Chrysalis

"Termites."

The council recoils in shock, snapping at the air, their antennae twirling violently through the air.

"That is quite uncomfortable," Coolant observes in a detached way, as if she weren't currently gnashing empty space as if it had a head she wanted to remove.

"WhataretermitesI'veneverheardofthembeforebutallofasuddenIwanttofightthingsrealbad!"

"Vibrant…"

"Sorry-sorry! Sometimes I forget. Anyway, I really want to fight something right now, why is that?"

The council all turn to look at me.

"It's not easy to explain. I had the same reaction," I tell them.

I hesitate.

How much do I want to reveal right now? If I tell the council all about termites, won't they quite reasonably want to know where I came by my knowledge? I've never explicitly explained my origins to my siblings, and I don't see why it would matter, but I feel a little awkward now that I'm on the spot. Bah! To hold information back just because I'm a little uncomfortable would be ridiculous! Ant lives are on the line here!

"Termites are a social insect, much like us. They have a Queen, possibly a king, they produce eggs which hatch into nymphs that eventually mature into workers and soldiers. They are known to eat wood which is likely why the kaarmodo decided to use them against the bruan'chii. They can even hollow out trees or logs and form their nests inside. Since the reptiles are using them as a weapon I'm sure they've done extensive modifications to the core of the Queen in order to influence the offspring and the overall species. In truth, they could be a very powerful enemy and we should be extremely cautious."

The ants gathered around the council table all nod solemnly as they consider what I've said.

"So when do we attack?" Leeroy asks.

"Dammit Leeroy!" I crash an antenna down on the carved surface of the grand circular table. "This is serious business, not your usual 'charge in recklessly' routine!"

right this time," Sloan says, her foreleg tapping thoughtfully

at the normally

be serious. From you, Sloan? I

reasons for my stance, Eldest, if you

a leg in apology. "This whole

"Right then."

to address the table, all our eyes focus

sound of these 'termites' and

are solemn nods as each of

SLAM.

"You can't be serious!"

am serious. The very mention of these fiends stirs the mana in my core. They must be

ready to leap into some hair-brained invasion of a stratum that is far too strong for me at the drop of a hat, but that doesn't seem like a good policy for the Colony as a whole! Am I wrong? It was only a

raises both her forelegs in a

we will be in a much better place than we were before to safely hold that which we take. We currently don't have anything like the strength required to conquer ground in the fourth, but we don't have to, right? We just have to fight

me! I want to go

there's a volunteer

"No problem!"

we be able to destroy the infestation and annihilate their nest immediately? No chance. But we can dig in

worried that we're going to be overmatched when we get there," I fret. "Even the tree and the bruan'chii are struggling, which means these termites are

commit to a defensive strategy and dig in as hard as we can. As long as we blunt the offensive and relieve the pressure from the tree, then she'll be satisfied that

to go personally," Cobalt chips in, "working in a whole new environment is going to be difficult to say the least and if I'm on location I can provide

afford to lose any of you, so you need the best

our operations on the

all look

fourth, are you nuts? Imagine leaving