Chrysalis

The tunnels between layers were uncomfortable at the best of times. Filled with smoke, ash and the bubbling streams of lava that made the heat unbearable, they were inhospitable before you took into account the demons prowling through them. Or worse, the remnants of demon obsession that simply refused to die.

Yet, for one nameless scout, this was, by far, the most stressful trip through the tunnels that she had ever experienced. The knowledge that the entire Colony was waiting for word of the Queen’s fate weighed heavily on her carapace, but she was determined.

Her six legs were more than enough to bear the burden. She would not fail the family.

Those six legs blurred as she raced through the narrow tunnels, flitting up the walls, across the ceiling and back down again as she dodged anything that might impede her path. Monsters were left confused, swiping at nothing as she rocketed past. Even the lava seemed confused, unsure if anything had disturbed its passage.

She was on a mission. She was speed.

Even Vibrant might have nodded, slowly, with deliberate grace as a camera zoomed toward her face, had she seen the scout perform this mad run. All the while, she left behind a clear trail of pheromones, indicating to any who came after that she had passed this way.

And then she was through, skittering out and gripping tight to the ceiling of a new layer of the third stratum, the endless plains stretched out beneath her, kilometres below. It was a perilous drop that would terrify many, but the scout was undaunted, her clawhold sure and firm.

She could see the pillar, not far from her current position. It would be difficult to navigate her way down alone; she didn’t see any other scouts emerging from the tunnels just yet. There was no time to wait for them, and she couldn’t see the Queen from these heights.

Down she climbed, face first, as fast as she dared. Down the pillar, onto the plate city, through which she rushed as quickly as she had moved before, onto the underside of the rock disc, and then down again.

Soon, she was on the plains themselves, having made record time in her descent. Her antennae thrashed wildly through the air as she attempted to locate any trace of the Queen and her entourage. There had to be a scent trail, no good ant went anywhere without leaving one behind, she just had to find it.

She circled around the base of the pillar until at last she detected the trail, then she was off. Demon larvae flailed wildly as they tried to throw themselves from her path. Usually they failed, and she trod on hundreds before she finally found what she was looking for, not that she was happy to see it.

The Queen and her guards were engaged in battle! Ravenous, maddened demons threw themselves at the defensive formation that had sprung up around the giant Queen, who held the centre herself, fighting with her usual determined, stubborn manner.

fear washed over the scout as

she drew near, careful not to be caught in the melee.

unabated, but even so, the reply came from the nearest

to be possessed by some strange fever. They fight with no sense of self preservation or purpose. We can’t reason with them. No matter how

“Can you disengage?”

our backs the moment we tried

leave while we hold them

general gave a humourless huff

to try

the family knew it was futile to

you last until reinforcements

lost,” the general replied, her

drawn near as she did so. Back

the return trip, the scout ran into one of her own kind, following

happening?” the scout

by hostile demons. Retreat difficult.

“Got it.”

back toward the pillar. No doubt she would soon run into