Chrysalis

I have seen many things, dear readers, been to many wild wonderful and dangerous places, but even I felt a moment of trepidation as we passed between the legs of a giant carved statue of an ant and the hard stone closed around us. My two guards and I had now left the world of the sun behind us and delved within the nest of the Colony. I have to admit that this is the first time in my long life that I've willingly plunged within a nest of monsters, though my apprehension was somewhat mollified by the smiling guide at my side and the children running before me.

"Was that statue another depiction of the… great one?" I asked my guide, Emilia, mainly to distract from my feelings of discomfort.

The young woman chuckled a little before replying.

"Although there are many, MANY depictions of the Great One, that statue is an exception."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. That was a memorial placed in memory of Grant, one of the first twenty ants of the Colony to be raised by the Great One, and who sacrificed her life against Garralosh, helping to bring about that monster's defeat."

"Sounds like quite a story."

"Yes. I was a young girl then, but I can still remember the sounds of battle from the shelter where the children were kept. When we finally learned that it was over I almost couldn't believe it would be possible, that this beast who had destroyed kingdoms was defeated by these ants."

We fell into silence as we continued to walk, the path sloping downward at a steady pace before it turned to the left and began to spiral. We'd gone down perhaps a hundred metres before the tunnel opened into a wonderfully pleasant welcoming chamber, with human attendants, comfortable chairs, thick woven rugs on the floor and core enchanted lighting along the ceiling.

"This seems… oddly luxurious," I murmured.

own accommodations, they usually don't have rooms of their own but sleep in designated chambers with hundreds of others. When it comes to their guests however, they are

into a brief, whispered conversation. When Emilia returned to me the other woman had left the room, but returned a few moments later holding a tray laden with a teapot, cups and delightful little cakes. Such a sight warmed my heart dear readers, you can imagine how much I had missed my tea! And let me tell you that the ceramic work on the cups and pot where just spectacular. Ornate little flourishes abounded and when I leaned

I did! I was halfway through the delicious cake when a realisation struck me. I turned

of it was made by

"Even the tea?"

"Especially the tea."

• from Chapter Seven of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands

finishing touches on the new defensive works. Small forts in the shape of anthills were now dotted throughout the city, giving the ants a fallback position and safe firing platform. The pillar above the city now sported similar protected hollows formed by bonding stone to the harder material of the pillar itself. Any approach to the city from the air would be subject to a bombardment of spells and acid that would

them to utilise the sheer weight of numbers to the fullest extent, holding off

of thousands of members of the Colony remained within the city, dug into position and ready to fight at

the central

last few days have been hectic,

agreed, "not

With the Eldest personally

the contingencies be enough to handle a tier seven if it

Victor shrugged her antennae.

without risk. We have done everything we can to minimise it, but an element of chance will always persist. With the information we have to hand we have made the best

all the best. If all goes well, I'll see you when the column returns with word