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…"

to be?" A new scent intruded on their

"Victor?"

up to the two mages, her

directing the mage battalions as they come through the gateway," Coolant assured the general. "I was mainly discussing how

thousands of troops into the area over a single day,

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

off the fire mage as she imagined setting the

being deployed on the west side," Coolant told the general. "Do we know if water or ice are effective against

that, they don't like the cold much, just like us. Cool them enough and they get sluggish, it might not seem like much at

you just set them alight," Propellant gloated, "fire is super effective against

work better against some foes than others. That's nothing to get

to prevent another argument. "You'd better

mage ants marched into the staging grounds next to the Bruan'chii village and 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 towards

you when the battle is won," Propellant gave a jaunty wave of her antenna, before turning and

our own soldiers on fire,"

That happened one

and turned

my way as

back to Sloan once I'm done here. Directing this battle is

so?" Coolant asked,

and managing such immense numbers. This is the largest battle the Colony has ever undertaken. The logistical work is