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.”

Eldest tapped her on the head with an

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

sure what you

a second, they’ll be here

that came down the tunnel as the remaining troops, those not

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

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

a tree waved back before they turned

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

are we going, Eldest?” Leonidant asked, a little

you mean? Straight into this infinite void of

“What?!”

diligent in making sure you hit your rest periods on time,

were taught to always get proper rest in the

get enough rest, if you don’t take proper care of yourself, then your work gets sloppy and all the ants around

ant had rounded everyone up and cheerfully led them into the gently

you well behaved members of the 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, someone needs

happening here?” Solant asked

The Eldest laughed.

fortress is getting put into torpor. Way too many ants not doing the right thing. The whole place could have

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

of the dark mist still curled and drifted through the air, smothering the light and deepening the shade. Inside, Solant saw something unbelievable taking

upon thousands of them. As they drew closer, Solant could see

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

of course, noticed her

giant ant observed gleefully, “if you don’t take your rest on time, then you

to work without making a sound or a scent, collecting slumbering members of

over

Everyone is getting

about them?” Solant wondered,