Chrysalis

The ants of the Colony didn’t invent universal education on Pangera, but they were, perhaps, the first to pursue it with such rigour. The citizens of the Silver City, for example, are entitled to learning until they turn ten. For the Colony, things are obviously very different due to their monstrous nature. It doesn’t take years to elevate a monster, as they are effectively born ready to fight and as intelligent as they are going to get until they evolve.

But the ants approached this situation with the maddening dedication and patience they poured into everything. Even more so, in fact, due to the reverence they hold for their young. Each grub is as well reared and pampered as a princess, as well fed as a festival hog, and as carefully cleaned as a king’s cutlery.

After they are born, this treatment continues as the hatchlings are put through the most comprehensive and extensive training program in the history of the world.

- Excerpt from ‘Antucation: Teaching and Learning, Pedagogy among the ant’ by Karliet Magron.

“Ready yourselves, hatchlings.”

The pheromones of the Brood Tender, Poppant, were as soothing and warm as always, washing over the antennae of her charges like a calming wave. Twenty small forms roused themselves from torpor, twitching as they regained control of their limbs one by one.

“Good morning, teacher!” the hatchlings chorused as they fell into two neat lines of ten.

Towards the back, Solant, as the three day old monster had begun to think of herself, slapped herself about with her antennae, trying to sharpen herself for the day ahead.

Exactly eight hours had passed since they’d fallen into torpor, she was confident of that, and sixteen hours of vigorous training and learning lay ahead of them. She intended to extract every ounce of benefit she could. The Colony demanded no less!

When they were ready, Poppant clacked her mandibles happily and turned to lead her charges out of their chamber. Through the narrow entrance they filed, then out into the wider tunnels, other groups falling into lines alongside them as they went.

“Work hard!” one of her broodmates greeted Solant as she fell in beside her.

intend to,”

Eventually, it was twenty metres in diameter and every inch of that surface was covered in hatchlings following along behind their teachers. There were ten thousand broodmates in the current class of the Antcademy, Solant had counted them, and she was determined that none would perform as well

filed in, taking their place at the table silently, as Biomass

we do not take lightly the resources that we have taken. If we keep that

particular hatchling who ducked her head in shame. Solant shook her head. That silly ant had succumbed to her instincts and flung herself into the jaws of a monster only

that she too had nearly done the same. Nobody needed

tables before they were led away, out of the dining hall and away from

time

the farms. “We must work together to achieve our best. Stay in formation at all

through several drills that they had practised extensively the previous day. How to advance as a unit, how to fall back, how to smoothly operate a firing line, alternating shots between

no need for anyone,”’ she paused and eyed them all, “to sacrifice themselves

“Yes, teacher,” they chorused.

of mana that split through the walls on either side. She could hear the growls and snarls of monsters ahead, freshly spawned monsters, ready to fall before the might of

time from the previous day. That

ready. Time starts… now,” Poppant said

set a brisk pace and the hatchlings quickly advanced along the roof of

spotted!” came the call from

and the twenty shuffled themselves until they faced their prey

“Fire!”

down at the target, followed by half the second, then the other half of the first. Staggered firing in this manner had been the first thing the hatchlings had learned, and thanks

being pelted with acid, the unfortunate monster who received the barrage could only collapse in a heap as