Chrysalis

Ants flooded through the tunnels, called to action stations by urgent pheromone messages distributed by the still under development “automated noiseless announcement system.”

If Sloan had any hair, she would be pulling it out of her carapace right now. Instead, she had to settle for tugging insistently on her antennae with her mandibles as her brain tried to spin the logistics needed for the required movements.

“It’s fine,” she said to the other council members, who stared at her, doubt plain in their eyes. “No, really. All we have to do is mount a campaign to secure this location, protect the Eldest and develop our defences, whilst simultaneously attacking into the teeth of a ravenous horde of demons on the third stratum to rescue the Queen. Simple.”

“How is any part of that simple?” Propellant scoffed. “This problem doesn’t go away or shrink into insignificance just because you pretend it’s easy. We need you in reality, Sloan.”

“Reality isn’t my friend right now.”

“Nobody is disagreeing with that. There has to be a way to turn this around. We need explosive action!”

“We need a calm, measured response,” Coolant rebutted. “If we rush we might make a critical error.”

“If we don’t rush we’re going to be too late! We don’t have time to think.”

“Both of you be quiet,” Advant said with authority, causing the two mages to subside. “Sloan has already described what we need to do, and it is simple. There has to be a defensive force left here to protect the Eldest until they complete their evolution. There also has to be an extensive force assembled and launched into the third stratum to protect the Queen and prepare for a possible demon invasion.”

the scale of the task, and the limited amount

be even worse than that,” Sloan said. “If something is turning the demons rabid, then we have to

their own cities

think of that,” Propellant said, looking shocked. “If that happens, this could

two locations. I suggest that the bulk of the fighters be sent to combat the demon threat, while the crafters remain here. Obviously, one general and one soldier will need to remain

nominate Leeroy,” Advant

the armour-clad Immortal

Eldest while they rest, then it’s likely to be far more dangerous

I suppose that’s

the chaos of the

Sloan said. “I’ll be in

provided by the Mother Tree. Hundreds of

the upper layers of the Dungeon rushed to descend in columns kilometres long, covering the vertical roads they had

in danger, and there wasn’t a single one of them who wouldn’t answer the call. Despite their fervour, at all levels, the Colony kept in mind the wisdom of the Eldest. It was ensured that normal operations wouldn’t

and more ants flooded into the third stratum. Demons gazing down from the occupied cities were confused at times, wondering if the Colony outnumbered the larvae on the plains. The great pillars on which the plate cities rested were covered in the crawling

post established above the tunnel the Queen had taken down