Chrysalis

Something was off, Sloan could feel it.

“What word from the walls?” she demanded of her scout coordinator.

The distinguished scout, Postant, had been working with her for months, and responded immediately to the sudden demand.

“Holding firm at last report.”

“And the tunnels?”

“Same. There’s been no significant change.”

“That can’t be right. I want a fresh runner sent topside immediately. There’s something going on around here, I can feel it in my antennae.”

“As you wish, general,” said Postant before she turned to direct her scouts.

But as information continued to trickle in, everything seemed… fine. The wave was being held off pretty well all around the fortress. Ants were fighting hard, gaining Levels, training their Skills, and a constant stream of Biomass and cores flowed into the nest, precious resources needed to grow the Colony. Everything was going so well, yet she couldn’t help but feel that something terrible was not only about to happen, but possibly already had.

The runners came back soon after, no significant changes, everything was holding steady. In fact, things were probably a little better than they’d been the day before.

“Better?” Sloan couldn’t believe it. “How are things better?”

“I’m not sure,” Postant replied after conferring with her troops. “The general feeling is that the defence is holding firmer than previously, but nobody has really been able to pin down a reason why.”

Sloan thought back. She’d been on the job since yesterday, could she recall any significant changes since then? Directing the flow of the defence in the tunnels had been her sole responsibility in all that time, so if anyone had noticed a difference, it should have been her!

The general pondered the question.

“Let me see the latest troop report,” she said suddenly.

Other generals, members of her staff, quickly pulled out the stone tablet marked with dense and detailed pheromones, rows and numbers that described the numbers of available troops. There was a change! The number had gone up.

“Have the reinforcements arrived?” she asked as she continued to trace her antenna over the tablet.

“Not yet, general. They aren’t scheduled to arrive for another three days.”

healers anyway. Sloan understood what the Eldest wanted, but she would have really preferred more fighting ants instead. Still, she felt bad that Mendant and Francis hadn’t been listened to, to the extent that the

significant as a full reinforcement, but were significant enough to have made a difference. Where had they come from, though?

sort of shifting error putting more ants on the frontlines than there

shift, Postant?” Sloan asked, getting

general,” came

she not noted such a significant shift? It

her mind halting in

say?”

Postant shifted.

“Thirty-six hours, general.”

case. It couldn’t

the torches!” she cried, and the generals sprung into action, igniting the braziers they kept

flames crackled all around them, driving the shadows away as every ant eyed even the tiniest

she told everyone. “We’ve gone too long without

wasn’t good to

easy to let time slip by during such pressure-filled situations as these. She brushed her antennae through her elbow joints, cleaning them,

a little odd that they hadn’t come for her already. Thirty-six hours was a lot… not something they would normally

again,” she requested, taking hold of it in her mandibles once more and

more ants in the fight. The listing, which usually read Casualties of

hadn’t taken a single ant… for a full

to clatter against the stone floor of the chamber. Her staff shifted, surprised to see

sent messages to bring our replacements in, we’ll

whispered. “It’s

around the chamber. Bright burning fire surrounded her in all directions, but suddenly, she knew it wasn’t enough. Every hint of shadow loomed like an impenetrable ocean of darkness. She could almost hear the malicious gnashing of mandibles, coming from some dark space just

rounded on Postant. “Get in touch with Victor, let her know that they haven’t taken anyone in an entire day. A

FAR too

Heresy. Heresy. Heresy. Heresy.

Unbeliever. Unbeliever. Unbeliever.

realm of madness the waking could never see, surrounded Sloan in

the fires!”

they were gone. The fires sputtered and died, robbing the huddled ants of their soothing

like that, shadows

war to fight, things to do! She shivered in fear at

“we’re going to rest soon! An hour is