Chrysalis

"THE SEARCH GOES ON, SISTERS!"

"WE SEEK!"

"Oh no you don't! Retreat now! That's an order!"

Brendant waved her antennae threateningly at the 'Immortals' and their reckless leader.

"Leeroy! Get your metal covered carapace back to the gate! The enemy has pulled back and so are you!"

It was never a good idea to give the misguided armoured soldier a chance to 'misinterpret' her orders. Brendant watched like a hawk as the heavy assault ants begrudgingly turned themselves around, putting their backs to the retreating enemy and dragging themselves back to the gate. Healers swarmed over the ants already, tending to the numerous, near fatal wounds that covered them.

Even from where she stood, Brendant could hear the medics taunting the survivors.

"Ooo. That's a rough wound, nearly enough to kill you, wasn't it? Good thing you survived!"

"Just a few centimetres to the left and you'd have been done. Look at the scoring in the carapace next to your eye! Punched right through the armour it did. Not a problem though, you'll be back to full health in just a few hours."

The healers continued to bait and mock their charges all the way back to the gates where the immortals moved toward the foundries established just inside where their armour could undergo an emergency refit. No doubt Smithant was already bashing the exhausted soldiers over the head with her hammer, lamenting the damage done to her precious armour. The moniker 'immortals' had run amazingly true over the duration of the siege, only a single member had perished in the fighting so far. The others had been unsure whether to curse or praise their sister for her misfortune, but they had gathered for a solemn vigil as the soldier had been peeled from her armour and laid to rest.

Though the tunnel before the gate was now almost totally bare, still, the council member did not turn back. There was still one more warrior of the Colony yet to return.

"How is she?" the soldier asked one of the nearby mages.

drew deep, measured breaths. Each exhalation sounded like a gale and blew dust and earth into a small whirlwind in front of the

back to herself more slowly after each battle. We are growing concerned for her

for her state of mind. A team of ants combed over her frame, cleaning and soothing her as she slowly reclaimed her sense of self from the fury

next two.

mage twitched

the mage hesitated, "and I believe that part of her yearns

her back into a state she once rejected fighting on our behalf. Be sure

of a tier six behemoth like Sarah, though they did have the Eldest, they would have to

place in the field hospital as the many wounded were tended to. The most grievously injured would be shifted to

goes it?" came a scent from the

It goes as it goes,

Still, they were holding, which was all they needed to do. So far the foe had managed to reach the gate twice and inflict significant damage to the metal before they had been pushed back. Eventually they would smash through and the

defence without the help of Sarah. She needs

scout hesitated for a

to make things … more

may finally be time to commit the humans to

too well with the people themselves. The general feeling amongst the ants was that they should be responsible for defending their own nest and didn't want to depend on assistance from others. The mayor Enid had rightly pointed out that the Colony had helped defend the human

scouts haven't managed to break through to the satellite nests. We'll keep trying, but it looks as though

out was something beyond the ant's understanding. There was still so much they had to learn before they could compete on equal footing with

what they could depend on for now, it was their only

voice broke into

[Friend Jim?] Brendant asked.