Chrysalis

When the mana starts to drop, it drops fast. One second I’m up to my eyeballs in the stuff, absolutely drowning in energy, the next it’s receding so quickly I feel like I’m going to get swept down a stratum if I don’t hold onto the ground.

So. That’s it? Just like that?

Hanging from the top of my tunnel, I feel relieved and a bit… disappointed? Look, I’m not asking for the Legion to come knocking on the Colony’s door every wave, but I kind of expected something. This wave has ended with a murmur rather than a roar.

Ah well, it is what it is.

I drop off the roof, stretch out a bit, clean my antennae, then walk back into the nest. Time to go find something else to do, I suppose. Back in the central command chamber, the generals are running around like mad, as always. I find Sloan right in the middle of it all.

“Hey there, Sloan. What’s happening?”

“The wave is ending,” she says, obviously distracted.

I poke her on the head with an antenna.

“Yeah… so why is everyone so busy? Shouldn’t you be winding down? Slowing your roll a little bit? The wave is over.”

She sighs and turns to face me properly.

“The wave being over means the siege has ended. It’s once again safe to venture out of the fortress and into the tunnels.”

“Right. So?”

back to exploring the lower tunnels and completing the lower sections of the nest as quickly as possible! If we can leave our safe places,

Ah.

we’ll come under attack? I hadn’t heard of any impending

have forewarning of an impending attack, Eldest. Better to be prepared. If you’ll excuse me, we are in

there,” I tell her and the general pauses for

is exactly what the little general needs after this protracted defensive battle. Leaving the generals to it, I go find a nice nook to tuck myself into, out of the way, and let the Will of

indulge in it, just to feel the unity of the Colony. I may be the only creature who gets to feel it like this in the entire lifetime of my family, which is a real shame. Others can see how well my siblings work together, the thousands and thousands who cooperate, seemingly flawlessly, at

individuals, each with their own vision, their own wants and needs, all working to better

are there humans here? And I think

either. A procession of robed priests, each with antennae rising from their hoods, make their way into the chamber before they congregate nearby. Not close enough to bother me, but not so far that they aren’t around if I decide to talk to them, they

Road. If you

of us ants

safe for them to come and live at this level. That’s handy. Incorporating the ant priests and human soldiers alongside our own forces will help return them to full strength, taking advantage

to put up with a bit of chanting and kneeling. In

then, gang. Time to assemble. Come and find

weeks of fighting. The big ape is singed in places, still-healing wounds marking his enormous arms and shoulders. Crinis glomps onto me the moment she’s in range, moulding herself onto my carapace and retracting all of her flesh until she’s about the size of a beach ball. It’s not always easy to

a sense of satisfaction radiating from each of

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