Burke wouldn't say she disliked the company of other ants, not at all, but it couldn't be denied that she, and quite a few other scouts had developed a strange sense of independence over the months. More than any other group, except perhaps the far ranging core shapers who spent more time with their pets than others of their own kind, the scouts spend huge periods outside of the comforts of the nests, patrolling, carrying messages, scouting (obviously). All of this alone time had made them a little reclusive, a little uncomfortable when exposed to the crush of the nests and the tightly packed ranks of their kind.
She herself could admit that upon leaving the demon cities and climbing down to the plains below she had felt a certain tension unwind within her thorax, a subtle pressure relaxed within her mind.
She breathed deep of the third stratum air and allowed the heated mana with a tinge of destruction swirl around her core. It felt good to be back out in the wilds of the Dungeon with only herself to rely on. A little peace. A little quiet. It was important, she felt, to enjoy these moments whilst they lasted.
She detected a slight vibration through the ground being transmitted to her legs, the fine hairs there thrumming at an increasing pace.
Just breathe. Take in the peace.
The vibration had now become a faint rumbling. Even the demon larvae on the ground were starting to shimmy and shake as they engaged in their eternal tussle, yet Burke tuned it all out. Until the very last moment she would concentrate on the here and now.
So soothing.
hhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHEY THEREBURKEHOWAREYOUDOINGYOULOOKTIREDMAYBEYOUSHOULDRELAXALITTLEBUTDON'TLETTHESHADOWSCATCHYOUTHEY'REWATCHINGFORSUREITHINKTHEYFOLLOWME!"
An assault of pheromones washed over the suddenly exhausted scout as the vibrations ceased when Vibrant and over a hundred of her loyal crew rushed over and slid to a stop right next to the scout leader.
"Vibrant…" she started, "aren't you supposed to be inspecting the territory to the east of here? Isn't that what you said you would do for the council?"
All of that serenity, all of that quiet peace, gone in an instant. Already she could feel the burgeoning pressure as over a hundred ants packed in around her. Burke loved to be around her kind, don't think otherwise, she just needed a break from them every now and again, and this wasn't helping.
you at that speed. I mean, can your followers even understand you?
"Idon'tknowwhatyoumeanitseemsfinetomeareyousureyouaren'tjustalittleslowmaybeyoushouldspeedupalittlearen'tyouscoutssupposedtobefastImean -"
get it," she cut
How are you Burke?! I finished looking over the east side, it was really cool! Lots of demons, a few tunnel entrances and some strange crystal thingies that some golgari and humans were mining. We
"IdidleaderVibrantIhaveitrighthere."
go. So I thought I should head over here and see if
all in. Crystals, golgari and humans mining? So many questions. Although one issue did stand out to
during this scouting mission, right Vibrant? During this period the Eldest has explicitly stated that we should
antennae weren't moving, as if every hair on her
to say?" Burke
ant shifted on the spot, her front legs brushing through the air in front of her as if sweeping the scout's words into
"It's fine-fine! We didn't fight anybody and there wasn't anyone around to chase
to slap herself in the face with one
important moment for the Colony do we? There's a lot going on right now and a ton of things are getting fixed up above us, it's just going to take a bit more time and we can't
nodded and reached up to pat her on the
be sure to take
the one
a little hard to focus
"Why's that?"
kind of figure the Eldest would have ruined everything and gotten in trouble by now so I don't have
about th… you
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