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.

are defeated we can remove the mould from this area and return it to wonderful forest,

the aphids are

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

have the trail?] Sarah asks, sounding a little panicked as we continue to blast through the

getting stronger even. Wherever they are, we're catching

is all beef. Her legs are thicker than a person and positively bulging with muscle underneath all of that fur, much like her shoulders. In fact, the shoulders are even larger. For all of her strength, she isn't much of a long

your stamina somehow,] I tell

berserk,] she snaps, [that

Oh, right.

antennae waggle furiously as I follow the trail.

shift my weight and drive myself to the right, taking a chance to look behind as I do. There are definitely termites on our 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

to this point we had been running further inland, heading up the slope of the side of the mountain which had been increasing the further we'd gone and I'd expected that to continue, but it 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 wide tunnel is completely black on the inside, with no light source to be discerned from this distance. More terrifying still, is the view of the mountain I get from here. There are holes, all over the place, fortified with dirt and each angled differently. It's clear to see that they aren't natural features of the terrain, and judging by the weathering

the termite nest. The whole damn mountain is the

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

are they swarmed by a host of termites, which is bad enough, but watching from above are five kaarmodo with their attendants in tow. In a flash I take in the full scene, drawing knowledge from the Vestibule as

spells to lock Vibrant and her group into a fight so

Not. Acceptable.

there!] I roar to Tiny who is only too happy to

his chest 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 fists

him alive and blow up everything

[Even the lizardsssss?]

[Especially them.]