Chrysalis

“We aim to advance in ten minutes. Make sure your squads are ready.”

They had spent a week preparing for this expedition, training, theorising, testing. Bella and Ellie had worked overtime, stretching their knowledge of monster anatomy to the very limits, studying the cores of fifth stratum monsters with intense focus.

Solant’s broodmates acknowledged her instructions and rushed off to carry out her word, only Leonidant remaining behind.

“How confident are you?” the scout asked.

“That’s an unusually direct question.”

“These are unusual times.”

“Very true words.”

Solant reflected for a moment.

“We really have come a long way, haven’t we?” she said, cleaning her antennae carefully. “It wasn’t that long ago the only thing we had to worry about was Tunnel Ball and completing our training exercises.”

“The Eldest certainly changed that in a hurry.”

The giant ant had thrown Solant and her broodmates into the thick of the conflict at the earliest possible opportunity. It had been a brutal learning curve, for all of them, but they had grown so fast as a result of the change, it was difficult to view it as a bad thing.

“I believe the Eldest was wise to place us here,” Solant decided. “It’s been an excellent opportunity to develop ourselves and be of use to the family.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. How confident are you?”

Solant considered the question for a moment.

“About half,” she said finally. “It’s lower than I would like, but we need to start testing our ideas sooner rather than later. More certainty will be hard to come by without taking a few risks now.”

the scout reassured her general. “I’m sure

nodded, “we can’t

fussing over the minor details before they set out. No matter how much she wanted to. The more she

little general completely believed in their capabilities,

are

Bella, the two core shaper Council members, approaching from the nest. Each looked visibly worried, antennae twitching

in the work that you and your caste members have completed to this point. Without proper assessment, we won’t

solutions for the toxic mana and miasma for

her, eyes focusing down the tunnel, but somehow looking far beyond. “For now, that is what

from her place in the column and Solant turned to the two

have to excuse myself, it’s time to depart. I’ll

Bella said. “I hope the pets will do

“I’m sure they will.”

to move, picking up the pace as the thousands

was grim, as

planned to move ten kilometres beyond the defensive line held by the Colony, moving out and down, closer to the fifth, but as reports rolled in, it seemed they

the way into their journey, the column ground

the earth mages not to stretch themselves. If things go according to plan, we won’t be here long,” Solant instructed, and the runners raced to deliver

running a keen eye along the troops as she passed. Was it a trick of the light, or did they straighten when they

than we predicted,” Sumant said, indicating forward with one

outward from the defensive line, but the distance had grown shorter and shorter as the wave went

tunnel, fibrous strands stretched every which way, forming a spider web of goop. It dripped from the ceiling, slid down the walls. Even the air was contaminated,

was basically self-sustaining; the slime produced more of itself, spreading, pooling, growing thicker and more noxious by the hour. If nothing was done, it would creep all the way to the nest and then up through the fortress until it spilled out into the waters that surrounded the mountain. At that point, it would become someone else’s problem, the brathian most likely, who would be forced to clean up

wouldn’t come to that, of

“Any monster sightings?”

“None, thankfully.”

“Then we can deploy.”