Chrysalis

With the arrival of Vibrant and her crew, who’d made the difficult trek from the Mother Tree’s portal to arrive in the new mountain-nest, the situation below ground stabilised rapidly. Just like their leader, the ten thousand ants who follow in her footsteps specialise in speed, which isn’t the most useful thing down in the tunnels, but they find ways to make it work.

They want space to best employ their greatest advantage, which meant the wide open plains of the third stratum had been the perfect battle ground for them and Vibrant had been super busy. Rushing from one pillar to the next, putting out fires, joining sieges, roaming the plains and sweeping up huge numbers of evolving demons. Down here, they use whatever space they can find, rushing along the walls and ceilings in dizzying loops.

Watching them charge into a tunnel is almost like watching a horizontal ant-tornado.

“All right, it’s rest time!” I declare cheerfully to Solant and her crew.

The twenty of them are still standing, but only just. After hour upon hour of non-stop movement, fighting and eating, they are well and truly done for the day.

Hang on a sec….

“I said we’re going to go rest, so chill out already.”

The shadows, which had been steadily deepening around us, begin to recede once more. I swear I see an antenna pop out of the darkness and wave an apology.

Did they really think they could swoop in and grab my student right in front of me?! I appreciate the dedication, but I’m not going to let them get away with skipping torpor. That’s the only time I get a break!

“Go find yourselves a spot in a barrack somewhere. I’ll come and find you in eight hours. You better have some interesting strategies cooked up by then, Solant! I’m keen to hear what you’ve been churning over in that brain of yours!”

away, I turn to Crinis, Tiny and

happier I’ll be. Down here in

peeling from my carapace from Crinis. Soon enough, the three of them split up and head down different tunnels. With them helping alongside Vibrant’s army, things should settle down under the

one thing I’ve learned about the waves, they only get worse until

most important work of all: snooze. I’ve been

secluded chamber, and in moments, I dip into sweet,

WACCAMEOW! I’m up!

the easiest of the champions to deal with. At least she isn’t trying to escape

a second, have all the champions been fleeing from me most of the time? What a

looking bright-eyed and shiny-carapaced, ready for another day of brutal and

the tunnels today, but this time, Solant is going to be

“I will?”

plan of attack. Our objective is to hold a tunnel for a

down into the bowels of the nest, the twenty of them constantly discuss and strategize, bouncing ideas off each other, critiquing and providing

contribute much, but she’s always paying attention, absorbing every idea they bounce around and

reach the staging point, I arrive just in time to see Victor vanish into a pool of shadow. The rest of the generals in the command centre don’t react at all to the sudden abduction of their leader, but instead seamlessly flow into a new command structure, carrying