Chrysalis

The Colony really only had two speeds. Fast and breakneck, as the humans referred to it. The latter didn't make much sense to the ants at first, they didn't have necks after all, not in the traditional sense. What they could understand was the idea of moving so fast you ran a high risk of injuring yourself. The lecture the Eldest had levelled at them was a direct warning against this sort of behaviour.

The idea of breakneck pace had been rejected on a fundamental level. In its place came a new speed: slow.

Coolant liked slow. It was much more her sort of pace. Slow didn't mean taking it easy, slow didn't mean slacking, slow meant being careful, being patient, ensuring that each task was done perfectly before moving onto the next one. It appealed to an ant with a detail oriented focus like herself.

And in the end, what she found was that slow, wasn't slow at all. Slow was smooth, slow was controlled, which, as it turned out, was fast. No mistakes, no backtracking, everything progressing in its turn without clogging up the project further down the line. Coolant found that by working at a slow and deliberate pace, she got more done, not less.

It was with this spirit that the Colony reinforced its position in the fourth stratum. Lines were drawn up, tunnels allocated, formations pre-planned before a single claw touched the Mother Tree's bark. When the ants began to stream through, everything was prepared. They were directed by the squad into their allocated places. Once each formation was filled, the final ant slotted into position, the entire group would march forth along their planned path to engage in the ongoing battles already underway.

No time was lost. No waste or inefficiency dragged the operation down, despite there being no unseemly haste. To Coolant's calm and unruffled eyes, it was beautiful.

"Why are we moving so slow?!" Propellant raged.

Coolant sighed.

"You still haven't embraced the 'go slow to go fast' philosophy? You're denying the evidence of your own eyes."

"It's nonsense!" the fire mage groused. "You go fast to go fast! The very thought of going slow and steady makes my carapace itch!"

"It seems like your rotten personality is the issue at fault," Coolant observed. "With a little patience you might be able to proceed further with your fire magic."

"Bah! Patience isn't required to master fire magic! What's required is a burning hot spirit and guts!"

"If you say so…"

new scent intruded on their well-worn argument. "Or do you have

"Victor?"

general bustled up to the two

the mage battalions as they come through the gateway," Coolant assured the general. "I was mainly discussing how smoothly the deployment is going. The planning and preparation this time

of thousands of troops into the area over a single day, we better be organised or everything would go to hell," Victor

wrong," Propellant replied, "I already know exactly where I'm going once the next wave is through. I can't wait to put some

practically feel the heat coming off the fire mage as she imagined setting

told the general. "Do we know if water or ice are effective against the

don't like the cold much, just like us. Cool them

them alight," Propellant

work better against some foes than others. That's

the next wave!" Victor pointed to prevent another argument.

the two council members rushed down to meet them. Thanks to the detailed planning they were able to direct their fellow caste members with little effort, finally able to tag along behind them

Propellant gave a jaunty wave of her antenna, before turning and joining the back of

our

That happened

and turned back to

way

I need to get back to Sloan once I'm done here. Directing this battle is proving to be extremely easy and

so?" Coolant asked,

immense numbers. This is the largest