Chrysalis

The Queen looked down on her children and felt joy swell in her heart. It always did when they thronged around her, looking busy and enjoying their lives. No matter what they did, the Colony threw their whole selves into the task, as an ant should, and she took great pride in the achievements of her children.

Even if that task happened to be fighting.

The number of her children throwing themselves into the battle continued to swell, and they fought with furious efficiency. Every caste, ants of all shapes and sizes, fighting against the demons as if they were possessed of a spirit of cold, insectile rage.

She wasn’t sure what had them so riled up, but it was pleasing to see nonetheless. The next time she enjoyed tea with the human, Enid, she would have to remember this moment and share it.

Another wave of healing light burst from her antennae, washing over the gathered ants, and they responded by redoubling their efforts against the surging demons.

The number of monsters that rose from the tunnels below had continued to rise all this time; it seemed that the only real limiting factor was the width of the opening they had to climb through. The size and strength of the demons was also climbing. Stronger tier six creatures emerged one after another, with even the odd tier seven mixed in. Only a constant barrage of acid and magic from the ever increasing ranks of mages and scouts kept them from barreling into the melee and cutting apart the less powerful frontline ants.

Despite the fearsome third stratum monsters gaining in strength, the fight was turning the other way. After Vibrant arrived, followed by her followers racing into the conflict, the trickle of ant reinforcements turned into a flood.

Thousands more arrived every minute, throwing themselves forward relentlessly.

“Mother, it’s time to leave!” Wills called up to her.

while my children are fighting,”

her

children are fighting all the time, all over

disapproving glare on the scout,

not always fighting right in front of me,” she said flatly. “I will protect the

going crazy. It’s not that it’s

Queen knew that her children wouldn’t leave until she did, so if she wanted to remove

stratum? What is happening here?”

believe that Wills would lie to her, in fact, she didn’t know what a lie was, but she knew that her children

some sort of madness. The demons who follow them are attacking everyone. The only reason these nutters are trying to kill us is because we happen to be the first things they see. If we

for a moment

said. “Organise a fighting retreat. I will

and persuade her further, since the soldiers would be the last to leave and take the brunt of the damage, but the Queen knew that

instead before she turned

she found them. “Form a front line of soldiers, keep the artillery firing from range, stagger the lines one hundred

then rushed to follow the orders, organising their teams, spreading the

wasn’t easy to reorganise the ranks in the middle of a frenetic battle, but the ants were disciplined to the point of absurdity, and well drilled. Reform the line right in the face of

formation into a dense half circle, the Queen positioned in the centre surrounded by the strongest soldiers and generals buffing them up, a concentration of