Chrysalis

[Run, run, run!] I holler at the others as we continue to sprint through the mould covered forest.

It really is obnoxious to run through this mess. There's mould beneath us, beside us and crawling up the trees to cover the canopy above us. It's like being in a suffocating winter wonderland except far more horrifying. Especially now that some of it is on fire.

[I don't think more fire will be a good idea, Master!] Crinis suggests as we race through the terrain.

[We might need another distraction soon. Starting a small fire will get the termites off our trail.]

[Won't it just bring more of them?] Sarah demands.

[I mean, yes. But also, yes…]

They be distracted though…

Perhaps that's still not good enough.

[No more fires,] Sarah tells me firmly, [we can think of something else.]

[Hmph. You're just worried about the fungus spores getting inside you,] I mutter.

[I hadn't even thought of that! Anthony!]

[Breathe it in deep. That's the sweet smell of fungus country.]

should never have come here. I

the bright side. When the termites are defeated we can remove the mould from this area

the aphids are

aspect of ant superiority. Even if we started fungus farming, we wouldn't

sounding a little panicked

I confirm, [it's getting stronger even. Wherever they are,

the giant bear as she heaves for air. She may be a somewhat delicate flower internally, but externally she is all beef. Her legs are thicker than a person and positively bulging with

on your stamina somehow,] I tell her, [how do you

berserk,] she snaps, [that usually takes

Oh, right.

no need for that here and now,] I hastily assure her. My antennae waggle furiously as I follow the trail. [The trail is starting to curve, follow

trail, but I can't really tell how many. Tiny bounds along in my wake, suffering much like Sarah is in this long distance sprint, Invidia perched on his back like a nightmarish bat, green eye

seems as if our opponents had a different concept for this landscape. In front of us a vast yawning chasm has been carved into the rock, the trees cleared for hundreds of metres in all directions. Like a passageway into the pit of doom, the

The whole

for myself… it's just ridiculous! You could fit the main nest of the Colony into this thing ten times over with room to

they aren't alone. Not only are they swarmed by a host of termites, which is bad enough, but watching from above are five kaarmodo with their attendants in

and her group into a fight so that the termites can

Not. Acceptable.

there!] I roar to Tiny who

with his enormous palms, bellowing his rage in an ear shattering roar that shakes the trees around us. Then he's off, bounding across the mould covered stone, his

blow up everything I

[Even the lizardsssss?]

[Especially them.]