Chrysalis

Having to wait for your legs to regrow sucks. Even if it only takes an hour considering all the healing that the Colony, my pets and I can pour into it. I even mutated these legs so that they grow back faster. An ant without legs is like… pretty much anything without its legs. Not particularly mobile. By the time I have my claws back under me enough that I can walk, the battle is over. After a bruising and bloody exchange, the Legion pulled back and gave the Colony the room it needed to make an orderly retreat. Obviously that also included dragging my sorry carapace inside where far too many medics fussed over me whilst others waited for their wounds to be tended.

"I'm fine!" I told them. "Go bother someone else! Look, you can't even see my insides anymore!"

It's true, the muscle has mostly regrown to cover the organs which have been plainly visible not so long ago. The carapace which had been sheared off has also begun to reform at the edges, which is nice to see. Reforging the diamond carapace from nothing can take some time, so it's nice to see it making a swift recovery. Thanks to the Vestibule, I've already been able to unload another full blast from the regeneration gland which, combined with the ministrations of Invidia, have gone a long way to speeding up my recovery. What I've found though, is that coming back from heavy injuries like this has a minimum time frame. No matter how much healing magic and regeneration fluid you pump into yourself, there's a hard cap to how fast my cells will regenerate themselves. Some things just take longer than others, like the carapace for example. With the organs and muscles regrown, the only thing I can do now is wait.

"There are plenty of ants and humans who need caring for, there's nothing else you can do for me now," I assure the fussy healers.

"Are you sure about that Eldest?" Mendant asks. "You aren't exactly… all the way back together."

"I'm sure. Go tend to our new allies. They look like they need some care."

"Are you sure you don't want to just go talk to the prisoner?" The healer asks me, he antennae looming dangerously.

"Not at all!" I protest. "The energy of the healers is a precious resource and I would hate for it to be wasted when it could be better spent elsewhere. Please. Tend to the humans and the ants in need. I will heal given enough time."

humans and other ants in need of care. Despite the Colony going all in to try and protect their human allies, not all of them had made it back, and many were injured. The number of injured and fallen on the part of the Colony numbered in the thousands,

the council member herself moves away, I take it upon myself to mosey over to where the crowd has gathered. I say mosey. My legs aren't fully regrown

well since the battle for some reason and Beyn can't bring himself to talk to her, given that she's a 'heretic betrayer' or some such. Without Enid being here, it's been

long ago. With her helmet off, it's clear to see that she isn't afraid of what may occur here. Whether that's because she doesn't think

by Protectant, I didn't see you in the battle," I say to the empty

brief silence, I get a near undetectable

when there are so many

tap my antennae together

prevent you leaping in front of the strike that nearly killed you, unfortunately. Once the

even then?" I ask,

have reached us, we would have fought them, to the death if

could have been better spent protecting others. Ah well, it's all water under the bridge now I suppose. I push my tired brains to whip up a mind bridge and I extend

with a wave of an antenna,

emotion before she finally smiles, her shoulders

you would say to me when we met again, but I should never have had