Chrysalis

Solant knew, of course she knew, how could she not? But the task before her didn’t change, no matter what was going on behind her back.

“Focus your fire forwards! Don’t pay any attention to what’s going on behind! Hold the line!”

The fighting was still intense, though it had slackened, thankfully.

“Are you sure, general? Things are… rather dire back there.”

“Leonidant, I don’t care if the fortress collapses behind us, we will achieve victory here, in this tunnel, at this chokepoint!”

“But the fortress may well have fallen behind us, Solant! We don’t know what’s going on back there!”

For over an hour, reports had flooded to those fighting on the front that any and all communication with the central planning chamber had been lost. The fighters here in the tunnel had been cut off from central command completely.

That didn’t bother Solant so much, she had a job to do, as did every other ant here, and if there was a problem in the nest, that was for others to deal with. The Eldest was back there, for The Queen’s sake! If the Eldest couldn’t deal with it, she assuredly couldn’t.

And so, the fight had gone on.

Then the reports had changed. Not only was the central command chamber enshrouded in darkness, but the shadows were advancing down the tunnels.

Solant had glared at the scout and told her to get back to fighting.

“Rotate!” she demanded, and then twitched when she realised that the next line of soldiers was gone. There was no one to rotate forward.

Instead, all that lay behind her was a black wall of shifting shadows.

“Well… that’s not ideal,” she muttered.

“Yeah, don’t stress about it,” came a familiar scent, followed by the giant head of the Eldest. “You did a good job holding the line. Well done.”

She was pleased for the compliment, but felt it wasn’t deserved.

“We only held because the number of monsters encroaching on our position diminished significantly. If it weren’t for that, we would have… lost.”

her on the

the one who arranged that,” the Eldest pointed a leg at the

sure what

second, they’ll be here in a

monster that came down the tunnel as the remaining troops, those not swallowed by the void, rested

a different type of movement down the tunnel, as a mix of large and small tree-people came into sight.

the nest for us while everyone catches up on their sleep,” the Eldest said, waving

tree waved back before they turned

mother is a bit of a jerk. Alright, they’ll

Eldest?”

Straight into this infinite void

“What?!”

have been diligent in making sure

serious. “We were taught to always get proper rest in

of yourself, then your work gets sloppy and all the ants around have to pick up the slack. Extra work for everyone.

rounded everyone up and

limits, who skip a torpor period here and there, or go

that what’s happening here?” Solant asked

The Eldest laughed.

getting put into torpor. Way too many ants not doing the

Eldest in their midst. Then, suddenly, shockingly, they were through it, emerging out the

of the dark mist still curled and drifted through the air, smothering the light and deepening the shade. Inside, Solant saw something unbelievable taking place. Ants were everywhere, crawling over every surface, on the room, on the walls, but even more

filled the space, each occupied by a member of the Colony, adrift in torpor. Thousands upon thousands of them. As they drew closer,

ants moved industriously, carrying containers in their mandibles. When they reached a new bed, they would carefully uncover the ant within and apply the contents of their containers to special cloths that they then rubbed over the slumbering ant’s carapace, leaving it gleaming. Then another ant, a carver, would go over the cleaned area

the luxury of it

course,

time, then you get the full treatment.

scent, collecting slumbering

all over the fortress?” Solant asked,

is getting the

wondered, indicating