Chrysalis

Solant watched the battle unfold from amongst the very thick of it. Close enough to the front that her own mandibles had seen their fair share of action, she looked into the jaws of the enemy and directed the fighting from amongst the thick of it.

“Burn and slide,” she ordered.

“BURN AND SLIDE!” roared the troops around her.

Instantly, powerful blue flames erupted, igniting the air in front of the line. Monsters cried out in the heat, but the flames continued; they had learned not to underestimate these creatures.

For a further ten seconds, the mages continued to burn the tunnel as the soldiers and scouts massed behind them with generals for support.

At the same instant, every mage cut off their burst to reveal the tunnel ahead had become a searing wasteland, the rocks still smouldering as they glowed cherry red.

For a single second, the ant force assessed the field ahead of them, then launched their slide manoeuvre. Soldiers dashed, forcing their bodies forward, building speed until the front rank lifted their legs completely off the ground, held aloft by the momentum of the ants locked behind them. The moment they cleared the searing stone, their feet touched the ground again and the soldiers behind lifted their feet. Across the walls and ceiling, the scouts and generals surged, mandibles gnashing.

Solant had found that fire, while not sufficient to burn through the sturdy defences these monsters coated themselves with, did slow them down. Burning away the outer layer of sludge and clearing the rock allowed the ants room to approach and attack with their natural weapons.

slamming into the slug monster and gripping tight with their jaws. Acid hissed and steam filled the air, but the soldiers endured. From the flanks, the ants came, latching on and cutting deep with

of a human clock, flipping the monster onto its back. Far from the devastating barrage of goop, the creature unleashed the acid directly onto the stone floor of the cavern. With

two kilometres,” Solant ordered, “retreat and triage. I want it completed in five

their elemental magic to push back the corrupted mana. Freezing followed by burning had proven to be far more effective than pure flame when purging the sludge the monsters of the fifth left behind, but such rapid cooling and heating of the rock was dangerous. Since it wasn’t in the Colony’s best interest to destabilise the tunnels, they had to use this technique

if they collapsed and closed off the nest, that would

it was almost a dance, as ants filed into neat lines with perfect synchronisation, flowing between each other with effortless timing. The more time she spent with them and the more time they drilled, the smoother each and every movement became. Solant felt true joy spark in her carapace

training ground that wars

foes had proven to be the fastest and most effective method, yet it wasn’t without cost. Stoic and determined, the soldiers and scouts who had closed with the beast marched back

treatment, they would be back on the frontlines in only a few hours, but having to rotate so many members of the

She needed a tactic, method, or tool that more specifically countered these sludge monsters, something more efficient

foresight to ensure the Colony would always have a method to conjure solutions at a time like this. Solant had spent a great deal of time working with the core shapers lately. There were many things they could be used for in specific niche roles, something the ants weren’t always suited to do. Now here was a monster that was difficult for them to defeat, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t create something

of her shift, Solant bid her troops to continue their drills under the guidance of her broodmates

Solant felt it was time to take her concerns to the two of them directly. Surprisingly, she found

to see you!”