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.”

tapped her on the head with

Eldest pointed a leg at the darkness behind them, “and I’m also the one who arranged that,” next they pointed a leg

not sure what

it a second, they’ll be here

Eldest swatting the occasional monster that came down the tunnel as the remaining troops, those not swallowed by the

movement down the tunnel, as a mix of large

us while everyone catches up on their sleep,” the

waved back before they

have a group like them on our side, even if their mother is a bit of a jerk. Alright, they’ll take things from here,

we going, Eldest?” Leonidant

mean? Straight into this infinite void

“What?!”

been diligent in making sure you

were taught to always

all the ants around have to pick up the slack. Extra work for everyone. When too many ants are working exhausted, the mistakes snowball

had rounded everyone up and cheerfully led them into the gently

Colony, there are those who routinely push the limits, who skip a torpor period here and there, or go for multiple days without resting. When that happens,

what’s happening here?” Solant

The Eldest laughed.

Way too many ants not doing the right thing. The whole place could

form of the Eldest in their midst. Then, suddenly, shockingly, they were through it, emerging out the other side into the central planning chamber, freed

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

of neat beds formed of shaped stone filled the space, each occupied by a member of the Colony, adrift in torpor. Thousands upon thousands of them. As they drew closer, Solant could see that each was tucked in with a thick layer of cloth, a small… toy or doll tucked in under one

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 with another specialised material, running it back and forth with their front two legs, until

the luxury of it all. How terrible. She

of course, noticed her

then you get the full treatment. So much time and effort spent rejuvenating you. How

collecting slumbering members of the Colony, tucking them into beds,

this happening all over the fortress?”

Everyone is getting

Solant wondered, indicating