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

Eldest pointed a leg at the darkness behind them, “and I’m also the one

not sure what you

it a second, they’ll be here in

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

they saw a different type of movement down the tunnel, as a mix of

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

of a tree waved back before they turned and settled in to

have a group like them on our side, even if their mother is a bit

Eldest?”

you mean? Straight into this infinite void of darkness

“What?!”

already. You guys have been diligent in making sure

replied, serious. “We were taught to

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

order, the giant ant had rounded everyone up

push the limits, who skip a torpor period here and there, or go for multiple days without resting. When that happens, someone needs to make them see the error of their ways and ensure they get a good

that what’s happening

The Eldest laughed.

is getting put into torpor. Way too many ants

together around the hulking 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 from

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 than those ants who

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

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

it all. How

Eldest, of course,

observed gleefully, “if you don’t take your rest on time, then you get the full treatment. So much time and effort spent rejuvenating you.

a sound or a scent, collecting slumbering members of the Colony, tucking

this happening all over the

course. Everyone is getting the

about them?” Solant wondered,