Chrysalis

Is the Colony evil? The monstrous ant foe poses a conundrum, as far as enemies go. It's very easy to paint such alien creatures as 'other', distinct from the sapient people of Pangera, and therefore remove sympathy. The ants do not speak, in the conventional sense; they don't even make sound. When describing them to someone with no direct experience of them or their society, depicting them as mindless, soulless and evil, is almost trivially easy.

Unspeaking, unthinking killing machines. Tunnelling through the soil to strike where they are least expected. They have no mercy in them, no kindness. All they know is hunger, all they think of is war.

And such a viewpoint will be swallowed hook line and sinker by the average citizen on the street. After all, what do they know of the Colony? Nothing at all. It isn't as if an ant is going to pop up in the street and prove me wrong. Although their diplomatic efforts have spread further than any might reasonably expect, the common person knows not of these things and has never come into contact with a sapient ant monster.

For those of us with more information, with more academic rigour, we cannot state that they are evil. Their motives may be difficult for us to comprehend, and their actions may not always make sense to us, and therefore seem barbaric and unnecessary, but theirs is a rich and layered society that, while unified far more than our own nations, is not a monolith. They have their own disagreements, negotiations, and strange manner of decision making. They have culture, art, craftsmanship and all the other trappings of intelligent civilisation.

Perhaps what they do could be considered evil, but the Colony itself is far too complex an entity for such simple labels.

• Excerpt from 'Modern Morality' by Arcurion.

Well, well, well. The ol' lizards have decided to try and set a trap for little old me. Unfortunately for them, I've never seen a trap I didn't want to stick my head in!

Wait…

Anyway, I'm going for it. I won't be dissuaded! Not that the Colony makes any effort to stop me. When I tell the local generals what I intend to do, they just nod as if that's what they expected all along. In fact, when I sally forth with Crinis, Invidia and Tiny in tow, we find an army of ten thousand ants has already been deployed, waiting in neat ranks for me to leave so they can tag along as I go to confront the wizard lizards.

"Uh, you lot are all heading out to the border?" I ask them, a little surprised to see them.

course. We expected you would go and want to make sure that things don't escalate out of

the Ka'armodo would try

general in charge

were concerned the… Ka'armodo would start

down

implying that I'd be the one to start something… are

drags it

I huff. "Be like

gunning to start a conflict with our new neighbours. I've been so patient with them that it practically hurts! After everything that they've done, don't we deserve the

think we'll get lucky a second time. If we give the Ka'armodo a reason to mobilise their real strength, they would probably smash us. We need more time. Time

capable of withstanding any assault. The order of the day is to delay. Which is likely why the Colony are making a show of strength alongside me. The best answer to a belligerent neighbour is a show of strength. Let them know you aren't to be messed

from, even if I was secretly hoping to get something

even admit that to

there and through my connection to the hundreds of scouts pouring all over the area I can tell that

the older lizards is standing at the head of their group, so I politely march over with my squad in tow

there, chief! Nice day to be out for a stroll. Kind of makes me want to find a hot rock

Ka'armodo eyes me through narrowed

is dry,

a barrier