Chrysalis

Who can say, truly, how many termites were defeated, down in the dark? Amongst the roots of the world tree we hunted and were hunted in turn. The fighting was vicious, brutal in the extreme.

In some ways it was a good thing that our non-monster allies were unable to join us, despite the enormous help their auras would have been. Without them we were able to engage with the enemy on the same ground. Fight fire with fire.

We fought on the walls and ceilings. We fought in complete darkness within cramped tunnels. We fought within the verdant growth of the tree. We fought on our own terms. Enormous numbers on both sides, an endless conflict that would never end until one side could no longer sustain the fight.

It was war exactly the way we wanted it.

I loved it.

• From the journals of Advant.

A war of attrition against the Colony was not the wisest of strategies, Mendant reflected. The field hospital around her teemed with activity as the wounded were rushed in on her left. The fighting must be fierce today considering the numbers that they were seeing.

Considering this was only one of the medical posts the healers had established, there must have been over a thousand ants in need of healing coming into the facilities run by her sisters.

Considering how durable and easy to heal the monsters were, only particularly serious injuries made their way to places like this, ones that couldn't be instantly cured with an application of healing magic, or fixed over a period of hours after consuming Biomass.

One thing they weren't short on right now was Biomass.

directing an orchestra, Mendant was the centre of operations as her healers flowed around her. She directed resources to where they were

others might need a week to return to full health. The ants, especially the

overcame her. She turned to see the other healers standing unusually still. A moment before she could reprimand them, she realised the patients were acting

What was happening?

the entrance. There was a beat, then the bizarre sight of the Eldest being carried… or floating… into

the enormous form of the Eldest appeared to drift in. Were they being carried? She thought she saw ants underneath, bearing the weight

over it for a moment longer before she shook off the

demanded, her pheromones

were always calm, but her eyes nearly boggled when they saw the extent of the injuries that had been inflicted on the strongest ant in the

to see you. No problem, just

A what?

does one have a

Eldest, still somehow hovering in mid-air

I mean, did I try to bite them? Maybe. But I don't think that means

burns were one thing, huge chunks of missing carapace and the blackened flesh on the inside, but the cuts, as if sections of the

she prodded

healing, I'll be fine.

the Eldest