as she slithers closer to the enemy. All I can do now is lie still and wait for the healing to complete as the sounds and vibrations of battle rise to a fever pitch moments before the two armies crash. Even now reinforcements pour out from behind the gate, piling up on

talking (with the exception of Beyn), the ants communicating in perfect silence whilst the Legion are too disciplined for random noise, yet the sound is still deafening. The clash of steel on carapace,

"FOR THE COLONY!"